Melting Chocolate
it's easy once you know how ...

Melting chocolate is not difficult - let me tell you about three ways of melting chocolate.

Whether you need to melt chocolate to make chocolate dipped strawberries, a fondue, decorate a cake or make a chocolate buttercream there is a method here that will suit you.

I explain how to melt chocolate using a double boiler, the microwave and the oven.

Melting Chocolate Tips

• Chocolate buttons are the best for melting if you want to dip or make chocolate decorations. If your favourite chocolate does not come in this form then roughly chop to a small size. The small piece size means that the chocolate will melt quickly and evenly.

• Chocolates all vary in their thicknesses when melted. If the chocolate you have chosen looks as if it will be too thick when melted to dip then add 1 teaspoon of plain light coloured vegetable oil to 2 cups of chocolate buttons. Stir through thoroughly. This will make the job a lot easier without diminishing the flavour. If it needs more then add a little but too much will cause the chocolate to seize.

• If you are adding melted chocolate to a recipe then follow what they recommend. But remember only ever use a chocolate in any of your baking that you are willing to eat. If it does not taste nice when you eat it it wont when you bake with it. You do not need to use the most expensive chocolate in fact I never do. Instead I use my favourite baking chocolates usually a dark chocolate to give extra flavour to my cakes and creams.

• When melting the chocolate avoid overheating and contact with steam or water. Any water added to the chocolate while it is melting will cause the chocolate to seize and you will need to start again.

  Question: I’m having a birthday party in 2 days and I plan on melting chocolate to dip fruit in and I was wondering if simply melting chocolate using a double boiler and then transferring to a bowl will work, should I add something to stop it clumping and will it stay melted without heat? Also what type of chocolate should I use? Thanks heaps Kelsey – Australia Answer: Dear Kelsey, You can melt any type of chocolate in the double boiler but make sure it is one you like to eat. If the chocolate looks a little thick for dipping once it is melted (they vary so much) you can mix through 1 -2 teaspoons of a light coloured vegetable oil not olive as it is too strong in flavour. When you use the double boiler make sure the water does not touch the top pan. If you plan on melting chocolate and serving straight away then you do not need to worry about keeping it warm (in summer). If you think it is going to sit there a while then maybe you could sit the bowl of melted chocolate over another bowl containing hot water. You could wrap the outside of the bowl in a cloth to match the party theme then place in the center on a large plate with the fruits that you plan to dip around them. You can change the hot water if the chocolate starts to set. And if all else fails and it starts to set pop the bowl in the microwave for 20sec on high give a good stir and maybe another 20secs and stir again and it will be ready for dipping again. I hope this helps have a great birthday party! Michelle

  Question: Hi I am trying to do chocolate boats like those you eat in the wedding filled with whipped cream. I have a problem with the boats, the chocolate is stuck with the mould. What should I do so it wont stick? (Vanessa – Malta) Answer: Hi Vanessa, I have two suggestions for you. I'm not exactly sure what the chocolate boat is that you are having trouble with but it always helps to lightly grease your chocolate moulds with a vegetable oil. The oil needs to be one that does not have a strong flavour. I use canola or sunflower and one that is very light in colour. Do not use olive oils as they have a strong flavour which the chocolate will pick up. The other tip is to place the chocolate coated mould in the refrigerator for a couple of minutes. This hardens and slightly shrinks the chocolate so that you can tip/tap it out. Do this while the chocolate is still cool. I hope this helps you. What I should have said first was THANK YOU for visiting my site. Bye for now, Michelle

  
• Always use heat proof bowls when melting chocolate.

• Try and use small bowls to melt the chocolate. This will reduce the amount of chocolate you will have left over. You can always add more chocolate to the bowl to melt if needed.

• A good use for any left over chocolate is to let it set then grate it, store it in an airtight container ready to decorate a cake or chocolate dessert.

• Do not use a wooden spoon when stirring the chocolate while melting. Often they can still have moisture in them from washing up and they do tend to carry odours from previous cooking.

How To Melt Chocolate

Microwave
Use a heatproof microwave safe bowl. Microwave the chocolate uncovered on 50% power for 1 minute. Stir. Then repeat in 30 second intervals until the chocolate has melted stirring each time. Great care must be taken not to overheat the chocolate using this method.

I think that this is now the most common way of melting chocolate. Its quick and a great way to melt chocolate when you just need a small amount. It makes life easy when you just want to drizzle chocolate over a dessert or make chocolate decorations or melt chocolate to add to a recipe.

Oven
Place the heatproof bowl containing the chocolate buttons in a preheated oven set at 60oC. Leave for 10 minutes, then stir. Leave the bowl in there until the chocolate is completely melted. You can leave the chocolate safely in the oven until ready to use.

This is my favourite way to melt chocolate when making chocolate covered strawberries. I find this is more flexible. I can keep several types of chocolate melted this way. I don’t have the danger of working with steam or the easy chance of over heating in the microwave.



I really hope this has helped in your melting chocolate journey. It is not hard and each method is good for different reasons. Although I think like me you will probably end up using the microwave method the most - its so convenient.

Ideas on how to use melted chocolate

You can find more information on different types of chocolate, chocolate history etc by clicking here.


Return from my melting chocolate page to Inspired By Chocolate And Cakes Home Page