Anyone knows who manufacutures Merckens Chocolate? I am trying to find the company's website to but can't find anything on internet about the actual comapny.

I know that there are very high quality confectionery coating available but very they are also very expensive. What are other confectionery coating that are a better quality than Merckens but are not very expensive? which ones do you prefer?

thanks for you help in advance

Sorry I do not. I did try to look for it as I'm sure you did. It could be that they only sell to distributors and so you need to know who they are for your area.

I have heard that M. is a good quality chocolate, I personally think it is too thick. I use a belgium chocolate called Bercolades. They sell only to distributors as well. But all my customers and myself included love it. It leaves a light coating but is rich in flavor. However the coating only comes in white and dark.

Sorry I can't be of more help.

I use the Peter's coatings and the Peters chocolate. I've used the coatings for when I needed the various colors. I've had no problems with it. The company is out of Pennsylvania and they have been very helpful when I've emailed questions to them.

Linda

You could also try Guittard's wafers which do not require any tempering. I've used Merkens and think they're great. I just ordered the Guittards so I can't give u my opinion on them yet.

Not sure if this is what you are looking for, but Merckens is manufactured by the large Agriculture conglomerate Archer Daniels Midland (ADM):

http://www.admworld.com/en-US/products/brands/merckens/Pages/default.aspx

Guess that's why we can't find the local mfg. Anybody up to buying about 10,000 pounds of chocolate, lol

Just kidding, but thank you for the 411. Now we know where to start looking. Good info to have.

I just started usuing Chocoley. You can find them at chocoley.com. They have chocolate that needs tempering and also some that doesn't. I have used the non- tempering chocolate. I think they call it "bada bing" its available in White, dark and milk

Maybe I'm confused, but I thought the Bada bing and many of the Merckens offerings were not real chocolate, but were confectionary/summer coatings. I know Merckens has a couple of real chocolate wafers (Yucatan and another type), but most people refer to their candy melts.

I don't mean to be picayune, I simply prefer to use real chocolate that has cocoa butter. If anyone else prefers to use the summer/confectionary coatings, that's fine. However, I don't know that one could advertise anything made with these as being "chocolate."

I agree Dawn... not that confectionary coatings are bad, but they are not true chocolate and have a different taste. Kind of waxy if you ask me, and I don't care for them, but everyone's tastes are different. Many people don't care for bittersweet chocolate and that's my fav... .

I'd be willing to say though that much of the general public wouldn't know that they are eating candy coating vs. real chocolate like some of us would be able to.

I use the compounds and chololate melts for chocolate transfers. For those I'm more concerned about using them as a decoration vs. eating. Even though hardened fondant items can be eaten, if the item is small, say. cupcakes or cookies, I'm more comforatble using chocolate transfers. The compounds are easier to melt and work with, so I use them for the transfers.

Now if I'm making truffles, chocolate ganache, or chocolate melted as part of the ingredients, I prefer to use the nicest chocolate that I can afford according to the application.

I knew the bada bing was a compound but they touted the flavor as being superior to other compounds. If anyone has used them, I'd love to hear if this was true.

I love merkens for certain things. Is just easy to work with. Specially for molds.
But if it was for truffles or to putas part of an ingredient of a cake, I would use something with more flavor..
Edna

I have been making candies for years...started with Merckens, disliked the cocoa after taste...switched to a product by Van Leer and loved it now my candy supply store no longer carries it...ordered some of the Bada Bing from Chocoley and loved it...I think it tastes richer. They also have a new product you must try still unnamed...Revolutionary Chocolate in a bottle...so many uses...I think it is a comb of dark and milk...you can use it as a candy filling, mix with whipped cream for mousse, put on cakes, cookies, make truffles, many many ideas come with the bottle...I have ordered 12 bottles so far and have given them as gifts...my niece and her husband just eat by the spoonful...give it a try folks, you will not be sorry.
Pat

I just got a wholesale account with Chocoley but when I compared their prices to Albert Uster they were more expensive so I just ordered some stuff from Albert Uster tonight. That is the brand we use in my Pastry and Confections class.

Jenn2179 - where did you buy your albert uster chocolate from? - can you post a website? Thanks! I'm a little leary ordering from the wrong place.

http://www.auiswiss.com/ I ordered them Tuesday eveing and they arrived Thursday morning. Also I spent $175 and got free shipping which is good because I had about 60 lbs worth of stuff.

http://www.adm.com/en-US/products/Cocoa/brands/Pages/Merckens.aspx 

I love Callebaut...but, my local bake supply shop stopped carrying it...and I still haven't found a local source. I could order it over the internet..but, would have to purchase large quantities...which I don't want. What I have been doing is purchasing merckens (which I am not that fond of) and mixing it with  ultra or peter's. One pound of merckens to one half pound of ultra/peter's. It is luscious...and (the best part) it does not need tempered !

A

Peters in an excellent brand. Information is easier to track down too. Merkens is good, but I much prefer the taste of peters. Not as temperamental as chocolate either! (Which is a given)

AI have used Bada Bing and it melts nice and tastes great. You can always thin your chocolate with paramount crystals but depends on what you are using it for. I always was a fan of Van Leer but cannot find it locally in Ohio.