# Essential Depot soap mold worth it?



## Lynusann (Jul 1, 2015)

Has anyone used the stackable mold/wire basket combo from Essential Depot? Just wondering if it's even worth the sale price they have on it right now?


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## not_ally (Jul 1, 2015)

I love mine.  They are on the big side side for hobbyists, but I really like them when I am making bigger batches or want a size that is good for cutting horizontally and then vertically, as with Taiwan swirls.  I think some people have had problems CPOPing in them (Irish Lass, maybe?) but they have been fine for me in that respect.  

I almost always CPOP and I have a little, kind of crappy convection oven that I use for it which goes down to 150 and is not v. well insulated, ironically I think that helps w/maintaining a temp level which forces gel quickly w/o creating bubbles/blisters.  But if you CPOP a lot blistering might be something to think about w/those.


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## Cindy2428 (Jul 1, 2015)

At $11.25 I think they are totally worth it - especially if you are limited on space, (as most of us are). The basket is well made, it prevents bowing; I love the handles and I've stacked them 3 high on a sturdy table.

Yes,  the box the molds are stored in act as a free support, but they get yucky really quickly.

I can highly recommend the white, "natural" mold and the wire basket - if you can score a free shipping deal as well, than I think you have got a deal.


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## not_ally (Jul 1, 2015)

I just checked the site, it looked like the white mold was $12.50 and the basket was $11.99?  The mold is a great deal for that price if it works for you in other respects.  I would buy the basket too, I like the extra support and the stackability.  Can't remember exactly now, but I think I paid about $10.00 more for the combo. I would get the white one as well, the red is nice but more expensive and it seems like I might have read somewhere about some folks having problems w/color leaching.


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## IrishLass (Jul 1, 2015)

I have their 'natural' version. Mine gives my soap blispers and bliskers (nod to Dr. Seuss ). In other words, the surface of my CPOPed soap always comes out riddled all over with small craters. And I don't CPOP very hot either. I just barely warm my oven to 120F/48C, turn it off, and then set my mold inside and leave it overnight. I have other brands of silicone molds that I CPOP with as well, but ED's is the only one of them that does this to my soap. Thankfully, though, the blispers and bliskers aren't very deep and can be planed off with one swipe of my planer.

IrishLass


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## Lynusann (Jul 1, 2015)

I've only tried to CPOP my soap twice before and I didn't like how it came out in the slightest so I haven't tried it again  

I'm on the fence about getting 2 if I get any at all. I have 2 long homemade wooden loaf molds that I can make up to 12 lbs of soap in but I generally only make 6# batches in each, and I have several other silicone loaf molds that I use as well (between 3-6#'s). I guess I need to decide if I want another long loaf mold.....or just wait it out until a good slab mold goes on sale which I don't have yet.


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## not_ally (Jul 1, 2015)

That is so weird, IL.  I remember reading about your travails with the ED mold blispers and bliskers (loved that !) and being worried about CPOPing in them after that, but it has not been an issue.  I CPOP at 150, as I said, leave the mold in for an hour and then take it out and leave it, unless it has milks for something else that makes it hotter, then I will put it in the freezer for a bit.  I wonder if there is a problem with your mold/s in particular, ie; the silicone in that batch?  It sucks either way.  I have a feeling that you have a lot of other great molds, though


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## Dorymae (Jul 1, 2015)

IrishLass said:


> I have their 'natural' version. Mine gives my soap blispers and bliskers (nod to Dr. Seuss ). In other words, the surface of my CPOPed soap always comes out riddled all over with small craters. And I don't CPOP very hot either. I just barely warm my oven to 120F/48C, turn it off, and then set my mold inside and leave it overnight. I have other brands of silicone molds that I CPOP with as well, but ED's is the only one of them that does this to my soap. Thankfully, though, the blispers and bliskers aren't very deep and can be planed off with one swipe of my planer.
> 
> IrishLass



Did you read the auntie clara blog on this?  Apparently if the batter is thick the blisters dont appear. She said something about letting the soap thicken up a bit on the counter before putting into the oven, especially if you pour at emulsion or light trace.


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## IrishLass (Jul 1, 2015)

Dorymae said:


> Did you read the auntie clara blog on this? Apparently if the batter is thick the blisters dont appear. She said something about letting the soap thicken up a bit on the counter before putting into the oven, especially if you pour at emulsion or light trace.


 

Thanks, Dory- no, I haven't, but for what it's worth, I always pour at a good med-thick trace. To give you an idea of the thickness of my batter at pour, if I drizzle some of it onto the surface, it doesn't smooth back out/sink back in unless I give my mold a shaking.

I'm beginning to think more along the lines of what not_ally said about the possibility of my mold having been made from a problematic batch of silicone.  


IrishLass


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