Chocolate and Bakery Refigerated Display Cases

[ChristysConfections]

Hi everyone!

 

I hope I'm not posting in the wrong section. I am looking for recommendations on where to find a used/economically priced climate controlled (low humidity and refrigerated, but not too cold) chocolate display case as well as a regular refrigerated display case (bakery style). Something like this, but it doesn't need to be too fancy looking. I am living in Canada on the West Coast, so the closer to local, the better. I'm finding it very challenging to find something. I found and excellent deal on a couple of used ones in the USA, but the seller doesn't want to deal with the hassle of having it crated and shipped. I'm trying to keep up to date searching on the Ecole Chocolat graduate forum as well as The Chocolate Life classifieds. 

 

Also, does anyone know if a smaller table-top type climates controlled chocolate display case exists? Or are the only options out there for larger models?

 

Warm Regards,

Christy

[JeanneCake]

Hi, and a belated welcome

 

http://mvpgroupcorp.com/hydra-kool/bakery-cases/ is a bakery case I bought two years ago, through the RD Store here in the US; the manufacturer is in Canada. The case look is exactly what I wanted - somewhat sleek, glass shelves, easy to clean.  My experience with the RD store was horrible and I will never buy from them again.  The case works.  You cannot control the humidity in it, and it dries everything out - even though it is a case designed to store bakery items and pastry. We have to take everything out of the case each night and store it in our walk in cooler; and that time adds up. 

 

Be aware that a deli case cools from the bottom up; the shelves are cold and that cold radiates up; a bakery case circulates cold air.  They are two very different things and many people will tell you they are interchangeable.  They are not.

 

There are many wonderful and knowledgeable chocolatiers here who I am sure will help you find other places to look.  I myself might have a double Martellato guitar to sell (because I can't find a table for it, and I'm ready to give up.  If I sell this, I can just buy a double Dedy and get it over with instead of pissing and moaning every other week when I'm trying to cut pate de fruit and getting the thing out, putting it away, wah, wah, wah :).)

[Lisa Shock]

I cannot help you with sourcing, but, I know from experience from my employers that you MUST be super-cautious about purchasing any sort of cold case. They are often being sold because they have bad gaskets and leak, and for whatever reason cannot be fixed -or cannot be fixed for much less than the cost of a new unit. Before you buy, get a refrigeration person to inspect the unit for you. You don't need to buy someone else's problems.

[ChristysConfections]

Thanks Jeanne and Lisa,

 

I really appreciate the advice! I have found what looks like some excellent chocolate-specific ones new (I love the ones at oscartek and Orion) and but they are just so costly ($20,000 ish!). There are less fancy-pants new ones for around $5,000 that would suit me well, but still more than I can really spend. I wonder if the huge price difference reflects the quality of the cooling and humidity controlling mechanisms or if it is a difference of beauty and perceived value. I don't want something that doesn't work well.

 

I'm grateful for the reminder to be cautious. I was going to go check out a local restaurant equipment auction where they have several cases like this (not for chocolates, but I need a regular refrigerated one too). Now I am a little nervous that they may not be in decent working condition...

 

[ChristysConfections]

Also @JeanneCake - if you are selling the guitar, let's talk. I am possibly looking for one. 

 

ETA: can you email me at christy @ christysconfections .com (no spaces) with a photo, price, and measurements, etc?

Edited May 28, 2017 by ChristysConfections (log)

[Kerry Beal]

Anna and I went and looked at a used Dedy with cart in a shop that is closing - woman expected to get as much for it used as she would new (which would mean more than she paid for it way back when). 

[Kerry Beal]

@Alleguede got a couple of used refrigerated displays from this place in Montreal. He's not terribly impressed with them however. 

[Alleguede]

You could check igloo in Toronto otherwise there bacon who sells nice stuff in California. 

Auctions at a starting point is the way to go.

 

 

[JeanneCake]

On 5/27/2017 at 8:54 PM, ChristysConfections said:

Also @JeanneCake - if you are selling the guitar, let's talk. I am possibly looking for one. 

 

ETA: can you email me at christy @ christysconfections .com (no spaces) with a photo, price, and measurements, etc?

 

 

I am in the throes of wedding season (which means I sleep and work and nothing else until a bit of a lull in July); when you are ready, let me know.  It's a double martellato; with the four frames, some wire, the tools, the spreader, the stainless sheet to move things on and off; many years ago Kerry very kindly pointed me in the direction of a woman who was closing and I bought it from her.  It took a year for me to unearth the second box but finally my husband found the second box tucked away in the basement and I've been using it every few weeks to cut pate de fruit.  I was hoping to use it for marshmallows, but we make full sheets of marshmallow and it's easier to cut those by hand if you can believe it.  There's absolutely nothing wrong with it and if I could find a cart to fit it, I'd keep it.  But it is a hassle for me to get the thing out, set it up, cut the Pdf, clean it and put it away.  I so very much want to just leave it set up but I can't afford to be without that bit of table space it takes up. I know it's foolish to sell it and then spend three times that on a replacement,but it takes longer to set it up and put it away than to cut a few hundred pieces of PdF.