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For years, I never understood the appeal of candles. Then I got into the ritual of burning one at home, filling the room with a tropical—or clean linen or smoky, or even croissant—scent, and found myself curious about making my own scent blends. Testing different waxes and fragrance oils, seeing which had the best hot and cold throws, and sculpting different creations became an obsession.
And over the past five years, I’ve made dozens of candles, testing various kits before going out on my own, making them entirely from scratch. I’ve used double boilers, pouring pitchers and a couple wax melters, but there’s one I keep coming back to: the ToAuto 3-liter wax melter.
Initially, it was just included in a candle-making kit I was testing, but I wound up loving how convenient it is to use. You simply plug it in, pour in the amount of wax you’d like to melt and twist it on.
What I Love About It
There are two heat settings—122 degrees F and 212 degrees F—though I usually monitor it with a digital thermometer until I get to the desired temp I need for the batch I’m making. Then, I can just unplug it, let the melted wax cool to the right temperature to stir in fragrance oil, and pour directly from the melter.
I’ve had larger melters, but I love how portable and easy to use this pitcher-style is. If you’re just making a couple candles at a time (say, four or fewer), this pitcher is ideal. It’s great for experimenting with a small batch, too; I like using it for creating dessert candles or making “charms” (my term for wax embeds) to top candles as well.
What You Should Consider Before Trying It
If you’re running a candle business, you’ll want to check out ToAuto’s larger melters, which go up to 66 pounds. But for hobbyists, this melter makes for the perfect gift. It’s affordable, heats quickly and evenly and is easy to use and clean up. Suddenly, making your own candles at home is too simple not to try. (Seriously, it’s the ideal 15-minute craft.)
Normally $50, the melter is currently $40, as part of the company’s Black Friday sale.
