Polycarbonate Molds: Sources, Selection, Use, Care

[John DePaula]

From JB Prince (where I bought my molds):

These chocolate molds are made from food safe rigid polycarbonate plastic.  They are durable, will not bend, and have highly detailed designs.

Before use, these molds should be carefully cleaned in warm or hot water with mild soap.  DO NOT USE A DETERGENT OR SOAP THAT CONTAINS ABRASIVES.

It is possible to put these molds in a dishwasher – even a commercial one, BUT DO NOT USE DISHWASHER DETERGENT.  It contains abrasives that will scratch the plastic.

After washing, the molds can be dried with a soft, lint free cloth or cotton balls.

Thank you for buying from the J.B. Prince Company.

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I would just add that if your dishwasher gets too hot, I think that would be a problem.

My dishwasher allows me to select a "no additional heating" mode. So, I use a tiny tiny bit of dish soap and water that's only as hot as what comes out of the tap. Seems to work well for me.

[RobertM]

I have noticed the PC molds I use (and the ones I have run through the dishwasher) are becoming "cloudy" for lack of a better word and the ones that I hand wash with plain hot water still look like the day I purchased them.

I'm planning on going to the Philadelphia National Candy Show on Sunday, if I can make it, I will stop by Tomric's booth and ask them the best way they recommend on cleaning their molds and then share it with the forum.

[Erdbeereis]

Hello!

I am starting to learn how to make molded chocolates, and I recently ordered a polycarbonate mold online. It looks great, but I noticed a few small scratches in quite a few of the cavities. I was wondering if these will have an adverse effect on my finished product or not, seeing as the scratches are quite small. I contacted the company who I ordered from, and they said they would send me a new one if necessary, but if this one is fine to use I will just keep it. I will post pictures below so that you can see what the scratches look like. They are circled in green.

Any help is much appreciated. Thanks!

[Darienne]

Take them up on their offer. That's it. And welcome to eGullet.

[Kerry Beal]

If those scratches are inside the mold - I'll be willing to bet they mark your product. Mold them solid in dark the first time and if they do mark - send 'em back.

[gap]

Yep - scratches will cause sticking and marking. I'd send them back

[Erdbeereis]

Thanks guys! I will do that. Does the polycarbonate scratch so easily? I had heard they are very durable, but now I'm worried that I will scratch them when I use them. For example, how am I to avoid scratching the mold when scraping off excess chocolate with a hard metal scraper?

I appreciate the advice.

Edited January 10, 2013 by Erdbeereis (log)

[Kerry Beal]

Make sure your metal scraper doesn't have any burrs - should be fine otherwise.

[Edward J]

Scratches inside the mold will show up as "scars" on the product once unmolded. After all, the mold is a complete negative of what you are casting. Don't even bother trying them out, send them back.

[Erdbeereis]

Thanks to all. :-)

Any other information I need to know about keeping the molds in tip-top shape?

[Baylee Chocolate Lady]

A few costly mistakes some employees made:

-Using a knife to get a stubborn praline to unmold.

-Using a scratchy sponge to wash out a mold.

--Putting molds in the dish washing machine.

Fortunately they have been pretty sturdy. I find if we work clean and wash them rarely, they seem to give a nicer finish. Always dry them with a dish towel. Good luck and welcome.

[AnythingButPlainChocolate]

I have just got some old moulds out of storage that I haven't used in years and I want to clean them. I'm not comfortable putting them in my dishwasher as I don't know what temperature it goes up to. I want to make sure that they are clean before use again, is just a touch of dishwashing liquid going to be enough to make sure that a few years of invisible nasties are removed?

[Kata]

so, curiosity got the best of me and I stuck one of my freshly-used, dark chocolate encrusted moulds in my home dishwasher on a "gentle" cycle.

 

I expected the worst.....

 

but it came out shiny and clean, no opaque cocoa butter buildup in the back crevices... 

 

of course I still polished the cavities but I found it required much less elbow grease than when I hand wash them first. mainly water spots to deal with.

 

am I a treacherous person? or have I seen the light?  

 

would love to have you guys weigh in  

[pastrygirl]

I think it depends on what kind of detergent, if any, is involved.  Shouldn't be anything wrong with a rinse or gentle cycle without detergent.

[Kerry Beal]

Totally agree - just a rinse with hot water in great - but dishwasher detergent will kill them quite quickly 

 

 

[RobertM]

One of my "helpers" put a couple of my molds in the dishwasher, just once.  Now they are lovely doorstoppers.  

Quite quickly indeed

[Jim D.]

Bob,

Did your (I assume former) helper use detergent?

 

Jim

[RobertM]

Yes Jim....a liquid detergent no less.  

But, I still have them tucked in a drawer somewhere, as a reminder......or, as I say, door stops when needed.

 

[pastrygirl]

Here's a chocolate fail for you - how on earth do molds end up like this? 

I went to a cooking school liquidation sale this morning, was expecting used equipment but not quite so abused!

 

I did pick through and found several that looked in good shape.  They can toss this one in the recycle bin!

[Kerry Beal]

5 minutes ago, pastrygirl said:

Here's a chocolate fail for you - how on earth do molds end up like this? 

I went to a cooking school liquidation sale this morning, was expecting used equipment but not quite so abused!

 

I did pick through and found several that looked in good shape.  They can toss this one in the recycle bin!

Liquid nitrogen perhaps?

[keychris]

My guess is repeated hot dishwasher cycles. I have a small polycarbonate grinder that goes on my stick mixer that has done exactly the same thing from the dishwasher.

[pastrygirl]

56 minutes ago, keychris said:

My guess is repeated hot dishwasher cycles. I have a small polycarbonate grinder that goes on my stick mixer that has done exactly the same thing from the dishwasher.

 

Ahhhh, so that's why you don't put chocolate molds in the dishwasher!

[SweetandSnappyJen]

Hey Chocolate folks -

 

I buy most of my molds from Tomric, but I'm having trouble tracking down polycarbonate Hanukkah molds. Does anyone have any suggestions on where to look?  Thanks so much! 

Jen

[Kerry Beal]

Write to Renee at Chocolat Chocolat - while I don’t see them listed I know I have seen them there.

 

 

Edited August 10, 2018 by Kerry Beal (log)

[SweetandSnappyJen]

Thanks, Kerry!