Yesterday I told you how to make soy candles by melting the soy wax with the “Stovetop Method”.  But there is a faster way to melt soy wax. I use this method mostly in the summer, because in the desert, my house just heats up way too much by the stove top method.

Warning before we begin:

Using the Microwave to melt the wax is a bit different than using the stove top method. The biggest concern is getting the wax too hot and burning yourself. It is important to stay at the microwave and watch the wax, don’t just put it on for several minutes and walk away. That could cause the wax to become super heated and you could be splashed by boiling liquid wax as you take it out of the microwave, or worse yet, the glass could explode and cause terrible injuries.

Use a Glass Measurer 2 cups or larger. You will want to have a kitchen towel or pot holder to handle the measurer when you take it out of the microwave, because the glass can get hot.

OK let’s start making candles with the microwave method:

First, determine how much liquid wax you will need. Fill the measurer to the top with wax flakes – the wax will decrease by half in volume but will be the same weight. If you put 8 oz of wax flakes (dry measure and weighed on a scale), it will fill a 16 oz measurer to the top, but will melt to 8 oz of liquid – Add your coloring to ensure it melts and blends well with the wax, if you’re using the color chips or blocks.

Microwave the wax for 2 minutes. Stir and microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute at a time, stirring between times. Add more wax flakes as needed to achieve the amount of liquid you desire. Keep microwaving the wax for 30 to 60 seconds at a time, stirring in between, until there are just a few small pieces still floating in the liquid. The small pieces will melt in the hot liquid. (The longer you leave the container in the microwave before letting it go for another zap the better, after a few rounds. This helps melt the wax. This will ensure you don’t get the wax too hot as well. I will leave it for 3 to 4 minutes after it has finished that round, and do a task or two around the house and then go back to it and set it for one minute more after stirring it.) Take the measurer of liquid wax out of the microwave carefully. You may need a pot holder or towel so you won’t burn your hand. Stir again and put a thermometer in to read the temperature. You don’t want your wax to be above 200*. It doesn’t have to be any hotter than 175* to melt the coloring and wax.

Prepare your containers as the wax cools, as per stove top method directions.

Note that the liquid will cool slower in the hot glass. Stir often as it cools. I have poured it into another glass liquid measurer and stirred constantly so that the wax is cooled by the cooler glass, or put it in the metal pourer and stirred real well. I also have put the metal pot with hot wax in the refrigerator for 5 minute spurts and stirred very well when I took it out. This has to be watched carefully because you could solidify your wax again if you are distracted…. I’ve done it! Do not put the glass measurer with hot wax in the refrigerator, it could make the class break with the sudden temperature change, use ONLY the metal pour pot for this technique.

Watch the temperature until it is around 130-120*.  Add the fragrance at this temperature. Continue to stir occasionally until the wax becomes cloudy. Once the wax is cloudy or around 100*, but not too slushy, you can pour into your containers.

Here is the pdf file of how to make soy candles the fast way