Chocolate Fondue Fountain

Some people (with little vision or desire to entertain) would be forgiven for wondering why anyone would want to buy a chocolate fountain? It all depends. If you are the type of person who invites people around then rations the food and drink and expects your guests to like it or lump it, then perhaps it's not for you. (I've certainly been to those kind of parties, where the hosts were so mean you were searching for takeout on the way home!)

However if you are a generous host or hostess who wants to really send your guests away happy, then the thought that you might buy a chocolate fountain won't seem so strange to you. Sure, the sort of person who wants to show off would also want to buy a chocolate fountain for their next party, but there's nothing wrong with trying to make an impression on your guests.

Entertaining is just that - it's your turn to make sure that your guests are amused, fed and watered to the very best of your ability. You might want to buy a chocolate fountain if you are planning a grand party like a wedding reception, or a retirement party or special birthday. Conversely you might want a fountain just to make a small, intimate party have that "wow" factor which will put a smile on the face of your guests.

Imagine if at dessert time at the end of a dinner party you produced a chocolate fountain and a big dish of strawberries? How great would that be? If you go ahead and buy a chocolate fountain you won't regret it because you can use it in so many different circumstances. Once you've used it once, you can rest assured your guests will be hoping to see it again, so it's probably best to buy a chocolate fountain rather than rent.

In order to obtain a fountain you can try Party Rental firms who might be selling off used ones, try a manufacturer, try local party good suppliers and also of course surf the internet in search of the bargain you really want when you go to buy a chocolate fountain.

Do you want a attract a crowd of people at a party? You don\'t have to tell the best stories or tell the funniest jokes. All you need to do is stand near the chocolate fountain. Adding a chocolate fountain will liven up even the dullest parties. Most people love chocolate and what better way to serve chocolate than have it flowing out of fountain. A chocolate fondue fountain is a great addition to any party.

Chocolate fondue is a great dessert to serve at small gathering but quite difficult to serve at larger parties. Now with chocolate fondue fountains, your guests can still experience the taste of chocolate covered strawberries, bananas, pineapple, pound cake or anything else they want to dunk into the delightful chocolate waterfall that flows out of the fountain. You may have enjoyed a chocolate fountain at the last wedding or graduation party that you\'ve attended.

And now chocolate fountains are becoming popular home appliances. Several companies make home versions and although the quality of these machines varies greatly, chocolate fondue fountains can now be enjoyed at your backyard gatherings or anytime you like.

Most of these chocolate fondue fountains work the same way. First you melt chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave. Then you add vegetable oil to the chocolate so that it is fluid enough to be pumped through the fountain. The home appliance have small heating units that will keep melted chocolate flowing, but they aren\'t hot enough for the initial melting of the chocolate.

Chocolate chips are the easiest form of chocolate to melt and use in your fondue fountain. But using a premium chocolate will make it taste even better. And for adult parties, add a splash of Grand Marnier or a fruit flavored brandy such as blackberry brandy.

If you don\'t have a lot of time before your party to cut up fruits and cakes for dunking, why not buy a fruit platter. Salty foods will also be a hit in the chocolate fountain. Be sure to put out pretzels and potato chips. People may be hesitant to try them at first but once they do, they\'ll be hooked. Marshmallows and angel food cake are also popular. You really have a lot of options when it comes to foods to dunk in your chocolate fondue fountain. Just about anything tastes great when dunked in chocolate.

Cleanup is a breeze if your fountain is dishwasher safe but be sure to keep it running until you\'re ready to clean it. Letting the chocolate cool and get hard will turn cleaning your fountain into a major chore.

A chocolate fondue fountain has always been a memorable item to have at a wedding or large party but home versions are also gaining in popularity. Once you\'ve seen the attention it draws, you may even add a chocolate fountain to your next party.

1. You get what you pay for and the cheaper chocolate fondue fountains often have significant drawbacks to them (outlined below).

2. If you are searching the internet, be aware that the term \'chocolate fondue fountain\' is synonymous with \'chocolate fountain\' and more recently \'fondue fountain\'.

3. Good home machines can be used for a range of substances,not just for chocolate. A number of quality home chocolate fondue fountains will also cascade sauces, salad dressing and even caramel. What this means is that, if you spend a little bit more, you should be able to get a machine for all types of parties and social occasions. Before you buy, think about what occasions you would like to use the machine for and then start looking around for a product to meet your needs.

4. You\'ll know you are looking at a high quality chocolate fondue fountain if its operation is quiet. This is the give-away. A noisy machine is a real annoyance - completely nullifying the striking visual impact of the chocolate fondue fountain at your social occasion. Listen to a few cheaper models and you will know what I mean. Quality machines will say something like \'virtually silent\' or \'whisper quiet\' and they will live up to the description. If in doubt, go to a shop and have the shop plug it in, and listen.

5. Go for stainless steel, it\'s hard-wearing and looks good.

6. Your chocolate fondue fountain should have variable temperature settings to allow you flexible and precise temperature control. This is will allow you to use a variety of hot and cold fondues, as mentioned at tip 3.

7. The chocolate fondue fountain should be easy to assemble/disassemble, and should have a removable basin/bowl.

8. The parts should be dishwasher safe and easy clean. Cheaper models often aren\'t.

9. The pump should be an auger-style pump - for a smooth delivery and flow. Again, cheaper models may not be. Note: some machines use a screw mechanism, not a pump. If you opt for one of these, go for quality and keep my other tips in mind all the same.

10. If the chocolate fondue fountain is not level, the flow will be uneven, and the machine unsteady, which may cause an unsightly fountain wobble. A chocolate fondue fountain tickles your sense of sight as much as it does your sense of taste, so get one with adjustable feet, or some other mechanism for keeping the product level. Again, quality models will have this feature - so make sure you look out for it. You should expect a 1-year warranty.

If you\'ve ever set up a chocolate fountain and the chocolate has slowly dredged down, drooped and parted then you need to learn the step by step SECRETS to a perfectly flowing Chocolate Fountain.

Firstly, the machine its-self should be assembled correctly.

1) Correctly Assemble the fountain (A no brainier? guess again. I\'ve seen many fountains with tiers upside down creating pools of chocolate).

2) You need a level surface! I\'ve done chocolate fountains on practically 15% gradients and its a nightmare. Make sure the venue supplies you with a sturdy, flat table on a flat surface.

3) The new mini chocolate fountains have adjustable feet. Its mightily important these are just perfect.

4) Turn Chocolate Fountain heat to 90 on the dial!

Now, its time to melt the Chocolate, and this is key:

5) Use 35% Coca Content Curvature Chocolate chips.

6) Place 1KG of said chips in a container, and cover with 100ml of Sunflower (its better then vegetable) oil.

7) Place in microwave at 500W for 6 minutes. Stir every 2 minutes until purely melted.

8) Any blackening of the Chocolate hints that its burnt, discard this, its useless.

9) Don\'t re-use your Chocolate!

Time to pour the chocolate into the fountain. Make sure you\'ve put enough in (read your fountains instruction manual) and then turn on.

10) As the chocolate fountain reaches the top tier. Turn the Chocolate Fountain off! Leave for one minute. This will get rid of any air bubbles on the auger.

Turn the Chocolate Fountain back on and BAM! A Perfect flowing Chocolate Fountain. If the chocolate ever seems to be parting or be leaning to one side then simply wedge some cardboard under the fountain to get it level.

And that\'s the 10 secrets to Chocolate Heaven.