The first step in tempering chocolate is melting the chocolate... Properly!

You might be thinking, what's the big deal about melting chocolate?

Chocolate is a low melting point food.  It melts just below human body temperature.  While this low melting point means it’s easy to melt in the mouth, it also means it’s easy to burn when direct heat is used. Overheating chocolate will cause it to burn.  Burnt chocolate is irreversibly damaged and cannot be used.

In addition to burning, another potential problem when melting chocolate is "seizing".  This can happen if you use an indirect heating method like a hot water and a double boiler. Small amounts of water will cause the chocolate to “seize” or become hard and crumbly.  Seized chocolate is irreversibly damaged and cannot be used.

There are several ways to melt chocolate effectively.

Microwave method

1. Place a few chucks of chocolate in a microwave safe bowl.

2. Heat the chocolate at 50% power for one minute.  Remove and stir. If chocolate is not melted, return to the microwave at 50% power for 30 seconds.  Remove and stir.

3. Repeat every 30 seconds until chocolate is nearly melted. When small lumps remain, do not heat, but continue to stir until all is melted.  The key to melting is in the stirring.  Latent heat will continue to melt the chocolate while stirring.

The microwave method is the fastest way to melt chocolate but is also the easiest way to burn it if you are not careful.

Double boiler or bowl over hot water method

1. Place small chucks of chocolate in the top pan of a double boiler over hot, but not boiling, water.  If the water is boiling, some may splash into the top pan and ruin the chocolate.
2. If you don’t have a double boiler, then use a glass bowl or metal mixing bowl over a sauce pan filled ½ full with hot, but not boiling, water.
3. Allow the chocolate to melt, stirring it occasionally.

This is a slower method, but there is very little risk of burning. Just be careful of the water!

Oven method

This method is really effective, especially if you want to melt a large amount of chocolate at one time or if you have to leave the chocolate in larger chunks. Your oven must heat evenly and be set to a very low temperature of 100°F.

1. Place the amount of chocolate you want to melt into an oven safe bowl or pan.
2. Let the chocolate melt at 100°F, stirring every 5 minutes until completely melted.

Of the three melting methods presented, this one takes the most time to melt.  A benefit though, once melted, the chocolate can be held at this temperature in the oven for the entire time you need to work with it.  There is little risk of burning and no water to splash.

In the next article in this series I'll go over the "seed" method of tempering...

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Bryn Kirk

Course Facilitator at Chocolate University Online

Bryn worked for nearly 10 years in a research and product development for Ambrosia Chocolate Company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Now she develops all of the CUO lessons and coaches the members of the Primal Chocolate Club.

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