Can anyone think of an easy fast way to cover coffee beans in chocolate?

Question

I have read several recipes on the internet but they all seem very time consuming as you must separate each bean after coating, then rub them in cocoa. How are they mass produced? Is there a home-use machine to coat lots of little things with chocolate, or could one be made?

I mean something easier than say, these two methods:

scoop up a forkful of dripping-with-chocolate beans and then push them off one at a time with the tines of another fork, aiming for the waxed paper. Repeat the dip-and-drop with the rest of the beans. -ask.com

Remove with slotted spoon, allowing excess chocolate to drip off and place beans on waxed paper.
Once the coffee beans have cooled sufficiently, but while the chocolate is still a little soft, roll the beans in your hands to form round balls - RecipeZaar.com

Guess I was thinking there must be some machine out there that does this without a human being messing with each one by hand. I was thinking of some kind of roller tray that keeps them spinning while coating and drying? - anyone work in a real candy factory? How are M+Ms coated?

Answer 1

good question! i would just make a coffee bean bark if i were you...but then again, that wouldn't work if you were going to use the beans in a decorative manner. hmm...
i would probably get a clean piece of mesh steel(like the kind in screen doors) and evenly spread the beans out on it. pour the melted chocolate over them, then after it has dried, turn them over and repeat for the other side.
most candy companies use large tumbling bins, like open dryers that contain the candy centers. they will then have a worker pour on the specified amount of liquid coating--the tumbling action causes it to dry evenly on the center.
i suppose if you wanted to be super creative, you could try and make your own mini tumbler, using a child's rock tumbler toy. ;-)

Answer 2

You won't get single, glossy beans, but the taste is there!



Put dark roast coffee beans on a waxpaper-covered baking sheet.
Melt some chocolate by puting a container with the chocolate in a pan of boiling water, stir the chocolate when it is getting hot. Some experimentation regarding what chocolate to use is in place. I used chocolate chips of from Girardelli. One should probably aim for dark and not too sweet chocolate.
Pour the chocolate over the beans and smear it so that each bean is covered - you should have a single layer of covered beans not too far apart.
When the beans have cooled off a little bit, put the sheet in the fridge/freezer.
When solid, break off a piece and enjoy. Note: You can also use very finely ground coffee for this.


Another recipe

A way to get individual chocolate covered coffee beans is to use candy molds.
Melt some chocolate, and pour a little into each mold. Place individual beans into each mold, then cover with chocolate. Place in freezer until hard.
Flex the molds to pop the chocolate-beans out. Save the molds for later.

An alternative is to mix a little bit of peanut butter with chocolate. Mini-Reese cups with a bit more pizzazz.

Answer 3

There is a chocolate dipping factory thingy you can get at hobby stores like Hobby Lobby or some where like that. If you are dipping them yourself, you dont need to rub them in cocoa. Just melt some chocolate on low heat, drop in the beans. Pull them out with a slotted spoon and spread them around on waxed paper. Not so hard. Sometimes chocolate burns easily so you might want to melt it in a pan on top of a pan of boiling water (double boiler)

Answer 4

If you have a baking rack with a tight close together framework,
that works well. I line a baking sheet with silpat, put my baking
rack on top. Then put coffee beans, espresso beans, nuts... pour hot choc on top, shake & let cool in the fridge. Then I sprinkle with cocoa (use a sugar or salt shaker)

PERFECTION everytime!

Answer 5

Melt your chocolate bar and dip your beans in them. let them dry. just kidding.....but try it. i hope it works.