Plastic wax melter with steamer

01 · WHY STEAM

The wax cannot scorch

The generator boils water and feeds the steam into the drum; that steam heats the frames and the wax runs down and out through the bottom opening into the bowl. Because steam works at around 100 °C, the wax never reaches the temperatures at which it darkens and loses its scent — which is what happens the moment it goes over a direct flame and one spot overheats.

The lid closes the drum and keeps the heat in, so the cycle is shorter and uses less water.

02 · HOW MUCH GOES IN

And in which formats

Standing upright it takes 14 Langstroth frames, 10 Dadant Blatt brood frames or between 10 and 12 Layens, depending on how you stack them. It also takes cappings, uncapping trimmings and block wax for remelting.

The yield depends on the comb, and it is worth knowing beforehand: cappings and light comb give a lot of wax and very clean; an old brood frame full of cocoons gives little, and darker. The frame comes out bare and ready to be rewired and rewaxed.

03 · WHAT IT DOES NOT HAVE

There is no outlet tap

It is the question that comes up most on this page, and the answer is no: the wax leaves through the bottom opening into the bowl, with no tap to control the flow. You work with the bowl underneath and change it as it fills.

It carries its bottom filter, but the perforated stainless insert that holds the whole slumgum — and saves a good part of the cleaning — is a separate part, the Bienen Ruck 64412. Anyone melting old frames ends up buying it.

04 · THE WAX THAT COMES OUT

Raw, and how it cleans itself

What falls into the bowl is raw wax: it carries water and fine debris however much filtering you do. The old trick is to leave a finger of water in the bowl before you collect: as it cools the cake of wax releases on its own and the dirt stays stuck to its underside, where it scrapes off in one pass.

For wax of any quality — for foundation or candles — a second filtered melt is needed. This melter does the dirty work, which is the part that eats the time.

05 · BEFORE YOU BUY

It is the budget option in the range, and it is sold as a set: