Back to Basics PC17581 Gourmet Treat Dipper, Red Review

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(More customer reviews)What a TREAT this dipper is! We've used it for the first time today and already have so many other ideas to experiment with.
For starters, the 'set' consists of a burner 'pot' in a footed bowl. I was worried that perhaps since I have younger children and the bowl being wider at the top that it maybe top heavy but it's actually sturdy and doesn't wobble which is important to me. It has a very easy to use, large dial to turn the device: OFF, LOW or HIGH. It comes with a ceramic fluted inner bowl that you melt your food into and a glass top with a knob to hold onto and 2 dipper forks that look like mini forked ladles. The cord used to plug the device into is fairly short so unless you use some sort of extension cord, you'll have to find a sturdy surface to place the Gourmet Treat Dipper right by an outlet. Personally I like this feature so that there are less chances of one tripping on a cord if left dangling. We used it on our kitchen island that has an outlet and placed the Dipper in the middle of the island.
The directions have mentioned in at least 2 places to NOT allow ANY water at all in the chocolate so we were really careful to dry the lid, pot and any utensils and foods we had planned to use.
We first tried melting chocolate chips. Since the directions state that it takes approximately 40 minutes to melt a bag of chocolate chips or 1 bar of chocolate, we used 8 oz of semi-sweet chocolate chips. We washed & dried our strawberries and had these mini chocolate chip cookies we wanted to try as well. Since I have had issues in the past melting chocolate on the stove and having it burn frequently, I decided to test out the higher heat and see if I could detect ANY chocolate burning at all and I couldn't - even with a small amount of chocolate in the bowl (8oz of chocolate chips melted to about 1/4 capacity in the bowl). I was pleasantly surprised that some of the chips started to melt after 5 minutes. After about 25 minutes, with some stirring every now and then, our we had nice, thick melted chocolate.
It may be because we are inexperienced with them but so far, the dipping forks are a bit awkward for us to use. We found that dipping the strawberries by hand while holding onto the green stems / leaves are best which is not much for the little ones because they had to simply stand by and watch since the white ceramic bowl AND the red, heating bowl tend to get very hot.
Next came the mini chocolate chip cookies. The boys were able to lower the cookies in the chocolate just fine but since the chocolate was fairly thick, they struggled in trying to 'drown' their cookies in the chocolate since the cookie tended to stay on top of the melted chocolate so we dumped the cookie in the bowl and had to push the cookie in the chocolate in order to cover it up then scoop it up with the dipper fork (it did come in handy for this!) and we dumped it on a plate covered with parchment paper.
On our second round, we added 1/2 tsp of coconut oil to the chocolate and it turned out to me MUCH smoother in consistency and was easier to 'dunk' the cookies into. The instruction pamphlet does mention that if you are going to add anything to dilute the chocolate, to not add anything but vegetable oil (no water or milk) or you will ruin your batch of chocolate.
After our chocolate experiment, we rinsed the bowl out (with hot water since our bowl was hot...we didn't want to wash it w/ cold before it cooled down and risk it cracking due to varying extreme temperatures) we then melted 5 caramel sheets (the instructions suggest 1 bag of caramel candies). These took a bit longer to fully melt, even with stirring encouraged because the middle tended to glob together. We started out with HIGH heat then I noticed that some of the melted caramel started to darken on the sides (slightly burned color) so we kept the temperature at LOW for the caramel until we finished. It took about 35-40 minutes to fully melt the caramel at LOW temperature, the book stated it would take this long so no surprised there. We then stuck popsicle sticks in our apples and sumberged them in the melting pot, pulled them out and smoothed over some areas that had excess caramel wtih another wooden stick and placed them in mason jars so they would dry without touching anything.
After we dipped a couple of apples, I wanted to see if the caramel would in fact burn at high heat...I could have missed it, but I didn't read anywhere in the instruction manual about NOT turning caramel specifically at high heat (it does state that some candy will burn at high heat but it does not state any specific foods). Sure enough after 20 minutes, half of our caramel burned and stuck to the ceramic sides.
I see endless possibilities with this little thing! There are chocolate stores in the mall that sell candy coated apples for $8-$14!! We could do our own at home and give them for gifts from $1-$3.00!! You could do one layer in caramel, coat it with crushed nuts, allow it to dry then do a second layer in chocolate with crushed toffee, wrap it and give it away as a really nice gift.
I happen to have a bag of these chocolate chips when I made some items for my son's school but we generally don't eat a lot of sweets...I make my own 'no sugar' chocolate from: raw cocoa powder, raw cacao butter and powdered lakanto or stevia...I'll be trying a version using the powdered Body Ecology powdered Lakanto and dip some healthier foods in it to experiment with some healthier options.
What I love about this little thing is that it's nice in appearance, it's VERY easy to clean, and most of all that it can be used for different foods - NOT just candy! You can use it for melted cheese / queso, other warm / hot dips from veggie dips to chili.
If I can make a suggestion to the manufacturer...I'd ask that they create a ceramic bowl with a SMIDGE deeper groove so that it's more seated and has less of a chance of sliding off should someone move it from one area to another. We kept it stationary so we didn't have any issues but I could see how the lid COULD slide off if being moved and someone weren't careful.
I would highly suggest this item - just test out the food at the LOW temp FIRST or just not leave your foods at the HIGH temp unattended to avoid burning your foods. Don't let the high temp issue deter you...we melted the chocolate on high and kept it at high with no issues at all. I think this would make a GREAT gift that you can use for anywhere from 2 people for an intimate setting to an entire large family gathering. I plan to use this for Thanksgiving, Christmas and Valentine's Day! I CANNOT verbally express HOW DELICIOUS the chocolate covered strawberries are!!! YUMMY!!

