A chocolate fountain is usually made of stainless steel and serves melted chocolate. A motor at the base heats the chocolate placed in the heating tray. The heated chocolate then goes up through a column and when it gets to the top, flows down over multiple tiers. This chocolate flows over each tray until it reaches the base.

Couverture chocolate, which contains at least 32 percent cocoa butter, works great in a chocolate fountain. You get this in light milk chocolate or dark chocolate. You can use other chocolate but must add vegetable oil, which hampers the taste and smoothness.

At one time chocolate fountains were commercial units, which cost thousands of dollars and used by professional party planners at catering events. You can still rent larger fountains from party stores and catering services that come with an attendant to made sure the fountain runs properly.

Home Chocolate Fountains

Now chocolate fountains are available for home use so people can host their own events. A home fountain is great for a party of around 20 or 25 people.

For someone thinking of purchasing a chocolate fountain for his or her home, there are a large number of budget friendly chocolate fountains on the market. Many of the very inexpensive models are not worth buying because of their cheap construction.

Purchasing a Chocolate Fountain

When purchasing a chocolate fountain for home use, look for the following:

? A good warranty is very important.

? It should be easy to clean and dishwasher safe.

? You want a machine that is easy to assemble.

? Make sure the construction quality is excellent.

? Nothing is worse than a loud machine so quiet operation is important.

? Auger pumping mechanism

To have the chocolate flow smoothly, you need to add oil. Many companies make chocolate for chocolate fountains that you do not add oil so you can set them up faster and more conveniently.

Most people are chocolate lovers. Just seeing rich chocolate, cascading down each layer on a chocolate fountain, makes our mouths water. There are many types of chocolate available to use. Some of these are:

? Milk chocolate ? creamy and smooth

? Dark chocolate ? some people call this bitter chocolate

? Unsweetened chocolate ? no sweeteners added

Chocolate Facts

Less than 2 percent of fat in American diets come from chocolate. The main sources are fried foods, meat and full fat dairy products. Experts and research show that most headaches are not related to chocolate intake. Studies show that stress, hunger, irregular sleep patterns and hormone changes can cause headaches.