Curing racks

[Mellifera]

Hi Everyone,
I started off using cooking racks. Moved to the sort of plastic 19x19 stackable dish racks used in commercial dishwashers (if you've ever worked in a restaurant, you know the kind I mean). They work well: they hold over 10 pounds of soap, they are stackable, light, last forever.

Now I need more room. I can get more of the same, but I like the idea of the trays sliding out instead of having to heave several layers to get to the soaps I want. So I was considering getting one or more "pan racks," again, as used in commercial kitchens. Trouble is, I can't find any ventilated "pans" to slide into them. I could just use the standard aluminum, and line them with plastic mesh, but...

So I'm wondering what other people do. I need something that will work for now, and be expandable--the other reason standard kitchen stuff is good. I know that when I need more, plenty of web site or our local restaurant supply will have it.

Thanks!

 

[CrafterAl]

The following thread might help...

http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=38694

 

[Mellifera]

The following thread might help...

http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=38694

Right. One person in the thread was using the baking racks I'm considering, and got around the ventilation problem by cutting down Rubbermaid shelves (the wire kind, I suspect). I was hoping for a more ready made solution, so that I don't have to cut down shelves every time I want to expand.

I may just go with the rack + pans and plastic mesh. Other than custom made, or fudging Ikea, that seems to be the closest.

 

[PinkCupcake]

To find the pans, try searching for perforated bun pans, or perforated sheet pans. The only trouble is that they are aluminum. I use non-perf pans, just regular sheet pans, and line them with sheets of parchment.

I don't have a rack for them, but you can find some decent deals online. The phrases I would search for are bun pan rack, or speed rack.

 

[MzMolly65]

I have this "Antonius" from Ikea ... cheap and works great. I like that the baskets are fully square all the way to the bottom while some others are sloped sides. The holes are large though and small soaps fall through.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S19876454/

 

[Mellifera]

Ikea would be great, but there isn't one for hours and hour around here (I suppose they ship, but...). I discovered the perforated bun pans; they are expensive, but maybe put plastic mesh on them...

 

[InNae]

If you already have the stackable dish racks then you might want to look into something like a rack where you could slide them out. I think (It's been many years since I worked in the food service) that they used to have racks for glasses that you could slide out individual racks. Not sure if that would work for you, but if you know someone handy that could build you a wooden slider system that would be the same.

InNae

 

[Susie]

If you have any "Rent my husband" type fix it businesses, it should be easy enough to have them make you a simple wooden rack to hold those. And if you do the design on SketchUp from... Google, I think... then you can even get it to estimate material for you, so you can have the material and design on hand to cut labor costs.

Will verify where SketchUp is from and edit.

Yep, Google SketchUp is the name. Easy and free.

 

[navigator9]

This would make a great soap curing cabinet.
http://ana-white.com/2012/06/plans/food-storage-shelf
I would put plastic window screen on the bottom instead of wood strips, to increase air circulation.

Currently, I have an old wooden cabinet made by my girlfriend's grandfather. (She couldn't take it with her when she moved away.) I've put wood strips inside to hold drying trays that I made with 1x1 strips of wood, then stapled plastic window screening over them. But boy, would I love a "real" soap curing cabinet some day!!!

 

[Mellifera]

If you already have the stackable dish racks then you might want to look into something like a rack where you could slide them out. I think (It's been many years since I worked in the food service) that they used to have racks for glasses that you could slide out individual racks. Not sure if that would work for you, but if you know someone handy that could build you a wooden slider system that would be the same.

InNae

I was wondering if there was something like that in the cooking world. We're looking into plastic trays that will fit the baking rack, but they don't give ventilation. My husband could machine holes in them... but the whole point was to find something already made that would do the job, so that when (not if! when!) I expand, it's a matter of getting out the credit card, not hiring a carpenter and/or getting the hubster (who is pretty handy, as am I, but he has access to a fully stocked machine shop) to drill holes, machine something or other, or build something.

I think the soaping world needs a few more businesses that cater to the next-step-up people. Hmmm. :think: