candlesinflorida Posted May 21, 2019 Share Posted May 21, 2019 (edited) I was just too intrigued - I bought a “chandler & me” from CS. It is a magnetic stirrer/hot plate (maybe it is an inversion heater? Not quite sure) made for candle-making. The good: it is actually quite fantastic. The process is pretty effortless-and it creates a perfect candle. When I say perfect, I mean...beautiful glossy tops, consistent FO throughout the candle, no frosting, no sinkholes..just no issues and I tried many diff FOs with it. (Just tried soy 444 and 464 so far). It is such a clean process, no wax slurping on my counters, I can set aside all my random pouring, stirring and temp-taking utensils. Takes such a small space too! (See my counter pic to see what a mess things are!) And it is a no-brainer...you can do other things while it does the stirring work! The bad: it is tiny...can only do small batches at a time and costs about $65 each. ($62 with quantity of 5 or more) It isn’t totally fast...but it does the process the right way, slowly stirring (with a whirlpool - which seems to be key) and consistent heat source. However, I emailed the company (they are in Australia) and they said they are coming out with a much larger pot in two months. I think they said it can handle 33 ounces of wax and you will have to run it through two melting cycles; the current pot can handle just about 10 easily, 1 pound is pushing it. So-for those of you who have moved from presto pots to melters, what do you think about spending $620 on ten of these? Not sure on the timing, but 10 machines could probably do 15 candles in under ten minutes (without my full attention) and with bigger pots, (mo money...mo candles) of course, that would improve. Thoughts? Esp interested in whether people have used similar magnetic stirrers/hot plate combos or professional type agitators? Edit to add quantity needs: My candle-making needs are changing. I do batches of 20-70 at a time for special orders (making 10-20 a day with presto pot) and occasionally just do a few at a time for small orders or gifts. Hoping to have more of the large batch orders at a time, but not planning to do 200 at a time or anything like that. Edited May 21, 2019 by candlesinflorida 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kandlekrazy Posted May 21, 2019 Share Posted May 21, 2019 I get the heating and stirring aspect but C3 has to cool before you pour it or it's a nightmare so how would that work? Also if adding fragrance to it you might not want a huge vat of the same fo but def more than 10 oz so maybe the bigger one. My other concern would be cleaning out the old fo to start a new one. IDK I think it is a great idea that needs much thought? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
candlesinflorida Posted May 21, 2019 Author Share Posted May 21, 2019 1 hour ago, kandlekrazy said: I get the heating and stirring aspect but C3 has to cool before you pour it or it's a nightmare so how would that work? Also if adding fragrance to it you might not want a huge vat of the same fo but def more than 10 oz so maybe the bigger one. My other concern would be cleaning out the old fo to start a new one. IDK I think it is a great idea that needs much thought? Totally great points. Regarding the wax, it looks like they design it for a particular wax they sell with it, although CS sells it alone without wax. So...I was looking at some old posts here about wax and FO temps and when the FO will "burn off" or dissipate if the FO is added when the wax is too hot. And it sounds like maybe my fear of FO dissipation was a little overblown. I think the machine wants you to add at 175-which is higher than I normally do...but it doesn't seem to make a difference. I didn't check the pour temp...but you COULD let it cool additionally before you pour. I did NOT find a big FO residue scent and I went through about 5 different fragrances today without cleaning it out. (I get lazy). It seems like the best part of the machine is that it really keeps it moving consistently as it blends, and keeps it moving as it cools. I have to say - I loved-loved-loved- not having to stir or stand over the process. I got so much done while that little machine churned away! I am envisioning a whole little army of chandler machines now...doing my work for me! I am just wondering if you (or anyone here) thinks it is crazy useless to buy a bunch-OR if there is something "better" out there on the market with similar functions? 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoldieMN Posted May 21, 2019 Share Posted May 21, 2019 Looks interesting in a good way. In the "comment" section on Candlescience, someone says the wax gets to 167 (according to Chandler & Me). Isn't that too low to add fragrance oil? I add at 180-183. GoldieMN 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallTayl Posted May 21, 2019 Share Posted May 21, 2019 I've been watching that. Heated magnetic stirrers are great for many things. Someone needs to expand on the idea for decent sized batches! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candybee Posted May 21, 2019 Share Posted May 21, 2019 (edited) I like the idea of the product but honestly for the price for heating a mere 8oz of wax is way more than I would want to spend. You can buy a small pour pot and heat it on a burner, hot plate, flat grill, etc. and it would cost you just the price of the pour pot. It would have to come way down to maybe $20-25 before I would consider that kind of investment for such a small amount of wax. Edited May 21, 2019 by Candybee 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
