Making your own chocolate dipping forks

[TheTInCook]

When I was really getting into confectionery last month, I was disgusted by how much dipping forks cost, so I decided to make my own.

I used plumber's solder to join the wire together, so it's safe. I wasn't too happy with the join because I was using my dollar store soldering iron, and it seemed to have trouble getting the workpiece hot enough. The join is still pretty strong. Next batch, I'm thinking of using my blow torch.

The spiral one ended up getting turned into a holder for my instant read thermometer so I can keep my hand cool while checking temps.

These are prototypes, so they are a bit ugly. I picked out the poplar dowel handles from the scrap bin.

[jrshaul]

Plumber's solder is almost always mostly lead. Jeweler's solder is a nickel/silver mix and much more suitable (though much harder to work with.)

[tikidoc]

http://www.amazon.com/CK-Products-81-178-Ateco-Dipping/dp/B0000E2OF1/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1331209679&sr=8-1

I order enough from Amazon to pretty much always get free shipping.

Note: If you want to make your own because you have fun making things, go for it. I don't have any suggestions to help other than be sure you use a lead-free solder. I make lots of things myself just for the fun and feeling of accomplishment. If you want to make your own to save money, I'm not sure you are really saving much, given that you can pick up a set of forks for under $10. I'm just a beginner chocolate maker but I have this set and they work fine.

Edited March 8, 2012 by tikidoc (log)

[Kerry Beal]

Here is one of the ones I had made.

[tikidoc]

From your initial post ("When I was really getting into confectionery last month"), it sounds like you are a beginner like me. The cheap set I posted is fine for a beginner, in my beginner opinion.

[TheTInCook]

Here is one of the ones I had made.

NICE! Your tines look thicker then mine. I went with the Oxo sized handle for comfort. I'm so using your idea of using a taut wire perched on the bowl to scrape excess off.

[TheTInCook]

Plumber's solder is almost always mostly lead. Jeweler's solder is a nickel/silver mix and much more suitable (though much harder to work with.)

I used the same solder that's used on copper drinking water pipes. It has no lead in it.

[tikidoc]

Here is one of the ones I had made.

NICE! Your tines look thicker then mine. I went with the Oxo sized handle for comfort. I'm so using your idea of using a taut wire perched on the bowl to scrape excess off.

Yea, nice idea. I'm tired of lots of chocolate accumulating on the side of the bowl. What do you have rigged up to hold the wire? Is this a standard chocolate maker's device I have just not been able to find?

[TheTInCook]

Looks like a cake layer cutter thingy.

[curls]

Yes, that is a cake layer cutter resting over the tempered chocolate. Idea first seen here in a Chris Hennes eGullet blog.

[Kerry Beal]

Here is one of the ones I had made.

NICE! Your tines look thicker then mine. I went with the Oxo sized handle for comfort. I'm so using your idea of using a taut wire perched on the bowl to scrape excess off.

The cake leveller wire stretched across the bowl is the Chris Hennes technique! It does take a rocket scientist to figure these things out. My only adaptation is having stainless bowl the handle of the leveller on a piece of silicone to prevent movement of either.

[tikidoc]

What an awesome idea. I tend to make a huge mess, I think that would help. You could get this thingie at Michaels, I assume?

[Kerry Beal]

What an awesome idea. I tend to make a huge mess, I think that would help. You could get this thingie at Michaels, I assume?

Michael's has them for sure. I see them in a variety of stores - sometimes even a well equipped grocery store. I'm bringing along a couple to Washington. (and a few dipping forks)

[Edward J]

A-yup. I understand the "unwillingness" to buy dipping forks, Chef Rubber wanted $15 a piece for them , managed to wrangle 3 3-tine Matfer forks from D&R last year, $5 a pop, but the solder/weld on all three failed after a few days of using them. I can get 2-tine forks from a local bakery supplier for a buck a piece, and are well made, but very short.

So, what do you use for the material? S/S strands from broken whisks?

Once I figure out how to load up pics, I'll post on how I converted a really stupid mold ( a squirrel) from two- halves-in-a-frame to a decent, open bottom, clip together mold.

[TheTInCook]

So, what do you use for the material? S/S strands from broken whisks?

I used 16 guage galvanized steal wire I found in the picture hanging section. ~2 bucks for 25'. I haven't seen any signs of rusting.

If you're going to make your own three or four tined fork, here's a trick I found out. The fork is formed with a single piece of wire, you just wrap it in a sorta coil. You'll have one or two loops pointing out and one free tine. You solder the junctions, then clip off the ends of the loops off, thus forming the rest of your tines. This way you don't have to worry about clamping stuff will you solder.

[IndyRob]

Are three or four tines required, as opposed to two? It occurred to me that a regular fork (from Goodwill, a garage sale, or a box in the basement) could be adapted with the help of a grinder.

Table forks may not be suitable, but on a whim I looked in one of my kitchen drawers and found a set of three tined forks that came from a set of dubious pizza tools I received as a gift (along with some serrated knives with the word "PIZZA" done in a cutout on the blades). The forks have nice looking wood handles, the metal is stainless steel. The tines are a bit heavy, but that's where a (hopefully) artful application of a grinder wheel would come in. Perhaps followed by a progression of sand papers of increasingly finer grains.

[Kerry Beal]

Are three or four tines required, as opposed to two? It occurred to me that a regular fork (from Goodwill, a garage sale, or a box in the basement) could be adapted with the help of a grinder.

Table forks may not be suitable, but on a whim I looked in one of my kitchen drawers and found a set of three tined forks that came from a set of dubious pizza tools I received as a gift (along with some serrated knives with the word "PIZZA" done in a cutout on the blades). The forks have nice looking wood handles, the metal is stainless steel. The tines are a bit heavy, but that's where a (hopefully) artful application of a grinder wheel would come in. Perhaps followed by a progression of sand papers of increasingly finer grains.

All you've got to lose is a pizza fork or two! I like the 3 tines rather than the two - better control I find.

[Milangal]

I accidentally found my telescoping marshmallow roasting fork from the dollar spot at Target works amazing!! I bent the tongs apart a bit and it's spectacular!

[Norm Matthews]

Jewelers solder comes in soft, medium and hard. Soft is easiest to work with. The tool i make when dealing with chocolate coated truffles is a plastic fork with the two center tines broken out.