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Frugal Tip: Buy Marble Slabs For Candy Making From Home Depot

2008_12_15-MarbleSlabA.jpgIf you're making your own candy this holiday season to give as gifts or to keep for yourself, you may be working with fondant or tempering chocolate. If so, you're going to need a marble slab. Marble surfaces are useful for working with certain types of food because they stay cool - if you place one in the fridge, it will hold the cold temperature for a few hours. When hot candy is poured on a marble slab, it cools more quickly and this makes it easier to work with.

 
 

2008_12_15-MarbleSlabB.jpgHowever, marble slabs can get expensive. At kitchen supply stores, they cost anywhere from $35 to $150. If you order them online, you'll pay a hefty shipping fee due to their weight. Here's a much cheaper alternative: go to your nearest home improvement store and buy two 12x12 marble floor tiles. That will set you back between $10 and $14.

You can also use the marble tiles for working with pastry or serving cheese on.

(Images: Make and Takes - thanks!)

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Frugality, cheese, candymaking, marble slab

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Comments (18)

I have leftover marble from a bathroom redo - do you think I can use it for a board. It is pretty thick and heavy, so I know I would have to have it cut down to size. Do I need to coat it with anything to make it food safe?

posted by jgphotomom on December 15th 2008 at 1:41pm
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How big and how thick is it? I don't think you have to coat it with anything ... juts clean it with soap and water. Assuming you didn't coat it with chemicals and solvents, I think it should be ok.

posted by Kathryn Hill on December 15th 2008 at 2:31pm
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why two ?

posted by angorian on December 15th 2008 at 3:40pm
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24 x 24 is a better work surface than 12 x 12.

posted by Kathryn Hill on December 15th 2008 at 3:44pm
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They're not just for making candy. In hot weather, they give your kitty a cool place to rest. :)

posted by Leisureguy on December 15th 2008 at 4:24pm
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A 24x24 would be pretty good sized surface, but if you put two together you'd only have 12x24- so in essence you'd need four...

posted by ValariaMc on December 15th 2008 at 4:26pm
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Wouldn't that be 24 x 12?

posted by SoSue on December 15th 2008 at 4:27pm
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@Kathryn - two tiles will give you 12 x 24, not 24 x 24 :) You'd need four tiles to give you 24 x 24.

posted by kat98 on December 15th 2008 at 4:47pm
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Yes, I cannot do math. :(

However, I can cook.

posted by Kathryn Hill on December 15th 2008 at 6:25pm
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And why would anyone want to place two tiles side by side? There'd be a huge seam in the middle, totally defeating the purpose. =(

Otherwise a terrific idea.

posted by themonkrat on December 15th 2008 at 6:46pm
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What about going to a countertop maker and asking for a marble remnant? Often they'll give that sort of thing away for free!

posted by FF on December 15th 2008 at 9:25pm
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I like this idea!

posted by sar3j on December 15th 2008 at 9:28pm
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I am drooling over this idea - right down to a remnant and a spot for the kitty... Thanks!

Ms. Kathryn Hill - May be a smiley or a winky after that "However, I can cook." Mucho Kudos :)

12x12 fits best into the fridge for cooling.

posted by VeryDelishVeg on December 15th 2008 at 9:53pm
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Also a good (and pretty) place to set pitchers/glasses of cold drinks in a party display, or for things like appetizers that you don't want to just to room temperature quickly.
Good idea on looking for remnant piece from countertops.

posted by Leah Hope on December 16th 2008 at 12:23am
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yes, the seam is why I was confused about needing two. I think you could use only one at a time. But I guess with a 12x12 space you might need to divide it in two and do it twice. Is that the reasoning?

posted by angorian on December 16th 2008 at 4:16pm
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Instead of Home Depot, try a tile store- you may be able to find a remnant or large tile that is a bigger than 12x12, thus making the need for two and the accompanying seam a moot point.

Anything larger, then you're just dealing with a counter top :p

Oh, and I can cook AND do math :)

posted by ValariaMc on December 17th 2008 at 11:20am
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already mentioned but i thought i'd add a bit more, countertop manufacturers are your absolute best place to get this kind of stuff.

talking to a few of them.... if they were odd cuts or small sizes (ie. a 12x12 piece) that wouldn't do for a counter, they easily landed in the trash and you could grab them as you pleased. they also had larger sized pieces (3'x2' let's say) that were still too small for most counters but they'd have it in the back for you to purchase cheap and they'd do a cut for $5 or less. i was also told that once a week they'd get so many of these larger pieces that they'd just leave them outside in the back as trash... ie free!

since i didn't have time to wait for the free large pieces... i had them make two cuts for a piece 18"x36" to fit onto a cabinet and my total cost... $30 for a marble top. fantastic.

posted by pinstripeprincess on December 17th 2008 at 1:52pm
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Can you use these as a baking stone or will they crack?

posted by violet222 on December 29th 2008 at 5:33pm
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