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.
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
Commercial chocolate fountains usually range in size from about 20" to 50" 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.
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
decrease 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.
The fluid dynamics of home chocolate fountains are particularly problematic,
since the gravitational forces are much lower than the viscous forces; this
means that small chocolate fountains need a very high proportion of vegetable
oil. There is a trade-off between looks and taste: if perfect smooth flow may be
sacrificed, it's possible to use non-oily chocolate.
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 expense of gourmet Belgian couverture chocolate is more than worth it.
Another alternative is to use dark chocolate, such as 70% cocoa chocolate. This
contains much less sugar, so it isn't so sticky; a small quantity of hot water
may be added to thin it further.