36 replies to this topic

[Melange]

Does anybody have a source (U.S.) for reasonably priced plastic confectionery frames. I bought a very large one in France for ~12 Euro; here I cannot seem to find them for less than forty bucks or as parts of expensive sets that I do not need. It seems bizarre that something so cheap to produce would cost so much.

[alanamoana]

you would think. but i've had custom ones made at a plastic company and they charge for cuts/labor. so it ended up being about $40 for a 10"x10" frame (measurement of interior opening)

otherwise, can't help you

[choux]

I picked up a few plastic cutting boards from Ikea recently, and am going to get my huband to cut out the centers to make a frame. (It's only been 2 months, should happen soon!!) I figure I can make a 7x9 square in the middle. The boards are 6 mm thick, so I think they will work well to make 2 layer centres.

[takomabaker]

I worked for ad agencies for years, and it's amazing how many tools transition to pastry.

I use these quite often. I have some really old, really heavy all metal ones that I "inherited" from an agency where I worked that closed. I would check on the newer models that the plastic coating is heat resistant, but you can buy flexible curve at any art supply store. I use these more for curves than straight lines, though.

flexible curve

[Tweety69bird]

I worked for ad agencies for years, and it's amazing how many tools transition to pastry.

I use these quite often. I have some really old, really heavy all metal ones that I "inherited" from an agency where I worked that closed. I would check on the newer models that the plastic coating is heat resistant, but you can buy flexible curve at any art supply store. I use these more for curves than straight lines, though.

flexible curve

Do you think that they would work if you layed them out straight like you would with caramel rulers?

[nicolekaplan]

i once had great plastic candy frames that i bought here for cheap, but they died over the years. i tried to replace them only to find that no one seems to import them anymore. i was so sad as everything else these days is so expensive.

[takomabaker]

That, I cannot answer. I would think they would work, but I cannot speak from experience.

I use a square cake pan lined with parchment when I make caramels that I want to cut into perfect squares. I use flexible curves for shapes.

[Alicia8870]

Hello I have only had the Grewleling book for a few weeks, and I want to make some pbjs and a few other things, but I noticed he uses a 12 x 12 metal frame for cooling and structure purposes. I have googled them online, but keep getting reg. picture frames Do most people make there own, and if so how would I go about acquiring one?

Thanks in advance.

Alicia

[Desiderio]

Hello, I think most of us are using metal frames form different sources.I bought mine froma a metal shop ( I got some heavy alluminum bars that I put together) and I got one fram ( set frame ) from Tomric, plastic http://www.tomric.co...=12&sec=31&cmd=
I have seen Chris here that made his own frames and it looked like a pretty smart idea ( he is a brainy guy ), we might have to ask him how to make our own , probably cheaper.

[mrose]

Hello, I think most of us are using metal frames form different sources.I bought mine froma a metal shop ( I got some heavy alluminum bars that I put together) and I got one fram ( set frame ) from Tomric, plastic http://www.tomric.co...=12&sec=31&cmd=
I have seen Chris  here that made his own frames and it looked like a pretty smart idea ( he is a brainy guy  ), we might have to ask him how to make our own , probably cheaper.

Lowes has bar stock you can buy. You might consider making it 12 x 6 or 9 x 8 which would be 1/2 batch. Most recipes make 180 pieces which is nice if you are selling but quite a bit for trial or self consumption.

[Alicia8870]

If you make it yourself, does it have to be welded together? Thanks for the responses, the tomric ones are pretty big. Note on Tomric, why does it say everything they sell is backordered? I emailed to ask, and they never bothered to answer.

I would need half batch size. I am making a ton of chocolates for valentines Day and probably most other holidays, but that would be the only times I would need full batches. I am new to the confection thing, but it fascinates me and I want to do things right.

Thanks so much for your replys, I will check out lowes.



Alicia

[Chris Hennes]

I've been working on a new solution recently, actually, since I didn't find the original wooden mold to be flexible enough (I want to be able to easily do three different heights: 1/4", 3/8" and 1/2"). I bought 16 neodymium magnets from a place online for about $10, then a 12"x12" sheet of cheap steel (magnetic) and had some 1/4" bars of stainless steel cut to length. The stainless was supposed to be the magnetic sort, but I ordered the wrong kind. Besides that, the custom cuts were not clean or precise enough. Finally, the rolled steel plate was not flat enough. Doh! So, I'm going to get a much thinner steel plate, and get a local shop to do a higher-tolerance cut of some magnetic stainless steel. I'll post pics once that's done - my target cost is $30.

Edited to add: I'm using the magnets to hold the mold rails in position (no welding): neodymium is very strong, so I can use small magnets coated in plastic so they can be washed. I am using stainless for the rails so they can be washed, and cheapo cold-rolled plate for the base since it gets covered in parchment anyway.

Edited by Chris Hennes, 23 January 2008 - 07:14 AM.

