Anyone who works with Melt & Pour Soap and Candle Wax will know what it’s like to forever and always be looking for better, easier, faster and cleaner ways to manage the melting, pouring and the clean up afterwards.

Over the years I have tried every method you can imagine. I needed an efficient way to melt 20 to 50 pounds of soap base for soap milling workshops. Crock pots work, but they are very slow and difficult to clean up afterwards. Microwaves do a quick job on very small amounts, but they over heat the soap or wax and if not watched closely, often boil-over, and causing a huge mess.  There was always the danger of a fire. If you haven't had a fire in your microwave, you don't want one. I once had a bag of microwave popcorn burst into flames and ruin a perfectly good microwave before I realized it had caught fire.

Since I need a large amount of soap during most of the workshops, it was important for me to find a faster, safer way to get the melting done. At home I even I tried my oven. That worked but it took forever. It wasn’t a workable solution for my workshops.

Next came the double boiler. I bought 2 nifty little single burner butane table-top units. That was a better, faster method for dealing with very large jobs. They were portable, because they came in small storage cases. They did a nice job for the workshops. I also found some stainless steel pots that were available in graduated sizes from 1 quart to several gallons. So I bought 2 sets consisting of 2 nesting pots, filling the outer pot with water, easily replenishable as needed. In about an hour I could smelt 30 pounds of shaved soap and have it ready to dip out ladles full for pouring. But it was still very messy and required several pieces of equipment for each setup. Although easier than before, there was still the need to constantly monitor the water level in the outer pot so it wasn’t too low or too high.

The search continued, though with less urgency. This system served the need for the next several years. And I learned to endure the mess and endless cleaning after each event.

Then came that magic moment when I discovered the perfect solution.  I was searching for some soap related item on eBay and I discovered the Soap/Wax Melter. It was a converted Presto Kitchen Kettle. At last! A dream come true. I ordered 4 of them that same day and my soap melting troubles are over forever. It is a simple matter for me to melt almost 10 pounds per pot. From what I have read, most people seem to feel that 7-8 pounds is about what you can expect to melt per pot. I have had no problem at all melting 9 pounds by adding more shaved soap as the contents become liquid. The pots are coated inside and out with a non-stick coating making them a breeze to clean up.

The reason I am writing this guild is to share a couple of facts that will help make the job go smoother though. I will cover those next. Due to the enormous amount of soap I process each year, having gone through well over 2000 pounds in less than a year, I have the chance to test methods and ideas to a degree that few others will have any reason to. I hope my experiences will save you some time and trouble. With that in mind, I offer the following: 

1) I discovered that my electrical panel doesn't like having all the pots plugged into the same outlet. The surge-protector strip kept shutting off each time 2 of the pots would cycle at the same time. And when I bypassed the strip, and the pots threw the breaker I was alarmed and I realized I needed to place the pots where they were on separate breakers. That completely eliminated that problem. Now, very few people are going to have a need to operate more than one or maybe 2 of these pots. But just in case you are reading this and like me, you do everything in a BIG way, this is an important point to keep in mind.

2) Both soap and wax have fairly low melting points so I would highly recommend that you keep the setting below 200 for both. Yes it will melt slower, but I don’t think it’s worth the risk to use higher temperatures. For one thing, at higher temperatures, once the soap or wax melts, they could burn if held for extended periods of time at temperatures higher than necessary to melt them. Soap will become cloudy when exposed to excessively high temperatures. These pots are so fast, that 2 or 3 additional minutes is wiser and safer. SAFTY NOTE: Never leave the pots unattended. Your soap or wax will be ready to pour very quickly. If you prepare the for the next step, the entire process will go very quickly.

3) Since the pots are coated with no-stick coating inside and out. Avoid using metal tools. This will extend the life of the pots for many years of trouble-free service. A few soft clean-up towels at the very end will make for a fast wipe-down, making the final clean up part of the job a breeze. But I am getting ahead of myself.

4) Once the soap or wax is melted you can fill your molds directly from the spigot located on the side. But there are a few important steps before you begin the quick draining process.
      A) It is very important to be sure you have enough molds ready to hold the entire batch.
      B) Just before you begin draining the soap out of the pot, I suggest that you have a teakettle of hot water ready to pour in the pot as soon as the last bit of soap runs out.

5) Drain every drop of soap or wax out of the pot. This will mean tilting the pot up a bit in order to allow the final run-off.

6) Once all the soap or wax is gone, be sure to close the spigot. Pour 2 or 3 cups of very hot water in the pot. Use a cotton pot mop to wipe off the inside, taking care to wash away any remaining soap or wax. Then immediately place a container (small bucket, empty coffee can, etc.) under the spigot and let the hot water run out of the spigot. If you fail to wash all the soap or wax out of the spigot while it is still hot, it will harden and clog the spigot so no soap or wax will be able to come through. You may think the pot will cause the spigot to get hot enough to melt any remaining soap or wax. But that isn’t the case. I had to learn this the hard way. I found that a soft chenille stem can be used to remove the hardened soap, but that method caused hot soap to run out on my hand that was hot enough to be very painful and to cause a burn. Be sure to use enough water to completely clean all remaining melt form the spigot. Then shake out the excess water and be sure to close the spigot.

6) With a soft cloth, wipe the entire pot off inside and out. Wipe down the cord, and controls and the lid. And you are ready for the next time you need your time saving Melting Kettle.

If you take care to follow that short list of steps each time you use the pot, I believe you will find a Soap/Wax Melt Kettle to be a wonderful solution to what once was a very messy and time consuming job.

Search for key words: Soap/Wax Melter 

Thank you for reading my melting pot guide. I hope you found it helpful.

Enjoy the process!