readingrilke

Hello, I actually believe that Jacque Torres uses a Sollich, which is the 'rolls royce' of enrobers and alot more expensive that the LCM (but I have had people state that the LCM is just as good), from an article in Pastry Art and Design. Other people who have the LCM are: Christopher Elbow, Garrison Confections, Dolphin Hotel in Orlando (Pastry chef there I think was the captain of the US pastry team), Veregoods, etc. I am trying to get an LCM and think it is worth the price for what I want to do, which is enrobed. It's a great machine that has been recommended to me by Wybauw, Schotts, and Florian Bellanger. I hope to get a chance to check one out in a couple of weeks, since there is one in Orlando. I guess a way to think about it is like a car. I mean, any car can get you from point A to point B, but there is a difference between a Civic (what I drive) and a BMW (what my customers are driving). Very easy to clean and change chocolates, is truly continuous tempering with a cold floor tabling method, and can give you that really thin enrobing. Even the Selmi as an enrobing unit is going to cost you over 25k and what is causing a huge amount of the costs for the LCM is the exchange rate between the dollar and the euro. The LCM 240 is going to set you back 30,000+ euros = $43,000. And for me, if I am going to spend tens of thousands of dollars for the single most important piece of equipment in my shop (other than climate control) it's what I would want. I agree that it's a HUGE investment, but if you have the means then freaking go for it! For me, if I can't get the bank to give me a line of credit to get it, then I am going with the Mol' dart and enrobing line, which according to their website is going to set me back approximately 15k, which is a third of the LCM and half of the Selmi.

No worries! If you are going to be doing that amount of volume, than yes, obviously manual tempering, etc. is not going to work out. I am meeting with some banks on Monday about getting a commercial equipment loan. If we can get it, then I am going to shoot for the LCM, since we obviously don't have the volume demands of you.....YET! If not, then I am going to go the Mol d'art route until we break even, and then buy an LCM. What's the story on getting your space, if you are going to be doing volume, won't you need your own dedicated space? Take care!

Swiss Chalet Fine Foods out of Miami, Houston, and LA distributes it.

Hey man! I finally got my phone reconnected after getting my old one stolen....pretty funny! Have you used one of these machines, yet? I know you got the specs and probably talked to some people, but beyond what wybauw said, I would really try and see these machines in the flesh and use one, if you haven't already. Regardless, it's a huge investment and something you are going to be using for several years, perhaps, so just give it some thought...lol...as if you weren't already. Do you really need something on this scale now? I mean, if you are doing mostly molded work, and you know how to temper.....after talking wybauw you better know how to temper!....then why not get a few large melters and a heat gun and a ton of molds...it's what I would do....until you can get your hands on something you don't have any doubts or hesitations about....might be better to just have ALOT of seeding and laddling in your future.... I don't know alot about those machines, they might be good but....for that amount of cash....maybe convenience and timing isn't the only criteria....we both know you are in this thing for the long haul and starting up my own thing, I know that a little elbow grease at the beginning is better than most quick solutions. You're still going to have those machines AFTER this season....so....keep that in mind! If you were enrobing I would understand the nearly desperate need for a continuous tempering machine, thoughts of hand dipping keep me up at night....but you're not doing much of that....we both saw how fast sean was....why not do that....it could be a baptism of chocolate or something! To be honest, I would buy a few large volume melters from mol'dart or someone, a ton of molds, a heat gun, a laddle, a bunch of offsets, and a good apron. Best!

Hey, Congrats man! Everyone talks about the LCM, so why not think about getting something small and get the LCM when it is ready. But congrats again!

That's awesome! I was wondering. Did you make up your own formula for figuring out how to price your items wholesale or are you using a mark up or a margin equation. I am having a hard time figuring out how to price my stuff to wholesalers. Anyhow, hope it works out for you!

Hello Alligande, No worries about the spelling! Have you ever read "Heat?" It basically labels all chefs unable to spell or write, etc. I was wondering the same thing, I think, in regards to your post. I would think that it would be rather difficult, unless you are in a place like NYC, to start off doing only wholesale? While planning my own business I included a retail component. I think they can drive each other, people shop your retail store, then you can use that to drive your wholesale business. Afterall, I think it would be hard to get a grocery or gourmet speciality store to take your chocolates without some evidence that there is a demand for your product. Then again, I could be completely wrong, businesses like 'Chocolate Moderne' could be the way to go. Another great example of the wholesale to retail model is Oakley Sunglasses. Just a thought! Here in Rhode Island any food products being wholesaled have to be tested and have an ingredient label that was anayleised ( I cant spell today) by the university when I got my license (for cakes) the inspector and I had the conversation that went along the lines of don't start selling at wholsesale your life will suck! A business in the same building has one product "stuffies" as it is very expensive to bring new items on line and at the moment she does not want to invest. ←

I suspect there is enough room on eG for two threads about starting a chocolate business, especially since your venture sounds like it might be quite different than Tammy's and may raise some other interesting questions. So tell us what you have done so far towards your boutique? Will you be making all your own chocolate, selling chocolate from others? I assume it is to be a storefront? ← Hello! I've been developing a brand concept, putting together a menu, finding a location, raising funds, pulling out what little hair I have (little hair by choice....mind you!), etc. It will be a storefront with a large production 'laboratorie' for wholesale and retail. I'll start up a thread soon! I don't want to piggyback on someone elses thread, but I have been wondering, I loved "Mel's New Bakery" thread, and am wondering what is the "Etiquette" about posting about what is essentially our (my partner and I) business, i.e. shameless self promotion, etc... Anyhow, I look forward to reading this thread to pick up good hints and tips. Best Regards!

