A chocolate fountain in a shop in Brussels, Belgium.

A chocolate fountain is a device for serving chocolate fondue. Typical examples resemble a stepped cone, standing 2-4 feet tall with a crown at the top and stacked tiers over a basin at the bottom. The basin is heated to keep the chocolate in a liquid state so it can be pulled into a center cylinder then vertically transported to the top of the fountain by a corkscrew auger. From there it flows over the tiers creating a chocolate "waterfall" in which food items like strawberries or marshmallows can be dipped. Download high resolution version (526x800, 57 KB) A chocolate fountain in Brussels. ... Download high resolution version (526x800, 57 KB) A chocolate fountain in Brussels. ... For other uses, see Brussels (disambiguation). ... Chocolate most commonly comes in dark, milk, and white varieties, with cocoa solids contributing to the brown coloration. ... Fondue refers to several French Swiss communal dishes shared at the table in an earthenware pot (caquelon) over a small burner (rechaud). The term fondue comes from the French fondre (to melt), referring to the fact that the contents of the pot are kept in a liquid state so that... This article is about the geometric object, for other uses see Cone. ... The worlds highest fountain: King Fahds Fountain in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Three traditional fountain features: a low jet, a pair of raised basins, and sculpture with a water theme, here hippocamps (Villa Borghese, Rome) A traditional fountain is an arrangement where water issues from a source (Latin fons... Tiers may refer to: the plural of tier Tiers, Italy, a town in South Tyrol, Italy Category: ... An auger is a device for moving material or liquid by means of a rotating helical flighting. ... This article does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Strawberries Promo Strawberries is an album by The Damned released October 1982 on Bronze Records (catalogue #BRON 542). ... A marshmallow is a type of confection that, in its modern form, consists of sugar or corn syrup, beaten egg whites, gelatin that has been pre-softened in water, gum arabic and flavorings, whipped to a spongy consistency. ...

Types of Chocolate Fountains

Chocolate fountains can be categorized as commercial-use and personal-use. The quality of a chocolate fountain will vary based on manufacturer and price point.

Woman using a home chocolate fountain.

Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (576x768, 479 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Chocolate fountain Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (576x768, 479 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Chocolate fountain Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...

Commercial Chocolate Fountains

Commercial chocolate fountains range in size from 27" to 52" tall and are designed for use in professional environments such as catering. These fountains are normally constructed of food-grade stainless steel and, as such, are quite durable. Depending on the model, commercial chocolate fountains may hold as much as 35 pounds of chocolate. A professionally catered event Catering is the business of providing food service at a remote site. ...

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Home Chocolate Fountains

Home Chocolate Fountains range in size up to about 19" tall. They are primarily made of plastic and may have some stainless steel components (although all-stainless models do exist) and are usually dishwasher safe. Home chocolate fountains normally hold 6 or less pounds of chocolate.

Chocolate Fountain Chocolate

Melted chocolate is very temperamental, so rich couverture chocolate, which is high in cocoa butter, is commonly used to ensure consistent flow. If the cocoa butter content of the chocolate is too low, an additive must be mixed in to increase viscosity. (Vegetable oil is most commonly used to do this.) But even couverture chocolate--unless specifically designed for fountains--often still requires an additive to make it flow smoothly. Because of this, it is highly recommended that chocolate formulated specifically for fountains be used to avoid the need for the addition of vegetable oil, as the oil gives a slimy, gritty taste and texture to the chocolate. Few chocolate fountains are capable of melting chocolate directly in the basin, so chocolate is typically melted in a microwave or double boiler before pouring it into the fountain. Warmed couverture chocolate for baking. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

A cheaper alternative to couverture chocolate is chocolate-flavored syrup, also called "chocolate coating". Chocolate coating is already in liquid form and costs much less than couverture chocolate. Although, many would argue that the extra of expense of gourmet Belgian couverture chocolate is more than worth it.

History

Chocolate fountains were first made popular by a Canadian company called Design & Realisation. But that popularity was relatively mild until other companies like Buffet Enhancements and Sephra stepped into the marketplace and made the product more visible by broadening the clientelle demographic and expanding the customer base.

Originally, the market was entirely commercial, with chocolate fountains costing thousands of dollars and requiring significant upkeep. The popularity of chocolate fountains grew to a point of demand at a consumer retail level as people who had seen commercial models at catered events inquired about purchasing their own fountains. Then, at the end of 2004, the Hellmann Group began marketing the Nostalgia Chocolate Fountain for personal use. Sephra followed close behind, introducing a line of high-end home chocolate fountains in 2005. These new personal-use models were targeted to be priced for everyday consumers and easy to use.

This expansion into the retail market caused the demand to peak drastically. Consumers drooled over the new home models and the idea of chocolate fountains became more commonplace. As a result, the catering industry saw more requests for chocolate fountains at events. This also provoked a creative splash in the fondue world. Flavoring oils such as mint, orange, and cappuccino were developed to give the chocolate extra pizazz. Caterers began adding food coloring to white chocolate to make it coincide with special holidays or events. Caterers and home users created special recipes for a variety of fondues that would flow well in a fountain. Some of the more popular recipes included caramel, cheese, maple syrup, ranch dressing, and BBQ sauce. Because of the growing practice of using chocolate fountains for other types of fondue, chocolate fountains became interchangeably referred to as "fondue fountains".

Today, commercial chocolate fountains are a common fixture at well-to-do galas, weddings, and catered parties; while home chocolate fountains are more commonly seen at birthday parties and friendly gatherings.

Trivia

The Jean-Philippe Patisserie at the Bellagio Casino in Las Vegas has the world's tallest chocolate fountain.[1] A patisserie is a French bakery and its products that specializes in pastries and sweets. ... Bellagio is a hotel and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. It is owned by MGM Mirage. ... This article is about the city of Las Vegas in Nevada. ...

References