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Chocolate fountains are a really fun way to serve and impress your guests at parties, whether it be a dinner party, someone’s birthday, or another special occasion.
What’s more, they are also extremely easy to operate, as we’ll show you here.
Learning how to use a chocolate fountain is one thing, and knowing where and how to correctly place your chocolate fountain is another.
We take a look at both aspects of successfully operating a chocolate fountain to ensure that your next chocolate-accompanied party runs without a hitch.
Table of Contents
How to Use a Chocolate Fountain
As mentioned, learning how to use a chocolate fountain is extremely easy.
You can follow these simple steps to operate the vast majority of fountains, no matter who the manufacturer is.
Most chocolate fountains will break down into five or so pieces: the base and bowl, auger tube or tower, auger, tiers, and, finally, the crown.
You may have a chocolate fountain that has fewer pieces, since some of the pieces are already joined together, so you just need to skip the appropriate step in assembly.
Step 1: Base and Bowl
Start building your fountain by placing the base and bowl on a flat, smooth surface (see below for important tips on choosing the right location for your chocolate fountain).
The size of the bowl will determine the capacity of your fountain or how much chocolate you can have in it at any one time.
Step 2: Auger Tube or Tower
Some chocolate fountains, especially taller models, have several pieces of this auger tube that need to be pieced and locked together first.
The auger runs from the base bowl all the way up through the middle of your fountain.
Usually, there will be three pins sticking up from the middle of your base bowl, which you slide the auger onto to hold it in place, pointing upwards.
Step 3: Tiers
Next up are the tiers, which are sometimes already attached to the auger tube.
There are usually two or three tiers, not including the top tier, which is called the crown.
Organize and lay your tiers out next to you in order of size so that you have access to the largest first.
Slip your first (largest) tier over the top of the auger tube and slide it down to lock it into the lowest tier position.
Make sure that the tier is facing down so that the chocolate flows straight over it, rather than collects inside it.
The next largest tier should go next, locking into the next lowest available position, and so on, until all tiers, not including the crown, are locked into place.
Double-check that all of the tiers are safely locked into position and that they’re sitting level, as this will make sure that the chocolate flows evenly.
Step 4: Auger
Next up is the auger itself, which looks like a giant corkscrew.
It’s pretty much the single most important part of the fountain.
It is responsible for transporting the chocolate from the bowl up the fountain and to the crown.
If the auger comes in more than one piece, assemble it first to make it into one piece.
Then, identify which end of the auger has a notch or slit in it, as this will need to be at the bottom.
Often, the other end will have a knob on it for easier handling and so that it’s impossible to place the wrong way around.
Slide the auger, notch down, down inside the auger tube, and gently turn it clockwise until you feel resistance.
This means it’s engaged with the mechanism in the bowl.
Step 5: Crown
Last but not least, place the chocolate fountain’s crown on top.
With some models, the crown may be used to hold the auger into place, and with others, it simply sits on top looking pretty.
Step 6: Heat
You’ll want to heat your fountain for around 15 minutes before adding your chocolate so that it doesn’t cool your chocolate down and make it go hard again.
Most chocolate fountains have two controls, one of which operates the heat.
On the other hand, the second control operates the auger, making the chocolate travel up the fountain.
Turn on the heat and head back to the kitchen to prepare or finish preparing your chocolate.
Step 7: Add the Chocolate
Once your fountain is heated, and your chocolate is melted, pour the chocolate mixture into the base bowl, being careful not to overfill it.
Step 8: Turn Your Fountain On
Finally, operate the other control to switch on your auger and enjoy your flowing fountain of chocolate!
Choosing the Perfect Location
Ideally, you’ll want your fountain to be the centerpiece of your party where everyone can see and enjoy it.
If your party is in the garden, then your top placement choices will probably be on a table in the center of the garden, or perhaps in a prominent location on your patio or deck.
Before committing to any location, however, there are a few things that you should consider, which could make the difference between chocolate fountain success and disaster.
Chocolate Fountains DON’T Like Wind
Firstly, chocolate fountains do not fare well in windy situations.
Even just a small amount of wind can send your beautifully cascading chocolate sideways and all over your tables, floor, and guests.
Unless you can guarantee a completely windless day ahead, or a very sheltered garden, putting your chocolate fountain outdoors may not be a good idea.
Chocolate Fountains DON’T Like Cold
If it’s cold outside, then it’s highly unlikely you’ll be hosting a party in the garden.
Still, just in case you are, know that your chocolate fountain will always prefer to be indoors.
The cold air may cause the chocolate to start to harden, or it will begin flowing terribly, and you’ll have a giant messy disaster on your hands.
For similar reasons, avoid placing your chocolate fountain under or near any cold air vents.
Chocolate Fountains DO Like Level Ground
Once you have figured out where you’re going to place your chocolate fountain, the next thing to do is to put your table into position and make sure it’s level.
When we say to make sure it’s level, we do actually mean properly, using a spirit level.
Making sure that your chocolate fountain is completely level will help to ensure that it flows properly and evenly, as well as make it look much nicer.
This can be pretty time consuming, as you’ll need to make sure it’s level in all directions and keep making adjustments until you’ve got it right.
The fountain level is so important that many chocolate fountains have little adjustable feet on them.
If yours has this feature, then you can use the level by laying it on the base bowl of the fountain and just adjust the fountain itself, as opposed to the table.
Chocolate Fountains DO Like Space
A final word of advice on your chocolate fountain setup is to give it a lot of space.
Firstly, it will become a very popular place to be, a “party hotspot,” if you will.
Hence, you’ll need to make sure there is a lot of room for people to gather around and dunk.
Large round tables are ideal for giving the best access to the melty chocolate goodness.
Placing your chocolate fountain near a doorway, especially a swinging door, or the dancefloor, is just tempting fate, so don’t do it.
If you have children running in and out, then make sure they know that running near the chocolate fountain is off-limits.
Conclusion
Now that you know how to correctly use a chocolate fountain, you’re one step closer to hosting your own chocolate fountain party.
In addition, you’d also need to make sure that you have the right kind of chocolate for fountain use.
Don’t forget that correct fountain placement is just as important as the fountain assembly, and preheat your fountain before adding the chocolate for an immediate, smooth flow.
Finally, we encourage you to get creative with your dipping and dunking items so that guests can have fun trying out new, weird, and wonderful flavor combinations.
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