Choice of mould design, shape, size, and materials effect a bunch of different aspects of making chocolate: how we temper, the ease of adding chocolate to the mould and how we add it, the ease (or not) of cleaning and polishing, storage, rack or shelf space required for cool-down of filled bars, fragility/strength of bars for shipping and handling by customers, eye-appeal, mouth-feel of a eating chocolate (thick, thin, etc), wrapping design and needs, and amounts of wrapping materials, ease of wrapping, shipping needs and warm weather precautions, and more.
Choosing moulds, to use stock or go for custom?
Stock moulds
Are available around the world, from a variety of sources. Some of the best-known companies also offer custom mould creation.
As chocolate in distinctive bar form has expanded into the chocolatiering sector, more bar moulds have become readily available, and more companies creating moulds have emerged.
If choosing a stock (not custom) design, ask the manufacturer if the design is limited or expected to remain available (there are many resellers of moulds, they won’t know—ask the manufacturer).
Pros:
Relatively inexpensive, lots of sizes/patterns, no long wait time after purchasing.
Cons:
Not good for brand-identity if other makers use the same design, can become obsolete (no longer available).
Custom moulds
Requires either a designer-created pattern and CAD files for dimensions; these are the files the mould engineer uses to tool the die that creates the mould. Some mould companies offer in-house design services but usually require an initial design idea from the maker.
The manufacturer may not be helpful with determining size/dimensions, so it’s best to have these aspects figured out before placing the order.
Pros:
One of a kind bar design.
Cons:
Cost, and dependence on the manufacturer to re-produce moulds as needed. Once it’s yours, your stuck with it :)
Size actually is everything
Depth = how thick or thin a bar is.
Dimensions: the width and length, and shape.
Thickness/thinness and outer dimensions directly effect:
weight of finished bar
how easy/not easy it is to deposit chocolate into the mould cavity
ease of bar release and ghost marks (flat surfaces create more suction and host marks at the final release point)
wrapper size, choices available, cost, and whether stock paper can be used
ease of wrapping
choice of inner wrapper, if used
shipping box dimensions and costs
bar breakage and replacement issues if bars are thin
Through thick and thin, the experience:
Each of these (thick vs thin, chomp vs nibble) is an approach to chocolate
Thick bars break with a thud not a “snap,” can be seen as “bigger” even in smaller sizes, can require chewing before melt occurs, offer sturdiness for inclusions, can be filled.
Thin bars snap easily, break easily, can be viewed as less indulgent and more “artisan,” can read as “elegant,” offer a faster tongue-melt, are trickier for inclusion work, can’t be filled.
Look at a thick bar and a thin bar and ask:
If you prefer to chomp into chocolate, which bar would you reach for?
If you see chocolate as a rare event and an indulgence, which bar would you choose?
Type of material
There are varying weights and stiffness (rigidity) of plastics used for chocolate moulds. The least expensive are typically made of very flexible plastic, or even silicone (feels like rubber, is very flexible).
There are grades of polycarbonate which offer the rigidity needed for efficient bar release from the moulds: if the mould has flex (can be bent easily) it won’t release bars as well as a more rigid/unbendable polycarbonate mould.
Stiffness/rigidity is key to production: bars cool and contract faster, and because they release easily leave moulds cleaner.
The type of polycarbonate used to make the mould also determines longevity (how long the mould lasts), durability (soft plastic is prone to scratches, can crack), and the method of cleaning + polishing required, which is also a time factor.
For some folks it’s shoes, for others it’s chocolate moulds
The number of mould trays needed is determined by:
How many bar cavities each tray has;
How many bars you want to temper on a maximum tempering session;
The space available for filled moulds (speed racks, shelves, etc)
If custom, there may be a minimum order number required;
VAT fees for imported moulds that may effect your mould purchase budget
Mould manufacturers (c = custom, s = stock )
Chocolate World, c + s
Micelli, c
Safranne, c
Tomric, c + s
Caring for moulds
WASHING
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for washing: some types of polycarbonate can be washed only by hand, while others are ok in a dishwasher. Ideally, moulds do not need to be washed after each tempering session (but they must be polished), because residual cocoa butter helps enhance shine.
Moulds should be washed when:
moulds were used with bars that contain allergens
inclusions left crumbs/bits etc
traces of chocolate remain due to untempered bars
your mould’s manufacturer recommends it
after washing moulds must be air-dryed and then polished
Storage between tempering runs:
any side spatters/chocolate remnants can and should be removed with a bench scraper before before polishing
always store moulds bar cavity (the open/fill side) down or on end to avoid bits of chocolate etc landing in the design
POLISHING
moulds must be heated/warmed one by one
should be done with a soft lint-free cloth or cotton pads that are washable/reusable
inside of mould can be gently heated with a blowdryer then wiped clean with the cloth/pad
moulds scratch easily—scratches will appear on bar surface so care in needed in stacking/storing moulds
contrary to popular chocolatiering culture, rubbing alcohol is not food safe/food grade; some makers/chocolatiers promote using rubbing alcohol to clean moulds but to be food safe grain alcohol is the option.
STORAGE
Store moulds at normal room temp, away from high heat (roasters), dust (winnowers), water (sinks), splatters (melangers), and very cold temps.
Finally, if a bar falls in a chocolate kitchen, does it make a sound?
Thanks for being here, and happy chocolate making! And please share you favorite mould company in the comments. xxoo,
Mackenzie
I always find I get a weird build up of static in my bar moulds after a few uses, to the point where you can see patterns from it along the edges of the bars. It goes away after washing them but if anyone has any suggestions for ways to get rid of it I'm all ears!
This is a great topic! Moulds and mould care really isn’t addressed in many places. I’ve been struggling with some moulds I bought from a chocolate company here- they are super sturdy but gosh they are so impossible to polish up nicely and always leave marks on the chocolate. I hadn’t liked the idea of rubbing alcohol- I’ll give grain alcohol a go 🙂