Callebaut 811 is the dark chocolate to buy if you want one couverture that molds, enrobes and makes ganache without fuss: 54.5% cocoa, medium fluidity, and the most forgiving temper in the range. 823 is its milk chocolate twin (33.6% cocoa, medium fluidity) and W2 is the white chocolate twin (28% cocoa, medium fluidity), so the three share the same working behavior and differ in flavor and sweetness. 70-30-38 is a different tool: 70.5% cocoa with low fluidity, built for ganache, mousse, crémeux and anywhere you want intense chocolate flavor rather than a thin, glossy shell. Below are the four recipes side by side, the numbers behind them, and which one belongs in each job.
Specialty Food Source stocks all four in Brockton, MA as 22 lb callet bags and 11 lb blocks, with 5 to 5.5 lb bags of the dark and milk recipes, shipping nationwide with next-day UPS Ground in Massachusetts. The buying table at the end matches each recipe to the job and the format.
Shop this guide: Callebaut 811 callets for all-purpose dark work, 823 milk callets for milk bonbons and caramel-friendly ganache, W2 white callets for white shells and colored cocoa butter work, and 70-30-38 callets for intense ganache, mousse and crémeux. Each is also sold as an 11 lb block for baking and flavoring.
These are the figures Callebaut publishes on its own product sheets. Cocoa percentage is minimum dry cocoa solids, fat is total fat (cocoa butter, plus milk fat in the milk and white recipes), and fluidity is Callebaut's five-drop scale, where one drop is the thickest and five the thinnest.
| Recipe | Type | Cocoa | Milk solids | Fat | Fluidity | Taste (Callebaut's words) | Shelf life |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 811 | Dark | 54.5% | none | 36.6% | 3 drops, medium | Rich cocoa, balanced, smooth, fruity hints | 24 months |
| 823 | Milk | 33.6% | 20.8% | 36.2% | 3 drops, medium | Rich cocoa, balanced, milky, hints of caramel | 18 months |
| W2 | White | 28% | 22% | 35.8% | 3 drops, medium | Balanced, milky, creamy, vanilla hints | 12 months |
| 70-30-38 | Dark | 70.5% | none | 38.9% | 2 drops, low | Intense cocoa, bitter, roasted, fruity hints | 24 months |
Two things stand out. First, 811, 823 and W2 all carry the same three-drop fluidity, which is why a shop can switch between dark, milk and white bonbons without changing molds, layer counts or technique. Second, 70-30-38 has the highest fat of the four yet the lowest fluidity. Its cocoa butter is there to carry a lot of cocoa solids, and those solids thicken the melt. It is a flavor recipe, not a coating recipe.
Callebaut recipe numbers are catalog names, not codes you can decode, but the ones with hyphens do describe the formula. 70-30-38 reads as 70% cocoa, 30% sugar and 38% cocoa butter (today's sheet gives 70.5% and 38.9%). 60-40-38 follows the same pattern. 811, 823 and W2 are simply the long-standing names for Callebaut's standard dark, milk and white.
The drops matter more than the name. Callebaut's guidance is that chocolate with a higher fluidity contains more cocoa butter and yields a harder, thinner chocolate shell, a high gloss and a crunchier finished product, while a lower-fluidity chocolate gives a less hard, less shiny and thicker shell but needs fewer coats when molding large pieces. In practice:
If you have a two-drop chocolate and need it thinner, a small addition of melted cocoa butter, a few percent by weight, thins it noticeably at the cost of a little flavor dilution. Our guide to using cocoa butter in chocolate covers the ratios.
811 is Callebaut's signature dark recipe, and the one most professional kitchens standardize on. At 54.5% cocoa it is sweet enough that a milk-chocolate customer will eat a dark bonbon made from it, and dark enough that a ganache tastes of chocolate rather than sugar. Callebaut lists it for enrobing, molding, panning, piping and airbrush spraying, and it is the chocolate most tempering tutorials assume you are holding.
Where it belongs: molded bonbon shells (one coat in a standard polycarbonate mold, two for a thicker wall), hand-dipped and machine-enrobed centers, truffle ganache, glazes, and chocolate decorations. Where it is a compromise: recipes that call for a 70% chocolate will taste sweeter and set softer on 811, so if a formula was written for a high-cocoa couverture, use 70-30-38 or adjust the sugar.
Format note: the 22 lb callet bag is the working format for a shop that tempers daily. The 11 lb block is the same recipe and the practical choice when the chocolate is going into batter, ganache or a melter where you will chop it anyway.
823 is a 33.6% cocoa milk chocolate with 20.8% milk solids and a caramel note that comes from the milk, not from added caramel. It is the milk recipe Callebaut pairs with 811 on the same three-drop fluidity, so anything you mold or enrobe in 811 you can mold or enrobe in 823 with no change of technique. It works at a lower temperature than dark (about 29°C, or 84°F, against 31°C, or 88°F, for 811) because milk fat softens the cocoa butter crystal.
