Equipping the Budget Chocolate & Confectionery Workshop | #PodSaveChocolate Ep100
Episode 100 explores some options for kitting out a workshop on a budget. What equipment would I select to transform cocoa beans into chocolate and make chocolate confectionery and other items for wholesale and online and in-store retail? And why?
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Clay Gordon
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Episode 100(!) Overview
In Episode 99, I explored the what and why of how I would kit out my ultimate chocolate and confectionery workshop if equipment costs were not a concern.
Clay Gordon
In this episode, I am taking a look at kitting out my chocolate and confectionery workshop assuming there are budgetary constraints.
However, my goal here is not to look at kitting out my workshop for the least amount of money, but instead to balance competing factors ā with an emphasis on flexibility ā to build a workshop/retail business around the capacity to produce a minimum of 200 kg/week of dark, milk, and white chocolate combined from which to make bars and a wider variety of confectionery, baked goods, and other goods to support a year-round business, profitably.
When considering adding the retail component, one assumption is that you want to give customers more than one reason to walk in the front door as a way to increase the average purchase amount.
As in the previous episode, I have divided the task into five areas (below, but different categories). I am not going to discuss smallwares, consumables, or build-out costs.
1ļøā£: Equipment for Making Chocolate
An advanced roaster with an optional destoner ā so no need for a separate cleaner. Eight batches is enough for one 70kg batch of dark and one 70kg batch of milk.
admin
MI30 cracker/winnower for cacao and nuts.
admin
Dedicated milk& dark R60s. R15 for white and nut pastes. R7 for FOH display.
Slow speed three-roll refiner for gianduia, spalmabile, and as a pre-refiner.
2ļøā£: Equipment for Making Confectionery Components
30 liter (8 gallon)
Nanoobatch caramels, marshmallow, fruit purees, pastry creams.
Breville
THE best induction cooktop.
Six-pan half-size combi oven for nut roasting and other tasks. ALSO used for baking brownies, biscotti, etc.
Coffee roaster
3ļøā£: Equipment for Making Finished Products
One for all types of chocolate.
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Depositing head(s) for the Infinity AX. (Flood and scrape for shell-molded bonbons.)
One for all types of chocolate and ca be used as a melting/holding tank.
Small continuous tempering machine and enrobing line for slabbed ganaches, etc.
Micro-batch ice cream business for a summer CSI (community supported ice cream) program. (Plus a way to use seconds confectionery items.)
4ļøā£: Equipment for Packaging
Small pouch filler.
For producing short-run custom outer boxes in-house.
5ļøā£: Miscellaneous
Undercounter refrigerated cabinets
Questions?
If you have questions or want to comment, you can do so during the episode or, if you are a ChocolateLife member, you can add them in the Comments below at any time.
More Episode Hashtags
#cocoa #cacao #cacau
#chocolate #chocolat #craftchocolate
#PodSaveChoc #PSC
#LaVidaCocoa #TheChocolateLife
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Clay Gordon
Clay Gordon
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