candlesinflorida Posted May 21, 2019 Author Share Posted May 21, 2019 Yea, I hear ya! But when i think of 5 of them working all together on 150 ounces (w the bigger pots) that isn’t so bad!! I used a laser thermometer and it registered 175. I also found that if I semi-melted the wax first, I could fit 16 ounces in the pitcher. With the bigger pitcher, 33 ounces would be great. Regular pour pots only hold a few pounds, (more than 3, and it is hard to swirl the FO well) so it is not a huge difference. I know the price seems excessive-but the lack of mess and lack of focused effort...could be worth it. Still deciding... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura C Posted May 31, 2019 Share Posted May 31, 2019 (edited) Oh, I see what you mean about the automatic stir pots. Those look and sound interesting, especially if they are going to come out with larger ones. I have a laser thermometer too and love it, it's currently my favorite gadget. You can take the temp of so many things. 👩🔬 Edited May 31, 2019 by Laura C Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darbla Posted May 31, 2019 Share Posted May 31, 2019 Gosh, that would be perfect for my little votive batches. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kandlekrazy Posted June 1, 2019 Share Posted June 1, 2019 On 5/21/2019 at 10:45 AM, GoldieMN said: Looks interesting in a good way. In the "comment" section on Candlescience, someone says the wax gets to 167 (according to Chandler & Me). Isn't that too low to add fragrance oil? I add at 180-183. GoldieMN Definitely too low for some waxes. If I add at below 175 I get droplets of fo on top of wax after it cools like it didn't bind completely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
candlesinflorida Posted June 1, 2019 Author Share Posted June 1, 2019 An update: I bought 7 of them and love them. They are like a little assembly line of worker bees, stirring away. I don't know about the CS commenter who said the wax got to 167, but I would imagine that it depends on the wax. It appears to be on a timer...so the lower melt point waxes will heat up more and vice versa. In any case, my 464 wax got up to 178. I have usually added FO at 155 anyway, so I am not terribly worried about it being "hot enough". It all seems to work fine. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darbla Posted June 1, 2019 Share Posted June 1, 2019 Dang it, you've got me really wanting one. That would be SO much easier for my tiny batches than hauling out my Fry Daddy and pots and everything else. This little guy just seems kind of expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
candlesinflorida Posted June 2, 2019 Author Share Posted June 2, 2019 On 6/1/2019 at 1:07 PM, Darbla said: Dang it, you've got me really wanting one. That would be SO much easier for my tiny batches than hauling out my Fry Daddy and pots and everything else. This little guy just seems kind of expensive. I guess it is pricey...but really, it is the price of two lbs of fragrance oil. Plus, how much is your TIME worth :) I forgot to mention the best part....no clankety-clank from the kitchen as I mix with my metal whisk (clankety) in stirring pots (clank!) And no more balancing the hot wax swishing around in the pour pot while I hold a heat gun in my other hand to keep the mix warm as it combines. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darbla Posted June 3, 2019 Share Posted June 3, 2019 Good points! And actually I'd probably get in there and use up more of that fairly large stash of FOs I have and make use of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShelleyF Posted June 3, 2019 Share Posted June 3, 2019 (edited) I bought 2 of them. When I sell more stuff I'm buying more lol it works perfect for my coconut apricot wax. I have a bad knee and 2 Achilles heels so I can't stand for a long time without hurting really bad. This is perfect. Getting bigger ones when they come out to. I also have 3 instant pots and a nu-wave oven that make cooking simple to lol that's what these machines remind me of. I love it. Edited June 3, 2019 by ShelleyF Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darbla Posted June 3, 2019 Share Posted June 3, 2019 Maybe I need to bide my time. Wait 'til those bigger ones come out, then you guys are going to buy those and maybe sell your little ones to me. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hopie Posted December 10, 2019 Share Posted December 10, 2019 Forgive me for being a little off topic here, but I can't help but notice that ginormous candle on the right with multiple wicks. How many ounces is that container? How many wicks are in it? Most of all, how does it burn? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
candlesinflorida Posted September 8, 2021 Author Share Posted September 8, 2021 On 12/9/2019 at 11:43 PM, Hopie said: Forgive me for being a little off topic here, but I can't help but notice that ginormous candle on the right with multiple wicks. How many ounces is that container? How many wicks are in it? Most of all, how does it burn? (Responding two years later...) It is a huge container and the candle is about 5 lbs of wax. I think that one had 7 wicks. It actually burns beautifully. I bought about 30 of those containers from Restoration Hardware on sale, and I sold a few and have a few that I make for myself. The glass is beautiful and I just keep re-making them over and over. Sometimes they do get sooty on the sides, and I have to wipe them down. But for the most part they burn really nicely and fragrance a huge area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.