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Post by islandchocolate on Aug 26, 2013 8:14:05 GMT -5
Hello everbody I'm in the process of getting equipped for some home chocolate production. Regarding melanger, I have to products in mind: The Spectra 11 and Cocoatown ECGC-12SLTA. Both products seem to be very similar. What I like about the ECGC-12SLTA ist that one can completely release the tension from the stones for the conching cycle so the cocoa liquor is continuously exposed to air without grinding it further. Any reviews on these products would be appreciated. A next question would be how do these two melangers compare to the cheaper option Premier, that was mentioned in previous blog posts? By the way, I wasn't able to find the Premier Grinder in a 220v-version, only encountered the 110v-model. Does anybody has a hint? Regards, Michael
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Post by ismael on Sept 12, 2014 17:29:12 GMT -5
I have exact same question. I have been looking at 3 of them. im little confused which one to buy. any information will be greatly appreciated. thank you. Ismael
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Post by lyndon on Sept 14, 2014 2:34:03 GMT -5
Well I know you can find the Premier Grinder on Amazon.co.uk, but depends on where you live I guess.
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Post by timwilde on Oct 3, 2014 17:01:46 GMT -5
Well, hopefully someone with more experience with the cocotown model can assist further with first hand experience. that being said, here's the breakdown.
Spectra 11 is an updated model from the one I'm using, Spectra 10. Other than the lid riding on the post instead of tightly fitting the drum and I think some internals were upgraded for better performance, I find it to be a very capable machine that for me has been an unstoppable workhorse. I've left it going for almost a week at once and shows no signs of slowing or stopping. That being said, the most I've been able to risk fitting into it is about 9lbs of chocolate and is good if you're wanting to make that large a batch.
The Premier Wonder is a smaller unit that can reportedly do about 5lbs, although I've heard of possibility of going up to 7lbs.
Both the premier and santha seem to have similar designs and functionality, the Premier is just smaller and would only accomodate smaller batches.
The cocotown grinder has a few different features that seem like they'd be nice to haves. One being the conical grinding stones. Those seem to be more efficient at grinding and from the looks of things would be easier to clean. There's also a tension bar that goes over the center post which can allow you to increase or decrease tension as desired.
All that being said, the santha can be tensioned as needed as well, just not as cleanly. There's a post that is used to provide tension with a spring and tightening. You can loosen this or remove it to perform the same functions as the tensioner on the cocoatown. The reason I say not as cleanly though is that the chocolate will flood the area where the tensioner is and will ultimately get some chocolate into the tensioner where it's extremely difficult to clean.
For me, as a beginner, I would suggest you take a long hard look at your budget and see how much you think you'll be doing. If this is a hobby or a seasonal kind of thing to make candy for your family at christmas for example, i'd just stick with the Premiere. It's a much cheaper begining tool and if you find that you are doing more than you anticipated or want to expand, save up for either the santha or cocoatown one and make that decision then.
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Post by cacao2choco on May 25, 2015 20:47:25 GMT -5
To minimize the wear and tear of the moving parts inside the bowl, it is critical to keep them immersed in cocoa mass during grinding. That means if you have a need to grind small batches, you have limited options with these grinders except CocoaTown. You can order their 0.75 drum and wheels set (smallest in the market) that can fit to our standard 12SL model. We at CocoaTown are coming up with more accessories, which you do not find with other grinders.
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Post by rna2600 on Jun 6, 2015 6:27:24 GMT -5
Please note that the Cocoatown melanger has a tendency to have its epoxy seal break, which must then be re-epoxyed by the user. You need to use food-grade epoxy. Many users have reported needing to make multiple repairs, which involve sanding the granite around the place of the seal so the epoxy makes a good seal. This seal usually breaks quickly, within the first 2-4 months of use. I am not the only person who has experienced this - you can google this for yourself. Look for reviews on the Cocoatown line of melangeurs.
I have Santha melangers and have never had a problem with any of them in over a decade. I still use my first Santha regularly. I make chocolate batches in sizes from 2 pounds to 10 pounds with no problems. The Santha is a great machine, reliable and virtually maintenance-free. You can easily loosen the tension on the rollers to conch, as someone else in this thread has described. I don't remove the tension screw on the center post, I just loosen it.
I recommend the Santha over the Cocoatown machine hands down.
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Post by eanbean on Jun 17, 2015 21:47:58 GMT -5
Well I know you can find the Premier Grinder on Amazon.co.uk, but depends on where you live I guess. Actually, you can buy the Premier Grinders from a chocolate maker that uses them every day at indichocolate.com/collections/chocolate-making-machines. There are also several enhancements to this machine that are made specifically for the rigors of chocolate making. The new enhanced Chocolate Refiner will only be available online at indichocolate.com beginning in July 2015.
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Post by lilypa on Jun 17, 2015 22:12:30 GMT -5
Hey Eanbean,
Can you tell us about the enhancements of the new chocolate refiner that'll be available next month?
Dave
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