Favorite Molds

[Darienne]

Thanks to the generosity of the Chocolate Doctor, Kerry Beal, I finally have the mold for my chocolate logo, M. Bunny.

Do other folks use molds to make chocolate figures for children or for themselves?

One mold I am still looking for is the quintessential Laura Secord lollipop mold, a rectangle with rounded corners.

[Tri2Cook]

Favorite molds?

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The ones living in Stilton.

My favorite molds are silicon. I don't have a favorite shape, just depends what I'm doing. Of course, I don't mold chocolates.

[pastrygirl]

I just got some shell (chocolate) molds from JKV that I'm infatuated with. I like how they put the cavities really close together so there's no wasted space, one is almost escher-esque. I >heart< efficiency. My other favorites are the 'turban' from JB prince and the 'tilted cone', although actually the cones could be a little smaller. I hate when molds end up being shallower than I think they are going to be. I have a harder time filling shallow chocolates and like more filling anyway.

[Darienne]

Favorite molds?

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The ones living in Stilton.

My favorite molds are silicon. I don't have a favorite shape, just depends what I'm doing. Of course, I don't mold chocolates.

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What sorts of molds are you speaking of? Cake molds?

My partner in confection and I tried making gumdrops in silicone molds and getting the finished candies out was a complete disaster. Mine went straight into the bin. No doubt I was doing something wrong.

I do like the silicone stuff...scrapers, sheets, pans, brushes...

[schneich]

jkv is a great company, last week i visited their hq in holland. i have NEVER seen this many chocolate molds in my whole life... i totally love the little bunny too. jkv has it in three different sizes. did you know that this bunny has a kind of "brother" which undoubtly is done by the same artitst, it has a really sweet gloomy expression on its face...

cheers

t.

[Darienne]

jkv is a great company, last week i visited their hq in holland. i have NEVER seen this many chocolate molds in my whole life... i totally love the little bunny too. jkv has it in three different sizes. did you know that this bunny has a kind of "brother" which undoubtly is done by the same artitst, it has a  really sweet gloomy expression on its face...

cheers

t.

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Imagine the trip through the shelves of molds. jkv really does have a wonderful selection. I shall have to look up the gloomy bunny on their site. I wonder if he still has the wonderful ears.

Two friends and I took our first chocolate class from a chocolatier in the same region as Kerry lives...in fact, she considers Kerry her mentor. I took one look at that cock-eyed ear on that bunny and it was love at first sight.

No matter how old I get, I can still get all starry-eyed over a cute bunny.

Thanks

Edited September 13, 2008 by Darienne (log)

[Kerry Beal]

I find myself infatuated with certain molds, then forget about them for awhile, then I might rediscover them when I'm rooting through my collection looking for something.

Today I had a 10 year old over at the house learning how to temper. He had taken kids classes before and they wouldn't let him in to adult classes - and he really wanted to learn the basics. We had to get a stool beside the counter so he could stir. We made an amaretto ganache - so today my favorite mold is the one with the almonds on the top, a classy looking mold for sure.

He was absolutely in love with the magnetic mold that uses a transfer sheet - apparently grandma will be buying it for him for his birthday.

The figural molds are always a surprise - I pull out a box marked Christmas, or Easter or Misc and discover old friends that I've totally forgotten I have.

[Darienne]

Today I had a 10 year old over at the house learning how to temper.  He had taken kids classes before and they wouldn't let him in to adult classes - and he really wanted to learn the basics.  We had to get a stool beside the counter so he could stir.  We made an amaretto ganache - so today my favorite mold is the one with the almonds on the top, a classy looking mold for sure.

He was absolutely in love with the magnetic mold that uses a transfer sheet - apparently grandma will be buying it for him for his birthday. 

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That's a great story !!! Sophisticated kid making amaretto ganache.

[Darienne]

I feel as if I should apologize for asking so many questions. The show off student with her hand in the air all the time.

As for polycarbonate molds...

We are about to cross much of the USA and wonder if there is somewhere in one of the relevant cities: Indianpolis, St. Louis, Kansas, Denver, Grand Junction, ...basically I-70...where I can stop and buy some molds. Or should I just order them online?

[tmriga]

If you are seeking basic bonbon polycarbonate molds, I buy mine from Kerekes in Brooklyn, NY. They have a very large selection. They also sell silicone molds, some at very reasonable prices.

www.bakedeco.com

They have the best price I have found, and shipping is fast and inexpensive to my location. Sorry, but I do not know about their shipping costs past the East Coast or internationally.

Theresa

[Darienne]

If you are seeking basic bonbon polycarbonate molds, I buy mine from Kerekes in Brooklyn, NY.  They have a very large selection.  They also sell silicone molds, some at very reasonable prices.

www.bakedeco.com 

They have the best price I have found, and shipping is fast and inexpensive to my location.  Sorry, but I do not know about their shipping costs past the East Coast or internationally.

Theresa

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Thanks for the information. It would probably be less expensive to have them shipped to Utah where we are going for a while, than across the border to Canada where we live.

[emmalish]

Darienne, if you want to buy online, Chocolat-Chocolat has a ridiculously large selection AND they're Canadian. When I first looked through their site I think I ended up with 30 molds in my shopping cart. Sadly I had to cut that down to a more affordable 5.

