Many candle makers use a hot plate for candle making. They are small, portable, lightweight, and plug in to be used conveniently in a craft area and out of the kitchen.
How do you melt wax for candle making?
Candle wax should be melted to about 185 degrees Fahrenheit using an indirect heat source. Unless you are ok making candles in your kitchen on your stovetop and pouring candles on your counters, you need an area to work.
If you are lucky to have a spare room in your house or a basement, setting up can be easier with a hot plate for melting candle wax.
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My top pick hot plate for candle making and favorite is the Elite Gourmet Electric Burner
I like this hot plate for melting candle wax because it fits in a drawer when I’m done and I can put everything away. It is quick and easy for quick projects.
This hot plate is also easy to clean. Stay away from hot plates that have the coils. Anything that has many grooves or places for the wax to pool when it drips can be hard to clean.
The small ridges on the burner help stop drips from flowing down the side. They are shallow enough to clean up easily.
My second choice as a hot plate for candle making is the Dux Top Portable Induction Cooktop
I use this one a lot when I have my table set up and are doing many candles or candle crafts. You will see me use this one in some of my YouTube videos.
This one is good for projects that you are working on all day. The nice thing about this one is that the burner doesn’t get hot just the pan. That makes for a safer work area, especially in a crafting setting.
As you can see in the picture, the surface is glass and non-stick. It wipes clean. Fragrance oils have a tendency to break down surfaces over time. This hot plate is excellent for candle making.
If you work around small children or pets this is a safer hot plate because once you remove the pan the surface is not hot.
Why is it my second choice for a hot plate?
It is a little heavier than the Elite Gourmet and a little larger. It will fit in a drawer but takes up all the room. Here is what they look like side-by-side.
I use 2-quart & 4-quart saucepans from the dollar store for my water bath to melt my wax.
Also, induction cooktops only work with metal pans. This isn’t too bad but it doesn’t work with my aluminum pouring pitchers. You should never heat wax directly on a heat source unless you are making gel candles.
If you are making gel candles, this hot plate will not work with the aluminum pitchers and you will not get enough heat to melt the gel. Gel wax is the exception to the rule.
I also found the settings difficult to use. Once I got the hang of it, I was ok. I was a little frustrated at first.
I would not completely dismiss this one. It is worth mentioning and I do use it a lot!
How do you melt a larger amount of candle wax?
If you are looking for a hot plate for candle making or a means to melt candle wax without the expense of a wax melter, you may want to try using a roaster or slow cooker.
Using a slow cooker or roaster for candle making to melt the candle wax is an indirect heat source, inexpensive, and can be easily stored. Because they are designed for cooking, they are also easy to clean up.
When I am making candles for a show or craft fair, I use my roasters. A 5-quart holds a 10-pound bag of soy flakes and a 22-quart holds 25 pounds of soy flakes which are half of a case.
I use the OSTER 22-Quart Roaster for larger batches.
I have multiple roasters and put them on a cart so I can roll them out of the way. This cart also has a drawer for some fast access to tools. I got this one at Harbor Freight. Use things that are meant for tools and are designed to hold the weight.
The other bonus is that you can dump wax in the roaster and use it to store wax flakes. Here I just emptied out what was left in the bag into the roaster for the next time I make candles.
It does not hurt the wax to leave it in the roaster and reheat it. Monitor the wax temperature. This roaster has a temperature dial on the front.
You can also set them on a table over an old sheet pan. I dip or ladle the wax out to measure my candle wax.
Here is my setup for my 5-quart. I put a small cooling rack on the top to let my measuring cups drain back into the roaster.
