How does a chocolate fountain work?
A chocolate fountain is essentially an apparatus made from stainless steel
that serves molten chocolate fondue.
A motor at the base of the fountain is used for heating the prepared chocolate morsels that are placed in a heating tray.
A central corkscrew pushes the molten chocolate up through a column. Upon reaching the top of the fountain, which may be 2-4 feet in height and have multiple tiers, the chocolate flows down.
The chocolate flows into one tray and spills on to the next till it reaches the bottom tier. After the chocolate cascade reaches the base of the fountain, the whole process is repeated again.
The first melting of the chocolate can also be carried out in a microwave or a double boiler. The fountain is placed on a base that is sturdy enough to hold around 40 kilograms of weight and is close to a power socket.
Chocolate high in cocoa butter, such as couverture chocolate, is ideal for use in fountains. The chocolate can be either milk or dark.
Chocolate low in cocoa butter must be supplemented with vegetable oil; however, this hampers the smoothness and taste of the chocolate.
Chocolate fountains are available as home and commercial versions that can be used for a variety of occasions such as parties, film premieres, bar mitzvahs, and product launches. A home fountain is ideal for a gathering of around 25 people.
Chocolate fountains are available for rent from catering companies and party supply stores. These also provide an attendant who ensures that the fountain works properly, the chocolate cascades smoothly, and there is no abuse of the fountain at the hands of eager children.
Tidbits such as fruit pieces, cheesecakes, marshmallows, etc are kept around the fountain. These can be skewered on to toothpicks and dipped in the fountain. Generally, anything that is not liable to crumbling will be fine for dipping in a chocolate fountain.
Chocolate fountains can be rented at an hourly rate that includes the charges for the attendant’s services and the cost of the chocolate used.
Usually, chocolate fountains are operated for no more than two hours during a party; normally they are functioning when appetizers and desserts are served.
They can also be an additional item in a buffet. Installing a chocolate fountain in the outdoors is not recommended as insects get drawn by the aroma of chocolate and breeze may disrupt the flow.
Chocolate Fondue Fountain
Do you want a attract a crowd of people at a party? You don’t have to tell the best stories or tell the funniest jokes.
All you need to do is stand near the chocolate fountain. Adding a chocolate fountain will liven up even the dullest parties.
Most people love chocolate and what better way to serve chocolate than have it flowing out of fountain. A chocolate fondue fountain is a great addition to any party.
Chocolate fondue is a great dessert to serve at small gathering but quite difficult to serve at larger parties. Now with chocolate fondue fountains, your guests can still experience the taste of chocolate covered strawberries,
bananas, pineapple, pound cake or anything else they want to dunk into the delightful chocolate waterfall that flows out of the fountain. You may have enjoyed a chocolate fountain at the last wedding or graduation party that you’ve attended.
And now chocolate fountains are becoming popular home appliances. Several companies make home versions and although the quality of these machines varies greatly, chocolate fondue fountains can now be enjoyed at your backyard gatherings or anytime you like.
Most of these chocolate fondue fountains work the same way. First you melt chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave.
Then you add vegetable oil to the chocolate so that it is fluid enough to be pumped through the fountain. The home appliance have small heating units that will keep melted chocolate flowing, but they aren’t hot enough for the initial melting of the chocolate.
Chocolate chips are the easiest form of chocolate to melt and use in your fondue fountain. But using a premium chocolate will make it taste even better. And for adult parties, add a splash of Grand Marnier or a fruit flavored brandy such as blackberry brandy.
If you don’t have a lot of time before your party to cut up fruits and cakes for dunking, why not buy a fruit platter.
Salty foods will also be a hit in the chocolate fountain. Be sure to put out pretzels and potato chips. People may be hesitant to try them at first but once they do,
they’ll be hooked. Marshmallows and angel food cake are also popular. You really have a lot of options when it comes to foods to dunk in your chocolate fondue fountain. Just about anything tastes great when dunked in chocolate.
Cleanup is a breeze if your fountain is dishwasher safe but be sure to keep it running until you’re ready to clean it. Letting the chocolate cool and get hard will turn cleaning your fountain into a major chore.
A chocolate fondue fountain has always been a memorable item to have at a wedding or large party but home versions are also gaining in popularity. Once you’ve seen the attention it draws, you may even add a chocolate fountain to your next party.
Chocolate Fondue Fountain – Buying Chocolate
Most people don’t put much effort into buying chocolate for a chocolate fondue fountain. Perhaps they have a few bags of chocolate chips on hand or they’ll even buy some of those brick sized chocolate bars.
Sure this will work fine and the whole fountain concept will still impress your party guests. But true chocolate aficionados use gourmet chocolate in their fountains and you can definitely taste the difference.
Melting regular supermarket chocolate chips is not an option in the most popular home versions of the chocolate fondue fountain.
The chocolate will be too thick and if it can actually be pumped to the top of the fountain, you won’t get that cascading waterfall effect that these machines are famous for.
Plain chocolate will just drip if you’re lucky. If you’re unlucky, it will clog your fountain, leaving you with a few pounds of chocolate that needs to be melted with hot water before you can use your fountain again.
When using regular chocolate, you will need to add a significant amount of vegetable oil in order for the chocolate to be fluid enough for the fountain to work.
The best way to melt supermarket chocolate is with a double boiler. For every two pounds of chocolate, you should slowly add one cup of vegetable oil while stirring.
If you can handle your double boiler and an electric mixer at once, then the mixing won’t be too hard. You probably won’t need the entire cup of oil so add it slowly and stop when you think the chocolate looks right.
But don’t forget that you can’t add more oil when the chocolate is already in the fountain. So if you are in doubt, add more oil.
The easiest way to set up your chocolate fondue fountain is to use couverture chocolate. Couverture is a French word that means to cover.
Courverture chocolate is usually used for making candies or for dipping so it’s perfect for a chocolate fountain. It’s made with a higher percentage of cocoa butter than normal chocolate and melts to a smoother texture.
Couverture chocolate will give you that elegant looking waterfall effect without any additional oil or mixing required. The only drawback is that it’s very expensive when compared to supermarket chocolate.
Melting couverture chocolate is the same as regular chocolate. Either use a double boiler or a microwave. Since you won’t be adding any
additional oil or using the electric mixer, the microwave can work great. Set the microwave for a minute at a time and stir in between.
Whoever decided that turning a chocolate fondue fountain into a home appliance should be given a medal. Why save the chocolate fountain for weddings and other large parties when you can now set it up every weekend.
If you are having a birthday party or a barbeque, why not add some pizzazz to the event with a chocolate fondue fountain.
Whether you choose expensive couverture chocolate or regular supermarket chocolate chips, it’s sure to taste delicious.
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