Which is your favorite table top Chocolate Refiner?
Written by Erin Andrews, founder of indi chocolate
I am a bean to bar chocolate maker and have been making chocolate since 2008. I have used and fixed just about all the chocolate making machines out there.
The Chocolate Refiner is my solution after having had to fix so many machines time and time again. I have been dedicated to improving this machine with the hope that no one else has to deal with the frustrations I have had with previous equipment. I like that these machines are continually being upgraded based on feedback from chocolate makers around the world.
- We review wear rates and do replacement part analysis.
- The base model grinders have been upgraded to make them more reliable for the longer, more robust requirements of making chocolate.
- The gears are more robust.
- The bearings are fully sealed so cocoa butter is not problematic.
- The Kevlar belts are much more effective and long wearing.
- There is an excessive heat shut off switch. Thankfully, we have never had a problem with these machines and fires. (I have had many close encounters with other machines).
As a chocolate maker I use all three of the upgraded Chocolate Refiners.
If I had to choose a favorite, it would be the smallest Premier Chocolate Refiner. Other chocolate makers often refer to it as "the tank."
- It is the most efficient chocolate making machine I have worked with.
- It's also compact and adorable (alright, I'm a machine geek so it is pretty cute to me).
- It also functions as a great way to sample chocolate at events and festivals. People love to see movement, it makes them curious and want to know more about the process. Economically, it is the least expensive way to sample chocolate because you don't spend time or labor for tempering, packaging, etc.
- It is also useful for evaluating small batches and sample of beans. Examining different roast profiles, origins, etc.
I also use both the LoPro and Tilting Chocolate Refiners. These are great machines too. We have had problems with the tilting mechanism of the Tilting Refiner, because it is a more complex machine. We recently upgraded the mechanism to take care of the issue. Between the 2L machines, it's really about what you prefer.
Some people have low clearance from an overhead cabinet or want to look into the machine more easily and they prefer the LoPro. Some people want more counter space or the ability to tilt out the contents when they are finished and prefer the Tilting Chocolate Refiner.
The Chocolate Refiner that Tilts - great for maintaining counter top space
The LoPro Chocolate Refiner - great when you have a low hanging cabinet over where you are making chocolate
I am always evaluating a new origin of bean or analyzing roasting profiles. I don't want any down time between batches, so for each of my Refiners I have an extra drum and an extra set of stones with complete hardware. This allows me to screw off the top lock and remove the entire drum with contents and put int the extra drum and stone set for starting another batch right away. It means my Refiners have no down time.
Refiners come in both 110V and 220V so you should be good to go with any of them no matter where you are in the world.
**For international orders: let us know what item(s) you would like and the postal code of where they will be physically delivered so we can get you a shipping quote. International shipping generally takes 5 to 7 business days.
