Chocolate is great and all, but what if you could have a fountain of chocolate? Yup, I’d definitely pick the fountain overflowing with velvety, smooth, and wonderfully delicious chocolate. How do you use one in the comfort of your own home, though?
Using a chocolate fountain isn’t tricky! All you need to do is microwave your preferred chocolate, assemble and heat the chocolate fountain, and add your melted chocolate to the machine. Then, you can dip all your favorite treats until the chocolate’s gone!
Hi! My name’s Michelle, and just the other day, it was my son’s birthday. Rather than a traditional birthday cake covered in fondant, he requested a chocolate fountain. Naturally, I purchased a chocolate fountain, did some research, and we had the best, most chocolaty party ever.
Keep reading to learn how to use a chocolate fountain!
Contents
How to Use a Chocolate Fountain in 5 Easy Steps
It might seem challenging to use a chocolate fountain, but it’s surprisingly simple. That said, chocolate fountains don’t have to be the delicacies they appear to be. You can whip up a chocolate fountain whenever you want – and it doesn’t even have to be a holiday!
Here are the five simple steps to use a chocolate fountain:
1. Buy a Chocolate Fountain (And Accessories)
Obviously, you won’t be able to use a chocolate fountain if you don’t own one.
There are many top-notch chocolate fountains on the market. My personal favorite is the Nostalgia 3-Tier Electric Chocolate Fondue Fountain Machine.
The tiered design is classy and makes it easy to dip all your favorite goodies into the chocolate, whether pretzels, strawberries, or brownies!
Tip: You’ll also need some skewers and some melting chocolate.
2. Microwave the Chocolate
Now, it’s time to prepare the chocolate for your chocolate fountain.
I 100% recommend using Wilton’s chocolate candy melts. They’re the easiest option, and you won’t have to fiddle around with measurements and the possibility of your chocolate seizing up.
How much chocolate do you need? Well, that depends solely on the type of chocolate fountain you purchased.
For example, my favorite, the Nostalgia 3-Tier Electric Chocolate Fondue Fountain Machine, holds 1.5 pounds of chocolate. Therefore, I will need to put 1.5 pounds of chocolate candy melts into a microwave-safe dish.
Regardless of how much chocolate you microwave, begin by heating the chocolate candy melts for 30 seconds. Remove from the microwave, stir generously, and continue to microwave and stir in 20-second intervals until entirely melted.
Tip: Some people have struggled using candy melts in their chocolate fountains. Personally, I haven’t had a problem. However, if you’re concerned, you can also use chocolate morsels and oil. Add one tablespoon of oil for every cup of chocolate morsels.
3. Assemble and Heat the Chocolate Fountain
Now that your chocolate is ready to go, it’s time to assemble the chocolate fountain.
Don’t worry; it’s easy – and it shouldn’t take you longer than a minute to put the thing together, regardless of which model you bought. Just follow the directions in the instruction manual.
Once it’s put together, you can turn it on and allow it to heat up. Heating should take anywhere from three to five minutes. Do not add your melted chocolate until it’s thoroughly heated, though. Otherwise, it could ruin your perfectly melted chocolate.
Tip: Double-check that your chocolate fountain is on a steady surface. An unstable chocolate fountain will cause you a world of hurt – i.e.; you’ll have chocolate overflowing onto your table!
4. Pour Melted Chocolate into Chocolate Fountain
After heating your chocolate fountain, you can pour your melted chocolate into the machine.
You need to be strategic with your pouring, though. No willy-nilly pours!
Instead, begin by pouring the chocolate over the uppermost portion of the device. Continue to pour over the other sections of the fountain. Any leftover chocolate should be poured directly into the bowl.
Essentially, you should cover the entirety of the chocolate fountain with melted chocolate, leaving no area untouched!
5. Enjoy Your Chocolate Fountain!
That’s it! Your chocolate fountain should be ready to go.
All that’s left to do is grab a skewer and a food item and start dippin’!
Not sure what to serve with your chocolate fountain? Here are some ideas:
- Fruits (strawberries, oranges, raspberries, apples, bananas)
- Marshmallows
- Cookies (Oreos, chocolate chip, double chocolate)
- Brownies
- Pretzels
- Bacon
Tip: If your chocolate fountain isn’t oozing delicious, silky chocolate like it’s supposed to, three different issues may be the cause.
- Double-check that no food items are blocking the flow
- Ensure no liquid has reached the fountain, which will cause clumping
- There may need to be more chocolate for a steady flow
How to Clean a Chocolate Fountain
When you’re done using your chocolate fountain, it’s essential that you clean it immediately. Leaving clean-up for later will result in caked-on chocolate that’s difficult to remove, and who wants to deal with that?
Cleaning your chocolate fountain is easy and should take less than ten minutes to complete. Here’s how:
- Turn the chocolate fountain off and allow it to cool. You don’t want to try and handle a warm chocolate fountain. This could burn your hands!
- Dis-assemble the chocolate fountain. It’s the same way you assembled it. Just do everything backward!
- (Optional) Save any chocolate. If there’s a lot of chocolate leftover – and it isn’t riddled with too many crumbs – go ahead and scrape it off the chocolate fountain into a plastic bag or airtight container. It can be refrigerated for two weeks or frozen for up to a year.
- Rinse the tower pieces. Take the tower pieces to the sink and wash them off with a soapy sponge and water. You may have to use some elbow grease to remove all the chocolate.
- Wipe down the base and bowl. Finally, wipe down the base and bowl using a soapy cloth or paper towel. Do not put these pieces under running water. It will ruin them.
- Let everything air dry. When you’re done washing and wiping your chocolate fountain, and there is no leftover chocolate residue, you can lay everything on a towel on the countertop and let it air dry. Don’t add anything to the dishwasher!
FAQs
See? Using a chocolate fountain is a breeze. The entire setup shouldn’t take longer than ten minutes, which means you can enjoy goodies dipped in chocolate in no time! If you want to learn more about this topic, here are a couple of questions to look at.
Do I need to add oil to the chocolate fountain?
You do not add oil to the chocolate fountain. Instead, add oil to the chocolate morsels before melting them. That way, the chocolate will achieve the right consistency. Add one tablespoon of oil for every cup of chocolate morsels. Microwave for 30 seconds, then 20-second intervals until fully melted.
How do you melt chocolate in a chocolate fountain?
You should never attempt to melt the chocolate inside of the chocolate fountain. You need to melt the chocolate on its own. Then, assemble and heat the fountain. Finally, add the melted chocolate to the chocolate fountain.
Why is my chocolate fountain not flowing?
It is likely an issue of blockage, probably from a piece of food dipped inside the chocolate fountain. However, it may simply be a problem of not having enough melted chocolate for the fountain to function correctly.
Who’s Ready for Chocolate Fountain Fun?
Chocolate fountains might look difficult to use, but they’re surprisingly easy. All you need to do is put the fountain together, melt your chocolate, and be on your way to one of the finest and sweetest dessert experiences of your life!
Do you like using chocolate fountains? What’s your favorite thing to dip? Comment below!
About Michelle