How hot is too hot to work with chocolate?

[cc.canuck]

I live in the UK at the moment so this is more of a general interest query than a pressing concern but how hot would it have to be in your kitchen for you to throw your hands up and say chocolate work is not going to work? I've noticed a few posters from hot countries here.

[pastrygirl]

75F is my limit

[minas6907]

Like @pastrygirl, I think 75 is about where I stop. When I was new to chocolate and having fun, I would do chocolate during the hot summer days in my little hot apartment, but after a few years I realized it just wasn't worth it. Sometimes I would temp the slab with the IR thermometer and it would be 85f...and I would still try to temper chocolate...I don't know what I was thinking.

[curls]

If it is too hot I turn on the air conditioner. I wouldn’t want to work with chocolate in a kitchen hotter than 74F / 23C.

[AAQuesada]

Hah! 75 is considered pretty cool here a good portion of the year here is southern California and I imagine most of the Southwest United States. You just have to factor in AC into your costs and refrigerated displays? 

[Altay.Oro]

I think it is ok to mold some chocolate bars until 27-28 C for a home chocolatier ... maybe even until 30 C ... of course with a refrigerator for hardening the molded pieces.

Enjoy the extended period of time to play and practice with tempered chocolate at the room temperature.

Edited June 10, 2021 by Altay.Oro (log)

[Rajala]

I'll join in with the rest here. I never work above 23°. It's currently 24° in the kitchen, so my rhubarb bonbon making need some AC help.

[Anthony C]

I usually work at 21°C with the aircon on, but on hotter days where even the aircon struggles, I will work up to 23°C. Like Rajala, I don't work above 23°C. I always have the humidity below 60% though.

[Rajala]

My kitchen is 29,5°C at the moment. Maybe I should try make some bonbons? 😅

[Altay.Oro]

6 hours ago, Rajala said:

My kitchen is 29,5°C at the moment. Maybe I should try make some bonbons? 😅

 

Same here ... I have molded some chocolate pieces today for my nephews ... downside is ... chocolate becomes slighty overtempered at nights when the room temperature cools down a little bit near to 28 C 😎

Edited July 14, 2021 by Altay.Oro (log)

[Douglas K]

Interesting. We will be moving to Puerto Rico in a couple of years, and I was wondering this same thing. Here in Colorado during the summer I can get the house cool enough in the mornings to be able to work until 11 AM or so depending on the day. I do use the fridge, and our basement pretty much keeps below 75 so I can put my molds down there.