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Tempering machine, enrober, panning machine, tunnel, melter: the best professional chocolate machine is the one that matches your production. Here are the criteria, capacities and budgets to equip yourself well.
- 6machine families
- 7selection criteria
- +50 yearsof manufacturer experience
The short answer
What are the best professional chocolate machines?
No single machine is better than all the others: the best professional chocolate machine is the one that matches your products, your volumes and your workshop. A good machine can be recognised by four things: precise, consistent tempering, robust construction, easy cleaning and a manufacturer able to support you for years.
Key point
Start from your production, not from the machine
List what you make (bars, moulded bonbons, enrobed products, dragées), the quantity per day and the space available. The machine family, then the capacity, follow from that.
This guide is written by Savy Hacos, a French chocolate machine manufacturer for more than 50 years, with more than 6,000 machines installed worldwide. To go further on a specific machine, see also our guides on the professional chocolate tempering machine and the professional chocolate enrober.
1. The machines
The six families of professional chocolate machines
Before comparing models, identify the family or families you need. A workshop often starts with a tempering machine, then adds equipment as it grows.
01
Tempering machine
It melts the chocolate, crystallises it and then holds it at working temperature. It is the heart of the workshop: moulding, bars, bonbons.
02
Enrober
A tempering machine fitted with an enrobing belt: your centres, biscuits or cakes pass under a curtain of tempered chocolate.
03
Panning machine
It coats nuts, cereals or puffed biscuits with chocolate, layer by layer, without sticking them together.
04
Cooling tunnel or cabinet
They crystallise your products quickly: the tunnel at the enrober outlet, the cabinet for mouldings.
05
Melter
It melts and stores chocolate at temperature, and can feed your tempering machine or enrober by piping.
06
Finishing and packaging
One Shot, cutting equipment, 3D printer, flowpack: the machines that complete your line.
2. The criteria
The 7 criteria for recognising a good machine
Whether you are comparing two tempering machines or two manufacturers, these seven points make the difference day to day.
- Precise, adjustable tempering. The three temperatures (melting, cooling, working) must be adjustable independently: there is no universal curve, each couverture has its own.
- A suitable capacity. Too small, the machine holds you back; too large, it ties up chocolate. Think in kilos of tank capacity and kilos tempered per hour.
- Robust construction. Stainless steel and simple, high-quality electromechanical components: a chocolate machine works every day, for years.
- Easy cleaning. If you often change couverture, this is decisive. Some tempering machines, such as the Mini Gold and the Gold 1, have no auger screw: the tank can be washed entirely with water.
- Upgradeability. Start with the essentials, then add a vibrating table, a dosing head, an enrobing belt or a tunnel: check that the machine can grow with you.
- Responsive after-sales service. A stopped machine means stopped production. Ask where the technical service is based and how it intervenes.
- The manufacturer’s experience. Years in business, number of machines installed, customer references: these are the best indicators of reliability.
3. By profile
Which chocolate machine for which production?
Find the line that looks like your workshop: it tells you where to start.
| Your need | Recommended machine | Capacity | Key strength |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting a business, very small production | Mini Gold or Gold 1 | 8 or 12 kg tank | No auger screw, tank washable with water |
| Artisan workshop, regular production | Gold 2 or SILVER 24 | 24 kg tank | Continuous 3-phase tempering |
| Sustained production | Gold 4 or Gold 6 | 40 or 60 kg tank | Up to 85 kg/h tempered |
| Intensive enrobing, continuous work | CRYSTAL range | 35 to 60 kg tank | 120 to 275 kg/h, permanent crystallisation |
| Nuts, cereals, dragées | THT 45 and THT 80 panning machines | 15 to 50 kg per batch | Gentle coating, no sticking |
| Cooling at the enrober outlet | Transplex and CTU tunnels | From 4 to 12 m and more | Fit all enrobers |
| Crystallising mouldings | SmartCool cabinet | 180 moulds in 45 min | Compact and mobile |
| Melting and storing chocolate | FDX and FD melters | From 45 kg to 1 tonne | Can be connected by piping |
4. The budget
What budget for a professional chocolate machine?
The price depends on the capacity and the level of equipment. A few reference points:
A chocolate machine is a production tool that runs every day for many years. So compare the price with the build quality, the reliability of the components and the availability of after-sales service, not just with the purchase price.
Mistakes to avoid
5. The manufacturer
How to choose your chocolate machine manufacturer?
The machine matters, and so does the company that makes it. Here is what Savy Hacos brings, point by point.
+50 years
Experience
A chocolate machine manufacturer for more than 50 years, with more than 6,000 machines installed worldwide.
Service
Service
A responsive technical service, based in France, and simple, robust components that make maintenance easier.
Made to measure
Adaptation
From artisans to industry, upgradeable machines and solutions adapted to your products and volumes.
Frequently asked questions
Professional chocolate machines: your questions
What are the best professional chocolate machines?
The best professional chocolate machine is the one that matches your production. For tempering and moulding, an 8 to 24 kg tempering machine suits an artisan workshop; for continuous enrobing, an enrober with permanent crystallisation such as the CRYSTAL range; for nuts, a panning machine. Look at the precision of the tempering, the robustness, the ease of cleaning and the manufacturer’s after-sales service.
Who is the best chocolate machine manufacturer?
To compare manufacturers, look at how long they have been in business, the number of machines installed, where the technical service is based and the breadth of the range. Savy Hacos has been making chocolate machines for more than 50 years, has installed more than 6,000 machines worldwide and has a technical service based in France.
Which chocolate machine should you choose to get started?
To start a business, an 8 or 12 kg tempering machine such as the Mini Gold or the Gold 1 is usually enough. They have no auger screw: the tank can be washed entirely with water, which makes couverture changes easier when you only have one machine.
How much does a professional chocolate machine cost?
Savy Hacos tempering machines are available from €9,550 excl. VAT. The SILVER 24 tempering and enrobing machine is offered at €13,900 excl. VAT, vibrating table included. The budget then varies with the capacity and the equipment chosen.
What is the difference between a tempering machine and a chocolate enrober?
The tempering machine melts, crystallises and holds chocolate at working temperature, for moulding and bars. The enrober is a tempering machine fitted with an enrobing belt: products pass under a curtain of tempered chocolate. Many tempering machines can be upgraded for enrobing.
What capacity of chocolate machine should you choose?
From 8 to 24 kg of tank capacity for an artisan workshop, 40 or 60 kg for sustained production, and an enrober from the CRYSTAL range, from 120 to 275 kg/h, for intensive production. Also think about how your business will grow over the next two to three years.
Need advice on your project?
Tell us about your products and volumes: our experts will guide you to the machines suited to your workshop.
