Hi all,
I tried making cake pops this week, but my candy melts were icky. I gave up on them and just used regular chocolate chips for this time, but I'd really like to know for the future -
when I melted them they were very grainy, and they tasted sweet but still unpleasant... my husband tasted them and spit his into the trash!
They did have what looked like chocolate bloom on them, but I didn't think much of that.
Or have we been too spoiled by high end chocolate? I figure they can't all be gross or people wouldn't keep using them, right?

What is your experience?

I have tried several brands and only Merckens have consistently melted smoothly for me every single time. I will never use any other brand again. I LOVE them!

I've had this happen when they get too hot....they are starting to seize up. You can save them if you're quick by adding some more melts to cool them down.

Thanks!
Are Merkens available in stores?
Does seizing affect the taste?

i had a bag of wiltons orange candy melts go grainy and never really seamed to get smooth or melt properly. The Merken's brand i had were perfect-smooth and easy to dip the cake pops in. i would definetly stick with Merkens!!

The same thing happened to me recently with the dark chocolate and white chocolate Wilton candy melts. They never really quite melted completely smooth.

I've just dipped 100 pretzels and 300 cake balls...I used Merkens but was advised to use paramount crystals with them. First time dipping and didn't know what it was...but followed directions. I think, its shortening in dry crystal form. Had no problem on the chocolate and everything looked great. Not the case with the white melts? Still not sure what I did wrong but after looking at posts...maybe I should have melted differently.

Candy melts will get grainy and chewy when they sieze..Chances are they got too hot.

Candy melts will get grainy and chewy when they sieze..Chances are they got too hot.

Candy melts will get grainy and chewy when they sieze..Chances are they got too hot.

I, too, am a Merckens girl! Very good but if the place you get them from doesn't store them properly, they will get bloom and can sieze. I have had bags of Mercken's be grainy and it annoys me that I spend that kind of money on them and the supply place didn't store it correctly. I ordered my last bags from Oasis Supply and they are wonderful. No bloom and melt perfectly. White always tends to melt a little differently no matter what the brand--at least in my experience.

Adding paramont crystals helps smooth the melt. I have noticed that without the crystals some colors of even Merckens wafers do not melt as smoothly as I would like. Just adding a tablespoon of the crystals improves the melting process. They are inexpensive and last a long time.

Over heating will cause seizure. The chocolate has scorched and that's it. Just dump the inedible mess.

The paramount crystals I used did not melt. They just laid on top of the chocolate and burned. What's the proper technique in adding? Thanx

I am a Merkens convert as well, the taste is awesome compared to wilton, the melt is perfect and if you add paramount crystals it gives you a thinner coating on your product which helps with cost and overall texture. I did the cake pops from bakerella and she states you need 3 lbs of candy coating for 48 cake balls, with the crystals I used 1 1/2, and they were perfect...

There's a brand I can only find at AC Moore, maybe Make and Mold does work well! I've noticed also, if you mix brands, something weird happens too..HTH and if it gets grainy or hard, use a little shortening! Or the Paramount crystals (same thing though)

There's a brand I can only find at AC Moore, maybe Make and Mold does work well! I've noticed also, if you mix brands, something weird happens too..HTH and if it gets grainy or hard, use a little shortening! Or the Paramount crystals (same thing though)

The paramont crystals just lay on top? Wait a minute, chocolate doesn't melt like butter. It holds its shape. You heat it in microwave for a bit at 50% power and then stir. Then heat somemore if needed until the chocolate is smooth. The paramont crystals melt and mix in as you stir the chocolate. You can not tell if the chocolate is right without stiring it.

Guittard Melt'n Mold works really well, too; I actually prefer them over Merckens.

For anybody who lives near a Winco Foods, they just got their holiday shipment of Melt'n Mold in...I stocked up with enough to last several months, since Winco doesn't carry them year-round. 1.98 / 12 oz.[/list]