Using a Double Boiler
Fill 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).
Bring 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.
Take 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.
Put 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. 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.
Place 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 TIP Mathew Rice Mathew Rice Professional Baker & Dessert Influencer 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. Mathew Rice Mathew Rice Professional Baker & Dessert Influencer Why 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."
Wait 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.
Take 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 TIP Mathew Rice Mathew Rice Professional Baker & Dessert Influencer 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. Mathew Rice Mathew Rice Professional Baker & Dessert Influencer Mathew 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."
Continue to stir the chocolate until the mixture is smooth and there are no chunks of chocolate left. Once the chocolate is melted, you can add in other ingredients to it, such as shortening or paraffin. If your recipe calls for paraffin as well, you must melt the paraffin separately first.
Use the chocolate in your recipe. If it is too hot, let it cool for about 10 minutes, give it a stir, then use it.
Using a Microwave
Put the chocolate chips into a wide, shallow microwave-safe bowl. 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.
Microwave the chocolate on medium power for 1 minute, then give it a stir. 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. EXPERT TIP Mathew Rice Mathew Rice Professional Baker & Dessert Influencer 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. Mathew Rice Mathew Rice Professional Baker & Dessert Influencer Mathew 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."
Continue 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. 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.
Take 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.
Use your chocolate. At this point, you can also add in any other extra ingredients that the recipe calls for, such as shortening or paraffin.
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