Equipping the Ultimate Chocolate / Confectionery Workshop | #PodSaveChocolate Ep99

By Clay Gordon | a day ago | 8 min read

Original photo Peter F / Unsplash.

Episode 99 explores some options for kitting out a workshop If cost were no object. What equipment would I select to transform cocoa beans into chocolate and make chocolate confectionery items? And why?

When and Where to Watch

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The stream airs at 11:00 MST (10:00 PST, 12:00 CST, 13:00 EST), on Tue, February 11th, 2025.

Links below to watch – or to view the archived episode.

Click on this (shareable) link to watch on YouTube. Please subscribe (free!) to the @PodSaveChocolate YouTube channel, like this video, comment, and share this episode to help grow the #PSC community.

This **FACEBOOK** link is also shareable.

Episode 99 Overview

I am often asked why I don’t have my own chocolate brand. The reasons are complicated but one part of the answer is ultimately simple: money. At this stage in my life and in my career I have zero interest in bootstrapping a new business.

If someone approached me to build such a brand, I would ask for sufficient capital to:

Purchase all of the equipment I want;
Build out the facility the way I want;
Hire all of the people I need;
Buy all the ingredients I need;
Contract out all of the professional services I need; AND
Operate for three years without needing additional investment

This episode of #PodSaveChocolate is an exercise in answering the first question:

Given access to unlimited capital, what equipment would I purchase to build out a chocolate and confectionery manufacturing facility?

This episode will be followed up with an episode on equipping a workshop on a budget.

The equipment selections will be revealed during the episode and the links will be added in after the episode.

1️⃣: Equipment for Making Chocolate

PFC-B

The PFC-B series cleaning system effectively removes all foreign bodies so as not to compromise product quality.

Tecno3

Cleaning

MP_R_Cocoa Bean and nut-RC

MP_R_Cocoa Bean and nut-RC.pdf

4 MB

MP_C_chocolate_compounds_creams-RC

MP_C_chocolate_compounds_creams-RC.pdf

3 MB

2️⃣: Equipment for Making Confectionery Components

QBO - Roboqbo

INNOVATING FOOD TEK

Roboqbo

3️⃣: Equipment for Making Finished Products

This is a custom 40cm enrobing line produced by Oflaz Mechanics in Turkey for a client.

Small roll mill – two and three rolls, granite/steel

Working with inclusions – dedicated batch tempering machines for dark/milk/white

Bar depositing line (but with Fairbank Engineering depositing head)

Mold/tray cooling racks – in a dedicated cooling room

Small manual and semi-automatic one-shot machines

4️⃣: Equipment for Packaging

5️⃣: Equipment for Cleaning

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

Future Episodes

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Tuesday February 18th – Ep 101
Equipping a chocolate and confectionery workshop on a budget

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