Where it belongs: milk chocolate bonbon shells, enrobed caramels and nut clusters, milk ganache for macarons and bars, and panning. Two things to plan for. Milk ganache needs more chocolate than dark ganache to set to the same firmness, so a dark 1:1 chocolate-to-cream formula typically becomes roughly 1.5:1 to 2:1 with 823. And because it is sweeter, 823 pairs best with salty, roasted or acidic partners: salted caramel, praline, passion fruit, coffee.
W2 is 28% cocoa (all of it cocoa butter, since white chocolate contains no cocoa solids), 22% milk solids and a three-drop medium fluidity, which makes it the white chocolate for molded shells, enrobing and colored cocoa butter work. It is the base most decorators use for painted bonbons because it takes color cleanly and sets with the same snap as 811.
Callebaut sells two other white recipes that we also stock, and they are not interchangeable with W2:
| Recipe | Cocoa | Milk solids | Fat | Fluidity | What it is for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W2 | 28% | 22% | 35.8% | 3 drops, medium | Molding, enrobing, decoration, ganache. The standard. |
| CW2 | 25.9% | 22.7% | 33.9% | 2 drops, low | Flavoring, molding and piping. Thicker, with less cocoa butter. |
| Velvet | 32% | 22.3% | 40% | 3 drops, medium | Less sweet, creamier. Enrobing and molding where you want a rounder, less sugary white. |
Rule of thumb: W2 for anything that has to set thin and glossy, Velvet when the white is the star flavor and you want less sweetness, CW2 for fillings, drinks and baking where fluidity does not matter. White chocolate ganache needs the most chocolate of the three colors, typically around 3:1 chocolate to cream for a pipeable truffle center, and it should be worked at 29°C (84°F) or slightly below.
70-30-38 is the recipe to reach for when the chocolate flavor has to lead. At 70.5% cocoa and 38.9% fat it has the highest cocoa butter of the four, yet Callebaut rates it two drops, low fluidity, because the sheer quantity of cocoa solids thickens the melt. Callebaut describes it as intense, bitter and roasted with fresh, fruity hints, and specifically recommends it for crémeux and dessert sauces.
Where it belongs: dark ganache for bars and truffles, chocolate mousse, crémeux, pot de crème, glazes over an entremet, brownies and flourless cakes, and hot chocolate. It can be molded, and Callebaut lists it for enrobing, but expect a thicker wall and a touch less gloss than 811. If you want 70% flavor in a thin bonbon shell, thin it with a few percent of melted cocoa butter, or mold in 811 and fill with a 70-30-38 ganache, which is how most shops do it.
Between 811 and 70-30-38 sit two 60% recipes that are easy to confuse. 60-40-38 is 60.1% cocoa, 39.4% fat and three-drop medium fluidity, so it behaves like 811 with more cocoa flavor. L-60-40 is 60.6% cocoa but only 30.3% fat and very low fluidity. Callebaut's own description is that it offers the same roasted cocoa and mild taste as 60-40-38 yet contains less cocoa butter, which is why it is the one to put in brownies, cookies and anything baked: less cocoa butter means the chunks hold their shape in the oven and the crumb does not turn greasy. Do not try to mold with L-60-40.
| Job | First choice | Also works | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Molded bonbon shells | 811, 823 or W2 by color | 60-40-38 for a darker shell | Three-drop fluidity gives a thin, glossy, even wall in one or two coats |
| Hand-dipping and enrobing | 811, 823 or W2 | Velvet for a less sweet white | Medium fluidity coats evenly without pooling at the base |
| Dark truffle ganache | 70-30-38 | 811 for a sweeter, softer center | Cocoa solids carry flavor through the cream; 811 needs a slightly higher chocolate ratio to set as firm |
| Milk or caramel ganache | 823 | Gold for a toffee note | Caramel notes are already in the recipe; raise the chocolate ratio to compensate for milk fat |
| White ganache and painted bonbons | W2 | Velvet | Takes colored cocoa butter cleanly; sets with snap |
| Mousse, crémeux, sauces | 70-30-38 | 811 for a milder profile | Low fluidity is irrelevant once the chocolate is emulsified, and the extra cocoa carries flavor |
| Brownies, cookies, baked goods | L-60-40 or an 811 block | 70-30-38 for intense brownies | Lower cocoa butter holds shape in the oven |
| Hollow figures and large molds | 70-30-38 or CW2 | 811 with an extra coat | Two-drop chocolate builds a thicker wall with fewer coats |
| Hot chocolate and drinks | 811 or 70-30-38 | 823 for a sweet milk drink | Fluidity does not matter in a liquid; choose on flavor |
Callebaut's own method for callets is simple: melt to 45°C (113°F), then add about 5% callets at room temperature (15 to 20°C) and stir until they dissolve and the chocolate reaches working temperature, about 31°C (88°F) for dark and about 29°C (84°F) for milk and white. Because 811, 823 and W2 all sit at three drops, the only variable between them is that working temperature. 70-30-38 follows the dark curve.
