How to melt chocolate: The best three ways

In the world we live in, people are cooking at home much more and eating out less. Not only is developing skills in the kitchen fun, it's also challenging. Many times, home cooks develop techniques after many failed attempts. Thank goodness for the internet; the failed attempts should be less with all of the great advice out there. One question we get asked often is how do you melt chocolate most effectively. We'll help answer that question and hopefully save you time and give you a valuable technique you can use repeatedly.

Firstly, what type of chocolate do you want to melt? Many recipes that call for melted chocolate may not need real chocolate. Suppose your desire is to dip cookies or fruit or other foods in warm melted chocolate as a fondue. In that case, it may not be necessary to use "real chocolate" that requires tempering. A compound coating or chocolate chips from the grocery store might be the perfect simple solution for your needs. After deciding which type of chocolate, you need here is How to melt chocolate: The best three ways

The first way is on the stove on a double boiler, a pot with a heatproof bowl.

If using real chocolate, chop up big chunks into smaller pieces; if using chips or compound coating, no need to chop.
On the stove, pour a few inches of water into the pot or double boiler.
Place the heatproof bowl over the pot, or use the double boiler making sure the water does touch the bottom of the bowl.
Heat the water till it simmers and then turn off the heat.
Add chopped chocolate, chocolate chips a little at a time, stirring gently. As the chocolate melts, add the remainder of the chocolate.

Chocolate Double Boiler

The second way to melt chocolate is in the microwave.

You will need a microwave-safe dish and a heatproof spatula
Add Chopped chocolate or chips to the bowl and microwave for 30-second intervals once or twice and then 10-15 second intervals until melted.
You must stir the chocolate after each heating increment because the chocolate chunks' center may be sweltering while the outside pieces still look firm and unmelted.
The risk of burning the chocolate is very high using the microwave; it only takes a second.

The Third way is to use a crockpot.