Melting Chocolate

There are many different ways of melting chocolate, but all of them are similar, in that the chocolate is not heated too quickly or to a too high temperature, and avoid dropping any water (or any other liquid) in your melting chocolate. Here are a few methods you can try:

Double-boiler:

Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl, or the top part of a double-boiler. Set the bowl (or “top part”) over a pan of simmering, but not boiling, water. (Be careful not to get water into the melting chocolate or it will become grainy.) Heat the chocolate until about 2/3 of it is melted, stirring constantly (well...maybe not constantly, but often). Remove from heat; continue stirring until chocolate is completely melted (this time you need to stir constantly:-P).

Stove top:

Place the chocolate in a small or medium saucepan. Heat chocolate over low heat, stirring constantly (again...you know what I mean), until about 2/3 of the chocolate is melted. Remove from heat; continue stirring until chocolate is completely melted.

Microwave:

Place coarsely chopped chocolate in a microwavable bowl. Microwave the chocolate for about 30 seconds; remove the bowl from the microwave and stir the chocolate. Reheat for 10-15 seconds, stir chocolate again, and repeat until completely melted. (This is the method I use most often....shhhh don’t tell the chocolatiers!!)