sote23

Sorry I didn't specify, but it will be used for a pate de fruit. Luis

Hi, I'm having a custom transfer sheet done for use with this mold and I can't seem to find a picture of the mold anywhere. I've contacted chocolateworld but no luck. Does anyone use this mold? If so can you post a picture of it. Here is the link on chocolat-chocolat. http://www.chocolat-chocolat.com/c377999385p17094603.2.html thanks Luis

Does anyone have just a simple fruit puree recipe? I'm trying to make a pear puree and not having much luck finding recipes. Luis

This is one area (among many) where I think vacuum sealers like these are a significant improvement over FoodSaver machines. The vacuum well is both deep and wide. But, more to the point, because the top of the machine is clear, you can see when liquid starts to go into the vacuum chamber and hit the "manual seal" button. ← This model looks quite similar to one that I've been looking at (actually have one on order) from Cabela's. Their site says it's a Cabela's model, but I seem to remember the person at my local store saying it's not. Anybody know anything about the machine? ← Your right it does look quite similar. I noticed that as well. Looks like the controls are a bit different though.

I've never owned a foodsaver so I can't speak from experience on them, but I've owned similar machines. They all use the same philosphy in building disposable cheap machines. This is my fourth vacuum sealer. I got fed up with the machines dying and having to go out and buy a new one. It's not just a question of reliability, but also of quality. What ever happened to companies caring about quality. Not to mention, clogging our landfills more with these cheap machines. If you add up how many new vacuum sealers you have to go buy to replace the ones that die, I bet your not far off from $400. Luis

I'll second that. I just bought this machine the weston pro 2300. It is very high quality and very well built. Another qreat feature is that it comes with a laminated part list, giving a drawing and part number for every single part on the machine, so if something breaks, you can just purchase the part that is broken. Try that with foodsaver or all the other cheaply made machines out there, once they break you have to buy another machine. Yes, it costs more than the cheaply made machines, but I would rather buy a quality machine once, than many many cheaply made machines. Luis

One way to eliminate the rounded corners of the structure sheet is to use a puffy blush/cosmetics brush on the top. It would be a lot more work. I think you'd have to cut the structure sheet into individual squares and place each piece one at a time. Currently I don't have an enrober, but that's what we did when I worked at a chocolate shop in France. ← Thanks for the tip. I have cut the texture sheets up but hadn´t heard of the brush technique. I will have to try it. ← I was at Bernard Callebaut last week and they line up the bonbons in rows 7X7 and then run under the enrober. The person at the other end puts on the transfer sheet and then with a normal 4 inch paint brush she brushed the bonbons lightly to get the sheets applied properly. ← Interesting. I've never heard of anyone using a paint brush. Luis

I get mine here: van drunen farms ← Very good selection. Thanks for the link. Luis

You can buy the freeze dried berries from here. http://www.justtomatoes.com/dried_fruit.html or from this company that sells the freeze dried powder of different fruits. http://www.nutrifruit.com/ You can also get some freeze dried powders here. http://www.lepicerie.com/catalog/category_...omy_page_1.html Luis

that's a good question. I'm not sure you need food grade wrap if its just on the outside of the box. Luis

so I take it doesn't work that well with dark chocolate then? Keep us updated if you do mess around with it more. Luis

keep up the good work kerry, and soon enough, you'll be selling transfer sheets to everyone on the board. lol Luis

The Pomati's are automatic tempering like the selmi. The little units don't have a shaker table. The quantities are small. ← Thanks kerry, I see the quantities are small, but as a starter it might not be too bad. they also have more upgraded models, but I can't seem to find what the costs are. Info is hard to find. Any idea what the T20 model runs? Luis ← Not sure about that one, but looking at it online it looks equivalent to one of the Selmi machines, so I suspect you are looking at $15,000 or so before adding any sort of enrober or anything. Here is the other thing, if you are looking at a machine like that, consider going to the slightly larger 30 kg machine, so that you can add an enrober if you want. It seems that the enrobers don't get put on machines smaller than that. I was looking quite seriously at the little Pomati Java T6 that was good for 6kg. It is a cute little number, but no shaker, no ability to add an enrober and still around $8,000. ← I think it's an option, but I think I will eventually just go with the Selmi. It's what Jean Pierre recommends, and many other people use. I was looking at the Sollich Minicoater, but I've heard Sollich is expensive. Luis

The Pomati's are automatic tempering like the selmi. The little units don't have a shaker table. The quantities are small. ← Thanks kerry, I see the quantities are small, but as a starter it might not be too bad. they also have more upgraded models, but I can't seem to find what the costs are. Info is hard to find. Any idea what the T20 model runs? Luis

Has anyone taken a look at the Pomati tempering machine tomric is now selling? I wonder if the mechanism for tempering is better than the usual wheel. Luis

Hi Lior, thanks for the printer info. What is a security stick? Did they tell you any other info? I'm mainly trying to find out the quality of print from the system. Luis

I too was interested in those ganache molds pastry chef sells, and there are a few on the board that use them, but from what I can recollect, they are fine if the ganache is fairly hard, but if you try to use a softer ganache, it won't come out of the mold. Luis

There are a variety of places I shop from. Take a look at www.jbprince.com, www.chefrubber.com, www.bakedeco.com, and www.pastrychef.com to start off with. Luis

The second one shown here is similar to the 'Perfect' equipment machine made in Montreal. Much more reasonably priced than others. There is quite a difference in the machines with the wheels vs the automatic tempering machines such as the Selmi. ← Kerry, From what I understand, the one with a wheel is not as desirable, because the chocolate will thicken, but the selmi won't. Am I correct in that understanding? Luis

I agree with Kerry. If you can afford it go with the Selmi. That's what I'm going to get when I get the funds. Luis

kerry, let us know how it turns out. Luis

If anyone does start using this, please keep us updated. Luis

Fabulous. I actually have that printer. This would be excellent for the quick one-offs for a party or something. One thing I thought interesting - when they showed him putting the transfer in the mold it showed 'deco' the right way around, and when he unmolded it - it was still the right way around. You would actually have to print your logo reversed to get it to come out the right way around. I suspect the software would allow you to do that. You are still going to get transparent inks rather than opaque with this system, so to have them show up nicely on dark chocolate may require putting titanium dioxide in behind the image somehow. ← Funny thing kerry, I also have that printer. lol Luis

I called Ravensbergen and they don't sell to the US. If anyone is interested, the distributor in the US for Mec3 is www.parisgourmet.com Luis

I recently got involved in making up some screens for a pastry chef at Niagara College - he will be competing in competitions using 'dead dough' where he uses unleavened bread dough to make figures. Really something. The screens were a beautiful mill wheel and a baker putting a loaf of bread into a wood oven with a peel. I've asked for pictures when he's used the screens. Here is an eG link to decorative bread using dead dough. ← thanks for the update. sounds interesting Luis