Cooking · Entertaining · Fondue · Feb 14, 2024

How to Host a Chocolate Fondue Party

So you just purchased a Salton fondue fountain for your upcoming holiday party, or maybe you were gifted one from a friendly neighbor. Here are some ideas to get that fondue fountain out of the box and in use.

Put your fondue fountain to work with these easy tips and tricks:

Warm your fondue fountain while you melt your chocolate

To get your fountain ready for the chocolate plug in the machine on a stable and level surface to warm up while you are melting your chocolate. This will ensure the best flow from the fountain base over the auger for the perfect chocolate-y experience.

The best way to melt chocolate is over a double boiler

To melt your chocolate, start by putting an inch of water to simmer in a medium-sized pot. Place a heat-safe bowl on top of the pot so that bottom of the bowl is not touching the water. Add morsels of chocolate to the bowl and stir occasionally. For every 32 ounces of chocolate, add ¾ cup of oil to liquefy in order to use for fondue. Stir until smooth and remove the bowl from heat to pour into the base of the chocolate fountain.

Use chocolate that contains no more than 60% cocoa

The best chocolate to use for a chocolate fountain is semi-sweet and contains no more than 60% cocoa. This type of chocolate will create the best form when liquefied for using in a chocolate fountain and no additional oil should have to be added.

Add flavors to your melted chocolate to enhance your fondue experience

To really step up your chocolate fondue experience, try adding flavourings to the melted chocolate. This is an optional step but really allows you to customize to your taste and try new flavours. You can use: vanilla extract, almond extract, cake batter flavor extract, maple extract, cinnamon extract, coconut extract, hazelnut extract, mint extract, coffee extract. For a unique and adult-only twist, try flavoured liqueurs such as hazelnut liqueur, amaretto, or your favourite liqueurs

Melt cheese to create a cheese fondue fountain

Get creative with your fondue fountain and try a cheese fondue fountain instead of chocolate. Melt cheese as you would for normal fondue and dilute it with white wine or table cream to keep it liquid for the fountain. Cheese fondue is perfect for dipping grapes, apples, breads, shrimp, crackers, pretzels, meats, and just about anything you’d love to eat smothered in cheese!