What Kind Of Chocolate For Chocolate Fountain?

If you’re looking to set up a chocolate fountain machine, then one of your primary concerns will be the kind of chocolate you put in it. Besides, this is essentially what a fountain is all about! 

But if you’re new to this kind of machine, naturally, you will have questions about the type of chocolate you can (and perhaps should) use. 

What’s the best chocolate for them? What’s the worst chocolate for them? Can you even put normal chocolate in them? 

These are the questions we will be answering today. 

So without further ado, let’s get started.

Can You Use Any Chocolate For A Chocolate Fountain?

You cannot use any type of chocolate for a chocolate fountain; some types of chocolate are not suitable for use in a chocolate fountain. 

We’ll talk about what chocolates aren’t suitable a bit later. For now, let’s focus on the good news.

The good news is that there are plenty of chocolates you can put in your chocolate fountain. There are also plenty of options.

When you’re looking for a chocolate that you could put in your fountain, here’s what you need to bear in mind.

What Chocolate Can You Use In A Chocolate Fountain?

Chocolate With Low Viscosity

Chocolate fountains require chocolate that can easily be formulated to have a low viscosity. Which basically means they can easily be melted and made runny. 

But it also needs to be thinned out. 

If you add chocolate to a fountain that hasn’t been thinned out, then it will clog the machine. This means no more pretty cascading chocolate tiers and chocolate dipping for your guests.

So, you want a chocolate that will be fluid and flow well when melted at the fountain’s operating temperature.

If you want to test whether a chocolate will work, it’s pretty easy. Simply try and emulate the fountain’s operating temperature and see if the chocolate is fluid and flows well.

Chocolate With A High Cocoa Butter Content

You also want a chocolate with a high cocoa butter content. 

Cocoa butter is also known as Theobroma oil. That’s exactly what it is. A type of edible oil fat extract which is commonly used to make chocolate. 

So why is a high cocoa butter content necessary in a chocolate fountain chocolate?

Well, it is because it is an oil. If there isn’t enough oil in the chocolate when it’s running through the fountain, then the flow will become too vicious, which could result in it clogging. 

That would be an effective way of spoiling the party atmosphere amongst your guests. 

However, if there’s too much oil being churned up in the fountain, then the chocolate could become too sunny and slimy. So a balance has to be found. 

What Types Of Chocolate Are Best To Use In A Chocolate Fountain?

The best chocolate for a fountain is luxury Belgian chocolate.

Chocolate fountains are synonymous with luxury. So it makes sense that the best chocolate to fill them up with is also luxurious chocolate.

And the Belgians know what they’re doing when it comes to luxurious chocolate. Trust me. I’ve been to Bruges!

Seriously though, Belgium is perhaps the kingdom of chocolate. 

They quickly became the most developed chocolate industry in the world at the end of the 19th century when they had excellent access to cocoa beans from the Congo, which at the time was an oversea territory of theirs.

From then on, the people of Belgium turned chocolate making into an art form. The machinery and techniques used became more innovative. 

The whole world would flock to Belgium to receive its famous chocolate, so mouth-watering and rich in flavor and texture that they were seen as gods…ok, maybe I’m overdoing it now.

‘That’s all great and all, and thanks for the history lesson, Mister Candy Man. But where is the proof? Why is Belgian chocolate so good for melting and chocolate fountains?’

Well, I’ll tell you, my inquisitive chocolate-loving friend.

Belgian chocolate will melt extremely easily, even at low temperatures, so it won’t burn either. 

It will flow so well, and the perfect consistency to flow cascade down your installed fountain.

At the same time, the flavor of Belgian chocolate, when melted, will still be rich and delicious.

If it’s from Belgium, it’s probably yum yum!

So the higher the quality of the chocolate you plan to put in your fountain, the better. So long as it has the right cocoa butter content and it flows well. 

But luxury chocolates normally always do this anyway.

Chocolate wafers are usually the way to go as they are designed to suit melting.

White, milk or dark chocolate will all be fine so long as they fulfill the set-out criteria. Do they melt, thin, and flow well? Do they contain a high amount of cocoa butter? 

You’ll find brands out there, which don’t necessarily have to be Belgian, that are specifically designed for melting. So that might be a good place to start looking.

