Wilton Chocolate Pro Electric Melting Pot Review

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(More customer reviews)Some time ago, I worked as a pastry chef/candy maker using a very expensive chocolate melter/temperer as one of my equipment staples. I have melted and dipped more chocolate than you could shake a candy box at.
I took a chance and picked up one of these locally (Wilton Chocolate Melter Deluxe) with a melting/warm/off switch. There are no exact temperature controls on this model, no recipes, but the instructions are pretty straight forward. The worst enemy of chocolate is water, which they casually mention in the instruction phamphlet. I'd like to pass along that even just a tiny sputter of water will cause beautiful, satiny melted chocolate to seize up with no recovery at all possible. So if you want to dip fresh fruit, it absolutely must be 100% dry or your chocolate will harden in seconds. Don't even chance a strawberry hull (the green part) being the least bit wet because even just the smallest droplet of water is all it takes to ruin a whole batch of chocolate.
I found the Wilton to melt the chocolate quickly with continual gentle and slow stirring like an expensive chocolate temperer does, using a wooden paddle-like spoon and NOT metal. After all was smoothly melted (I use only organic non-GMO chocolate) and the control was switched onto "warm", the temperature was held well. Again, stirring gently and frequently helps maintain even temperatures throughout your chocolate mixture which is important in keeping your dipping temperature consistent. I dipped over 70 pieces with just 8 oz. of chocolate the first time out with great results.
Another suggestion to help keep "bloom" at bay (the white streaks that can appear on dark and milk chocolates that does not effect flavor) is to set your dipped chocolates away from any air movement. No open windows and out of human traffic where people walk by continually. Even a little bit of air movement can turn a whole batch of newly dipped chocolates into a white bloomin' mess. This is caused by rapid temperature change and/or improper tempering. This unit is not a temperer, but gentle handling can still give good results.
I'm looking forward to making lots of chocolates for the holidays and this little melter gets my whole-hearted vote! Chocolate is an experience and worth not giving up on. If you don't have great success the first time out, try smaller batches and you will get the feel for it. This little melter is a boon to the home chocolatier novice.

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Multi-Stir Chef; Lower Temp Cooker; Simmer; Brown; Braise; Saute Review

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(More customer reviews)This little jewel is fabulous!! It is my number 2 machine. The number 1 is my microwave!! I was so hesitant about buying a stirring pot, but with my lifestyle it is now permanently on the top of the counter. I'm a farm wife. My husband can come home for supper/dinner at any time between 6PM and 1AM. I don't usually begin cooking until I see the whites of his eyes because food can be soooo unappealing when it has set for hours. Enter the stir pan. I can begin food at any reasonable time--say 5:20 PM. Then I can put it on low and let it stir anytime the heating element begins. This keeps the food warm. Then later, I can add more ingredients. Then if it finishes before he gets home, I can put it on warm again to hold the food with the stirring again on whenever the heating element turns on. I cooked taco meat over the course of 5 hours and it was perfect when I actually served it. Then another favorite of his--chipped beef and gravy over biscuits. The stir pan made excellent gravy, kept it warm, and when he showed up, all it took was a quick temperature adjustment to get the gravy pipping hot. That was one happy man. He thinks I'm nuts to use it all the time, but then he farms, I cook. He's happy about what comes out of it.
I took the little metal filter out of its little place in the lid because I didn't want to mess with cleaning it. My pot came with an extra handle that is long, so it could be a long handled pot. I thought I might like that better, but so far it works fine with two little ear handles. The lid goes in the dishwasher just fine.
I cooked fried potatoes. I kinda big cubed them, put it a little olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, and turned on the auto stir. The potatoes tumbled, cooked, tumbled some more. Then they had to be put on warm to hold. Oh, they were tasty and perfect. Cook, hold, serve time--three hours. Normally, they would have been grease soaked disasters. Did it take three hours to actually cook them--of course not, it took that long for farmer guy to get home.
I LOVE not having to babysit food. I can go about other duties and let the stir pot take care of it. And it goes so very low that you can melt chocolate!! Make your own chocolate covered peanuts!
Remember actual homemade cooked pudding? Yup! This is your pan for that. Remember not being tied to stirring something over a hot stove? Course not--you didn't have one of these. Macaroni and cheese? Yup. Wisconsin cheese soup? Yup. No watching. Hours later, turn the heat up, auto stir, and serve in minutes!
It washes like a dream. Nothing sticks to it yet. It does have a non-stick coating that may become scratched so be careful.
I don't know why, but it doesn't seem to get a burned on film on the bottom. I don't care why, but I'm very grateful.
Get this little sucker and play with it. You wont' be disappointed.
The combination of adjustable heat and adjustable stirring is perfect.
I suppose only an idiot would start the thing and leave home, but you can sit and read a book, while this thing is doing your work. It is like a mini vacation where I can let my cares slide away.

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