Slow Cooker use for candle making - any experiences?

[Grif]

Complete novice candle maker requiring advice. I am considering using an old slow cooker for melting previously cleaned up wax for candle making. My old slow cooker has just 3 heat settings (low / medium / high) so won't be very adjustable - and i'm not sure how this will relate on the degrees celcius scale yet. It has a removable enamel pot. If using candle moulds then I thought I might just ladle off the top of the molten wax directly into the mould. Before I make a complete hash I was wondering if anybody out there had any experience / advice for this sort of thing? Ta

 

[B+.]

Complete novice candle maker requiring advice. I am considering using an old slow cooker for melting previously cleaned up wax for candle making. My old slow cooker has just 3 heat settings (low / medium / high) so won't be very adjustable - and i'm not sure how this will relate on the degrees celcius scale yet. It has a removable enamel pot. If using candle moulds then I thought I might just ladle off the top of the molten wax directly into the mould. Before I make a complete hash I was wondering if anybody out there had any experience / advice for this sort of thing? Ta

You could fill it eith water and test it with a thermometer at different settings. This would give you a guestimate -which you could repeat periodically to ensure consistency .

 

[Tomlow bee]

Then put the wax to be melted in a plastic container eg a soup container and put this in the water at the desired temperature. When wax melted, lift out container carefully (its hot!) And pour the wax into your mould.

Much cleaner and tidier, leaves your slow cooker to work another day.

 

[Beefriendly]

I'd splash the cash for £7 you can buy a nice Bain Marie type insert that will fit inside one of your current pans.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Stainless-...89302&sr=8-12-spons&keywords=bain-marie&psc=1
Or go to town and get a dedicated one from Thrones....
£20 plus postage though
https://www.thorne.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=5730

 

[wessexmario]

same thing for a lot less on amazon...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Shiny-Stainless-Steel-Whistling-Cooking/dp/B073RJ78YS/

 

[Beefriendly]

same thing for a lot less on amazon...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/COM-FOUR-Milk-Double-Bain-Marie-Simmer/dp/B075F9CC61

Thanks for that.....just goes to show the profit margins involved in some of the honey business.

 

[Beverlyp24]

I use an old slow cooker for melting my wax. When I'm cleaning the wax I add water with the cappings and lay a muslin inside the dish and then set it on high (mine has high and low.) It takes a couple of hours to melt, so it's not quick, but I then remove the muslin with all the dirt, let it cool and can then easily remove the slab of wax.

Once I have clean slabs of wax I melt them again in the slow cooker, with no water. Just straight into the slow cooker and I melt it on high. Again it takes probably two hours to melt. I then use a cheap plastic jug to ladle the wax out and pour it into the moulds.

Works perfectly as high on a slow cooker is really not very 'high' at all!

 

[Beverlyp24]

Forgot to say, I bought the slow cooker on ebay for about £7.00 I don't use it for cooking, just for wax!

 

[Kenson]

I thought about this and found a couple with a continuously variable dial, but for wax you need to be right at the lower end of the scale, I think beeswax melts somewhere above 62°C and the slow cookers set in °C start a 80, although the dials go down lower.

I understand that above 120°C the wax will be damaged and the slow cookers (with the temperature dials) go way above this.

In short, I think it can work, "Low" on your cooker is probably below 120, nearer 80-90. As a guess that is. I would say fill it with water and put it on low, wait until your light blips, or 20-30 minutes and measure the temperature. If it's between 65-100, then you should be OK.

The only other "note of caution" is that the Wax will damage locally if one part gets above the critical (nominal 120°C) value, so you might want to move you thermometer around on the bottom to see if there ia a dangerous "hot spot".

K

 

[wessexmario]

A slow cooker on a low setting shouldn't go above 100C, otherwise when used for it's intended purpose, there would be the risk of all the water being boiled off. The idea is with a slow cooker is to braise, not to boil.

I'd suggest just use it at the lowest setting, if after two hours the wax hasn't melted (it'll be more efficient with the lid on) then use the next higher setting.

 

[Beefriendly]

if after two hours the wax hasn't melted

Buy a Bain Marie, life is too short. Melted and poured in 10 minutes and no danger of burning wax.

 

[theoriginalbee]

I'd say go down the Bain Marie route as well, with a thermometer. Easier to have the wax at just the right temp for pouring. Pour quickly to avoid 'stripes'. You'll soon get the hang of the best temperature to pour at, depending on the size and shape of your moulds. I find that in my cool room the wax needs to be at about 72 in the bain marie to pour a nice smooth finish. Good luck, it can be addictive and is really enjoyable.

 

[Grif]

UPDATE

I tested my old slow cooker temperatures, with water.

High setting - reached 100 degrees in 3 hours

Medium setting - reached 85 degrees max

Low setting - also reached 85 degrees! ha!



should be ok for wax melting on low, just take some time, but will cost me nothing to try it out, and do-able in the shed - leaving the kitchen free.

Thanks for all the useful comments