This article was co-authored by Mathew Rice. Mathew Rice has worked in restaurant pastry kitchens across the country since the late 1990's, and currently owns Pink Door Cookies in Nashville. His creations have been featured in Food & Wine, Bon Appetit, and Martha Stewart Weddings. In 2016, Eater named Mathew one of the top 18 chefs to follow on Instagram. In 2018, he appeared in season 18 of the Food Network's Beat Bobby Flay and won his episode.
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Melted chocolate chips are one useful way to get melted chocolate quickly. The greater surface area of chocolate chips makes it easier and faster to melt, improving your chances of getting the melted chocolate off the heat before condensation forms and risks seizing the chocolate. However, the smaller size of chocolate chips necessitates careful attention to avoid burning or drying out of the chips.
Steps
Using a Double Boiler
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1Fill a saucepan with 2 inches (5.08 centimeters) of water. You can use an actual double boiler, or improvise your own with a saucepan and a heat-safe bowl. Do not place the second saucepan or bowl on top just yet, however.
- If you are using a bowl, make sure that it fits comfortably over the saucepan and that there are no gaps where heat can escape.
- Double boilers are great if you need the chocolate to stay melted for a long time (ie: when you are making chocolate dipped strawberries with a decorative drizzle).
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2Bring the water to a boil over medium heat. While the water is coming to a boil, you can start measuring out the chocolate.
- If you can't find any chocolate chips, you can use whole chocolate bars instead. You will need to cut them into ¼-inch (0.64-centimeter) wide chunks first, however.[1]
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3Take the saucepan off the burner. Set it down onto a heat-safe surface to protect your counter. It might be a good idea to keep it near the stove, however, just in case your chocolate starts to harden too quickly.
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4Put the chocolate into your second saucepan. If you are using a makeshift double boiler, then put the chocolate into your heat-safe bowl instead. Whichever one you end up using, make sure that it is perfectly dry. Any moisture will cause your chocolate to "seize" or harden.[2]
- If you are working with large amounts of chocolate, consider putting only two-thirds of it in first. This will help it melt faster.
- It is possible to fix seized chocolate by adding cream to it, but this will affect your recipe.[3]
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5Place the upper saucepan (or bowl) on top of your lower saucepan. Make sure that the bottom of your saucepan or bowl does not touch the surface of the water. If it does, pour some of the water out. Make sure that the fit is tight, and that no steam can escape.EXPERT TIPMathew Rice has worked in restaurant pastry kitchens across the country since the late 1990's, and currently owns Pink Door Cookies in Nashville. His creations have been featured in Food & Wine, Bon Appetit, and Martha Stewart Weddings. In 2016, Eater named Mathew one of the top 18 chefs to follow on Instagram. In 2018, he appeared in season 18 of the Food Network's Beat Bobby Flay and won his episode.Professional Baker & Dessert Influencer
Mathew Rice
Professional Baker & Dessert InfluencerWhy do you use a double boiler?
Mathew Rice, pastry chef, explains: "Basically, with chocolate, you never want to get it very hot. That’s, I think, the biggest problem that people have at home is they get the chocolate too hot, and when it gets too hot it seizes or it totally breaks down." -
6Wait for the chocolate to melt most of the way, stirring occasionally with a rubber spatula. Once again, make sure that the spatula is perfectly dry, or the chocolate will seize. Be sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl often.
- If you are working with large amounts of chocolate, you can add in the remaining third a little bit at a time.
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7Take the upper saucepan or bowl off the bottom one, and set it down on the counter. You can pour the water out of the bottom saucepan out at this time, although it might be a good idea to keep it filled until you are completely done baking—just in case your chocolate starts to harden too soon.EXPERT TIPMathew Rice has worked in restaurant pastry kitchens across the country since the late 1990's, and currently owns Pink Door Cookies in Nashville. His creations have been featured in Food & Wine, Bon Appetit, and Martha Stewart Weddings. In 2016, Eater named Mathew one of the top 18 chefs to follow on Instagram. In 2018, he appeared in season 18 of the Food Network's Beat Bobby Flay and won his episode.Professional Baker & Dessert InfluencerMathew Rice
Professional Baker & Dessert InfluencerMathew Rice, pastry chef, adds: "Once it’s halfway melted, I’ll usually take it off the boiler. There’s enough residual heat in there that it'll all melt. Then, I whisk it with a spatula. Some of the chocolate is still melting, but it's also cooling at the same time, so you’re able to get this nice, varied consistency."
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9Use the chocolate in your recipe. If it is too hot, let it cool for about 10 minutes, give it a stir, then use it.[6]
Using a Microwave
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1Put the chocolate chips into a wide, shallow microwave-safe bowl.[7] It is important that the container you use remains cool or very slightly warm after several minutes of microwaving, otherwise, the container itself will overheat the chocolate. The container must also be perfectly dry, as any moisture will cause the chocolate to harden and become grainy.
- If you can’t comfortably handle the container after several minutes of microwaving, then it isn’t a suitable container for melting chocolate.
- If you can't find any chocolate chips, cut a chocolate bar into ¼-inch (0.64-centimeter) wide chunks instead.
- If you are planning on melting large amounts of chocolate, consider working in smaller batches instead.
