Chocolate Fountain Maintenance and Care

Since the chocolate fountain is an electrical device, special precautions need to be heeded for proper care, maintenance, and use.

First, be sure to plug the chocolate fountain into a wall outlet on its own circuit. If it is sharing a circuit with a percolator or a microwave, the chances of electrical shortages are greatly increased.

It is also necessary to keep your chocolate fountain level. If the fountain is not perfectly level, many problems can occur. You can have uneven sheeting of the chocolate, which is not pleasing to the eye, or, even worse, the chocolate will not stay properly melted. Many chocolate fountains have adjustable feet to ensure that the fountain can be level even if your table is not.

All chocolate fountains will have vent holes around the basin. The vent holes prevent the motor from overheating. When you are using your chocolate fountain, be sure to keep all decorations such as flowers away from the vent holes. The basin should also be set at least one-half inch above the table to allow the motor to cool.

Never start the auger or pump before the chocolate has melted completely in the basin of your fountain. This will cause the motor unnecessary stress and cause it to overheat. If you are in a rush to melt the chocolate, you can microwave it or use a double boiler on the stove.

Most importantly, thoroughly clean your chocolate fountain after every use and follow the manufacturers' directions for proper storage.