A Guide to Basic Equipment & Packaging

Getting started with chocolate requires very little in the way of specialist equipment, all you really need is a microwaveable bowl in which to temper your couverture and a spatula with which to stir it. The simplest method of tempering is the microwave method, or if you don’t have a microwave you can always use a bain-marie to temper your couverture. See our instructional video: Tempering Chocolate for guidelines on the various tempering methods. We have also created a number of convenient Chocolate Starter Kits containing all you need to begin your chocolatey adventure. These kits are ideal for anyone wishing to get into professional chocolate making or chocolate making at home. Click here to read more about our range of small equipment for chocolate work from KeyChoc – Keylink’s sister company or take a look at our instructional video: An Introduction to KeyChoc Machinery.

Other equipment which will always prove useful when working with chocolate includes a thermometer, mould scrapers, dipping forks and a palette knife. You may also need certain specific equipment depending on what you decide to make, such as filling and closing templates and palette knives.

Packaging

Perfectly packaged chocolates add the final flourish to your creations and we have a great selection of unique packaging for the discerning chocolatier. From a simple but effective and endlessly customisable clear bag to our most recent luxurious packaging collection - The Keylink Prestige range - a stunning range of boxes, in rectangles and rounds, created by us, exclusively for you. We also offer a range of unique ballotin designs for a more traditional method of packing your chocolates as well as holding the UK’s largest range of stock confectionery packaging including foil, hard-base bags, fabric ribbons and pull-bow ribbons and postal boxes. We can also personalise boxes, ballotins and bags exclusively for you – to find out more information on our hot foil blocking service please click here.

All of the instructional modules featured in this article are showcased in our ‘Working with Chocolate’ DVD, created by Keylink Ltd.