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2Microwave the chocolate on medium power for 1 minute, then give it a stir.[8] You can stir the chocolate with a rubber spatula or a spoon, but make sure that whatever you use is dry. Also, keep in mind that every microwave oven is different, so your chocolate may not be melted completely after this. That is perfectly fine; you can always continue heating the chocolate in short bursts.
- Chocolate doesn't lose its shape when you microwave it, so stirring it will help make it smooth and more liquid-y.[9]
EXPERT TIPMathew Rice has worked in restaurant pastry kitchens across the country since the late 1990's, and currently owns Pink Door Cookies in Nashville. His creations have been featured in Food & Wine, Bon Appetit, and Martha Stewart Weddings. In 2016, Eater named Mathew one of the top 18 chefs to follow on Instagram. In 2018, he appeared in season 18 of the Food Network's Beat Bobby Flay and won his episode.Professional Baker & Dessert InfluencerMathew Rice
Professional Baker & Dessert InfluencerMathew Rice, pastry chef, adds: "If you have a microwave where you can adjust the power setting, you never want to go above half power. You can heat the chocolate in thirty second intervals and stir as you go until you get the melted consistency."
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3Continue heating the chocolate at 10 to 15-second intervals, stirring between each one, until it is almost melted. Milk chocolate and white chocolate tend to overheat quicker than dark chocolate. It would be best to stir them every 10 seconds.[10] This may sound tedious, but it will reduce the chances of any scorching. Remember, chocolate will keep its shape when heated in the microwave, so stirring it up will help it "melt."
- How long you end up cooking the chocolate also depends on how much you are working with. For example:
- 1 ounce (30 grams) will take 1 minute total.
- 8 ounces (225 grams) will take 3 minutes total.
- 1 pound (450 grams) may take up to 6 minutes.
- How long you end up cooking the chocolate also depends on how much you are working with. For example:
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4Take the chocolate out of the microwave and continue stirring the chocolate until it turns smooth. Once the chocolate is mostly melted, take the bowl out of the microwave, and set it down onto a heat-safe surface. Continue stirring the chocolate, scrapping the bottom and sides of the bowl often, until it is smooth and no chunks remain.
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5Use your chocolate. At this point, you can also add in any other extra ingredients that the recipe calls for, such as shortening or paraffin.
Community Q&A
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QuestionCan I use a Wilton Chocolate melting pot instead of melting in a double boiler?
Community AnswerYes, you can use your Wilton Chocolate melting pot or the microwave to melt the chocolate. -
QuestionWould this be good for pouring over the top of a cheesecake?
Community AnswerIf you want to spread over a cake, it's best to make a ganache. Heat 1 part cream until it starts to steam - don't boil it - and add 2 parts chocolate chips. Stir until combined, then pour that over the cake. -
QuestionHow long will the melted chocolate be good for?
Community AnswerThe melted chocolate will start melted until it hardens. It will take about an hour for it to harden at room temperature, 10 to 20 minutes in the fridge, and 5 to 10 minutes in the freezer. After that, you have to melt it again.
Warnings
- Unless your recipe calls for melting chocolate with another liquid, avoid using any water at all when melting chocolate. Water can make the chocolate seize, making it unworkable. For the same reason, don’t add cold liquids to melted chocolate (heat other required liquids first, but don’t boil them.)⧼thumbs_response⧽
- Be careful when taking out the chocolate chips. This may get you a burn.⧼thumbs_response⧽
- Whether or not you melt chocolate chips in a microwave or on top of the stove, the temperature for melting milk chocolate or white chocolate must not exceed 115°F (46°C) or 120°F (49°C ) when melting dark chocolate. Higher temperatures will scorch and burn the chocolate.⧼thumbs_response⧽
- Do not use a wooden spoon to stir your chocolate. Wooden spoons retain flavors and odors, which may affect your chocolate.⧼thumbs_response⧽
Things You’ll Need
Using a Double Boiler
- Double boiler (or saucepan and heat-safe bowl)
- Stove
- Rubber spatula
Using a Microwave
- Wide, shallow, microwave-safe bowl
- Spoon or spatula
- Microwave
References
- ↑ https://www.craftybaking.com/howto/chocolate-melt
- ↑ http://www.finecooking.com/articles/how-to-melt-chocolate.aspx
- ↑ http://www.finecooking.com/articles/how-to-melt-chocolate.aspx
- ↑ https://www.craftybaking.com/howto/chocolate-melt
- ↑ https://www.craftybaking.com/howto/chocolate-melt
- ↑ https://www.craftybaking.com/howto/chocolate-melt
- ↑ http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/food-recipes/cooking/tips/g2063/how-to-melt-chocolate/
- ↑ http://www.finecooking.com/articles/how-to-melt-chocolate.aspx
- ↑ http://www.finecooking.com/articles/how-to-melt-chocolate.aspx
About This Article
To melt chocolate chips in the microwave, start by placing the chocolate chips into a wide, microwave-safe bowl. If you don't have any chocolate chips, chop a chocolate bar into 1/4 inch pieces instead. Then, microwave the chocolate on medium heat for 1 minute before stirring it. Return the chocolate to the microwave, and stir it at 10 second intervals until it's almost fully melted to avoid scorching. Finish by removing the chocolate from the microwave and stirring until it becomes smooth.
