How we melt our Chocolate?

Care must always be taken when melting chocolate. The most important thing to remember is that chocolate melts better and faster at lower temperatures. Never let your chocolate get above 100 degrees F for Milk and White Chocolate and 115 degrees F for Dark Chocolate. Secondly, be extremely careful not to get any water (not even a single drop) into the chocolate. Water will turn the chocolate into a grainy and lumpy state. Chocolate can be tricky to melt if the chocolate is heated too much. When this happens, the cocoa butter separates from the cocoa solids. Again, when chocolate is overheated it may scorch, lose flavor, and turn coarse and grainy. To avoid overheating, always melt chocolate slowly over indirect heat. Another suggestion is to partially melt the chocolate by whichever method of your choice, remove it from the heat source, and let the remaining unmelted chocolate chunks melt by the heat of the surrounding warm chocolate.

The Best method is using a Double Boiler (one pot that holds the chocolate and can fit over another pot which consists of an inch of simmering water (not boiling water)). You do not want the bottom of the bowl to come directly into contact with the water. You also do not want the water to be boiling and spewing up large drops or masses of steam or moisture. Note: the slightest amount of moisture will cause the chocolate to seize. Also, do not cover the bowl with the chocolate or double boiler because steam could collect under the lid and fall back into the chocolate causing the chocolate to harden and become grainy. As the chocolate begins to melt, stir the chocolate with a heat resistant spoon or spatula. When the chocolate is almost completely melted, remove the bowl or chocolate from the heat and continue to stir. The remaining chocolate can be melted by the heat of the melted chocolate.

Place the coarsly chopped chocolate or chocolate discs in a microwave-safe container. Microwave the chocolate at 50 percent power for 1 minute intervals. Remove the container in between intervals and stir. When you melt chocolate in the microwave, sometimes the chocolate retains its shape. This can be very deceiving. Stirring the chocolate in between intervals will prevent possible "Hot Spots" and prevent possible overheating. Again, overheating the chocolate can cause the chocolate to become scorched, lose its flavor, and turn coarse and grainy. When the chocolate is partially melted, you can remove the chocolate from the microwave oven and stir, letting the undissolved lumps of chocolate melt by the surrounding warm chocolate. Note: If you can not adust to 50 percent power and can only operate the microwave oven at 100 percent, then melt the chocolate at 15 second intervals.