How to Melt Wax for Candles (Double Boiler and Other Ways)

Why wax is melted with indirect heat

Wax burns. That is the whole point of a candle, and it is also why melting it needs care. Every method below has the same goal: warm the wax gently and evenly, so you can stop at the temperature your wax maker asks for and never let any part of it overheat.

A pan of wax set straight on a burner heats from the bottom with nothing to limit it. A double boiler is self-limiting in a useful way: the water around the pitcher cannot get much hotter than boiling, so the wax warms slowly and you have time to watch the thermometer.

Four ways to melt wax, compared

Method 1 and 2: double boiler or pouring pitcher in a pan

These are the same method with different equipment, and it is the one most suppliers teach first.

1. Fill a large saucepan about half full of water and set it on the stove.
2. Weigh your wax into a pouring pitcher or a smaller pan. (How much? See How Much Wax Do I Need for a Candle?.)
3. Set the pitcher in the water and heat on medium-low until the wax is completely melted. Add water to the outer pan if it runs low.
4. Keep a thermometer in the wax the whole time and stir now and then.
5. When the wax reaches the temperature on your data sheet, take it off the heat to add fragrance (see below).
6. Dry the outside of the pitcher before you pour, so no water drips into your jars.

Keep these pans for wax only. A major supplier says that once a pan has been used for wax it cannot go back to cooking, and that its waxes, fragrances and dyes are not food-safe.

Method 3: an electric wax melter

A purpose-built wax melter holds a large amount of wax at a set temperature and dispenses it through a tap or spout. As an example, one supplier’s 19 lb (9 L) stainless steel melter has a dial thermostat that runs from 122°F (50°C) to 212°F (100°C). Melters suit batch production: once your recipe is proven, they make every pour come out at the same temperature.

A thermostat dial is a setting, not a reading. Check the wax itself with a thermometer, and still never leave the melter running unattended.

Method 4: the microwave (with care)

Suppliers disagree on the microwave, so here is what each says. One US supplier’s beginner kit lets you microwave its soy wax in a heat-safe bag, following the bag’s instructions. Another supplier describes microwaving soy or coconut wax in 30-second intervals and says the method is not suitable for paraffin. A third limits it to plant waxes and says to take the wax out while a little is still solid and stir until it melts the rest of the way.

If you use it: small amounts only, a microwave-safe container, short bursts, a stir and a temperature check between each one, and never walk away. The microwave heats unevenly, so the thermometer matters even more here than on the stove.

What temperature to melt wax to

There is no single right number. Use your wax’s data sheet for each of the three temperatures you care about: the one where fragrance goes in, the one you pour at, and anything it says about how hot is too hot.

Two real examples show why. A popular container soy wax’s maker says to heat it to 185°F (85°C), take it off the heat, add fragrance, and pour at 125–145°F (52–63°C). A major supplier pours its own soy wax at 160°F (71°C). Both are correct for their wax.

Taking the wax off the heat before adding fragrance is not fussiness: that same wax maker says it protects fragrance oils with lower flash points. More on timing in When to Add Fragrance Oil.

Fire safety while melting wax

• Stay with it. Never leave melting wax unattended, on the stove or in a melter.
• Keep a thermometer in the wax. It is the only way to know you are under the temperature your data sheet gives.
• Keep a fire extinguisher within reach and know how to use it, as one major supplier advises. A wax maker’s safety data sheet lists foam, carbon dioxide or dry powder as suitable for its wax.
• Keep a metal lid next to the pan.
• Keep water out of the wax. Wipe the pitcher dry before pouring and keep drinks off the work surface.
• Watch for overheating. Follow the maximum working temperature on the specific wax data sheet and turn off the heat if the wax exceeds it.

How hot does wax have to get before it can ignite? Published flash points are well above normal working temperatures: the CDC’s NIOSH guide lists paraffin wax at 390°F, and one soy container wax’s safety data sheet lists over 600°F. Fragrance oils can have much lower flash points, which is one more reason to add them off the heat. These figures are not a safe working range; your data sheet’s temperatures are.

After the wax is melted

From here the steps are fragrance, cooling to pour temperature, pouring and curing. The full walkthrough is in How to Make Candles at Home. If the finished candles show sinkholes or rough tops, see Candle Sinkholes and Rough Tops.