Breaking in a New Mélange with a Batch of Nicaragua Chocolate
Last week a large wooden crate arrived at Fresco Chocolate.
Inside was something we’ve been thinking about for a while, a new mélange.
For those outside the world of craft chocolate, a mélange is a stone grinder used to refine cocoa nibs and sugar into smooth, silky chocolate. It’s one of the essential tools in small-batch artisan chocolate making.
We’ve been running stone grinders here since our early days. Over the years, we’ve added and adjusted equipment as needed. This newest addition expands our capacity and gives us more flexibility, while staying true to our stone-ground roots.
Why Add Another Mélange?
There were two main reasons.
First, we’ve been looking for ways to increase our chocolate-making capacity. As demand grows, we want to make more chocolate without compromising the careful pace that defines craft chocolate.
Second, our original mélange has more than 15 years of service. It still works but requires some TLC to keep running. It's earned a break.
A few years ago, I purchased a winnower from Diamond Custom Machines, and it has performed beautifully. Their customer service was excellent.
After talking with several chocolate-making friends in the craft industry, I kept hearing positive feedback about their mélanges. That was enough encouragement to move forward.
What Exactly Is a Mélange?
A mélange (sometimes called a melanger) is a stone grinding machine used to refine chocolate.
Granite wheels rotate over a granite base, slowly grinding cocoa nibs and sugar down to microscopic particle sizes. The goal is simple: eliminate grittiness and create a smooth mouthfeel.
There are several ways to refine chocolate:
- Ball mills
- Roller mills
- Universal grinders
All are designed to produce silky chocolate.
Most small-batch artisan chocolate makers use a mélange. It’s slower than other equipment, but unless speed is your top priority, it does the job beautifully. It’s also how chocolate was made more than 100 years ago - stone ground.
There’s something about that tradition that still appeals to me.
Setup Day
With help from friends, we had the machine uncrated, mounted on casters, and rolled into place within a couple of hours. A dedicated 230V circuit had already been installed and was waiting.
We flipped the switch.
Everything powered up immediately.
That’s always a good start.
The Cleaning Ritual
Before running chocolate, a new mélange needs cleaning.
We added about 10 pounds of rice soaked in water and let it run for an hour. The rice ground into a paste and removed any residual granite dust from manufacturing.
It also formed a surprisingly solid rice paste blob around the axle, which made cleanup memorable.
After a thorough wash and a full day of air drying, we were ready for chocolate.
Batch #1: Nicaragua Cacao
For our first test, we made about 60 pounds of chocolate, slightly below the machine’s full capacity.
We chose a simple two-ingredient recipe:
- Nicaragua cocoa nibs
- Organic sugar
No added cocoa butter, just to see how the unit would handle a higher-viscosity chocolate.
Step 1: Grinding the Nibs
We added the nibs slowly over about 90 minutes. With any mélange, gradual feeding prevents overloading the motor.
After about 12 hours, the nibs had transformed into smooth chocolate liquor.
Step 2: Adding Sugar
Once the liquor was flowing well, we slowly added sugar.
At first, the unit made some loud squeaking noises — not uncommon for a new machine. Once cocoa butter coated the axles and bushings, the sound disappeared. Stone and chocolate found their rhythm.
Temperature & Flavor Development
This model mélange includes temperature control, which we set to maintain the chocolate at 130°F.
Temperature plays a significant role in flavor development.
At this level, volatile acids gradually evaporate. Sharper notes mellow. Bitter edges soften. The natural character of the Nicaragua cacao begins to shine through.
After about 50 hours of refining, we tested particle size using a grindometer.
Result: 15–30 microns.
This was our goal for our first batch.
More importantly, the flavor was excellent.
Finishing the Batch
We stopped the grind, ran the chocolate through a sieve to catch any remaining unrefined bits, and molded it into blocks for aging.
This Nicaragua batch is destined to become drinking chocolate. I’m happy to say, batch #1 was a success.
The folks at DCM were great about answering a few startup questions, but beyond that, the machine performed beautifully.
It’s a strong new addition to our chocolate-making fleet.
Why This Matters
At Fresco, we’re always balancing tradition and precision.
Stone grinding in a mélange connects us to chocolate makers from over a century ago. But modern refinements — like stable temperature control — allow us to guide flavor development with intention.
That combination defines craft chocolate for us:
Respect for tradition.
Attention to detail.
A willingness to keep improving.
Sometimes that means caring for well-loved equipment. Sometimes it means rolling a new machine into place and seeing what it can do.
More chocolate is already in the queue.
– Rob