Microwave- and Heat-Safe Bowl

[Jim D.]

In my chocolate work I often microwave chocolate to get it started melting, then place it on a heat source to continue the melting (I have a stainless steel slab placed on top of a pot of hot water--this eliminates the condensation occurring when using a normal double boiler). Since the microwave eliminates using stainless steel, I use some Corningware  baking dishes, but they are quite heavy when filled with chocolate and thus not ideal--their thick edges are also terrible for pouring chocolate, which runs down the outside. The perfect solution would be a large lightweight bowl that is microwave safe but could also be placed on the heated SS slab. This might sound like a hopeless search, but recently I saw such a microwave-safe metal bowl. I asked the person who brought it to a potluck dinner where he got it, and he did not remember, and there were no identifying markings on it.

 

Is anyone familiar with what I am describing?

[lindag]

Sorry, I've never heard of microwaveable metal.

Corelle makes a serving bowl that is lightweight and microwaveable.  here.

Edited January 6, 2018 by lindag (log)

[Jim D.]

52 minutes ago, lindag said:

Sorry, I've never heard of microwaveable metal.

Corelle makes a serving bowl that is lightweight and microwaveable.  here.

 

Thanks for the Corelle idea. It would be great but would need to be larger than they seem to make.

[Kerry Beal]

I know I'll bring on the usual shit storm that occurs every time I  bring this up on eG - but I frequently put stainless bowls in the microwave. But never two at a time (you only do that once)!

[Jim D.]

19 hours ago, Kerry Beal said:

I know I'll bring on the usual shit storm that occurs every time I  bring this up on eG - but I frequently put stainless bowls in the microwave. But never two at a time (you only do that once)!

There is a lot of discussion of this issue on the internet. The consensus seems to be that rounded items (such as bowls) are safe, but things with edges (such as foil) are not. Moving forward with that assumption is more than I am willing to risk. There are some SS bowls with outer plastic coating that are advertised as microwave-safe, but the plastic would make them unsuitable for placing on a hot surface and the ones I saw are too small for my purposes.

 

I did some more checking online and did manage to come across a set of large plastic bowls that would fit in my microwave and would, I think, be perfect for melting chocolate. Needless to say, they don't fit the criteria I gave earlier, but they will make melting chocolate much easier (a 2.5-quart Corningware bowl with 3 kilos of chocolate in it presents quite a challenge in getting it from a microwave located on a shelf at eye level to a counter without a huge mess).

[Kerry Beal]

27 minutes ago, Jim D. said:

There is a lot of discussion of this issue on the internet. The consensus seems to be that rounded items (such as bowls) are safe, but things with edges (such as foil) are not. Moving forward with that assumption is more than I am willing to risk. There are some SS bowls with outer plastic coating that are advertised as microwave-safe, but the plastic would make them unsuitable for placing on a hot surface and the ones I saw are too small for my purposes.

 

I did some more checking online and did manage to come across a set of large plastic bowls that would fit in my microwave and would, I think, be perfect for melting chocolate. Needless to say, they don't fit the criteria I gave earlier, but they will make melting chocolate much easier (a 2.5-quart Corningware bowl with 3 kilos of chocolate in it presents quite a challenge in getting it from a microwave located on a shelf at eye level to a counter without a huge mess).

If they don't have to meet your previous criteria (i.e. put over steaming water) - these bowls are my new favorites. They come in a variety of sizes. 

[pastrygirl]

Glass might not be much lighter than corningware, but I use glass/pyrex.  How about something like this that has a thin lip?  The flat bottom would also work with your set-up.  https://www.amazon.com/Luminarc-Cosmos-Bowl-Clear-28cm/dp/B003BWZ25W/ref=sr_1_22?ie=UTF8&qid=1515439389&sr=8-22&keywords=luminarc+bowls 

 

In terms of heat safety, if you're not scorching your chocolate you're probably not going to melt plastic.  I microwave CB in thin deli containers all the time.

 

How much pouring chocolate from the bowl do you do?  I use a 6-8 oz ladle for most applications, rarely pick up the whole thing and pour.

 

 

[patris]

2 hours ago, Kerry Beal said:

If they don't have to meet your previous criteria (i.e. put over steaming water) - these bowls are my new favorites. They come in a variety of sizes. 

 

Amen - I bought some for my annual friends/family chocolate making day and while they were a bit large for that particular task, they are now a go-to for all kinds of chocolate and non-chocolate kitchen projects.

[Jim D.]

2 hours ago, pastrygirl said:

Glass might not be much lighter than corningware, but I use glass/pyrex.  How about something like this that has a thin lip?  The flat bottom would also work with your set-up.  https://www.amazon.com/Luminarc-Cosmos-Bowl-Clear-28cm/dp/B003BWZ25W/ref=sr_1_22?ie=UTF8&qid=1515439389&sr=8-22&keywords=luminarc+bowls 

 

In terms of heat safety, if you're not scorching your chocolate you're probably not going to melt plastic.  I microwave CB in thin deli containers all the time.

