A Reader Writes, “I was reading a site that instructed how to make chocolate from beans. Does the higher end small/single store chocolate shop make their own from the cocoa beans or do they purchase some type of intermediate product and work it up to product from that point? Would it be unprofitable for an owner to use bulk amounts of El Rey (for example) making his chocolate too expensive?.” One of the relatively unknown secrets of the chocolate world ...

Is that there are very few chocolatiers (i.e., a person or company that makes confections) that make their own chocolate from beans. This is especially true for smaller companies - the skills required to make chocolate from beans are vastly different from the skills required to make confections.

Some of the companies that make chocolate and confections are Valrhona, Cluizel, and Bonnat, all French, and Amedei, who is Italian. At one time the Canadian company Ganong used to make chocolate and confections but I don’t know if they are still manufacturing chocolate. Huge international companies like Godiva and Neuhaus don’t make their own chocolate either. See’s here in the US (one of the three largest premium chocolatiers) also does not make its own chocolate.

Therefore, virtually all chocolatiers buy their chocolate (called couverture) in bulk. Which chocolate they choose is based on a number of factors, but taste and cost are probably the two biggest variables that factor into the decision, but consistency and workability are also important.

For someone who is just starting out, you can either work forwards to a arrive at a sale price (calculating cost of ingredients, variable costs such as labor, and fixed costs such as rent, etc.) or work backwards (figure out what the local market will bear in terms of price and then cost ingredients, variable, and fixed costs to ensure a sufficient margin). Obviously, if you are charging $45/lb for your work you can afford to use more expensive chocolate than if you’re charging $18/lb. Rent and cost of living factor large in this equation; it’s more expensive to manufacture confections in Manhattan than it is in Providence, RI.

Ultimately, however, few people truly really care about whose chocolate a chocolatier uses - it’s about what they put in their mouth. Many chocolatiers make their own custom blends of chocolate by mixing various couvertures the buy. For example, you may like the creaminess of the Felchlin Creole 49% milk chocolate (about $5.60/lb wholesale) but want something more intense in terms of flavor. Therefore you might blend in some Felchlin 65% Maracaibo Classificado or 72% Arriba or even unsweetened couverture to get exactly the flavor you’re looking for. Some people choose a particular chocolate because of a flavor profile or story. El Rey is a good example of this; it’s one of only a very few good quality chocolates manufactured in South America and because it’s comparatively lighter and sweeter than many European chocolates it fits the American palate pretty well.

I hope this answers all your questions, but if not, please ask more here in this thread. Other readers with experience in this area are also encouraged to post their thoughts.

Previous Questions and Answers:

