Equipment
You need less than you think to make your first batch. This is everything I actually use.
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Weighing
Soap is weighed, never measured by volume. A scale that reads to a single gram is the one tool you can't improvise.
Mixing
Bringing a batch to trace by hand takes hours. With a stick blender it takes minutes.
- Immersion blenderMine is currently out of stock — any cheap stick blender does the job just as well.View on Amazon
- Infrared thermometerPoint and read — no probe to wash lye off afterwards. Aim at the oil itself rather than the side of a steel jug; shiny metal reflects and reads low.View on Amazon
- Silicone spatulasWooden handles, and kept for soap rather than shared with the kitchen.View on Amazon
Shaping
Where the batter goes, where it stays until it's firm, and what turns the loaf into bars.
Containers
One vessel for the lye solution, another for the oils. Never aluminum, tin, or zinc — lye reacts with all three. Borosilicate handles a sudden change in temperature better than ordinary tempered glass, which is why it's worth knowing which one you've got.
- 2 cup measuring jugBorosilicateGood for small amounts, and for weighing oils out one at a time.View on Amazon
- 4 cup measuring jugBorosilicateThe size I reach for most — big enough for a full lye solution.View on Amazon
- 8 cup batter bowlNot borosilicateTempered soda-lime rather than borosilicate, though I've used it for years.View on Amazon
- Oil storage bottlesFor decanting the big jugs into something you can actually pour from.View on Amazon
Safety
This part isn't optional. Add an N95 respirator when you're handling dry lye.
Before your first batch
Every recipe comes with its own equipment checklist, so you know exactly what that batch needs.