Find Out How to Use Chocolate Melting Machine

If you work with a big volume of chocolate a lot of the time, having to melt your chocolate each time you need to work with it might be a hassle. Melting huge chunks of chocolate takes time, and the fact that it will solidify again after a short while makes working with chocolate very time-sensitive. If this is the case, then a chocolate melting machine might just be what you need.

In this article, we will talk about what you need to know about chocolate melting machine.

What Is a Chocolate Melting Machine?

As the name suggests, chocolate melting machine, or sometimes simply called a chocolate melter, is an appliance that is used to melt chocolate to the desired temperature. 

Different machines have different principles, but generally it is a large pan set in a water bath. You can control the temperature of the water, which then heats up the pan and warms the chocolate to the temperature you want. The machine also keeps the chocolate at that temperature you have set.

A chocolate melting machine pretty much has the same principle as the bain-marie method of melting chocolate, but with this machine, you can precisely control the temperature so that the melted chocolate is ready to use whenever you need it.

Another type of chocolate melting machine uses induction heating, where the machine is heated by inducing an electric current within it. With this principle, the machine doesn’t need to be filled with water. This method reduces the risk of water affecting the chocolate’s characteristics, and makes the machine easier to clean.

Besides melting chocolate, you can even use chocolate melting machine to temper your chocolate. This can be done using the seeding method, where you add tempered chocolate into cooled melted chocolate, stir until it completely dissolves, then bring it to its working temperature. Tempering chocolate using a melter will require you to do it manually, though. For automatic tempering, you may want to take a look at chocolate tempering machines.

Advantages of Using a Chocolate Melting Machine

1. It can hold the chocolate temperature

First of all, by using a melter, you can not only melt the chocolate but also hold it at a certain temperature. This is useful if you want to keep the chocolate melted prior to working with it. Our chefs at Embassy Chocolate do this all the time – they melt the chocolate the afternoon before, and in the morning after, their chocolate is ready to be used.

2. Easy to use

With a chocolate melting machine, all you need to do is power it on and set the temperature you need. Just make sure that you set it to a safe temperature where the chocolate won’t risk burning due to a temperature that’s too high.

3. Various capacity available

There is a big variety of capacity available on the market, anything from small scale home use for domestic & small businesses, all the way to large scale commercial use for well-established businesses. You can pick out the capacity that is best suited for your business.

How to Use Chocolate Melting Machine

Operating chocolate melting machine is very easy. Here is all you need to do.

Step 1

For chocolate melting machine which has the bain-marie principle, you will need to fill the machine with water first. Skip this step for chocolate melting machine with induction heating.

Step 2

Turn on the appliance and set it on the desired temperature depending on the type of chocolate: 50-55°C for dark chocolate and 45-50°C for milk and white chocolate.

Step 3

Add the chocolate into the machine. If you are using chocolate blocks, chop the chocolate into smaller pieces first to facilitate melting. If you’re using chocolate coins, you can simply add the chocolate as is.

Step 4

Close the lid and let the chocolate melt overnight.

Step 5

The next day, your chocolate should be completely melted. Stir the chocolate to make sure there are no lumps left. Bring the chocolate to working temperature. That is, 31-32°C for dark chocolate, 30-31°C for milk chocolate, and 29-30°C for white chocolate.

Step 6

The chocolate is ready to use. For couverture chocolate, we highly recommend tempering the chocolate first before molding, coating or dipping.

Additional tip when using a chocolate melting machine

Chocolate melting machines hold chocolate at a specific temperature, but the chocolate needs to be manually stirred from time to time to ensure a consistent temperature. Therefore, when using a chocolate melting machine, make sure to stir the chocolate regularly to keep the chocolate at the bottom of the pan from caramelizing. This is especially important for white chocolate, which has a tendency to change its color over time due to caramelization.

If you need high-quality couverture chocolate for any of your baking, dessert, or chocolate-making applications, then check out our couverture chocolate range on our products page. For more information regarding the pricing, speak to one of our knowledgeable sales reps by visiting our contact page.