1. Some important chocolate producers are in Belgium such as Barry Callebaut and Belcolade. There are also American producers. The origin of the chocolate makes a difference - whether it's imported or domestic (US). Usually (from my experience) the imports have a smoother mouthfeel than the US makers, but this is not a rule.
   Posted by  on  10/03  at  07:11 PM
2. Thank you. I did not know there were so many imported sources of chocolate, over the last month I have been researching the various brands available, its overwhelming!! A few more questions. Since there are all these brands how can you find the one that you prefer. I do not want to buy 10 pounds of chocolate just to see if I like it. What would one do... where do you start?
   Posted by  on  10/09  at  06:59 PM
3. Ron: There are many places online where you can purchase a relatively small amount of couverture chocolate to try out. Virtually all of the companies that manufacture chocolate for professionals make it available in a 1kg (2.2 pound) package. If not, there are some sources that take larger packages and repackage them into smaller sizes. Occasionally, couverture chocolate is available through The Chocolate Co-Op; as this is being written, the Plantations 100% Arriba couverture is available. Chocosphere (http://www.chocosphere.com) is a good source for a wide variety of couvertures in smaller sizes.
   Posted by  on  10/12  at  08:47 AM
4. I was wondering where I can purchase organic bulk chocolate to use in candy making?
   Posted by  on  11/01  at  07:32 PM
5. I have purchased from Chocosphere a few times. I tend to like milk chocolate the best. One I hated was cote d'or, just not good at all. My favorites were Galler, Valrhona le lacte and el rey was decent. I like a chocolate taste, not too sweet and smooth/creamy. Up until my appearance here last month I did not know brands like felchlin existed. I would like to get hold of some of these products in smaller amounts to taste them but I am also interested in formulation like % sugar, cocoa.... and I have not seen that info on the web sites. thanks
   Posted by  on  11/01  at  08:13 PM
6. Ron :: Very few companies post their "recipes" and make them generally available as it allows other companies insight into how they make their chocolate. Guittard is the only American company I know of that does this. Felchlin is not widely available but I hope to be able to offer it through the Chocolate Co-Op soon.
   Posted by  on  11/09  at  12:05 PM
7. Audra :: One of the best organic chocolates going is from Dagoba. You can contact them directly (http://www.dagobachocolate.com) to order. If you have a company and have a TaxID/resale certificate, you can probably purchase at wholesale prices.
   Posted by  on  11/09  at  12:07 PM
8. Guittard - I recently tried their single-origin chocolates at a trade show. I was pretty impressed. I had never tried their chocolates before. I would recommend trying them to see for yourself.
   Posted by  on  11/21  at  03:11 PM
9. Where can I find a nut free chocolate in bulk for candy making? Thank you, Nina
   Posted by  on  02/01  at  05:42 PM
10. Nina :: There are surprisingly very few chocolates manufactured that are certified to be nut free. I know that Plantations chocolate was thinking about doing this (http://www.echocolates.com), but other than them I cannot, off the top of my head, name a chocolate that is guaranteed to be nut free. Much chocolate is made in plants with shared production lines or with lines that make bars with inclusions (other ingredients such as nuts, fruit), and cross contamination is possible. The label may not say "made in a facility that also processes nuts" but I don't think you can take that as a guarantee that the chocolate is nut free.
    Posted by  on  02/02  at  12:06 PM
11. I've been told that white chocolate is not really chocolate. What are the ingredients to white chocolate? Thanks
    Posted by  on  02/17  at  10:30 AM
12. Cheri:: Actually, the combination of cocoa butter, sugar, milk, and optionally, lecithin and vanilla could not legally be labeled white chocolate until the summer of 2004. In the summer of 2004 the FDA created a "standard of identity" that makes it legal to label it white chocolate. The quality is entirely dependent on the quality of the cocoa butter and milk used. I find most white chocolates dreadful (just to eat), one of my favorites is El Rey Icoa. ::Clay
    Posted by  on  02/17  at  08:06 PM
13. Can you tell me if there is a basic recipe for making Chocolate? I would like to try to make it from scratch. Thanks Hope :: Hope, There is, but the recipe is not the issue, it's the equipment, especially if you want to create something that's not coarse and gritty. Hop on over to http://www.chocolatealchemy.com for a home primer. :: Clay
    Posted by  on  02/18  at  11:46 AM
14. Hope:: Making chocolate at home requires quite a bit of experimentation because there is no machinery designed for very small batch production. One of the better blogs on the web that talks about one person's experiments on the topic is Chocolate Alchemy at http://www.chocolatealchemy.com/. It has been a while since the last time I corresponded with John Nanci, who authors the blog, but he offers quite a bit of advice on how to approach making chocolate in the home using relatively inexpensive equipment. He also sells cocoa beans and other supplies. Good luck and have fun! :: Clay
    Posted by  on  02/18  at  06:37 PM
15. Hello. I come from a town in Southern Israel, and no where near, within an hours drive is there a chocolatier to be found. No chocolate shops either. I want to quit teaching high school and become a chocolatier and open a small business, perhaps in the beginning, even from my own kitchen. 1. Does this seem possible? 2. I can't find any decent courses in this whole country, do you know of any? 3. I have read all of ecolechocolat's info, however, is it feasible to learn this online?? The one week course for afterwards seems highly priced, or is it the going rate? I'd really appreciatean answer! Thanks! Ilana
    Posted by  on  08/11  at  01:38 PM
16. Hi! My name is Emek and I have a few questions I hope you can answer. I live in Istanbul and I wish to start a chocolatier business of my own. I am looking for courses in Europe or worldwide, that are taught in English, where I can learn the necessary candy & chocolate making skills, get hands-on training, and learn the tricks of trade within a short amount of time (max. 2 months), and for a reasonable price (appr. 1000-1500 USD). Can you recommend any such courses? I have read about the online chocolatier course of Ecolechocolate but I am worried that an online course might be inefficient, thus a waste of time and money. Do you recommend this (or any other online) course? Last but not least, I cannot access the answer you have given to the previously posted message by Ilana Bar-Hai from Israel on 08/11 at 01:38 PM. I believe we have very similar concerns and reading your answer to her would help me a great deal. Thank you very much for your kind assistance. Best regards, Emek
    Posted by  on  09/10  at  06:05 PM
17. I AM LINE MECHANIC AT CHOCOLATE FACTORY IAM WORKING 10-YEARS AT THIS FACTORY IAM WORKING WITH HIGH SPEED MACINES CARLE MONTANARI THIS IS WRAPPING MACHINES IAM NOT ONLY AMAINTENANCE MECHANIC ICAN CHANGE PARTS OF THIS MACHINES AND SET UP FOILS AND ELECTRI EYES.PLEAE RESPOND ME ON MY QUESTION.THANK YOU VERY MUCH FO YOUR ATTANTION.
    Posted by  on  11/24  at  06:10 PM
18. I am new to the chocolate business. I am trying to help my daughter set up her own company selling chocolate covered foods. I just don't know where to buy the equipment and the chocolate at good/wholesale prices. Any help would be great! Thanks. Merry Christmas. :: Tony; One of the best things you should probably do is look to join a professional association like Retail Confectioners International (they are online at http://www.retailconfectioners.org/. This will put you in touch with many other small busines owners doing more or less the same things you are intending to do. They also provide access to resources for equipment to professionals. Also, there is a conference in Philadelphia are in the next two months that you should look into -- the local chapter of RCI puts it together as the Philadelphia Candy Show. If you are an established business with a Tax ID, you should be able to purchase equipment at wholesale prices. In the meantime, take a look at Union Machinery (http://www.unionmachinery.com). HTH. :: Clay
    Posted by  on  12/18  at  07:05 AM
19. I recently had a hot chocolate in a Paris brasserie. It was so unlike American hot chocolate, almost like pure chocolate melted to a thick liquid, a nectar of the gods! Do you have a recipe and a source for ingredients to make a French hot chocolate drink? Thanks Steve (American in Europe) :: Steve; There is not secret to this drink, it literally is just a matter of melting chocolate into milk or cream. The fun part is experimenting with the proportions. Start out with 100gr of 70% chocolate grated into 500ml hot whole milk and then whisk in 10gr cocoa powder. From this basic recipe, experiment with the type of chocolate and how much fat is in the milk. For example, you might go half/half whole milk and light (or heavy) cream and maybe up the amount of chocolate to 100gr 70% and 50gr unsweetened and forgo the cocoa powder. :: Clay
    Posted by  on  01/01  at  10:01 AM
20. Hi my name is terry from folkestone England. I am just begining research into making the best filled chocolate in the world(obviously according to my taste) However the secrecy is already apparent,it seems that there is a magic circle. Can someone break the spell for me please. I want to work from home and use traditional methods from scratch. I love chocolate :: Terry, There is no magic ring of secrecy: all of the recipes and techniques are out there for anyone to learn. What it takes is practice, practice, practice, and your own personal sensibility. Believe it or not, you can learn a lot from books. One of the best is called "Fine Chocolates, Great Experiences" by Jean-Pierre Wybauw. Many chocolate manufacturers (e.g., Barry-Callebaut) run one and two demonstrations by top chocolatiers (including Mr Wybauw). A couple of weeks of classes will give you all the basic techniques, but it may take months or years of practice to perfect them to your sensibility. :: Clay
    Posted by  on  02/05  at  07:24 AM
21. I recently shipped 75 bags of my hand-made chocolates, packaged in small polybags w/ribbon ties, from Boston MA to southern NJ. (400 miles) For the sake of speed and to prevent a possilbe melt-down on the truck, I paid through the teeth to have it shipped US Mail overnight. When it arrived I was told that even thought the shipping box was completely intact -- almost all (90%) of the bags had burst open and the candy -- although not damaged -- fell out of the bags. Is there an obviously better way to ship packaged chocolates during the summer months? or any time for that matter? Is shipping via air a no-no when shipping chocolates or polybags? I am assuming that the bags burst due to pressure in the jet? Any ideas?

