Airbrush for chocolate

The airbrush technique is known in many industries such as varnishing, painting, nail design and even confectionery. Basically, paint is sprayed onto a surface using a blast of air. In the food sector, this creates even and opaque coloring, beautiful and detailed images or beautifully distributed splashes and dots. Food coloring, cocoa butter or very liquid chocolate can be used for this purpose. However, there are different airbrush guns for this, and their functions sometimes overlap. You can find out how to achieve each process here.

How does airbrushing with cocoa butter work?

As the name suggests, the airbrush gun for cocoa butter is suitable for cocoa butter. The gun consists of a body, a nozzle and matching needle as well as screw-on covers that protect the inside. In addition, a funnel of the appropriate size is screwed on, into which the liquid cocoa butter is then poured. The gun is connected to a compressor, which provides the necessary air pressure. So first screw the gun together in the way you need it for your creation. The smallest funnel is sufficient for small decorations or different colors. If you want to create an opaque layer, it is best to use the largest funnel. Then screw the air hose to the airbrush and the compressor. The latter should have some power; 3 to 6 bar is a good pressure for spraying cocoa butter. It is essential to preheat the airbrush gun before filling it. To do this, place it in warm water and then dry it well or heat it slightly with a hot air gun. The funnel should be warm, but not hot. Melt your cocoa butter in the meantime, this works best well sealed in a water bath or alternatively in the microwave. Proceed with caution. As the mass is pre-crystallized, it must not be heated above 45 degrees. The liquid and well-mixed cocoa butter is then poured into the funnel. Then switch on the compressor and try spraying on kitchen paper first. The closer you get to the surface, the smaller the spraying area will be. Depending on the model, one or two screws can be used to regulate the flow of cocoa butter. If this is almost closed, only fine dots are created; if it is opened wide, opaque coatings can easily be created. How hard the trigger is pressed and how quickly the gun is moved over the surface also has a strong influence on the result. Try out different settings to find the right effect for your creation. Excess cocoa butter can be put back into the bottle at the end, the funnel is then rubbed out with kitchen paper and cleaned with the gun.

How can chocolate and couverture be sprayed?

To spray couverture, it must first be diluted. The best way to do this is to melt it and mix it 1:1 with colored or colorless cocoa butter. Do not exceed the maximum temperature of 45 °C, otherwise the sugar crystals will crystallize and you will no longer be able to use the mixture to its full extent. Of course, it can also be colored with chocolate dyes. Of course, the whole thing works with both light and dark chocolate, but if you want your mixture of chocolate and cocoa butter to be beautifully colored, you should use white couverture and additional fat-soluble food coloring. The mixture is then poured into the container of the large chocolate airbrush. This is insulated and prevents the chocolate from cooling quickly. The compressor is already built into this airbrush gun, so you can start spraying straight away. The couverture can now be used to spray even and opaque color coatings. After use, the container is emptied and the individual parts are cleaned thoroughly.

What chocolate creations is the airbrush suitable for?

Very different impressions are created depending on the airbrush gun, the materials used and the technique. Opaque surfaces are great, for example, when chocolate molds are sprayed before casting and the entire end product is colored in this way. Finished products such as cakes can also be sprayed and refined. You can create a spectacular design with frozen desserts or cakes. Applying an opaque coating to the icy surface with the spray gun creates the velvet effect. The sprayed cocoa butter crystallizes in an unusual shape and a velvety texture is created. As the cocoa butter forms a fine layer when sprayed, it also preserves the moisture and quality of the dessert underneath.

Beautiful cake decorations can also be created using the stencil technique. Different stencils are applied one after the other and sprayed in different colors to create a detailed picture. Such works are usually created with airbrush paints on marzipan or fondant.

What accessories are available for the airbrush?

There are a few small aids for effortless airbrush application. These are limited to the smaller airbrush guns. Only one cleaning agent can be used for the chocolate airbrush; no other accessories are required. The airbrush guns for cocoa butter and other liquid colors require a compressor in order to be used. They would not provide any spraying power on their own. A cleaning container can also be an advantage if you want to use many colors in succession. The lid can be removed and used as a mixing container for your paints, which is even easier with the pipette supplied. The airbrush gun can be stored on the holder between uses; once you have finished using a color, the paint residue can be sprayed out into the cleaning container without staining the entire work surface. Once you have finished making your chocolates and pastries, the airbrush gun can be emptied completely and rinsed with cleaning agent and water.

How is the airbrush gun cleaned?

To clean the small airbrush guns for chocolate, first spray them completely empty. Then turn off the air supply and the compressor. Fill the paint container with water or solvent and hold the needle holder closed with one finger. By pulling the trigger, the air flows in and causes any remaining paint inside the gun to come off. Empty it completely and repeat the process as required. The gun can be completely unscrewed, which makes cleaning much easier.

The large airbrush for chocolate can also be partially unscrewed and easily cleaned in this way. If the chocolate has cooled slightly in the container, it may need to be heated with a hot air blower or melted out with hot water.