Q&A for How to Melt Chocolate

This is called “seizing.” It can happen if water gets into your chocolate, which attracts the sugar particles in the chocolate and causes clumps to form. To prevent this, make sure your bowl and stirring spoon are completely dry before you start melting the chocolate.

Yes, stir the chocolate frequently to keep it from burning and help it melt more evenly.

Adding some type of oil or fat will help the chocolate melt more smoothly. Try mixing in a little bit of coconut or vegetable oil for a creamier result. Use 1 tablespoon of oil per 6 ounces of chocolate, and warm up the oil a little before you mix it in so your chocolate doesn’t seize up.

Do not put a lid on the chocolate when melting it because this will cause condensation under the lid. The water that drips from the lid will fall into the melting chocolate and cause it to seize.

Unfortunately, chocolate that has been burned or scorched takes on an unpleasant flavor. This cannot be undone or fixed; the best thing you can do is throw the burned chocolate away and start over with a new amount of chocolate.

Put a rack under the cake to catch the excess ganache. Pour the ganache all over the cake. That's it!

It seems that your chocolate may have "seized". This happens when water gets into the melted chocolate (chocolate is dry and has no moisture after processing) or if the chocolate has been overheated or even burned. If the chocolate is scorched or burned, it cannot be rescued as it will taste bad. However, if you get water into the chocolate while melting it, consider transforming it into a chocolate sauce, ganache or cake filling; at least this still is useful even though it won't be useful for molding or setting as chocolate.

Pour a cup of water into a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Then place a heat-proof bowl on top of the pan and empty the chocolate chips into the bowl. Stir gently until the chocolate is completely melted. Remove from the pan, and it's ready for dipping.

The double-boiler method will work for white chocolate. The microwave method may be riskier, because white chocolate has a different melting point than milk or dark chocolate. If you do choose to use it, you may need to adjust the cooking times. You can find detailed instructions on melting white chocolate here: How to Melt White Chocolate .

Put the cookie in the fridge for 25 to 60 minutes, or put it in the freezer for a few minutes. The chocolate will eventually harden again, even if you leave it at room temperature.

Whatever type you prefer -- or whatever your recipe calls for, if applicable. Dark, white, and milk chocolate all work.

Yes, just put the stove on low heat and cook it in a small saucepan. Don't add any water, and stir it often so that it doesn't burn.

Fat bloom. You let your chocolate get too warm. Store it in a dry place at about 68 degrees.

Chocolate with a high level of cocoa butter is best for coating dainty and quality types of biscuits. You will know the chocolate is suitable if it has the words "couverture" in it. Be aware that this chocolate is more expensive than standard eating chocolate and quite a lot more expensive than typical melting chocolate brands. However, it is worth the additional cost for the excellent result achieved.

A heat-proof bowl is generally glass (such as Pyrex) and can be purchased at any retail store. On the bottom of the bowl it should say it is either heat-proof or can be used in an oven.

You are either not stirring it enough, or you are exposing it to the burning pan and letting it harden in the pan.

Not really, the heat transferred to the plastic bowl can cause it over-heat and melt. Stick to bowls that can handle heat, such as glass.

Milk could cause your chocolate to seize. Try using butter or coconut oil instead.

If you're going for a cool-whip kind of chocolaty cream, just fold your chocolate into the cream. Just make sure the chocolate is not too hot. If you're going for buttercream, make some regular buttercream and fold in chocolate that's melted with cream poured on to it.

Yes, the same method should work for white chocolate.

Coconut oil will smooth out the texture and prevent the chocolate from hardening again as quickly.

Your chocolate may be too thick, or it may not be warm enough. If that's not the case, you may need to try using a different brand of chocolate.

Try making your own chocolate from cocoa powder, coconut oil, and your chosen sweetener.

To get chocolate to harden again after you heat it, you have to temper it.

Adding other ingredients like honey to your chocolate can cause it to seize, due to the moisture present in the honey.

Check out the manufacturer's instructions that came with the fountain. If you don't have them, search online for the fountain's brand and model number to try to find the instructions.

To start, you'd need to live in an area where the cocoa bean grows naturally, like the tropics in Central and South America.

The chocolate will burn. It will have a dry, grainy, or crumbly texture, and it will taste scorched.

No, you can use any type of spoon you want. However, a wooden spoon typically has a longer handle and doesn't conduct heat, so you're less likely to burn yourself.

Do not add water to your chocolate as it's melting. The chocolate will clump up, or seize.