Anyone Ever Try Semper Coatings? Are They Good?

[gurlPatis]

Hello everyone. I'm a newbie and am seeking your help about a particular brand of confectionery coating that I've discovered.

I recently bought about 70lb of real chocolate very cheap and it is great but, I noticed that the company also sells a brand of confectionery coating called SEMPER. And what's more, the coating costs more than the real chocolate does. It is around $38 for an 11lb block whereas Callebaut is only $35 for 10lb. The SEMPER does not require tempering either. I would like to try it if it tastes good as it would avoid me the bother of tempering. But only if it is good.

Anyone have any current or past experience with this brand? I'd appreciate any and all input.

[Kerry Beal]

I'd ask them for samples - give it a trial and see if you like it.

I've never found a confectionary coating that I like as much as real chocolate - but they do have their uses.

[ElainaA]

Please tell me - where did you find Callebaut chocolate at that price?

[Jenjcook]

Please tell me - where did you find Callebaut chocolate at that price?

I'd like to know too!

[gurlPatis]

I bought it from a place called stovercompany.com I found them by accident. The owner sent me a business card with my order with his facebook address so, I checked it out and he's going to be meeting with reps from Callebaut at the end of the month and would like input on what Callebaut chocolate is the most popular so he will know just what to order. I really don't know because this is my first time buying Callebaut, although I've used Cacao Barry before. Right now, he only has the Callebaut in chunks in 10lb bags. Let him know what you want on Facebook.

Please, anyone with knowledge about the SEMPER brand, please let me know. I don't want to temper if I don't have to and I've never heard of confectionery coating costing more than real chocolate. He's trying to get samples from the company to include with orders but, I'm maxed right now. I want to get some cake flour from him. Anyone know of PURASNOW brand? Never heard of that either.

He also has 11lb bags of Callebaut Cocoa for $31.67. I was afraid his stock might be old until I got my chocolate. Everything is fresh.

I also bought a heap of Merckens and Peter's. Got Merckens Marquis for only $20.12 for a 10lb block.

I thought the business was connected to the Russell Stover empire because of the obvious name and they're located on Russell-ton rd in PA.

[Kerry Beal]

From that site you get absolutely no idea what the callebaut formulation is - it almost sounds in the description that it may vary depending on what callebaut gives them. I'd be worried that it might be too viscous to work with or might change from order to order so your recipe might suffer.

[gurlPatis]

You just made a very valid point. I melted some last night to coat fondant centers and it is very thick. It took a bit of cocoa butter to thin it out but, it is as thick as Merckens. I don't know if it should be that way or not. As I stated before, I've never tried this brand before but, I have tried the Cacao Barry and it is more fluid than Callebaut. I do like the taste though. The owner wants to know exactly what to buy from Callebaut but this is my first try. Maybe you could talk to him about it, you seem to know quite a bit about this stuff.

[gurlPatis]

Hi Kerry, I forgot to ask. What brands of confectionery coating have you tried and how have they stacked up against real chcolate. Do they taste really lousy or just different? I've never tried them before.

[Kerry Beal]

I'd suggest for a start that you ask him if he can get you the Callebaut 811 or 815 (815 more bitter). Make sure it's at least 3 drops for viscosity. Also make sure it's the belgian callebaut not the american.

I've played with Merkens and I recall some Blommer. And whatever brand it is they bring in to the Bulk Barn here in Ontario. Only ever used them when I've been desperate for some characteristic they have.

They are waxy on the tongue I find. Don't melt quite right.

Edited October 13, 2013 by Kerry Beal (log)

[gurlPatis]

Thanks Kerry. What brands of good quality real chocolate, both milk and dark, do you recommend for dipping? I just got the Merckens and Peter's from him and I have some Valrhona but, the Val seems more suitable for molding. It is a true couverture from the "fat content" stand point. I have to add cocoa solids to make it dippable. Is it just me, or is Valrhona milk chocolate really weak tasting?

[Kerry Beal]

I use Callebaut, Cacao Barry and Belcolade mostly.

Haven't used a lot of Valrhona - I enjoyed a sample of one of their milks - but no idea which one.

[gurlPatis]

Thanks. One more thing. How can I tell Callebaut Belgium from Callebaut N.A. packagewise?

[Kerry Beal]

The Belgian is packaged in kg and the american in pounds. So if it's an 11 lb package - it's belgian.

