Melting Candle Wax With A Hot Plate

melting candle wax with a hot plate

If you do not own a presto pot and don’t want to use one of your pots for a double boiler then melting candle wax with a hot plate might be the solution for you. With a hot plate, you sit the melting pot directly on the burner, however, you need to find a hot plate that has precise temperature controls. Can you melt candle wax with a hot plate?

You can melt candle wax with a hot plate. Adjust the temperature control to 200°F and place the melting pot on the burner, wait for the wax to melt, stirring occasionally. Once the wax has completely melted and reached a temperature of at least 185°F, you are ready to begin making candles.

It is important to monitor the heat of the hot plate, because even though you’ve adjusted the temperature to 200°F, electric burners can sometimes become much warmer while trying to bring your pan to temperature.

If yours does not exceed 200°F after being adjusted to 200°F then you should be good to go.

Using A Hot Plate To Melt Wax

You have a few different options when you melt candle wax with a hot plate. You can use a large pan and melt several pounds of wax at once, or you can just weigh your wax and melt it directly in the pouring pitcher.

Options For Making Candles On A Hot Plate

  • Melt in a double boiler
  • Melt in a melting pot
  • Melt in a large pot

Melt Wax In A Double Boiler

A double boiler is a great way to make candles because it keeps the candle wax far from the direct heat and instead heats the melting pot through contact with boiling water which can not be hotter than 212°F. Can you make a double boiler with a hot plate?

You can make a double boiler with a hot plate. Using a hot plate to make a double boiler will function much like making a double boiler on your stovetop. Adjust the hot plate so that it is hot enough to boil a few inches of water and then measure your wax and place the melting pot into the water.

Keep in mind that it is good practice to use some sort of spacer between the bottom of your melting pot and the inside of the pan you are using to make your double boiler.

If you want to learn more about double boilers check out our article about making and using double boilers.

Melt Wax In A Melting Pot

When you have a hot plate with precise temperature controls you can skip using the double boiler altogether. Doing it this way might save you some time and save you a little bit of a cleanup. Can I put my melting pot on a hot plate?

You can put your melting pot on a hot plate. If your hot plate has precise temperature control, adjust it to no more than 200°F. Measure your candle wax into your melting pot and place it directly on top of the hot plate. Then continue with the candle making process as normal.

The best part about doing it this way is that if the hot plate is large enough, you can heat multiple melting pots at once so that you can make different types of candles quickly.

Melt Wax In A Large Pot

Using a large pot is another option for making large batches of candles or multiple types of candles at the same time. Melting pots are usually limited to 1lb-4lbs of wax at a time, however, large pots can fit much more wax at once. How to make large batches of candles with a hot plate?

Make large batches of candles with a hot plate by melting the wax in a large pot. Place your pouring pot on a silicon pad on top of your digital scale and fill the pouring pot with molten wax using a ladle. When you reach your desired measurement remove the pouring pot and begin filling another.

Continue with your candle making process using multiple pouring pots, or wiping out a single pouring pot when changing fragrance oils. It is always a good idea to wipe out your pooring pot when changing fragrance oils so that you keep a clean and untainted smell.

Choosing A Hot Plate

Choosing your hot plate is the most important part of using a hot plate to make candles, because if you choose the wrong hot plate it will only be suitable for making candles with a double boiler. How to choose a hot plate for making candles?

Choose a hot plate for making candles by finding one that has precise temperature controls. You need a hot plate that can be adjusted as low as 200°F. This control should list the actual temperatures rather than measurements such as low, medium and high.

This is important because many electric burners kick on and off, and even on the lowest setting the temperature can be as high as 400°F. Which is far too hot to use directly with a pouring pot.

What Makes A Hot Plate Good For Candle Making

  • Precise temperature control
  • Large heated surface
  • Portable
  • Less cleanup

Portability of your candle making setup is one of the best benefits in my opinion. It also lets you keep a dedicated candle making station somewhere in your home, rather than being forced to make candles in your kitchen.

If I couldnt have a dedicated candle making area in my home I am not sure I would make candles. I didn’t like using my kitchen area to make candles and then trying to find a place to put away my candle making supplies so that my family could still use the kitchen for cooking.

Related Hot Plate Questions

Can I use a hot plate for candle making?

You can use a hot plate for candle making as long as it has an adjustable temperature control. An adjustable temperature control will prevent you from over heating your candle wax. However, if it does not have an adjustable temperature control you can still use a hot plate to make a double boiler.

Will a 1000 watt hot plate boil water?

A 1000 watt hot plate will boil water. Which is ideally exactly the setup you would have to make a double boiler and melt candle wax for candle making. If possible, boil roughly 3 inches of water with a small spacer and then add your wax pouring pot on top.

Can you melt a glass candle on an electric burner?

You can melt the wax in a glass candle holder by placing the candle in a pot of water and bringing up the temperature until the candle wax melts. Once the wax has melted, turn off the heat and wait for the water and wax to cool. Then scoop the wax off of the top and throw it away.

Can you melt candle wax on an induction stove?

You can melt candle wax on an induction stove. However, not all containers will work on an induction stove. Induction stoves require pans that have a high ferrous metal content at the base. This includes cast iron, black metal, iron, and some stainless steel pans will work. However, aluminum pans will not work.

Conclusion

In conclusion, hot plates can be a great way to melt candle wax when making candles. That is, provided you have a hot plate with a precise adjustable temperature control that lets you choose exactly what temperature you want.

If a hot plate doesnt list the specific degrees of temperature and instead simply says low, medium and high, forget about using it unless you want to use it to make a double boiler.

However, there is nothing wrong with using your hot plate to simply make a double boiler. I am in favor of anything that gets you out of your kitchen and in to your own dedicated candle making station.

Carl Adamson

Hi, I'm Carl Adamson, one of the founders here at Candleers. A few years ago I got really into the art and craft of candle making, initially with soy wax container candles. My friends started asking me to make candles for them and pretty soon it turned into a nice side-business. I started this website as a way to document what I've learned over the past few years and hopefully help others in the process. I still love candle making but I'm learning that what I enjoy even more is the business side of things - and for this reason I've started consulting others on how to start and grow their own candle-making businesses and side-hustles.

Recent Posts