I think I've met about two people in my life who did not like chocolate. It's good stuff. I'm not a "chocoholic", but I do get a sweet tooth for it once in a while. A chocolate fountain is a way to take that tasty confection and coat just about anything edible with it. If you enjoy chocolate, you might want to check out what is available in chocolate fountains for your home today.

It used to be that you would only see chocolate fountains at very exclusive restaurants or at special events where the caterer had invested their money in a large chocolate fountain that could be used over and over again as part of their business. Today, the cost of a chocolate fountain is considerably less and one can be had for just about the same price that it costs to rent one. No wonder more and more people are buying them.

A couple of years ago, a work colleague had a high school graduation party for his daughter and invited my family to attend.  He had mentioned that his wife had purchased a chocolate fountain for the event, but I had not really given it much thought until I walked in to the room and saw it pouring sheets of chocolate from tier to tier as it made its way down to the base.  The chocolate fountain was surrounded by tasty treats like oreos, marshmallows, pineapples, strawberries, bananas, and a variety of other bite sized foods. 

I had never been to an event where a chocolate fountain was available before.  I stood by and watched the proper technique as people approached, stuck the bite sized pieces on the end of a toothpick and proceeded to pass the morsals of food under the cascading chocolate sheets.  It didn't look too difficult, so I approached and filled a small plate with an assortment of chocolate covered treats.  When I got back to our table, everyone was already digging in to their chocolate covered desserts, so I went ahead and started eating mine.  I kept eating until it was all gone.  Then I went back to the fountain and did the same thing again.  It is honestly one of only about two times in my life that I can remember eating something until I got sick!

Needless to say, I really liked the chocolate fountain, as did pretty much everyone at the event. The next time we had a family gathering we went out and purchased our own chocolate fountain. It was a good decision. It was a Communion party and everyone there raved about how beautiful my daughter looked and much they loved the chocolate fountain! Now the fountain gets passed around by our family whenever there is a special occasion. We have definitely gotten our money's worth out of it.

You can find different styles of chocolate fountains, but the most common are some variation of a multi-tiered "wedding cake" style. The prices of the fountains can vary depending on factors such as size, what the fountain is made of (look for stainless steel), and extra features that may be included with the model such as a built in warmer that melts the chocolate for you.

Depending on the model of chocolate fountain you purchase, you can sometimes also run things besides chocolate through them. If you are a big cheese fan, you might want to remember this!

Most people however stick to chocolate. The most commonly used types of chocolate are milk chocolate and dark chocolate, but you can run unsweetened chocolate in the fountain as well if that is what you prefer. Sometimes people decide to use white chocolate as well, but that is a decidedly different taste that not all people like, so you may want to think carefully before filling a fountain with it. Many fountains require you to melt the chocolate and then mix it with oil to keep it flowing smoothly. A fountain with a built in warmer may not require the oil, but you should check the instructions that come with the fountain. There is also a form of chocolate with a higher concentration of cocoa butter called couverture chocolate. This high cocoa butter concentration allows for a smoother flow of the chocolate once it is melted.

Most chocolate fountains run on a standard electrical connection. There are some available however that give you the option to use batteries. These would be useful for events that are being held "on location," like a beach wedding.

If you decide to go ahead and purchase a chocolate fountain, don't go for the cheapest model available. You can pick up a solidly constructed fountain suitable for most larger family events for a very reasonable price. Make sure that the construction is solid and that it can be cleaned with relative ease. An auger style pump is considered preferable by most people. Finally, ensure that it runs smoothly and quietly. You want to chocolate to draw people attention, not the sound of the pump.

A chocolate fountain is not something that you break out and use every day. For a decadent treat every once in a while though, they are hard to beat!