 

How much pouring chocolate from the bowl do you do?  I use a 6-8 oz ladle for most applications, rarely pick up the whole thing and pour.

 

 

My current method is to melt the chocolate in the microwave, then pour it into the Chocovision Delta tempering machine I use for large amounts. That pre-melting speeds things up a huge amount. A thin lip is definitely an asset for the bowl--a pouring rim would be another improvement; when I pour from the Corningware, the chocolate inevitably rolls down the outside of the bowl. I also melt additional chocolate overnight in a bread proofer at a temp where it is definitely not in temper to deal with the issue of over-crystallization as time goes on. For that, I use a gigantic SS bowl.

 

Ladles are another issue I was going to post about at some point. I found that a metal one causes the chocolate to solidify on it much too fast, so I switched to a large plastic one, but the ones I have found are rather thick plastic and so make precise pouring quite difficult. So far I have not located a large, thin plastic ladle.

[Kerry Beal]

1 hour ago, patris said:

 

Amen - I bought some for my annual friends/family chocolate making day and while they were a bit large for that particular task, they are now a go-to for all kinds of chocolate and non-chocolate kitchen projects.

Indeed - and thank you so much for introducing me to them!

[Kerry Beal]

19 minutes ago, Jim D. said:

My current method is to melt the chocolate in the microwave, then pour it into the Chocovision Delta tempering machine I use for large amounts. That pre-melting speeds things up a huge amount. A thin lip is definitely an asset for the bowl--a pouring rim would be another improvement; when I pour from the Corningware, the chocolate inevitably rolls down the outside of the bowl. I also melt additional chocolate overnight in a bread proofer at a temp where it is definitely not in temper to deal with the issue of over-crystallization as time goes on. For that, I use a gigantic SS bowl.

 

Ladles are another issue I was going to post about at some point. I found that a metal one causes the chocolate to solidify on it much too fast, so I switched to a large plastic one, but the ones I have found are rather thick plastic and so make precise pouring quite difficult. So far I have not located a large, thin plastic ladle.

Oh god - a perfect ladle - the holy grail. I have one, quite old, I'm sure pewter ladle - just the right size, shape and angle. I have never found another quite like it. 

[pastrygirl]

How about an 8 cup measuring cup?  Or search for a "batter bowl" with a pour spout.

 

[Porthos]

IMHO if you want to go with a pyrex bowl you will need to go thrift shopping for a while. Bowls where the logo looks like PYREX are desirable, but products with the rounded pyrex lettering, that which is sold today, are made of a different glass. I am not a chocolatier, just someone who wants to help others stay safe.

[gulfporter]

What about plastic oven-ware that is micro and oven safe?  

 

OVEN-SAFE Meal Prep Containers

 

Collapse-It Silicone Storage Containers

 

 

Edited January 10, 2018 by Smithy
Adjusted links to be Amazon-friendly (log)

[Jim D.]

@gulfporter, Don't know how I missed both of those products, but they look very promising. I guess plastic has come a long way. Thanks for the information.

[pastrygirl]

7 hours ago, gulfporter said:

What about plastic oven-ware that is micro and oven safe?  

 

OVEN-SAFE Meal Prep Containers

 

Collapse-It Silicone Storage Containers

 

 

 

 

I wonder if those collapse-able silicone bowls would be rigid enough to pick up and pour.  If they are the least bit floppy, I would be nervous about spilling expensive chocolate everywhere.

 

A plain old round Cambro could work, too.  Handles, not too thick or heavy, flat bottom to sit on your warmer ...  http://a.co/6qA36xT

 

 

 

 

[Jim D.]

I have been using my Nordicware plastic bowls for melting chocolate for some time now and have come across a possible issue with them. To be honest, I don't know whether it is the bowls or user error that is causing the problem. I have now burned chocolate twice using the bowls, something I have never done before. Certainly it never happened with the heavy Corningware baking dishes I was using previously. I have enjoyed the new bowls so much--the largest one can hold a lot of chocolate and weighs practically nothing, so it's easy to move from the microwave across the room to the counter. I have had to resort to using shorter intervals of microwaving, even though at times no melting appears to have occurred between one zap and the next.

 

Is there such a difference between plastic and glass in the microwave that would explain the issue?

[Kerry Beal]

I find it's a bit of a crapshoot - I've burned in glass and I've burned in plastic.

[Jim D.]

1 hour ago, Kerry Beal said:

I find it's a bit of a crapshoot - I've burned in glass and I've burned in plastic.

Sorry for you--but thanks for letting me know. Unrelated observation, but I find the smell of burnt chocolate really horrible. Not at all what one might imagine. Maybe it's just the money going up the chimney that I smell.

[Kerry Beal]

15 minutes ago, Jim D. said:

Sorry for you--but thanks for letting me know. Unrelated observation, but I find the smell of burnt chocolate really horrible. Not at all what one might imagine. Maybe it's just the money going up the chimney that I smell.

I find it very unpleasant also