Inexpensive panning machine?

[thegreatdane]

Hello,

I'm starting a small business coating nuts in chocolate and as I go along I think my arm is going to fall off. Five hours of hand panning for twenty pounds of chocolate is daunting. Yes, I know, all you tough chefs are saying what a wimp I am, and you're probably right, but I need a way to produce more in less time so I can move on to packaging, marketing, and filling out paperwork. A a panning machine seems like the next stop.

Thus far, I've found the Beryl's KitchenAid attachment for $500, and some new and used equipment at Union in New York for about $3500.

Any advice from your experience?

Any recommendations for alternatives?

Many thanks,

Tom

[thegreatdane]

Okay, no responses. How about this; does anyone have any experiencs USING a panning machine?

Thanks,

Tom

[bkeith]

Okay, no responses.  How about this; does anyone have any experiencs USING a panning machine?

Thanks,

Tom

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I've got the one Beryl sells. Got it from Jacques Torres and paid less than $500, but I don't know if he's still selling them or what the current cost is.

It works well, but you have to be a little careful taking it apart and putting it together. The edges are sharp enough to cut fingers. I've taken to handling it with a towel.

[thegreatdane]

Please tell me more about your experience with the Beryls attachment. I'm planning a two to one ration of chocolate to nuts. (twice the chocolate as nuts) How many pounds can you make? How long does it take? Would it stand up to frequent lengthy use? Do you get much sticking to the sides of the attachment and how do you get it off? (heat)

If I don't go for the Beryls attachment, I'll go for a more professional on at a professional price; $3500. Yikes!

Please tell me of your experience and recommendations.

Thanks,

Tom

[bkeith]

Please tell me more about your experience with the Beryls attachment.  I'm planning a two to one ration of chocolate to nuts. (twice the chocolate as nuts)  How many pounds can you make?  How long does it take?  Would it stand up to frequent lengthy use?  Do you get much sticking to the sides of the attachment and how do you get it off? (heat) 

If I don't go for the Beryls attachment, I'll go for a more professional on at a professional price; $3500.  Yikes! 

Please tell me of your experience and recommendations.

Thanks,

Tom

←

2:1 chocolate to nuts sounds like an awful lot of chocolate. Not that there's anything wrong with that.... ;)

I do a variety of nuts with a thin caramel shell, coated in chocolate and finished with powdered sugar. I can handle 2-3 pounds of nuts at a time, and when I add the chocolate I do it in small batches. Too much chocolate at once, and the whole mass just clumps together. So I add a ladleful at a time, then walk away for a while until that bit of chocolate has coated the nuts and set up. Adding more chocolate too soon also makes things clump, so you have to be patient. All told, I probably add chocolate 9 or 10 times to make sure everything is coated well. So it takes a while, but you're not tied to the machine -- you can get other things done at the same time. Cool room helps - that'll make the chocolate set faster so you can add more.

If I've got multiple batches to do, I just unload the first batch, remove the coating pan from the mixer, shake out any loose stuff, and reattach. No need to disassemble, scrape down the sides, or anything. Any chocolate stuck to the sides of the pan is going to pretty much stay put when you add a new batch of nuts. The two halves do get glued together by the chocolate, so when you're ready to do cleanup, you have to hit it with some heat (I just shoot it with hot water) to get the two pieces to release.

As far as frequent and lengthy use -- the pan shouldn't care at all. It's just a big piece of metal. It's your mixer's motor that'll take a beating. You're running on low speed for probably 30-45 minutes at a time. A good KA ought to be able to handle that for a while, but all day every day is going to wear on it.

Hope that helps.

[thegreatdane]

Thanks or your information on the Beryl's tumbler attachment. It sounds good for small batches, but the KA motor may not be strong enough for what I'm doing. I'll look for something stronger.

Best to you in your endeavors.

Tom