What is a Chocolate Fountain?

Used for serving chocolate fondue, chocolate fountains are becoming increasingly popular among partygoers with a sweet tooth. They are a dramatic and entertaining way of serving dessert to your guests.

Most chocolate fountains are between two and four feet tall. They are typically shaped like a stepped cone, featuring multiple tiers that help to create a “chocolate waterfall.” A heated base keeps the chocolate melted, while an auger carries the liquid to the top tier. The overall effect is similar to the champagne fountains sometimes seen at weddings.

Chocolate fountains use a special type of chocolate that is created especially for this purpose. The chocolate is higher in cocoa butter, which helps to ensure a consistent flow of chocolate throughout your event. If you used regular chocolate in your fountain, you’d have to add vegetable oil to get it to flow properly; this would create an unpleasant, gritty taste.

In most cases, you can not melt your chocolate directly in the chocolate fountain. You’ll need to use either a double boiler or a microwave first.

Types of Fountains

There are two basic types of chocolate fountains: personal and commercial. The type of fountain that’s best for you depends upon the type of event you’re planning.

Personal chocolate fountains can be fun to use at small, informal family dinners. Personal chocolate fountains can be purchased from a number of retailers. Prices range from $30 to about $300. Chocolate fountains designed for home use can hold as much as six pounds of chocolate. They are often dishwasher safe and fairly easy to use. However, the plastic parts in the more inexpensive fountains can often break after just a few uses.

Commercial chocolate fountains are the best choice for weddings, anniversaries, proms, bar mitzvahs, and other special occasions involving large groups of people. Commercial chocolate fountains can hold up to 35 pounds of chocolate and weigh up to 100 pounds when filled. They are made of stainless steel and known for their durability. Since large commercial chocolate fountains can easily cost several thousand dollars, most people will rent a fountain for their event. When you rent a commercial chocolate fountain from an experienced catering company, you’ll get expert assistance with installation and clean up.

Chocolate Fountain Serving Ideas

Chocolate fountains invite users to be creative. In addition to the standard milk chocolate filling, you can also use specially formulated dark chocolate, white chocolate, or dairy-free chocolate in your fountain. Caramel or peanut butter fillings are also quite delicious.

Strawberries and marshmallows are the most popular dipping items for chocolate fountains, but there are many other ways you can enjoy this scrumptious fondue treat. If you like fruit, you can mix and match any of the following:

• Bananas

• Pineapple

• Oranges

• Peaches

• Kiwi

• Raspberries

• Pears

• Apple slices

• Cherries

• Assorted dried fruits

 For the ultimate sweet treat, you might wish to try the following items with your chocolate fountain:

• Mini donuts

• Biscotti

• Pretzels

• Sugar cookies

• Shortbread

• Profiteroles

• Graham crackers

• Oreos

• Granola bars

 Whatever you decide to dip in the chocolate, enjoy this delicious, molten treat.

Learn how to find wholesale chocolate fountains.

By Dana Hinders