Top 6 tempering chocolate methods everyone should know

Simply melting pure chocolate is not enough and would not yield the results that make an irresistibly appealing chocolate product. As melted chocolate comes with the issues like lackluster finish, longer time to harden, and a rubbery feel instead of having the much-needed crunchiness to it.

What is tempering chocolate and why is it important?

Tempering chocolate is the process of pre-crystallization of cocoa butter to make the chocolate suitable for processing, this assurance a perfect finished product with hard snap and glossy finished. Callebaut Chocolates are great for tempering as they are easy moldable and comes with the right amount of pure cocoa butter in the them. Tempering chocolate is not an impossible task, and the chocolatiers around the world have been doing this for ages.

Being a chocolatier, you should follow one of these 6 tempering chocolate methods to temper your couverture chocolate.

Tempering with Chocolate Chip & Melter

The seeding method is tempering chocolate by adding small amounts of un-melted chocolate chips to melted chocolate. It’s fast, easy and incredibly efficient. Follow the steps below to temper chocolate chips using a chocolate melter.

Melt some chocolate at 40 degree celsius in a chocolate melter.

Reduce the melter temperature to 32 degree celsius and then start adding the chocolate chips to melted chocolates. Do not add too much of chips at one point in time. Add little by little and keep stirring to melt the chocolate.

If the chips start melting too soon, then you need to add some more into the melter. If it melts too slowly, adjust the temperature to fasten the process.

The temperature for dark chocolate should be around 31-32 degree celsius, for milk chocolate it should be 31 degree celsius and for white chocolate it should be 29 degree celsius. If the temperature remains high even after all the chips have melted, add more and stir to bring down the temperature.

Stir till the mixture is consistent enough to be used and have no lumps. Then allow it to cool down for it to have the glossy consistency.

You can take your pallet knife and take a bit of the melted chocolate on it. If the chocolate has been melted properly, then the crystallized chocolate will form on the knife in a few minutes.

For further reference take a look at this tempering chocolate video by Callebaut

Tempering with Chocolate & Double Boiler

This one is a variation of the aforementioned seeding method. The use of the double boiler instead of a melter is one of the major differences between this method and the previous one. All you need are some chocolate chips or finely chopped chocolate, a boiler, and water. Follow the given steps to easily get tempered chocolate using a boiler.

Pour in water up to one-third of the boiler and get the water boiling to a high temperature. When the water has sufficiently come up to a boil, place the bowl of chocolate chips or fined chopped chocolate above it.

You need to be careful about choosing the bowl as it must be big enough to fit in the mouth of the boiler but must not touch the water. The point is not to let the steam escape from the sides. It is best to choose a tempered glass bowl so that it can take in the temperature without getting damaged.

Keep stirring the chocolate chips to aid in the process of melting, and the steam will gradually melt the chocolate in a few minutes. The temperature requirements for this one are same as the previous method.

Remove the bowl when you notice that there are no granules left in the chocolate. Let it cool down, and gradually the consistency will be reached.

This is the easiest method of tempering couverture in case you do not have a chocolate melter. The consistency is perfect, and the melting is quick.

Tempering Chocolate in the Microwave

If you would like to temper a small batch of couverture, there is nothing better than using a microwave. It is the fastest and one of the most effective methods ever. People frequently have the query of how to temper chocolate in microwave, and the answer lies in the steps enumerated below.

Take the chocolate chips in a bowl and put it in the microwave for about thirty seconds at 800-1,000 W. When you are using a microwave oven, always heat up the chocolates at full power but for short bursts of time.

Take out the bowl and began stirring the bowl to mix up the semi-melted chocolate. After a few minutes of getting in and out of the microwave, you can expect the chocolate to be melted nicely.

Stirring is the key because when you take out the chocolate, a lot of the chips are melted by a good stir. If you still feel some large lumps are left, put it again in the microwave for a few seconds.

When you see that it feels just slightly lumpy, give it some stir, and the granules will be removed. Do not put it back in the microwave. You know it is ready when it reaches the right tempering chocolate temperatures as mentioned above.

