Need Presto Pot use data for Black Bits Theory

[Judy, USMC]

Quite a bit of banter about those black bits. Some theories are it's Teflon coating; but I wonder if it may be something else.

It looks like the majority of complaints seemed to be coming from people who have Prestos without the spigot. I have a spigot on my Presto and never had the black bit problem.

I recently cleaned my pot by releasing the slab. Bits were congregated in a circle on the bottom of the removed wax. Noticed no wear around the lid (in fact I use plastic bowl covers rather than the lid!) Took a paper towel and a little water to wipe the inside of the pot. Sure enough - black bits. Did not notice any visual damage to the teflon coating.

I need more data than what I got from using one pot. WHETHER YOU HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM OR NOT!

Need your feedback, please... IF YOU USE A PRESTO POT TO MELT YOUR UNSCENTED & UNDYED WAX. Do you have a black bit problem? What type wax do you melt (soy, paraffin, palm, what type of blend?) Does your pot have a spigot? If no spigot how do you remove your melted wax? Is your pot interior smooth or textured?

Please contact either by post or PM. Hope to have enough data to post results next week. Thanks! Judy

[topofmurrayhill]

Foreign matter can turn into little black bits if it sits on the bottom of the pot where the heating element is. It will tend to accumulate if you keep adding wax to the pot without emptying and cleaning it. That's probably what it is.

[KarenOH]

I have 2 presto pots w/o spigots. Have had the one for almost 10 yrs and the other for 6. I pour pure soy with no additives or color.

Have never seen black specks in my candles or the melted wax.

I am always looking for foreign objects in my melted wax because I have a dog and one time I found a dog hair floating in a candle! After that I really eyeball my wax!!

Oh....I use spoons to stir my wax that are for teflon cookware, an old metal ladle to transfer my wax to my pour pots and I guess my presto pots are smooth.

HTH

Karen

[Candle Makin Momma]

I don't have any black bits. I melt soy wax flakes and palm wax.

I stir with a silicon wisk and transfer wax with a metal ladle.

[Candlebuddy]

No black bits with my presto pots.

[Guest Candelishis]

None here either. I do have spigots, and I keep the lids on my pots at all times, unless I am adding wax to the pots. I bet it's just dust particles or something that get "cooked" by being on the bottom of the pot so close to the heat.

[Stella1952]

Have three Prestos, black bits, melt soy and palm waxes, no spigots, never heated above 205°.

[beesweet]

4 presto pots at various degrees of age from ancient silver to new

insides range from smooth to nearly all the teflon scratched (inherited it this way)

no spigots

black bits in all

all types of wax

transfer with metal ladle

[Ring of Fire]

I have no black bits. I have 6 prestos without spigots with the Teflon long gone so maybe that's why I don't have any. Maybe the black bits have already been in someone's candles years ago.

Are you writing a paper for a school project about the black bits or is it just for your own personal records?

[Judy, USMC]

Are you writing a paper for a school project about the black bits or is it just for your own personal records?

No, not a school project - just curious. Read of others complaining of these bits. Deliberately cleaned one of mine to see if I had the potential for similar problems and discovered some bits that correlate to the heating element. Some are having problems and others are not - there has to be one or more variables involved. Data collection is only the first step.

Hopefully, with input from the members here, I can identify if it is a pot, wax or methodology problem. Just want to see if I can save a fellow chandlers from having to filter their wax. My body is retired - but brain is still working!

[bugtussle]

Ring, you took the words out of my mouth. What is this survey for? I have never had black bits in my 4 prestos, or my 4 Surf 'n Turks. :confused: Carole

[ShelleyBean]

I have used a presto pot, no spigot, for almost a year now and never had any issues with anything being in the pot. I only melt wax then pour it into my pouring pot to add FO and dye, so I never stir anything in the presto itself. When not in use, I keep the lid on it.

[Rae]

I have 6 pots and no black bits. I melt soy, parasoy, parrafin and palm. All of them have spigots.

[Aspencreek]

I have no black bits in the four that use but I do clean mine out fairly often!

[Cissy]

Maybe it has more to do with how much you stir your wax, how carefully you stir it, and what you stir it with. I don't have a spigot and can't imagine what a spigot would have to do with causing or not causing black bits unless there's boogies crawling up the spout. (LOL) I've been using mine for 2 yrs, blending 2 paraffin waxes, so I have to stir before pouring into Pyrex. I use wooden spoons. I started occasionally seeing black specks in my wax, so now I weigh out my wax as close as possible for what I'm pouring and usually don't have much left in the pot. (It is definitely Teflon, because I can see a few tiny Teflon-free spots in bottom of pot). The small amount of wax left in pot, I pour into paper cup(s), check for black bits and remelt later, then wipe my pot out well after each batch with a paper towel. I guess it's about time to buy another Presto and take better care of the next one.

