Chocolate Fountains

A commercial chocolate fountain is usually made of food grade stainless steel and there are several different brands available. Fountains come in different sizes and are all powered by mains electric. Having purchased a few different types of chocolate fountain, I would say that 'Sephra' make the best quality machines. Some makes of chocolate fountain seem to be designed for the benefit of the operator, being easier to clean and others designed for quality. Sephra chocolate fountains, though very high quality, are harder to clean because the auger (Archimedes Screw) is in one piece. Most other brands of machine have a two piece auger which will fit in a dishwasher. I have been using my machines for around 3 years and the have been very reliable.

How Does A Chocolate Fountain Work?

The base of the chocolate fountain contains a motor, which is housed under a stainless steel bowl. The bowl has a heating element attached to the bottom an it is this that melts the chocolate. The heat level is controlled by a thermostat. The temperature that the thermostat is set at varies depending on the type of chocolate being used and the surrounding air temperature. The auger is housed in a stainless steel column and is connected to the motor in the centre of the heated bowl. There are 4 tiers which go on the column which get progressively smaller as you go up the column. At the top is a ribbed crown which adds a shimmer to the chocolate as it runs over it.
As the auger spins, it sucks the melted chocolate from the base, up the inside of the column, out over the crown, down over the tiers, into the bowl and then re-circulates through the machine.
Unlike most other brands, the Sephra Chocolate Fountain allows you to top up the chocolate with solid chocolate without having to melt it first.