Santha Melangeurs

Greetings Fellow Chocophiles,

I have recently begun the process of purchasing a Spectra 40 Stone Melanger - http://www.santhausa.com/Spectra%2040%20Melanger%20Speed%20Controll...

Is there anybody out there on the Chocolate Life who has experience using this equipment, or who knows anyone who has?

I am receiving an extremely low level of customer service, and the warranty is very limited on the product, as well as there being no facility in the United States (where I am) to service the melangeur in the event of mechanical problems. On top of this, I have been told I will have to wait several months for the Spectra 40 to ship directly from the manufacturer in India.

With an investment of this nature, my business simply cannot afford for this type of equipment to be anything other than top-notch for many years to come, if not decades. Any advice or information regarding the Spectra 40 Melanger specifically, or Santha in general, is greatly appreciated.

.:SiriuS:.

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Permalink Reply by Brad Churchill on May 16, 2011 at 2:05pm

When I first started making chocolate in my home in 2005, I used a small version of the Santha, and pretty much destroyed it. The end result was a complete rebuild with a more powerful motor, fibreglass belts, and numerous changes to the bin where the nibs are ground.

I know there are artisan chocolatiers out there who are using the machines you refer to, but given their design and original intended design (not to grind cocoa beans, but rather grind soft beans into pastes for East Indian food), they will all inevitably fail. In the end, the question is: How handy are you? I guarantee you will be replacing belts, and having to add some type of heating mechanism to the machine to keep the chocolate warm enough to stay liquid.

I don't want to discourage you from starting your own venture. It's fun, and exciting, and rewarding, and scary all at the same time. And... Like I said, there are micro chocolatiers out there who are using modified versions of this machine. I'm just trying to tell you from experience what to expect from it going in!

Cheers and best wishes.

Brad

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Permalink Reply by Sirius Chocolate on May 19, 2011 at 2:04pm

Yeah, I just canceled my order after a week of them not answering the phone or responding to my messages. Do you recommend any other Melangers?

Im really dissappointed because I was excited about the 40L volume and the variable speed control. Alas, I should have known it was too good to be true...

The only other models I can find on the internet are the Cocoa Town melangers ( http://www.cocoatown.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=arti... ) and the Ultra Melangers on Chocolate Alchemy ( http://shop.chocolatealchemy.com/collections/equipment ). But neither really have the throughput Im looking for.

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Permalink Reply by Ben Rasmussen on May 20, 2011 at 8:24am

You may want to look at CocoaTown's line of larger melangers that they call grindeurs. The come in 30, 40 and 65lb versions.

http://cocoatown.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&...

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Permalink Reply by Sirius Chocolate on May 21, 2011 at 3:23am

Thanks!

I didnt even look into those because on first glance they appeared to be only for milling powder. If nothing else that expands my options - who wouldnt want "The Rolls Royce of Grindeurs"...

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Permalink Reply by Ernesto Bugarin Pantua Jr. on May 18, 2011 at 10:08am

Yes the machine is not reliable I have 3 of them (sigh)

Ernesto

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Permalink Reply by Robert Frederick Rankin on May 22, 2011 at 7:56pm

I've got a Santha 20 which I've been using for 6 months and been quite happy with it. The only problem was that the cap over the tension nut does not fit well and we had to put in plastic straps to hold it on properly. I did find though that the Santha people could do with improving their customer service and are very lackadaisical in replying to email enquiries. But the reasonable price more than compensates any drawbacks so far - Bob Rankin

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Permalink Reply by Harry Way on May 25, 2011 at 10:33pm

Sales Alert!

Maybe you all should take a look at ChocoEasy - this is a German machine so it's expensive, but built to last forever, serviced here in USA by yours truly and customer service is our best sales tool.

I'll tell you up front that the 50 Kilogram machine is $99,500 and the 300 Kilgoram machine is $186,000. These are fully automated machines to control temperature, process time. Produce 25 to 50 Kgs in 8 hours to below 15 microns. Can start with nibs and butter

So if you're ready to use a BMW versus a Tata, please take a look. NETZSCH is having a seminar on this machine in Las Vegas at Chef Rubber on July 28th-29th.

www.chocoeasy.com

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Permalink Reply by Duffy Sheardown on June 13, 2011 at 9:06am

Do they really work with nibs? I know of one company who make chocolate from liquor simply because they cannot nibs directly into their Chocoeasy machine. Do you need to pre-grind the nibs before they go into the machine?

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Permalink Reply by Harry Way on June 13, 2011 at 9:11am

Duffy - the latest version of the chocoeasy has a pre-grinding rotor installed in the refiner that allows feeding very coarse materials, like nibs or crystal sugar, so the company you are familiar with may have an older unit.

To start with nibs you need to use some cocoa butter to circulate the nibs into the refiner. depending on the size of the ChocoEasy unit, the amount of butter required to do this is about 3-4 kilograms.

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Permalink Reply by Richard Foley on June 10, 2011 at 11:36am

Soon you will be able to visit our new facility in Orange County, Ca. There you will be able to learn everything you need to know about making chocolate, truly from Bean to Bar. The Qzina Institute will open in September, together with the Stephane Treand Art of Pastry School. We will have numerous machines to test, along with a big variety of beans, and other ingredients. We also carry molds, small and large tempering machines, melters, tools, flavors, powders, and all kinds of ingredients for Chocolate, Dessert, and Pastry Professionals. The Institute will have Small Melangers from both Cocoatown and Alchemy, roasters, winnowers, grinders, and even larger (mid size) equipment for more serious production. We are working on having commercial roller refiners and conches for 2012. The idea is to teach customers and enthusiasts everything from how to source the beans, to various production methods, and from there our in house Chocolatier and Pastry Chef Francois Mellet, with assistance from MOF (Best Craftsman of France) Stephane Treand, can teach you how to make incredible top quality truffles, fillings, cakes, pastries, and chocolates. We are not a school, but more of an R&D institute for the industry. We will also display machinery in our showroom from a host of top manufactures, including enrobers, mills, small processing equipment, etc. We also stock most of the top chocolates of the world, from Callebaut to Valhona to Guittard, and many many more, for those wanting to suppliment production. We also have refined liquor, cacao butter, nibs, on and on. Contact us for more information. We are just outfitting our new building now, and hope to be ready in Sept or October. This is a facility like no other in the United States, located minutes from Newport Beach Airport, Irvine Spectrum Mall, and Disneyland (for those who want a side trip), half way between L.A. and San Diego.