Guittard Couverture & Chocolate

[gfron1]

I've been primarily a Valhrona and AUI (free shipping) guy, but the Guittard rep has been reaching out to me and I'm trying to get up to speed. I know many of you use Guittard and comments are scattered throughout these forums, but most of the info is dated. What are people using currently from Guittard for shelling chocolates and/or the ganaches?

[Matthew Kirshner]

I have Guittard in the past for both molding and ganaches, i have no complaints about the chocolate itself.  I myself love Valhrona, but between the both i feel both prices have gone up a lot in the past two years.  I know there is a cocoa bean shortage which i understand the increase.  I recently got samples from Dezaan Chocolates and i have to say i like it and the price is pretty good.

 

For the Guittard I use a lot of the 61% Dark for molding and and their 72% for most ganaches.  Just my two cents

[Jim D.]

I use E. Guittard Orinoco for most of my milk chocolate work (ganaches, molding, and dipping) and really like it.  It's also invariably (so far) easy to work with--it does not get overly viscous even in extended use.  In the milk chocolate field, I got some Valrhona Jivara and their newer Bahibe as well as some Felchlin Maracaibo Criolait and did a taste test that included Orinoco.  The Orinoco and Maracaibo came out on top, with Jivara third, and Bahibe a distant fourth--and the E. Guittard is the least expensive of the group.  On the other hand, I did not care for Guittard's Soie Blanche white chocolate.

[Lisa Shock]

Just out of curiosity, you might ask if they have piping chocolate (dark or white) anymore. None of the suppliers in the Phoenix area have been able to get it for about 5 years now.

[YetiChocolates]

I use Guittard Gourmet Bittersweet 63% for my dark and E Guittard Soleil d'Or 38% for milk.  I really like the Gourmet bittersweet, I've used it for years now, since I started and I like it's viscosity for shelling.  I don't have to thin it out at all and I've worked with it some much that even though I still use a thermometer out of habit, I can just tell by looking what temp it's at.  The Soleil d'Or I just started using for shelling and I thin it with 5% cocoa butter because it gets a little to viscous for my liking at it's working temper, but I really like the flavor and once thinned out it works rather well.  I don't do any shelling with white, it's just not my style, I think white shells make the chocolate too sweet and mask what's inside, but that's just my opinion, so take that as it may.  As for white chocolate for ganaches however, I recently switched to E Guittard Creme Francais and have been pleased with it so far.  I do use it to pipe into my hob nog shells and I thin it out for that as well. I feel most milk and white chocolates I've worked with are just a little too viscous at their working temper.  That's my two cents anyway.  I'd be interested to hear what Ruths preferences are.

[Chocolot]

I have used Guittard for 50 years, literally:) When I was hand dipping, I used some of their regular chocolates. Since doing molded and ganaches, I use their E Guittard line. I use 61%, 38% and 35% for white. The viscosities all work for me. I tend to run my dark at 91, milk and white at 89. I know that is warmer than most, but it works for me. I have never needed to add any CB. With that said, I live in a very dry humidity. If more moist climate, chocolate will pick up moisture and thicken. I use some Valrhona for ganaches. I don't see the point in paying for a super premium chocolate for shelling. It is a thin shell and the flavor comes from the ganache, not so much the shell. I do love Orinoco, Guittard 41% milk chocolate. It uses premium beans and has a great flavor. I just don't think the extra dollar a pound is that noticeable in a thin shell. I did a tempering experiment with Callebaut, Valrhona, Noel, and Guittard. The Guittard and Callebaut were the easiest to get in temper, then the Valrhona. The Noel just didn't shine like the others. Perhaps it has a different tempering curve, but the others did well. 

Willow, I started out using the 31% white, but it was too thick. I prefer the 35%. I really don't like any white, but they are a necessary evil for ganaches and some shells.

I still use a little Callebaut, and Valrhona, but my work horse is E Guittard. The beans are ethically sourced and it is a family owned company. They are great to work with and have great customer support. If you have any questions, just call Thalia in the lab. She knows more about chocolate than I will ever learn.

[YetiChocolates]

 

 I really don't like any white, but they are a necessary evil for ganaches and some shells.

 

 

I'm with you there Ruth, I only use it for ganaches and some decoration for shells.  I think I just had a terrible experience trying to shell with white a long time ago before I learned the beauty of thinning, and by the time I figured it out, I didn't really enjoy chocolates shelled in white anyway.  The only one I currently have is the Yeti Ball, and it's more for aesthetics than anything.  The only milk shell I have is for my salted caramel, as it is the first thing I've found that is better shelled in milk than in dark, which is a hard thing to admit  I'll have to look into the 35% white though.  

[ChocoMom]

Guittard is my workhorse chocolate the majority of the time for molds, dipping, ganache.   I prefer the 35% Soie Blanche over the 31% - in the white chocolate catagory. The 35%, I believe makes a better canvas for flavors like key lime, candy apple, fuzzy navel, etc.    For milk, I prefer the (38%) E Guittard Soleil d'Or. But, having said that....I am very much in love with the Felchlin Maricaibo Criolait.  While it is not the most cost effective choice, it's texture and taste is AMAZING, esp in a ganache. For semi-sweet....Guittard 55%,Bitter sweet...it depends on what molding I am doing- but Etoile Du Nord 64% and Coucher du Soleil 72% are my main choices.  I also like Felchlin's Arriba Grand Cru Couverture 72%.  I haven't worked with it in awhile, though. (I sort of ate the last half of the bag. it's quite tasty!)   

For tempering, I've had to tweek the high temps upward on the Chocovision machines, from the default temperature. The 64% and 72% seems to perform best when melted around 117-118F; the milk--around 112-113F.    HTH....

Back to making chocolate eggs!!!!