Wilton’s, for example, has a pro-melting chocolate wafers line that is specifically designed for use in chocolate fountains. They’re made to a perfect size that allows them to be heated evenly and easily.

So to summarise, you want high-quality chocolates, preferably from Belgian brands.

The chocolate must contain high amounts of cocoa butter so as to not clog the machine. 

And the chocolate must melt well. Thin well. And flow well. 

It doesn’t matter if it’s milk, white or dark chocolate; so long as it meets these standards I have laid out, then it can be used in your fountain to cater to and entertain your guests.

What Chocolate Should You Not Use In A Chocolate Fountain?

You should not use chocolate with a low cocoa butter content, with toppings in, cheap grocery store chocolate, and some other specific types of chocolate…

Right. Now it’s time for the bad news. So let’s go through every case of unsuitable chocolate one by one. Starting with…

Chocolates With Low Cocoa Butter Content

We’ve spoken about how good cocoa butter is for chocolate fountains. As it’s an oil, it helps to stop clogging by keeping the fountain’s flow nice and smooth.

So, it makes sense not to use chocolates that have a low cocoa butter content. If you do use these, then you run the very likely risk of the fountain’s flow becoming too viscous. 

The result could be clogging. If the fountains clog, it’s not going to work. Instead of being the party’s main event, the chocolate fountain will be the party pooper!

So avoid chocolates with low cocoa butter content.

Chocolate With Toppings

Other things can clog a chocolate fountain, like crumbs that fall in from any foods that are being dipped. So be careful what dippers you provide your guests with.

At the same time, you will need to avoid using any chocolates that have toppings or bits in them. 

For a start, they’re probably not going to melt well like the rest of the chocolate.

If they haven’t melted properly, then they could also potentially clog up the fountain. And as we’ve learned a hundred times already today, a clogged chocolate fountain will not work.

Cheap/Unbranded Grocery Store Chocolate 

As we’ve learned today, quality is essential when it comes to the chocolate you need to put into your fountain.

Filling your fountain with melted cheap chocolate isn’t a good idea.

Neither is melting the big brands that we love. Just because they’re a successful and delicious chocolate brand does not mean that they are suitable for use in a chocolate fountain. 

Think about it. Can you imagine melting a load of Snickers bars to supply your fountain?

The problem with the cheap chocolate that you get at the groceries is that its formulation is too thick. 

So it struggles to melt easily, quickly, and evenly. 

Once it has melted, its consistency is far too thick and sticky.

‘Ah, that’s alright. We’ll just add vegetable oil to help it flow smoothly.’

Yes, vegetable oil is helpful for that. But we only add a little bit of vegetable oil to each chocolate fountain. 

To improve the flow and consistency of melted cheap grocery store chocolate, you’re going to have to use loads of vegetable oil, which will ruin the taste!

Some Other Specific Types of Chocolate…

There are some types of chocolate that you perhaps wouldn’t expect to be a problem when it comes to chocolate fountains. 

Don’t worry; they are rather niche chocolates, so the chances are you weren’t going to pick them anyway.

Just in case, let’s quickly talk through them.

Almond Bark. Big no-no. It will melt to too thick a consistency, so it will not flow smoothly. To be honest, it probably won’t flow at all. 

Chocolate that is used for coating foods is also not a good idea. You may see some irony in that since we are coating foods in chocolate when we dip them into a fountain.

The reality is that these chocolates will also melt to be too thick.

Finally

Sure, the taste of the chocolate in your fountain is important. But plenty of chocolate tastes good when melted. 

What we’re looking for here really is how well a chocolate melts and how well it will flow in a fountain.

The Belgians lead the way here.

Remember, it’s not about quantity but quality…

…although, make sure you have enough chocolate as well. You don’t want some guests to feel left out!

FAQs

Check out my other chocolate fountain guides:

• Best Chocolate For Chocolate Fountain
• How Much Chocolate For A Chocolate Fountain?
• What To Dip In A Chocolate Fountain
• How Much Is A Chocolate Fountain?
• How Long Can a Chocolate Fountain Run?
• Why Is My Chocolate Fountain Not Flowing?
• Can You Leave Chocolate In A Chocolate Fountain?
• How Do Chocolate Fountains Work?