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Enjoy gourmet treats without leaving you house!The gourmet treat dipper is a fun easy-to-use appliance for making gourmet candy-dipped apples, pretzels and fruit at home

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Chocolatiere Electric Chocolate Melting Pot Review

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(More customer reviews)This pot is very simple to use if you just want to melt chocolate for baking or for fondue. It even comes with tiny little fondue forks (although admittedly, longer, nicer looking forks would have been more useful). However, if you are making candy, this pot heats the chocolate too high for tempering chocolate properly (meaning the chocolate resolidifies at room temperature with a nice sheen). You can still use it, you just need to watch it pretty carefully and keep a thermometer handy. You can pseudo-temper by not allowing the chocolate to get hotter than 96 degees F. Chocolate will start melting around 92, just don't let it get much hotter, and it will resolidify at room temp. The lowest temp setting on this device gets it up to about 109. But as I say, if you watch and stir and turn off occassionally, you can still do it.
02/08/11 edit: I've been using this device for two years, so would like to add a few notes regarding comments left by others. No, the device doesn't temper chocolate and it's not meant to. But you CAN get any chocolate (pre-tempered or not) to resolidify (a primary goal of tempering) by heating it up very carefully so it never gets very hot (as I said earlier, no hotter than about 96), stirring vigorously and frequently to aid in crystallization. The problem with this technique is that the chocolate is very thick at this temperature, so impossible to apply in a thin coat, if that's what you want. It also tends to bloom upon resolidification if you mix different chocolates or don't get it to just the perfect temp. All in all, pretty tricky for those kind of jobs. (Real tempering machines start at $400!)
If you're a dedicated candy maker, this ain't the product for you. If you just want to melt chocolate chips, use the microwave. But this is nice for fondue or, if you're not picky about final appearance, coating things per my recommended instructions above. Have fun!!!

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Chocolatiere Electric Chocolate Melting Pot Is perfect for chocolate fondue, making chocolate molds, or deserts

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Wilton Chocolate Pro Electric Melting Pot Review

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(More customer reviews)Some time ago, I worked as a pastry chef/candy maker using a very expensive chocolate melter/temperer as one of my equipment staples. I have melted and dipped more chocolate than you could shake a candy box at.
I took a chance and picked up one of these locally (Wilton Chocolate Melter Deluxe) with a melting/warm/off switch. There are no exact temperature controls on this model, no recipes, but the instructions are pretty straight forward. The worst enemy of chocolate is water, which they casually mention in the instruction phamphlet. I'd like to pass along that even just a tiny sputter of water will cause beautiful, satiny melted chocolate to seize up with no recovery at all possible. So if you want to dip fresh fruit, it absolutely must be 100% dry or your chocolate will harden in seconds. Don't even chance a strawberry hull (the green part) being the least bit wet because even just the smallest droplet of water is all it takes to ruin a whole batch of chocolate.
I found the Wilton to melt the chocolate quickly with continual gentle and slow stirring like an expensive chocolate temperer does, using a wooden paddle-like spoon and NOT metal. After all was smoothly melted (I use only organic non-GMO chocolate) and the control was switched onto "warm", the temperature was held well. Again, stirring gently and frequently helps maintain even temperatures throughout your chocolate mixture which is important in keeping your dipping temperature consistent. I dipped over 70 pieces with just 8 oz. of chocolate the first time out with great results.
Another suggestion to help keep "bloom" at bay (the white streaks that can appear on dark and milk chocolates that does not effect flavor) is to set your dipped chocolates away from any air movement. No open windows and out of human traffic where people walk by continually. Even a little bit of air movement can turn a whole batch of newly dipped chocolates into a white bloomin' mess. This is caused by rapid temperature change and/or improper tempering. This unit is not a temperer, but gentle handling can still give good results.
I'm looking forward to making lots of chocolates for the holidays and this little melter gets my whole-hearted vote! Chocolate is an experience and worth not giving up on. If you don't have great success the first time out, try smaller batches and you will get the feel for it. This little melter is a boon to the home chocolatier novice.