    :: Jean,  The polybags/ties and pressure could only be an issue if the 
    seal is 100% airtight and there is enough air in the bags to expand significantly 
    rupturing the seal on the bags. The only times I've seen polybags in use for 
    high-end chocolate is when the chocolates are individually wrapped which makes 
    the need for an airtight seal less important. It is easy to ship chocolates in the 
    summer. I mostly use Priority mail. First, get the chocolates good and cold, 
    about 34 degrees. Put these chocolates in a box lined with a plastic bag and 
    insert something into the plastic bag before closing to absorb moisture (I use 
    unbleached paper wadding). Seal the box with tape along all open sides to 
    keep heat and moisture out. Put this inner box into a large outer box with at 
    least 4-6 inches of room on all sides. Line this box with a plastic bag. Put a 
    layer of peanuts on the bottom then put an ice pack on top of the peanuts 
    then more peanuts then the box with the chocolate in it. Put peanuts and 
    ice packs along at least two of the four sides of the box and then on the top. 
    Tape the box shut sealing all the open seams. This will take care of your 
    chocolate getting there in good condition. It's also not all that expensive if 
    you recycle peanuts from shipments you receive. :: Clay

    Posted by  on  05/28  at  02:21 PM
22. Question:Where did they find chocolate? How did they find chocolate? Who found it and stared it? *please email me back as soon as possible because this is for a school project!Thank you for your time!

    Brittni:
    The answer to this question is beyond the scope of this forum.
    If you have time and your local library has a copy, look for
    Sophie and Michael Coe's book "The True History of Chocolate."
    
    If you don't have time to find a book, search for "history of
    chocolate" (in quotes) in Yahoo! or Google. You will find lots
    of resources that will give you the answers you are looking
    for.
    
    :: Clay
    

    Posted by  on  10/17  at  05:26 PM