To Add: I always check my wax carefully when I take it out the box before putting into Presto to make sure there's no specs of cardboard or pieces of trash on it. When you use the slabs, you will see pcs. of trash, on the corners especially, sometimes.

[kandlekrazy]

I have 3 and 1 has a spigot. I've only seen black bits in one...my oldest and it definitely was from using a metal handled ladle in it. It chipped off the teflon from the edge. The other two pots are fine where I used the plastic ladle or spigot. That doesn't mean that all black specks are teflon, but mine were. Sometimes I do find some foreign matter in the soy flakes, but I remove it prior to melting (if I see it prior!) Soy & palm waxes only.

[Sherl]

I use a presto as a double boiler and keep water heated to keep the wax up to temp.. and get the black bits. Flecks have definatly come off the coating in the pot around the bottom. Sides do not seem affected.

[judyvega]

I have three prestos, no spigots. I mix fo and dye directly in my prestos and clean out after each batch. No black bits.

[Jeana]

I've had them. I thought it came from heating my wax too high. I never had them before, then one time my wax got too hot. I noticed them the next time I melted my wax.

I have one pot that will boil wax on low, so I have to watch this one. My other pot is normal and slowly melts the wax on low. I have never seen the black stuff in the normal one.

[eugenia]

I trashed my last presto because of the black bits. In my case, I am sure they were teflon and the last straw for me was black flakes in light candles. I did have a spigot and melted paraffin and paraffin soy blends. I stir with wooden skewers. I believe it to be a manufacturing flaw.

e

[Stella1952]

I honestly think the black bits are from the non-stick coating. The price of these pots is very low, so I think the type of coating they are using and how it is applied are the source of the problem. I think there is a lot of quality control inconsistancy with the application of the coating. The top edge is vulnerable because of the metal-rimmed top. If one stirs with something other than a plastic tool, that would contribute. Even using plastic or wood, a poorly applied coating would be subject to "shedding." At the low temperatures we are using with these pots, I shudder to think what would happen if one was actually using them to fry in!

I have hated ALL non-stick coatings for decades because of this. It doesn't matter WHAT kind it is - sooner or later they all present problems! I don't care if it's toxic or not - I don't want the stuff! I wish they would just make the danged pots without it! I am very happy with cookware that has NO non-stick coating. Sure, they are a little more difficult to clean, but not nearly so much as trying to clean something stuck on a non-stick coating! Not being able to scrub the surfaces allows buildup to occur, so one is damned if you scrub and damned if you don't!

Until I manage to completely scrub away the coating on all of mine, I will just keep straining the wax I pour from them using that complicated method described by Sharon in this old "Black Bits" thread - the ol' clothespin and papertowel trick!:laugh2:I like to strain the wax anyway because I have many pets in my home and it is simply impossible to keep ALL the floating particles in the air out of the wax! It always aggravates me, when test burning, to find a cat or dog hair - this way, I don't have to worry, so it's all good!

[topofmurrayhill]

Maybe there's more than one kind of black bit.

My theory was based on the fact that I've gotten them by melting stuff in a pouring pot on direct heat. No non-stick coating was involved.

[Stella1952]

My theory was based on the fact that I've gotten them by melting stuff in a pouring pot on direct heat. No non-stick coating was involved.

This may be also an issue with other melters, but I think Judy was specific about Prestos because they are commonly used by so many people.

[Judy, USMC]

Still gathering data - but have seen some general trends developing regarding the ues of Presto Pots for melting wax for candlemaking.

Higher number of incidents reported by people who:

1. did not thoroughly wash the pot per instructions prior to the first use and subsequently only wipe their textured pots with a paper towel.

2. use utensils other than plastic. Noted some using wooden spoons have no problem but two using wooden skewers did.

3. use some form of soy or parasoy. Although a few have reported problems with paraffin or palm; only 2 are having problems with all their wax in all their pots.

4. use pots without spigots. Only a few spigot users are reporting problems.

Still a lot more research to be done. And there have been reports of people who do all of the above - but have no bits problem!

Yes, Top, I believe there are 2 types of bits. The teflon coating itself - and something else. That's the other variable I'm trying to separate out and research.

[mommy2six]

I had black bits in mine once. It has a spigot. Upon close examination of pot and bits It was found to be dust. I forgot to put a cover on it .