Smart Soapmaking: The Simple Guide to Making Traditional Handmade Soap Quickly, Safely, and Reliably, or How to Make Luxurious Handcrafted Soaps for Family, Friends, and Yourself
by Anne L. Watson
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Book Summary Information
Author: Anne L. WatsonEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2007-01-01
ISBN: 0938497421
Number of pages: 115
Publisher: Shepard Publications
Book Reviews of Smart Soapmaking: The Simple Guide to Making Traditional Handmade Soap Quickly, Safely, and Reliably, or How to Make Luxurious Handcrafted Soaps for Family, Friends, and Yourself
Book Review: It is all that is promised and more.
Summary: 5 Stars
I started making soap back in 2000 and Susan Miller Cavitch's "The Soapmaker's Companion" was my bible. So I was hesitant when people started ranting and raving about this book. After purchasing it I have to say it is all that is promised and more. While I still adore Cavtich's book, there are a couple of reasons I would recommend Watson's book for beginners:
1) It is completely up to date. Not only does she mention using modern stirring methods (stick blender), all of her resources are up to date and impressive. I am a fan of most of the suppliers she lists and was familiar with them.
2) Her recipes are SO accessible! Cavitch's recipes tend to require more "exotic" oils and have a bit of Julia-Child-laundry-list of ingredients. Anne Watson's recipes are bare bones and truly what they claim to be. Her Grocery Store soap ingredients can be bought at any national chain store. Love it! (my only minor complaint is that her recipes make such SMALL batches. I end up having to double most of them.)
3) She provides an excellent guide to making your own recipes. Most soap books (Cavitch's is a little guilty of this) just assume you'll figure it out on your own, or that you'll only make their recipes forever. Watson walks you through creating your own recipes step by step in crystal clear detail.
4) She expresses the correct amount of caution with lye. Some books bog you down with details on how dangerous it is and make you feel as though you should be wearing a hazmat suit while measuring it, while others have a lackadaisical attitude towards it and don't stress safety. Watson communicates that it needs to be treated carefully, but that you don't need to freak out over it.
5) Last, but not least, Watson is contactable. She has her own website and you can contact her with any questions on the book. That, in and of itself, is pretty darn nifty.
Overall I think this is the best soapmaking book for beginners and recommend it to people who are starting out.
More Smart Soapmaking: The Simple Guide to Making Traditional Handmade Soap Quickly, Safely, and Reliably, or How to Make Luxurious Handcrafted Soaps for Family, Friends, and Yourself reviews:
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Summary of Smart Soapmaking: The Simple Guide to Making Traditional Handmade Soap Quickly, Safely, and Reliably, or How to Make Luxurious Handcrafted Soaps for Family, Friends, and Yourself
SPECIAL NOTE! -- ANNE WILL PERSONALLY ANSWER ANY QUESTION OF YOURS AFTER READING THIS BOOK. ASK ON HER WEB SITE, AND YOU'LL NORMALLY HEAR BACK WITHIN HOURS!
Maybe you've made melt-and-pour soap and want to move on to something more challenging and rewarding. Maybe traditional soapmaking appeals to you, but you figure that working with lye is too difficult or dangerous. Or maybe you're already doing it, but outmoded ideas and methods are complicating the process and slowing you down.
No matter which of these fits you, you'll find "Smart Soapmaking" practical, helpful, and refreshing. Written by a former professional soapmaker, this book explodes the myths about soapmaking and shows you how to make luxurious soap with the least fuss and bother.
Anne L. Watson made soap professionally under the company name Soap Tree before deciding that soapmaking was more fun as a hobby than a business. In her other life, she is now retired from a long and honored career as a historic preservation architecture consultant. Her other published books include two novels, "Pacific Avenue" and "Skeeter: A Cat Tale," plus the cookbook "Baking with Cookie Molds." Anne, her husband, Aaron, and their cat, Skeeter, live in Friday Harbor, Washington.
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