Featured on NPR’s Food Blog, The Salt

Hope everyone’s having a great Valentine’s Day, filled with great chocolate!

I was recently interviewed by Ted Burnham at the NPR Science desk for an article on Potomac Chocolate that is now live on NPR’s food blog, The Salt:

DIY Willy Wonka Turns Home Into Chocolate Factory

It’s a great article that highlights my passion for chocolate, my process,  and, as the article puts it, my ‘menagerie of customized equipment’:

There’s the convection oven, to which he added a rotating drum to roast more beans and keep the flavor consistent: “Best $75 I ever spent,” he says. There’s the hand-cranked winnower: Rasmussen added some plywood, a PVC pipe, and a small vacuum to replace a massive machine that could cost thousands of dollars. And there’s the melanger, which began life as a lentil grinder.

In fact, Rasmussen says he has just one piece of equipment specifically designed for chocolate: a tempering machine, which ensures the bars take on a glossy sheen and break with a satisfying snap.

-Ben

Related Posts

2 Comments

  1. Charity
    February 22, 2012 @ 4:13 pm

    I read the article on NPR which prompted me to buy your fabulous chocolates that same day. *shame*

    I bought the award winning Upala 70% and the Bahia 70%. I have to say, the Bahia is my favorite. They are both extraodinary and by far the smoothest dark chocolates I have tried, but I do have a preference for the Bahia. I hope it wins the 2012 award. 🙂

    Thanks so much for the experience of true homemade chocolate.

  2. Ben
    February 22, 2012 @ 5:09 pm

    Thanks Charity! I’m glad you enjoyed the bars!