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Get ready to wow friends and family with delicious gourmet sweet treats--perfect for adding to the festive mood of birthdays, holiday dinner parties, and other fun get-togethers. This electric melting pot makes it easy to go from average to extraordinary. Shaped like a small crock pot with a large open handle, the unit features a removable nonstick melting pot that holds up to 2-1/2 cups at a time. Simply add chocolate or Candy Melts brand confectionery coating and slide the power switch from "off" to "melt" for a creamy consistency in 10 minutes or less--no microwave or double-boiler needed. It also offers "warm" mode to keep contents at the right consistency without overheating. Mold lollipops and dipped-center candies like a pro; serve chocolate-dipped strawberries or elegant soiree-style fondue; create flavored chocolate sauces for drizzling over ice cream or silky ganache glaze to pour over cakes--the creative options are endless. Thoughtfully designed, the melting pot provides a spout for drip-free pouring, an "on" indicator light, a stay-cool base for safety, and non-skid feet that keep the unit steady on the counter. When finished, dispose of any unused chocolate or confectionery coating while it's still melted and fluid, then allow the melting pot to cool completely and wash by hand in warm, soapy water. The base of the unit can be wiped clean and both the melting pot and base should be dried thoroughly before storing. The UL-listed melting pot measures approximately 5-1/2 by 10-1/2 by 8-2/5 inches.

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Chocolate Tempering Machine - Revolation 1 LID INCLUDED Review

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(More customer reviews)Tempering chocolate is one of the hardest things to do; even experienced professionals will fail at this task from time to time. There are machines that will do this, but they cost 4 figures. At less than $400, anyone who has an electrical outlet in the kitchen and can press two buttons can have perfectly tempered chocolate in about 20 minutes. Even the klutzy will be successful.
The most important feature of this machine is that the level of temper produced by this gadget is absolutely perfect, and is identical to the chocolate I temper by hand. It has separate settings for white, milk, or dark chocolates. I use one at work, and no longer have to temper chocolate for other employees. Mechanically, the machine operates flawlessly (an important fact, since the bowl rotates continuously whenever the machine is on). Operation is simple, since it has instructions printed right on the machine. The temper cycle is computer controlled, so you do not really need to know how it is done; you just push a couple of buttons. Also, it will operate by itself once you press the buttons; tempering by hand requires your full attention for at least half an hour. With this thing, you can get it going and do something else for a few minutes, which is extremely important in a professional kitchen.
There are some minor drawbacks. It has several pieces that you assemble, so be careful that you do not lose any when you break down the machine to wash it. The capacity is 1 1/2 pounds; this sounds like a lot, but once you get into it, that pound and a half will get used up awfully fast. The cycle time is 20 minutes, so if you run out of tempered chocolate, you will have to wait that long for another batch; there is no provision for trickle-feeding. Also note that you must wash out the machine when you are done; there is no provision for overnight storage of the melted chocolate. Of course, these drawbacks can be cured by purchasing the professional version of this machine (I think it is called "X" or "X1320" or some such thing), at about $1300.
For the uninitiated, you must use real chocolate, and not confectionery coatings. You must temper if you are going to do something fancy with the chocolate: dip candy, fill chocolate molds, make those fancy chocolate decorations you saw on cable TV, etc. If you are going to cook with it (cakes, cookies, brownies, sauces, etc.), you do not temper chocolate.


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The idea was simple: Take the world's most desirable and most perplexing food (chocolate) and make it simple, easy, fun, and economical for anyone to use. This tabletop chocolate temperer was designed with the homemaker and hobbyist in mind. With just two keystrokes, you will be able to create beautiful chocolate creations in the comfort of your own home. The temperer melts and tempers up to 1.5 lbs of chocolate in under 30 minutes, guided by a fully automatic micro-processor using forced hot air. The stainless steel bowl is removable for easy cleaning. Includes a dipping tool, scrapers, and cleaning brush.

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