Looking for a Belgian chocolate fountain? Excellent choice! A Belgian chocolate fountain is a guaranteed winner – it looks sensational, tastes divine, is easy to create and it’s so much fun to share. There’s just something so satisfying about dipping food in chocolate.

As you can imagine, there’s a huge variety of chocolate fountains out there and a lot of questions to be answered, so if you’re just dipping your toes into chocolate fountains (pun intended), this page has all the answers for you.

What is the best chocolate for a chocolate fountain?

As a general rule you should use chocolate chips or callets for your chocolate fountain. Belgian chocolate is an excellent choice and there are several brands of premium quality Belgian chocolate chips which are especially created for use with a chocolate fountain.

Can you use normal chocolate in a fountain?

You can use normal chocolate in a fountain, however it is recommended to use chocolate chips which have been formulated specifically for use in a chocolate fountain. Always melt the chocolate before you add it to the fountain and optionally add some neutral flavored vegetable oil for better flow.

How do I make my chocolate fountain flow smoothly?

To ensure a smooth chocolate flow, mix in 5 – 8 tablespoons of oil per 5 pounds of chocolate while you are melting the chocolate (prior to adding it to the fountain). This helps to keep the chocolate liquid. Make sure to use oil that is neutral in flavor to avoid disturbing the chocolate flavor.

Do you melt chocolate before putting in the chocolate fountain?

As a general rule you should melt the chocolate before you add it to the chocolate fountain. You can melt the chocolate “au bain-marie” or in the microwave in short intervals. Make sure that no lumps of chocolate are left and that the chocolate flows sufficiently before putting it in the fountain.

Can you test a chocolate fountain with water?

Chocolate fountains require a certain amount of viscosity of the chocolate to work properly. The viscosity of water is not ideal for chocolate fountains so water is not suited to test a chocolate fountain. You should also be careful when using water near the electrical parts and wiring of the fountain.

What can you do with leftover chocolate fountain chocolate?

The chocolate in your fountain will harden if you turn off the fountain. While the hardened chocolate will not have the shiny, smooth look that chocolate bars have, you can still use it in your chocolate recipes or eat it as a chocolate snack.

Can I use sunflower oil in my chocolate fountain?

Sunflower oil is suitable for making your chocolate fountain flow smoothly. Thanks to its neutral flavor it won’t interfere too much with the flavor of the chocolate. Alternatively you can use corn oil or cocoa butter.

Can you use white chocolate in a chocolate fountain?

You can absolutely use white chocolate in a chocolate fountain. There are many brands of Belgian white chocolate chips made especially for use in a chocolate fountain, which will make your fountain a delicious success. You can add in a little vegetable oil for an extra smooth flow.

Which is the best chocolate fountain to buy?

Let’s kick off with the basics. The classic fondue fountains for home use generally have three tiers, and are fairly standard in appearance and size, although you can of course find different colored bases with various finishes and designs. Very broadly speaking, a standard chocolate fountain suitable for a dinner party or small gathering will be around 12 – 16 inches (30 – 40cm- high, and you’ll need anything from 16 – 32+ ounces (450g to 900g) of chocolate to run through it.

They’re all pretty straightforward to operate – once you’ve assembled your fountain you simply plug it in, add the melted chocolate and watch it form a flowing stream of warm, liquid chocolate right before your very eyes. (The hardest part may be waiting for the chocolate to melt before you can pour it in your chocolate fountain)

By the way, when it comes to a Belgian chocolate fondue fountain, the Belgian bit only needs to be the chocolate – so don’t feel that you have to find a Belgian fountain for an authentic experience… as long as the chocolate is legit, it’s all good!

One of the many brilliant things about fondue fountains is that they’re really affordable, and since you can use them many times over they’re a great investment which will keep the chocolatey joy flowing, time and time again!

To give you a few examples, you can buy sleek, stainless steel chocolate fountains, as well as vividly colored ones and also more retro designs. For added convenience, some fondue fountains have dipper serving trays attached at the base, making it really easy to present your show stopping Belgian chocolate fountain with one single and super impressive flourish.

For a variation on the theme, there are also cascaded chocolate fountains. Instead of a curtain of delicious chocolate you create an ever flowing layered chocolate waterfall. Since the most important thing about a Belgian chocolate fountain is the actual enrobing of your dippers with chocolate and enjoying every delicious mouthful, it’s entirely up to you how you’d prefer to watch your chocolate flow!

If you need to upscale from three tiers to more, there are also some commercial chocolate fondue fountains available, although as you’d expect these are quite a lot more expensive than the standard dinner party variety. You can get four, five or even six tiers, ranging in height from around 23 – 40+ inches (60cms – 100cm+), so these are perfect for large functions with lots of hungry mouths to feed. (Top tip: make sure you have plenty of serviettes handy because one thing’s for sure, your guests are likely to get very messy!)

If you’re thinking big, though, it might be more viable to hire the equipment to create your Belgian chocolate fountain experience – particularly if you only need it once for a special occasion (e.g. a wedding, a milestone birthday party etc.) Although, to be fair, I’m sure I could find plenty of excuses to wheel a chocolate fountain out for any occasion if I owned one…!

A quick Google will bring up plenty of chocolate fountain hire options in your local area, all of which will of course range in price depending on the number of guests you need to wow, and whether or not you want any added extras like your very own master chocolatier to create the magic for you.

My last suggestion isn’t strictly a fountain, but it’s still perfect for an awesome Belgian chocolate experience. There are ceramic heart shaped fondue sets which are a great ‘starter kit’ if you’re just beginning to explore the magical world of chocolate fondue, or if you need a special gift for a chocolate lover. Since chocolate fondue is basically just melted chocolate, it still tastes just as good from a dish as a fountain! With this set you also get four matching heart shaped bowls which you can fill to the brim with your dippers of choice, plus four dipping forks (color coded as an added bonus!) – so all that’s left to do is get your friends around the table and dive right in!

There are plenty of options when it comes to creating the best ever Belgian chocolate fondue fountain experience, so once you know how much money you want to spend, the fountain world is your oyster! Also, once you’ve bought your fountain, it might be worth having a collection of flash cards on hand that have your fountain’s details on them. Why? Because no doubt all of your guests will all ask, “Where did you get this? I want one!” – and if you have a lot of guests, that’s a lot of times to have to answer the same question!