How to Melt Chocolate

There are a lot of great recipes out there made even greater by the presence of… melted chocolate. Only the thought of that, honestly makes my knees melt. So how do you do it? It’s not as hard as you think and it takes about 10 minutes in total! Here’s how to melt chocolate with little effort, a lot of fun, and great results. 

There is a faint possibility to burn your chocolate, but you will do fine as long as you spend those 10 minutes being vigilant to the process and you keep stirring the pot. Don’t add water! It will ruin the chemistry of the chocolate and it will become unusable and grainy.

You can either use the stove or the microwave. We recommend the stove, but here are the two methods.

How to melt chocolate with a double boiler

1. Break up the chocolate into small pieces

If you use smaller pieces, the chocolate will melt faster. So use a knife or even your hands.

2. Add the chocolate to the top of a double boiler

If you don’t have one, you can use a light bowl, but not a plastic one, set over a pot of steaming water. The steam will slowly cook the chocolate.

3. Stir, stir, stir

You need to stir the bowl constantly and move the chocolate around until it begins to melt. Don’t stop stirring for too long and don’t leave the room, because the process is pretty fast.

4. Adjust your heat levels

Use medium heat and keep an eye on the chocolate. Make sure that the melting happens gradually. Turn the heat up or down, depending on the speed of the process. Things should take 5-10 minutes.

5. Melt the chocolate completely

Stir until the chocolate has fully melted. And now you can use it for dipping or incorporate into another recipe.

How to melt chocolate in a microwave oven

This method is slightly annoying for me because you have to keep taking out the chocolate from the microwave and then popping it back in.

1. Smaller pieces

Like the first method, break up the chocolate tablet into smaller pieces, with your hands or a knife.

2. Put in microwave for the first time

Place the chocolate pieces in a microwave-safe bowl and put it in the microwave. Use the lowest heat setting and microwave the chocolate for 30-40 seconds.

If you are using chocolate chips, don’t keep them in the microwave for more than 10-15 seconds, or you will burn them.

3. Stir!

Take out the bowl and stir the chocolate with a wooden spoon, as much as possible.

4. Microwave again

Put the bowl in the microwave again and heat it for 10-15 seconds.

5. Stir and repeat

Keep taking out the chocolate, stirring, and warming again in the microwave for 10-15 seconds, as many times as needed, depending on the chocolate quantity. The chocolate is ready when its consistency is creamy and there are no more chunks left.

You might want to give it a try with basic, cheap chocolate at first until you get the hang of it. Dark chocolate melts easier than milk chocolate, so keep that in mind!