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Basic Tools & Equipment for Soapmaking

  • Writer: Surya
    Surya
  • May 18, 2023
  • 4 min read

Updated: Jan 24



So you’ve decided to start making your own handmade soaps at home. Hooray!!! But even before you can make your first batch of soap, it is essential to collect some basic tools & equipment needed for soapmaking.

And don’t worry, you don’t have to spend too much on it because you probably already have most of it at home.  Just make sure that once you have used it for soapmaking, do not use it for cooking!


Some links in this post are affiliate links; The recommended products are what I personally use and enjoy. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.


The importance of having the right tools & equipment for soapmaking

  • Consistency: When making soap, it is important to measure the ingredients accurately & mix them at ideal temperatures in order to achieve consistent results. Using the right tools for measuring ingredients & temperature will ensure that you make successful soaps on a consistent basis. 

  • Safety: Soapmaking involves working with lye, which is a caustic substance that can be dangerous if not handled properly. Safety gear & using containers with the right materials can protect your skin and eyes from splashes and spills. Here is a post that covers safety measure while handling lye in detail.

  • Efficiency: The right tools and equipment can help streamline the soapmaking process and make it more efficient. For example, using the stick blender to bring the batter together instead of stirring by hand for long hours.

  • Quality: Using the right tools and equipment can also help you achieve a high-quality end product. For example, silicone molds can help you create beautiful and uniform soap bars, while a soap cutter can help you create clean, straight edges.

Now let’s look at the tools & equipment in detail.


The indispensible 3

I call these the indispensable 3 pieces of tools because I believe they can make your soapmaking journey so much more efficient & help you achieve consistent results with your soaps.  I also wouldn’t recommend skimping on or neglecting these tools EVER!


1. An accurate digital weighing scale

As much as soapmaking is an art form, it is also precise science.  To make soaps that ultimately turn out well, ingredients must be measured by weight and not in volume.  This calls for an accurate digital weighing scale.  I usually have 2 scales handy - one to measure out the oils & additives where precision can be relaxed a bit. And another to measure out lye & essential oils where accuracy is so important.

Here’s an example of a scale I use for oils & additives and here’s a pocket scale I use for lye & essential oils


2. An immersion stick blender

Although soap can be made without this handy tool, it can save you hours trying to mix & stir it using a spatula or whisk & get the soap to the right consistency.  You don’t have to invest in a high powered one when you are just starting out.  A basic stick blender between 250-400 W will get the job done easily for small batches (600g to 2kg batch sizes).

This is what I used earlier on in my soapmaking journey and it served me well.


3. A thermometer

Keeping track of temperatures is essential in soapmaking and many newbie soapmakers do not realise that temperatures can actually be the difference between successful & failed batches sometimes.

This is the candy thermometer that I used when I started out. And here’s an infrared thermometer that I upgraded to later on.

Now that we have covered the indispensable, let’s move on the other tools, equipment or gear that you will need for soapmaking.


Other important tools

4. Safety Gear

Since we use a potent chemical in soapmaking, safety is non-negoitiable. It is absolutely essential to use protective gear every single time that you make soap.  The most important pieces NOT to neglect are gloves & goggles.

You can use disposable gloves from your local medical store or reusable kitchen gloves. These are the goggles I use for protecting the eyes while soapmaking.


5. Containers

There are 5 main containers to have for every batch of soap you make:

  • Plastic cup to measure out the lye. Something like this could work beautifully.

  • Stainless steel cup/mug/pitcher to measure the water.  This can also double up as a lye mixing container.  You can also use plastic here but make sure it is heat & chemical resistant and has the recycle code #5 mentioned on it

  • A glass or stainless steel pot to measure & melt the hard oils & butters.  This will also be doubling up as the soapmaking pot.  So make sure to pick one that will accommodate your batch size.

  • A separate plastic cup to weigh out the liquid oils. Although you can directly weigh it into the soap pot, it helps to avoid excessive pour offs that can offset your recipe too much.

  • Additional cups to weigh out additives & essential oils.  You can wither use paper cups, stainless steel mini cups or glass beakers for this purpose


Additional useful tools


Molds

  • You can either go for a loaf mold or individual cavity molds.

Here’s an example of a 1 kg batch size loaf mold that I use. Here’s a soap mold that I recommend using for making small batches & testing recipes. Or here’s an individual cavity mold that you can start off with


Other things to keep handy

  • Rag pieces of cloth or paper towels to wipe off spills from the countertops & molds

  • Having a cardboard box that can accommodate your mold can help with holding in the heat & fast tracking the saponification reaction

  • Towels or blankets to hold in the heat


That's about it! Like I said, you may be able to find most of the utensils and tools at home except for the indispensibles. Take a few days to source them online or from your local store and then you are good to go to start making your own amazing handmade soap at home.



Got questions on tools for soapmaking? Leave them below & I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

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