[naes]

Try http://www.jbprince.com/ or http://www.bridgekitchenware.com/

[Truffle Guy]

Thanks to Cheriepie, I've had polycarbonate frames made by a company in Philadelphia called Trident Plastics. They make a fiberglass bottom and then polycarbonate rulers. They can make them to any specification and are fairly cheap.

They only really work with ganache as the plastic rulers will curl when pouring a hot mix (pate de fruit, caramel etc.) If you are looking for a full frame they could probably make that for you as well. I've no connection to the company but always like to refer those who have done good work for me. I won't post the contact info as I'm not sure it is appropriate but just message me if you want the info....

Does anybody have a source (U.S.) for reasonably priced plastic confectionery frames. I bought a very large one in France for ~12 Euro; here I cannot seem to find them for less than forty bucks or as parts of expensive sets that I do not need. It seems bizarre that something so cheap to produce would cost so much.

[David J.]

If you make it yourself, does it have to be welded together? 

Alicia

Not at all!



Just line them up to whatever size you need and tape them down so they don't shift around when you pour and level the ganache.

Having them in seperate pieces facilitates removing the frame after it sets up.

This is really simple and you can use almost anything of the height and length you need.

[Chris Hennes]

Just line them up to whatever size you need and tape them down so they don't shift around when you pour and level the ganache.

Tape? Brilliant! (As usual, the engineer makes things more difficult than they need to be... )

[schneich]

If you make it yourself, does it have to be welded together? 

Alicia

Not at all!



Just line them up to whatever size you need and tape them down so they don't shift around when you pour and level the ganache.

Having them in seperate pieces facilitates removing the frame after it sets up.

This is really simple and you can use almost anything of the height and length you need.

thats exactly like i work, but you dont need any tape if you put em on a silpat ;-)


cheers

t.

[John DePaula]

If you make it yourself, does it have to be welded together? 

Alicia

Not at all!



Just line them up to whatever size you need and tape them down so they don't shift around when you pour and level the ganache.

Having them in seperate pieces facilitates removing the frame after it sets up.

This is really simple and you can use almost anything of the height and length you need.

thats exactly like i work, but you dont need any tape if you put em on a silpat ;-)


cheers

t.

Ditto.

As an aside, does anyone know where to get those plain flat sheets? Sort of like a cookie sheet but with absolutely no rim at all.

[Serj]

I got my supplies at Home Depot for about $5. I got a pre-cut polycarbonate sheet and some approx. 1/2 inch plastic weatherstripping for about 25 cents a foot. I just stick the 4 pieces of weatherstripping to an acetate sheet with tempered chocolate and the acetate sheet to the polycarbonate board with a damp towel (not in that order!). It doesn't move at all. And for some reason I prefer working with plastic over metal. Must be trauma from having to wash the metal frames for the Wybauw course. =)

[David J.]

thats exactly like i work, but you dont need any tape if you put em on a silpat ;-)

I use a silpat, but I also stack 1/4" x 1/2" bars for dual layer ganache so I have to tape the second layer.

[David J.]

As an aside, does anyone know where to get those plain flat sheets?  Sort of like a cookie sheet but with absolutely no rim at all.

From what I recall nobody sells them. I believe the FPS just went to a metal supply shop and had them cut to size from sheet stock.

[John DePaula]

As an aside, does anyone know where to get those plain flat sheets?  Sort of like a cookie sheet but with absolutely no rim at all.

From what I recall nobody sells them. I believe the FPS just went to a metal supply shop and had them cut to size from sheet stock.

Well, duh! That makes sense, David. I just never think about going to these metal supply places but they can save you a lot of money.

[Alicia8870]

Thanks so much for the pictoral on how they work!!! Gonna have to get my butt to Lowes! My silpat should work no problem!! Thanks so much guys!

Alicia

[tammylc]

i'll just add that if you use the separate pieces like David showed, you can adjust the size of your frame if it turns out you don't have quite enough ganache to fill the layer. Or too much and need to make it bigger. Very handy!

[Chris Hennes]

I hunted around town for appropriate pieces, but the Lowe's here only sells long pieces, and nothing in the size I wanted (1/4" x 1/4" cross section). Finally, I managed to find 12" sections at the local hobby shop: apparently they are used by model railroaders and the like. They are hollow aluminum rods, but as promised, putting them on a Silpat (OK, generic non-Silpat silicone mat...) prevented them from sliding around when I made Greweling's gingerbread squares. I think they were about $2.50 each: a little pricey, considering what you get, but overall well within what I was hoping to spend.

[Jim D.]

I realize that I am coming to this thread very late but am just getting to the point where I want to try slabbed ganache and other items for which a frame is required. So I hope someone will reply to my questions about frames.