[gurlPatis]

If it states 11lb, it's American and if 5kg it's Belgian, right? Any color variation in packaging?

[Kerry Beal]

No if it states 10 lbs it's american - if it's 11 lbs it's really 5 kg and they've changed it to 'american'. And you can always ask the vendor where it is produced.

Edited October 14, 2013 by Kerry Beal (log)

[gurlPatis]

Gotcha, thanks.

[T-Bone Red]

Yes, we use the Semper Dark Chocolate Coating Slab from Stover & Co. It works very well for coating truffles. It does not need to be tempered first. It comes in an 11-lb. slab in either dark or white chocolate. It can be microwaved and has a great consistency and flavor. We have not tried the white chocolate yet, but just ordered it today since we have been so pleased with the dark chocolate.

[Stover&co]

Hello Everyone,

Semper Chocolate is great melting chocolate, and does not require tempering.

@Kerry - Our chocolate does not change from order to order. We have access to Barry Callebaut, Van Leer, Semper, Merckens, Callebaut, Peters and a few more. We can not access Cocoa Barry due to it being a more specialty chocolate.

We do stock Callebaut 811 in both Callets and 10lbs Blocks. I have 2.5kg bags in stock, and getting some 10kg bags as well. All Callebaut is produced in Belgium, and imported. They do offer a line in Van Leer which is labeled as the Van Leer Gold line, which is the Belgium recipe but made in the US.

If you have any questions you are more than welcome to call and ask for Ryan.

Either way Semper is a great chocolate.

[Kerry Beal]

We do stock Callebaut 811 in both Callets and 10lbs Blocks. I have 2.5kg bags in stock, and getting some 10kg bags as well. All Callebaut is produced in Belgium, and imported. They do offer a line in Van Leer which is labeled as the Van Leer Gold line, which is the Belgium recipe but made in the US.

Ryan,

I must beg to differ on the "all Callebaut is produced in Belgium and imported" - St Hyacinthe in Quebec is the second largest Callebaut production facility. And Callebaut is produced in 4 factories in the US - two in New Jersey, one in Vermont and one in California as you can read here on their website. If you are carrying 10 lb blocks of Callebaut 811 - unless you are breaking down 5 kg blocks and repackaging it or you are remolding it - I suspect it is made in the US.

That being said - it sounds like you have a nice variety of available brands at good prices - so I will certainly be adding you to my list of places to suggest when people are looking for wholesale chocolate. (But I'll still be telling them to avoid the american Callebaut!)

[Pedro45]

Hi all,

 

I am new here and not a professional pastry chef or confectioner so please be gentle with me! I have been trying to make the perfect homemade Thin Mint cookie for a long time and I finally hit on the right cookie texture and flavor but I cannot temper the chocolate coating to save my life.  One reason could be that I live in a very hot apartment (I can't control the heat) and one reason could be that the chocolate just knows I am afraid of it  but I will not use a confectionary coating or whatever that waxy stuff is. It has to be real chocolate.

 

Is Semper real chocolate? I just went to the Stover site and I am reluctant to buy 11 lbs. until I know more about it as I have no other use for it other than this cookie. Also, how dark is the Semper dark chocolate? Believe it or not,  after using Mercken's, Valrhona, Callebaut and Guittard, the best tasting (and least expensive) chocolate I have found for this cookie is Trader Joe's Pound Plus Dark Chocolate (please don't judge). The cocoa solids in the TJ's chocolate is 54% and that is just dark enough for this cookie to taste exactly like a Thin Mint, only better.

 

Any ideas? Is there any place to buy a smaller amount of Semper, assuming it is real chocolate?

 

Thanks!

[Kerry Beal]

Pedro - it is not real chocolate - it is a confectionary coating, hence doesn't require tempering. 

 

I used to use the Pounds Plus bars for all sorts of chocolate making - also I used the bars that I could buy at Loblaws in Canada (President's Choice) and french chocolate that was sold in bars at the Hudson's Bay company.  The PC bars are not the same anymore and the bars at the Bay got smaller and smaller for the same price - and I moved over to buying my chocolate in 10 kg aliquots.  

 

If I'm not mistaken the Pounds Plus is a Callebaut product - not sure where you are located - but why don't you contact Qzina closest to you and ask them to send you some samples of Callebaut formulations that are around 54% and are formulated for dipping.