Everything you need to know about chocolate tempering

If you are involved in professional baking or industrial confectionery, you have probably come across the question of what chocolate tempering is and why it is so important. Tempering is a controlled heating and cooling process of chocolate, the purpose of which is to stabilize the structure of the butter crystals in the chocolate and give it a smooth texture, a brilliant shine, and a clean break.When asked what chocolate tempering is, it is important to understand that it is not just a matter of aesthetics but a basic condition for success in making products such as pralines, coatings and decorations. Proper tempering prevents the formation of white spots or grainy texture that can harm the final quality of the product. Without proper tempering, the chocolate will harden unevenly and will not be suitable for precise work at a professional level.

What is the tempering process and why is it important when working with chocolate?

The tempering process involves heating the chocolate to a certain temperature, cooling it for a specified period, and then heating it slightly again to stabilize the fat crystals in it. This is a delicate process that requires precision in temperatures and time control.The reason tempering is so important is because it determines the quality of the final product. That is, chocolate that has not been properly tempered will appear dull, crumble easily, and melt quickly when touched. In contrast, properly tempered chocolate will appear shiny and remain stable over time. When working in a professional confectionery, this is the basis for creating high-quality sweets, coatings, and decorations.

Chocolate tempering in professional work in institutional kitchens

In institutional kitchens and industrial confectioneries, chocolate tempering is a critical step due to the large production volumes and the need for consistent work. To perform chocolate tempering in institutional kitchens, precise techniques and dedicated equipment must be used.Manual tempering is possible when small quantities are involved, but in manufacturing plants or large kitchens, the work is often done using industrial chocolate heaters, mixers with thermal control, and devices designed to maintain constant temperature ranges.

What is chocolate tempering and what equipment will allow you to perform it?

If you are wondering what chocolate tempering is and how it can be done professionally, you should familiarize yourself with the equipment available in the field. Manual tempering is a process that requires time, a lot of practice, and controlled conditions. For institutional use, there are dedicated devices that perform all the tempering steps automatically,Including heating the chocolate, cooling it to the desired range and maintaining a constant working temperature. We at Y. Gottlieb offer you the most advanced equipment for the tempering process to save you time and reduce the chance of manual errors at work. To order all the equipment required for the tempering process – call now the phone number listed here on the site.

For those looking for bottom lines because the oven is beeping:
Baking with controlled air technology saves energy, affects the excellent taste, optimizes the work and can be controlled remotely. You are invited to get to know the MIWE IN ROLL oven.

So what is air control and what is it used for?
A short lesson on energy:

The amount of air circulating in the cycle and passing over the baked product has an immediate effect on the baking results .
The physical background for this reason is also easy to understand – above all it is known that two parameters are responsible for transferring the energy from the air to the product:
The air temperature (and for a more focused definition – the difference in temperature between the air temperature and the product temperature) and the amount (or speed) of the swirling air over the product.

The two parameters determine each other. At a warmer air temperature, the amount of air can be reduced by transferring the same amount of energy to the product. On the other hand, if more air is swirling – you can settle for a lower air temperature, and still transfer the same amount of energy to the product.

In fact, in the baking process it is quite clear that there are limitations. Of course, you cannot increase the amount of air as much as you want (and of course you cannot lower the baking temperature without limit), without disrupting the baking processes.

So after we learned about temperature…

What are the advantages of controlling the air flow in the oven?

Various advantages will be available to the baker if he can control the amount of air separately from the control of the baking temperature. The physical process described does work well in baking many products.

– Reducing the baking time while increasing the amount of air in the oven, which enables energy savings

Each baked product has its own parameters regarding heat conductivity and volume/weight ratios. That is, if we study the product features in depth, it seems that each product requires its own amount of air and temperature level.

There is an ideal combination of the amount of air and the temperature in each baking oven (due to the different climate conditions), in each baking process, in different seasons and at different points in the world. It is clear to every baker that a lower temperature (or gentler baking) is required as the product is rich in fats and proteins.

On the other hand, the actual improvement that can be achieved as a result of this ideal combination, instead of the conventional method of controlling the temperature alone, is most impressive in different types of pastry, such as yeast cakes, cakes in chuss or cakes in a mold, where the quality of the final product is affected in a positive and visible way when varying amounts of air.

Controlling the amount of air in the oven can also compensate for changes in the baking result caused seasonally due to weather changes, humidity and more. For example: the relative humidity is completely different in summer and winter. In the summer, crispness problems can arise due to low humidity. If we bake in the summer with a greater amount of air in the third and last stage of baking, we can stabilize the crispiness.

The Air control method

The amount of air is controlled by an electric valve (sliding door) located between the combustion chamber and the baking chamber. This valve, which can work for years without problems, regulates the air flow and thus determines the amount of air flowing in the oven.

This valve also closes automatically and without delay in two additional cases to save energy: during steam activation and when opening a door. When steam is injected into the oven, the heating system is completely sealed and separated from the baking chamber into which the large amount of steam is injected. Only after the effect of the steam does the valve return to its place according to the baking program. As a result, the steam does not pass through the combustion chamber, which prevents the cooling of the oven due to the steam at least by 10º – as was the case in the past in ovens with speed controllers and in all conventional ovens, in which it was necessary to start the baking process at a higher temperature.

According to Miwa engineers’ calculations, it is possible to save up to 10% in energy costs as a result of this method, and in addition – the lifespan of the combustion cells has been especially extended.

And in case of a malfunction in the valve, you can easily open it manually and continue baking. Also, since the steam must fill only the baking chamber and not the combustion chamber (as in conventional ovens), a higher amount of steam is created than the same amount of water, and of course in less time and less maintenance costs in the future.

And the other advantage of the method is the possibility to flow up to 1/3 more air into the oven when needed beyond the amount that could be flowed with the speed controllers.