There are significant differences among authors on the size of the frame required: Greweling's recipes call for a 144 sq. in. frame, Notter's are for 112.5 sq, in., and Shotts's are for 64 sq. in. Fixed-size frames that I saw online vary significantly in size: J.B. Prince's are 90.25 sq. in., Tomric's are 225 sq. in. So unless I am willing to do some rather complex calculations and adjusting of recipes to match a fixed-sized frame, it seems that movable bars are the way to go. On the thread to which I am replying Chris Hennes and David J. use this method. I found some stainless steel bars for a reasonable price online and have a few questions about them:

1. If I pour the chocolate "foot" first (the method Notter and many others use) and put the bars in place before the chocolate hardens, they should stay put while I am pouring and leveling ganache. And it would seem the bond between the chocolate and the bars would contain the ganache without leakage. But what about occasions when I am making something more liquid, such as pâté de fruit, when there is no chocolate? How could I keep the bars in place, and how could I keep the liquid from leaking under the bars?

2. What about recipes that call for adding a second layer to a ganache? How would keep I the four upper bars in place?

I will be grateful for any thoughts on these issues.

Jim

[Kerry Beal]

I realize that I am coming to this thread very late but am just getting to the point where I want to try slabbed ganache and other items for which a frame is required. So I hope someone will reply to my questions about frames.

There are significant differences among authors on the size of the frame required: Greweling's recipes call for a 144 sq. in. frame, Notter's are for 112.5 sq, in., and Shotts's are for 64 sq. in. Fixed-size frames that I saw online vary significantly in size: J.B. Prince's are 90.25 sq. in., Tomric's are 225 sq. in. So unless I am willing to do some rather complex calculations and adjusting of recipes to match a fixed-sized frame, it seems that movable bars are the way to go. On the thread to which I am replying Chris Hennes and David J. use this method. I found some stainless steel bars for a reasonable price online and have a few questions about them:

1. If I pour the chocolate "foot" first (the method Notter and many others use) and put the bars in place before the chocolate hardens, they should stay put while I am pouring and leveling ganache. And it would seem the bond between the chocolate and the bars would contain the ganache without leakage. But what about occasions when I am making something more liquid, such as pâté de fruit, when there is no chocolate? How could I keep the bars in place, and how could I keep the liquid from leaking under the bars?

2. What about recipes that call for adding a second layer to a ganache? How would keep I the four upper bars in place?

I will be grateful for any thoughts on these issues.

Jim

PDF firms up rapidly. Haven't had a lot of trouble with the bars moving or leakage. I often put my bars on a piece of silicone - it also keeps the bars in place and aids in removal of the PDF later.

With two layers I often change the 1/4 bars and replace them with half inch bars for the second layer.

[lebowits]

Hello, I think most of us are using metal frames form different sources.I bought mine froma a metal shop ( I got some heavy alluminum bars that I put together) and I got one fram ( set frame ) from Tomric, plastic http://www.tomric.co...=12&sec=31&cmd=
I have seen Chris here that made his own frames and it looked like a pretty smart idea ( he is a brainy guy ), we might have to ask him how to make our own , probably cheaper.

I've had "custom" aluminum bars cut to specific lengths. Check out Online Metals.

[Edward J]

I use a variety of techniques for slabbing

The first method I use is a 12 x 10 wood frame that is 1/2" high. This I made from maple with half-lap joints that are pegged. I lay the frame on a cutting board, lay a sheet of cling film on top, pour in my ganache, and smooth flat. When set I remove the frame which comes away clean, brush couverture on the surface, pick up the whole slab and flip over, remove the cling film, and brush couverture on the newly exposed side.

I also bought a set of frames from D+R in Montreal. These are S/S and quite nice, but expensive. However they come with a "movable wall", a bar of s/s that you can move within the frame to make any size you want. I lay a sheet of parchment on a large cutting board, then the frame, then fill. When cold, I run a torch along the frame to remove it.

I also have a set of s/s bars in 1/4" and 3/8" widths that I got made a metal shop for quite cheap. Very flexible and usefull. I toyed with the idea of cutting grooves in a cheap nylon cutting board so the bars can sit in and not move about, but that means I have to custom-cut a piece of parchment to fit in the bottom. I prefer the other methods

[Jim D.]

I use a variety of techniques for slabbing

The first method I use is a 12 x 10 wood frame that is 1/2" high. This I made from maple with half-lap joints that are pegged. I lay the frame on a cutting board, lay a sheet of cling film on top, pour in my ganache, and smooth flat. When set I remove the frame which comes away clean, brush couverture on the surface, pick up the whole slab and flip over, remove the cling film, and brush couverture on the newly exposed side.

I also bought a set of frames from D+R in Montreal. These are S/S and quite nice, but expensive. However they come with a "movable wall", a bar of s/s that you can move within the frame to make any size you want. I lay a sheet of parchment on a large cutting board, then the frame, then fill. When cold, I run a torch along the frame to remove it.

I also have a set of s/s bars in 1/4" and 3/8" widths that I got made a metal shop for quite cheap. Very flexible and usefull. I toyed with the idea of cutting grooves in a cheap nylon cutting board so the bars can sit in and not move about, but that means I have to custom-cut a piece of parchment to fit in the bottom. I prefer the other methods

Thanks very much for those ideas. I have ordered stainless bars. My concern remains how stable they will be when I am smoothing the ganache, but I will soon find out. Someone mentioned taping them down if necessary. I will have to do something like taping when making a two-layer ganache.