| Recipe | Melt to | Working temperature | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 811 | 45°C / 113°F | 31°C / 88°F | The reference curve for the whole dark range |
| 70-30-38 | 45°C / 113°F | 31°C / 88°F | Thicker at temperature; stir more, work faster |
| 823 | 45°C / 113°F | 29°C / 84°F | Milk fat lowers the curve; do not push past 30°C |
| W2 | 45°C / 113°F | 29°C / 84°F | Scorches easily above 45°C; melt gently |
If you prefer the powdered cocoa butter method, the Cacao Barry Mycryo instruction is 1% by weight (10 g per kilo) added at 34°C for dark and 33°C for milk or white, then worked at the temperatures above. Our tempering guide walks through seeding, tabling and machine tempering step by step, and if a batch has already gone dull or streaky, the bloomed chocolate rescue guide explains how to bring it back.
Every recipe here comes as callets (small discs) and as an 11 lb block. Callets melt evenly, measure by weight without chopping and double as seed for tempering, so they are the right format for a shop that molds or enrobes. Blocks are the same chocolate and suit ganache, batter and melters, where you will chop or melt it down anyway. Cases (two 22 lb bags of callets, or five 11 lb blocks) are the format to move to once a recipe is a standing item. Each product page shows current pricing for every format.
| If you make mostly | Buy | Skip | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark bonbons, enrobed bars, everyday ganache | 811 callets | 70-30-38 for shells | 22 lb callets; a block for ganache |
| Milk bonbons, enrobed caramels, milk ganache | 823 callets | CW2 (it is white, and thick) | 22 lb callets |
| White shells, painted bonbons, colored decoration | W2 callets | CW2 for shells | 22 lb callets; block for ganache |
| Mousse, crémeux, intense ganache, glazes | 70-30-38 callets | 811 if you want it milder | 22 lb callets or 11 lb block |
| Brownies, cookies, baked inclusions | L-60-40 callets | 811 callets (they melt out) | 22 lb callets or 11 lb block |
| A dark shell with more cocoa than 811 | 60-40-38 callets | L-60-40 (too thick to mold) | 22 lb callets |
| Caramel, toffee and blond flavors | Gold callets | 823 if Gold is out of stock | 5.5 lb bag |
| Fruit-forward pink bonbons and bars | Ruby RB2 callets | Nothing else does this | 2.5 kg bag |
All of these ship from our Brockton, MA warehouse, with next-day UPS Ground across Massachusetts and ground shipping nationwide. For a shop that wants to compare Callebaut against a French couverture before committing, Valrhona vs Callebaut covers the price and flavor tradeoffs, and the full Barry Callebaut collection lists every recipe and format we carry.
811 is Callebaut's recipe name for its standard 54.5% dark couverture. Other makers sell 54 to 55% chocolates, but they will not share 811's fat content (36.6%), three-drop fluidity or flavor, so a recipe written for 811 may set softer or thicker on a substitute. The number is the recipe, not just the percentage.
Yes. Both are rated three drops, medium fluidity, so they build the same wall thickness in the same mold with the same number of coats. The only change is working temperature: about 31°C (88°F) for 811 and about 29°C (84°F) for 823. Many shops run a dark and milk version of the same bonbon this way.
Fluidity depends on the ratio of cocoa butter to solids, not the fat figure alone. 70-30-38 has 38.9% fat against 811's 36.6%, but it also carries far more cocoa solids (70.5% versus 54.5%), and those solids thicken the melt. That is why Callebaut rates it two drops and recommends it for crémeux and sauces rather than thin shells.
W2 (28% cocoa, three drops) is the standard white for molding, enrobing and colored cocoa butter work. CW2 (25.9% cocoa, two drops) is thicker, suited to flavoring, piping and baking. Velvet (32% cocoa, three drops) is Callebaut's less sweet, creamier white for enrobing and molding where white is the featured flavor.
Both are about 60% cocoa. 60-40-38 has 39.4% fat and medium fluidity, so it molds and enrobes like 811. L-60-40 has only 30.3% fat and very low fluidity, which Callebaut designed for baking: less cocoa butter means chunks keep their shape in the oven. Use 60-40-38 for shells and L-60-40 for brownies and cookies.
Yes. The 811, 823, W2 and 70/30 blocks are the same recipes as the callets, just molded into 11 lb slabs. Blocks must be chopped before melting, so they suit ganache, batters and melters. Callets melt evenly, measure without chopping and can be used as seed for tempering, which is why they are the format for molding and enrobing.
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