If you have a pallet knife, you can scoop up some chocolate in it just to test if the chocolate is ready or not. Leave the pallet knife at normal temperature for a minute, and if the tempering is done right, the chocolate will be hard and crystallized.

You could also refer to this tempering chocolate video by Callebaut.

Tempering Chocolate with Cocoa Butter

This is one of most preferred tempering chocolate methods and chocolatiers preferred tempering with Mycryo Cocoa Butter because it's a very simple, easy, and clean method of getting a perfect consistency. The ratio of chocolate to cocoa butter is 1 kg to 10 gram (about 1%). The method of using cocoa butter in tempering has been given below.

Melt the chocolate in the melter till all the granules are gone completely.

Measure the Mycryo Cocoa Butter and pour it into the melted chocolate and start stirring when the temperature of the melted chocolate is at 34 degree celsius.

While stirring, you will notice that the chocolate has reached the shiny and glossy texture, indicating that it is ready.

Check the temperature of the chocolate and see to it that it has reached the temperature of 31-32 degree celsius for dark, and 29 degree celsius for white chocolate. Run the test with the pallet knife to double check if it is ready or not.

The science that work here is that pure cocoa butter already contains the stable butter crystals that are needed to temper chocolate. The key to applying this method lies in using the right amount of cocoa butter. Only the right amount of cocoa butter will give you the beautifully glossy chocolate products. If we don’t add sufficient amount of cocoa butter the chocolate will take forever to harden and will have a grayish, dull color with fat bloom.

For further reference take a look at this tempering chocolate video by Callebaut

Tempering Chocolate with Tempering Machine

Chocolate tempering machine can be a huge help if you are a chef looking to temper large quantity of chocolate for your creations. You need to take no hassle, and the machine takes care of it all. The only thing you need to be careful of is the temperature.

Melt chocolates in the machine at a temperature of 45 degree.

Lower the temperature to 31-32 degree celsius for dark and 29 degree celsius for white chocolate. Add the chips which have been kept at 18-20 degree celsius.

The movement of the wheel will help seed the chips into the melted chocolate giving you impeccably tempered chocolate.

Take a bit of the chocolate on the knife and test it to see if your job of tempering chocolates is complete or not.

You could also refer to this tempering chocolate video by Callebaut

Tempering Chocolate on Marble or Table Top

The three basic requirements of tempering chocolate on marble top are getting the time, temperature, and movement right. Sure, you will have to work a bit harder for this method, but the results make it worth.

Melt the chocolate at a temperature of 45 degree celsius and then lower the temperature of the melter to 27 degree celsius. Before pouring the chocolate on the table top, raise the temperature to about 30 degree celsius.

Keep some melted chocolate in the melter and do not pour it all. Pour one-third amount on the table top and start turning it using your chocolate scraper continuously. The idea here is that the chocolate loses its crystals as it melts, and you are bringing the crystallization back by tossing and turning it.

After it has reached the ideal fluidity, mix it with the remaining chocolate in the melter and your work is done.

You can pick out any of the tempering chocolate methods that have been enumerated, and if done right, they will yield the right kind of tempered chocolate for your chocolate delight.

For further reference take a look at this tempering chocolate video by Callebaut

Temperatures for Chocolates for 6 Tempering Chocolate Methods discussed above

Chocolate Melting Temperature Finishing Temperature Dark 40 Degree Celsius 31 to 32 Degree Celsius Milk 40 Degree Celsius 31 Degree Celsius White 40 Degree Celsius 29 Degree Celsius

No matter what tempering chocolate methods you use, the first and foremost requirement is getting your hands on a good variety of couverture chocolate. There is no better place than Bakerykart for all your chocolate needs at the most affordable prices. We have the largest collections of couverture chocolate and we deliver all orders through dry ice packaging so that your chocolate reaches you in proper condition. Let us be your helping hand with our high-quality couverture chocolate and timely delivery of your supplies.

Do comment below and let us know how this article has helped you to temper your chocolate.