Alternatives to tempering machines

[TexasFudge]

I want to ask the chocolatiers here on the board if you have ever considered using another method to keeping chocolate warm and able to work with? I only ask because I was up early this morning making truffles and I had the tv on for some background noise. A commercial for this contraption called a nuwave oven came on and one of the examples they used was on chocolate. He kept the chocolate on 100 degrees and it stayed on exactly 100 degrees the entire time. I paid almost a grand for my used tempering machine and its alot of work. Anyway, I know that ads arent always truthful but this product claims to keep whatever you cook at a precise temp. and I was just thinking that it might not temper your chocolate from the beginning but that it would really help it maintaining the temper while you are working. Anyone else see the infomercial or think this product would help?

I find that when im working....the phone will ring or a customer will walk in or something will delay my work and its a hassle when I have to stop what Im doing because the chocolate is now out of temper. By the way, its called the nu wave oven pic

[pastrygirl]

But you don't want chocolate at 100, you want at at 86-90. The problem with a lot of devices is that the temperature setting does not go low enough. If this thing is accurate at the right temperatures, it could work.

[curls]

I paid almost a grand for my used tempering machine and its alot of work....

I find that when im working....the phone will ring or a customer will walk in or something will delay my work and its a hassle when I have to stop what Im doing because the chocolate is now out of temper.

What kind of tempering machine are you using that your chocolate goes out of temper so quickly?

[Edward J]

What I find best is to set the machine colder than normal, I can always "zap" it with a heat gun to warm it up, but takes much longer to re-temper.

The best, cheapest machine I use to keep chocolate at a decent temp comes from a drugstore:

It's a $30.00 electric heating blanket.