Chocolate Melting

Melting - is the first stage of taking chocolate from solid to liquid form. Most chocolate should be melted to a temperature of approximately 40° to 42°C.

Melted chocolate can be used either as an ingredient as it is (untempered), or as the first stage to tempering when feeding either a continuous tempering machine or topping up a larger batch temperer.

Smaller melting machines can be used to hand temper the chocolate by use of a thermometer and constant stirring to ensure the crystal structure of the chocolate is maintained throughout the batch. These do not automatically temper the chocolate - they will however keep it at a constant temperature and therefore 'on hold'. This is useful in the kitchen situation where a constant supply of melted chocolate is needed in, for example, dessert making.

Melting Machinery - Melting Equipment is available in sizes ranging from 2.5kg to 30 tonnes. In larger plants they are fed through to machinery with specialist jacketed piping. For larger users wanting to process block chocolate - Block Melting Magazines accept "stacks" of chocolate blocks which sit on top of heated bars and so "drip through" to the main melting vessel below.

Automatic batch tempering machines will first melt the chocolate from button or block before moving on to the tempering process itself.

Melting	Tempering	Moulding
Enrobing	Depositing	Fudge Making