A chocolate fountain is a fun and entertaining way to provide a cascading waterfall of chocolate for your guests or family. The fountain serves as a decorative device for serving chocolate fondue.
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The right consistency needs to be achieved to reach the correct texture for the chocolate to fall down the fountain. The chocolate is poured into the fountain in the base, the fountain is turned on to provide the heat which is controlled by a thermostat, and the motor turns the rotating blades to start the flow of chocolate. A corkscrew-type piece, called an auger, turns slowly in a rhythmic-like pattern; this draws the chocolate up to the top of the chocolate fountain. The fountain usually comes apart for easy clean-up as the pieces can be washed in a dishwasher. In most cases, the parts of the chocolate fountain are made from stainless steel for durability and allow the heat to be retained. Most fountains are solid and weigh approximately 40-90 pounds when empty. A small fountain contains about 9 pounds of chocolate and will feed up to 100 people. A medium sized fountain holds 20 pounds of chocolate and is 30 inches and can feed over 100 people. A larger fountain can provide enough liquid chocolate for over 250 people for a reasonable amount of time.
The best chocolate to use in a chocolate fountain is a chocolate containing more cocoa butter than most regular eating chocolate. The chocolate usually contains 33-44% more cocoa butter than the chocolate you get in bars or chips. This type of chocolate is called Couverture, the French word meaning covering. Milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate, and dairy-free chocolate will all be good choices for use in the chocolate fountain. These chocolates work best when the product is first melted in a double boiler to achieve the deserved consistency, after which it can be placed into the chocolate fountain. The low-temperature heater will keep a regulated temperature of the chocolate to retain the flow of the wonderful covering. A chocolate that is too cold will not drop smoothly from tier to tier. A too-hot chocolate will become too thin and leave gaps in the waterfall effect.
Products that are best dipped into the chocolate fountain are marshmallows, pretzels, strawberries and other fruit such as bananas and grapes, cookies, and anything that complements the chocolate. The least desirable items would be something that crumbles or could add crumbles to the chocolate, that in turn could cause the fountain’s holes to become plugged, affecting the flow of chocolate. Using a long fork, skewer or stick can make it easier to enjoy the chocolate dipping pleasure.