Hello! I was actually been debating with myself to do a thread along the same lines, since I hope to open up a chocolate boutique in the late fall. You beat me to the punch! I wish you all the best and much success!

Thanks for the report! One question about freezing. Did he mention how he does it? Do you know if he stores them in regular chocolate boxes? Vacuum sealed? ← As I remembered it, Chef puts the finished chocolates in air tight containers, vacuum seals them with a vacuum machine, and then puts them in the freezer. You don't need a vacuum machine, which is expensive, but it's nice. Plus when you want to unfreeze them, take them from the freezer into the frig. to prevent condensation.

His pretty nice chocolate box that comes with an insert tray and a nice card explaining about Garrisson chocolates, shelf life, etc. Pistachio bonbons right out of the enrobing machine. Chocolate bars, likes the packaging, actually. Enrobing the Raspberry Pate de Fruit and Raspberry Ganache, dual layer. Raspberry Pate de Fruit and Raspberry Ganache, dual layer. Chocolate Buffet. Chocolate Buffet 2. Class Photo. Chef Schotts and Chef Notter.

Hi Everyone, Just by way of introduction, my name is Jaycel and I have been reading the threads of egullet for a couple of years with great interest. I graduated last year from the French Culinary Institute, interned at Ron Ben Israel Cakes, and have taken a few classes at the Notter School of Pastry Arts in Orlando. I am hoping to open my own chocolate/ice cream boutique where I live at the end of the year and hopefully I can put up a thread similar to Mel's Bakery, which I have to say was my favorite thread thus far. But, like the title says, I did attend the Andrew Shotts class at Notter a week ago and would like to share with everyone my personal thoughts (and if someone would please tell me how to post pictures) show pictures of the products that were made during the three days. I really would like to just list what was done, some interesting tidbits (not all, since I think people should take his class), and then my overall impressions. The class was made up of about 18 people, who were mostly professionals working in the industry, which I thought was really great. I have attended classes at Notter where sometimes there are alot of hobbyists or amateurs (I don't mean 'amateur' in a bad way, just people who work in other industries other than the food industry) and there gets to be an empathsis on the basics, which is great, but when you are in the room with a Shotts, Wybauw, or a Notter, you really want to skip to the good stuff! The products that were produced were: Bonbons: Raspberry Jelly and ganache (dual layered); Lime; Pistachio; Salted Caramel; tea; Pecan Cinnamon; Vanilla-Honey; French Roast; Sur de Lago; Three Brothers; Exotic Truffle; Peanut butter crunch; Belle-Orange Cognac; Praline; Passionate Hearts; and Kentucky (whiskey). Dry Chocolate Goods: Grignotine, Rocher Noisette, Nougat bar, chocolate bar, and caramel chocolate popcorn. The class was set up so that all the students would mis en place the ingredients and then Chef would demonstrate each recipe. Students actually didn't make the ganaches, chef made the ganaches while the students watched and took notes. Some people might not like this idea or way of doing things, but I was actually really pleased with it. I took the Wybauw class last year, and we broke up into teams and were given a recipe to do. But the problem with that was that you didn't get to see the techniques that were used in the recipes of the people across the room, so much. Here, you got to see the whole process and have Chef explain each step as he did them, which I really liked. I know how to make a ganache, but how do you incorporate things like extra cocoa butter or to make the dual layered bonbons that he is well known for, which we were shown, using a few examples. I won't explain how to do it here, but all you really have to do is think about it to figure it out, it's not the hardest thing in the world to execute actually, and it opens up a whole world of flavor combinations and textures. Very exciting! (I think you can get the technique from his book, anyhow.) The recipes that we were given were the actual recipes used in his shop, just reduced by volume, since I think he makes extremely large batches. He included lots of info on techniques, sources for equipment, packaging, ingredients, business advice, and words of wisdom. For instance, EVERYONE FREEZES! Chef stated flat out, if an artisan chocolatier says they don't freeze their finished product, then they are probably lying or don't know what they are doing. I plan on opening my own shop at the end of the year and this was a sensitive issue, since I want to do 'artisan' products and was concerned that I would be violating that spirit by freezing my products. The only person that I know of that, I think, doesn't freeze is Kee's Chocolates in NYC, but she does low volumes and pretty much sells out by the end of the day anyhow. One technique that I think some people here might find useful is the production flow/schedule that Chef uses: Day 1: Make Ganaches Day 2: Cut Ganaches Day 3: Enrobe Ganaches Day 4: Package When you cut the ganaches on Day 2, seperate them out, so that the moisture in the ganache evaporates all around, rather than just from the top. Plus letting them sit out overnight, allows you to keep really crisp and sharp edges when you enrobe, so the chocolate doesn't dull the edges. If your bonbons develop cracks in them after a few days, then it's from moisture, let it evaporate. Even with your molded products, pipe the centers and then let them sit overnight, before covering. I would really recommend his class to anyone that is interested in pursuing chocolates. He guy really knows his stuff and had alot to offer everyone. For me, I took away alot of things that I hope to make appliciable in my own store. The only downsides were the size of the class, perhaps a little smaller would have been nice. And in the notebook handed out with the recipes, to have had a written process of the dual layered bonbons procedure. It's commonsensical, but I think that was the only thing missing. Perhaps including some words on scaling up and scaling down recipes, which I am sure is covered in other places, but to have seen his own method. One last thing, even though I say that the class a bit a large, everyone in it was really nice and friendly and a great source of information and contacts. It felt like alot of us were trying to open our own stores and had been doing alot of research, and everyone was willing to share what they had found out during their quests, which was fantastic! Good Luck Everybody!