If you’re looking for tips on how to keep your chocolate-making equipment in good shape and most importantly, clean, you’ve come to the right place. At CocoTerra, we believe that maintaining clean chocolate-making tools, equipment and environment is the key to crafting exceptional chocolate.
How to clean chocolate-making equipment
Properly cleaning your chocolate-making equipment is essential for maintaining the quality of your chocolate, ensuring the longevity of your equipment and preventing flavor contamination.
We recommend that you follow the manufacturer’s guidelines and always refer to your chocolate-making machine’s user manual for specific cleaning instructions. However, we will review a few tips that apply to most machines.
Follow these steps to clean your chocolate-making machine correctly:
- Before you clean your machine, make sure it is unplugged and completely cooled down. Disassemble any removable parts, such as molds, tempering trays, and dispensing nozzles, always following the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Remove Chocolate Residue. Clean your machine using a soft, dry cloth or paper towel to remove any excess chocolate and debris from the machine’s surfaces. Be gentle to avoid damaging delicate components.
- Some chocolate machine parts should only be cleaned with melted cocoa butter, while others may be cleaned with water. Make sure to check your manufacturer’s instructions before using water to clear your system. When verified, clean the removable part with warm, soapy water. Use a non-abrasive sponge or brush to clean your molds and tempering trays thoroughly. Rinse them well to remove any soap residue. If you prefer not to use any soap and water, you can gently warm the parts with a hair dryer or heat gun, and then wipe them down with a clean, lint-free cloth.
- Clean any metal or plastic interior surfaces of your machine with a cloth or sponge. If there are stubborn chocolate stains, use gentle dish soap and warm water to clean them. Avoid using harsh chemicals or abrasive materials that may damage your machine. If your machine has any porous components (like grinding stones), do not use soap and water.
- If your machine has a dispensing system, run warm water through any removable parts to flush out any remaining chocolate. This helps prevent clogging and ensures that your machine is ready for the next batch. Do not put water through any parts that can’t easily be dried.
- After cleaning, dry all parts and surfaces with a clean, dry cloth. Moisture can cause chocolate to seize and affect the quality of your future batches, so ensure that the parts are completely dry.
- Once everything is dry, reassemble the machine and run a test without chocolate to make sure it’s functioning properly.
Following these steps and maintaining a consistent cleaning routine will ensure that your chocolate-making machine runs smoothly and produces delicious chocolate treat after treat.
How do you clean the CocoTerra machine?
Cleaning a CocoTerra chocolate maker is fast and easy. There are two parts of the machine that require cleaning: the mold ring and the processing chamber. The mold ring (which consists of a top half, a bottom half and a filter ring) can be rinsed in the sink with warm water or put in the dishwasher. The chamber is dishwasher safe as well, but even without a dishwasher, the processing chamber is fast and easy to clean. From your kitchen sink, simply flush warm water through the top of the chamber while swirling the processing media (the balls). . As they move around, the balls inside the chamber will clean the interior surface of the chamber, while the water runs out of the opening at the bottom. A full cleaning can be done at the sink by continued swirling and shaking, or after a rinse, the chamber can be placed right-side-up in the bottom rack of a dishwasher. If you prefer the sink cleaning method, the outer lip of the chamber can be cleaned with a small brush. The entire process takes five minutes or less.
You’ve now learned how to clean your chocolate-making machine. Cleaning it correctly will help you maintain the quality and excellence of your chocolate creations.
We hope you enjoyed this article. For more great recipes, check out the rest of our CocoTerra blog.
If you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact us through our social media channels. We are @cocoterra_co on Instagram and Pinterest and @cocoterraco on Twitter and Facebook.
