Enrober facts for kids

An enrobing machine in operation

An enrober is a special machine used in candy factories. It helps to cover food items with a coating, usually chocolate. Think of it like a chocolate waterfall!

Many yummy foods get this chocolate bath. These include nuts, ice cream, toffee, candy bars, biscuits, and cookies. Coating food with chocolate also helps it stay fresh longer.

What is an Enrober?

An enrober is a clever invention that makes coating food much faster. It was first created in France in 1903. Later, it came to the United States and was made even better. One enrober machine can now do the work of at least twenty people!

How Does an Enrober Work?

A piece of Kendal Mint Cake enrobed in dark chocolate

The process of coating food with an enrober is quite neat.

• First, the food items are placed on a moving belt. This belt might be made of wire mesh.
• Sometimes, the food goes into special containers with small holes. These holes let any extra chocolate drip away.
• The enrober keeps the chocolate at just the right warm temperature.
• It then pumps the melted chocolate into a special pan.
• From this pan, the chocolate flows down like a continuous curtain. There's also a bed of chocolate at the bottom.
• The food items pass through this chocolate curtain and bottom layer. This covers them completely!
• After their chocolate bath, the coated treats move along another wire belt. This belt takes them to a cooling area. Here, the chocolate hardens, making the treats ready to enjoy.