[Darienne]

Darienne, if you want to buy online, Chocolat-Chocolat has a ridiculously large selection AND they're Canadian. When I first looked through their site I think I ended up with 30 molds in my shopping cart. Sadly I had to cut that down to a more affordable 5.

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Thanks Emmalish. I'll just wait until I return to Canada and then get a few.

[Scout_21]

I really like Chocolate World polycarb molds. They're available from TOMRIC (www.tomric.com) in the molds>european molds section

Cheers

[Darienne]

I really like Chocolate World polycarb molds.  They're available from TOMRIC (www.tomric.com) in the molds>european molds  section

Cheers

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My adorable lop-eared bunny mold at the top of this thread is a Tomric mold. I'll download their website and see what I can find.

I think my confectionary partner is probably going to buy some molds on behalf of us both at Chocolat-Chocolat for now.

Thanks

[Darienne]

We are in Utah until early January with a lot of chocolate couverture coming on Tuesday and I still own no polycarbonate molds.

I have just spent more than an hour looking through the dizzying world of chocolate molds getting more and more confused and less and less directed.

I would like to buy just three polycarbonate molds to start and have them sent here. If you could have only three to begin with, what would you get and from which company? One pallet, and one or two not to elaborate molds which could be filled with creams, etc. Or a bar type. I have a polycarbonate 3D bunny and a lot of hobby molds which predate my eG days, but it is way past time to get serious about the mold buying.

Some direction please?

Edited October 24, 2008 by Darienne (log)

[emmalish]

I would like to buy just three polycarbonate molds to start and have them sent here.  If you could have only three to begin with, what would you get and from which company?  One pallet, and one or two not to elaborate molds which could be filled with creams, etc.  Or a bar type.  I have a polycarbonate 3D bunny and a lot of hobby molds which predate my eG days, but it is way past time to get serious about the mold buying.

Some direction please? 

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I've only worked with molds once, but when I did I was glad I had more than one that I could fill with ganache, as even cut in half, the recipe I made filled two molds easily (I think I ended up with 2 and a half-ish). So I would definitely say at least two that could be filled... or is that just me?

[Darienne]

[i've only worked with molds once, but when I did I was glad I had more than one that I could fill with ganache, as even cut in half, the recipe I made filled two molds easily (I think I ended up with 2 and a half-ish). So I would definitely say at least two that could be filled... or is that just me?

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Thanks. That's a good point. So make that two molds times two.

So, if you had only two of only two molds which ones from which distributor would be the most useful?

Edited October 24, 2008 by Darienne (log)

[tammylc]

JB Prince has good prices on basic molds - many of theirs are $20 each.

http://store.webstorepackage.com/jbprince/...olate-molds.asp

Because I specialize in decorative effects, I like molds that have flat surfaces instead of a lot of details, so I can play with different effects. And so that it's the decorative effect instead of the shape that gets tied to the flavor. I have some molds that are so distinctive, I feel like I can only use them for one flavor.

A basic dome mold is a good canvas for decoration: http://store.webstorepackage.com/jbprince/...32-cavities.asp

The geodesic dome molds produces very impressive looking pieces, just because of all the angles. And - bonus - you get 40 pieces from the mold instead of the standard 24 or 32.

http://store.webstorepackage.com/jbprince/...40-cavities.asp

I like my flat top pyramids, but those corners are a bear, I can never get all the bubbles out!

http://store.webstorepackage.com/jbprince/...32-cavities.asp

[Darienne]

JB Prince has good prices on basic molds - many of theirs are $20 each.

Thank you so much!!!

I am indebted to you for directing me towards specific molds at a specific company. You are a doll! Just what I needed in the midst of my confusion. I know in time it will all become clear, but just now it is overwhelming.

I looked at the molds and thought that they or some of the other ones in this catalog might well do. Have to start somewhere.

Thanks again.

[ejw50]

I get all mine from jbprince.

On Tammy's topic, my least favorite with respect to bubbles are the flat top pyramids and kugelhopfs (the worst!). Cherry after that.

[Darienne]

On Tammy's topic, my least favorite with respect to bubbles are the flat top  pyramids and kugelhopfs (the worst!).  Cherry after that.

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Thanks ejw. I found the kugelhopfs and the cherry and ruled them out. As I read the replies and go back and look at the websites again, my mind is becoming a tad clearer as I realize that partner and I would like to start with a mold which can be used with both sides up, like a snobinette.

Questions: as long as I am being a nuisance and asking questions:

-why do confectioners either use or not use the silicone molds?

- what exactly is 'magnetic' about magnetic molds?

[emmalish]

- what exactly is 'magnetic' about magnetic molds?

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A magnetic mold is in two pieces that snap together with magnets – it's specifically for using texture or transfer sheets. There's a demo with photos here.

[Darienne]

A magnetic mold is in two pieces that snap together with magnets – it's specifically for using texture or transfer sheets. There's a demo with photos here.

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Thanks emmalish. One more answer to one more question. I downloaded the demo and will look it over more carefully to try to understand the whole process.

[Kerry Beal]

Darienne, the silicone molds are usually used for pate de fruit rather than for chocolate. That's not to say that you can't mold chocolate in them, but the flexibility of them somewhat interferes.