Give A Memorable Party With A Chocolate Fondue Fountain
Looking For A Creative Party Idea? This Is It.
Would you like to give a party that everyone raves about? Consider a chocolate fondue fountain. These things are incredible. Let me share with you my experience with one.
My brother bought a Sephra chocolate fondue fountain and set it up at a family party and boy was it a hit.
As soon as I walked in the door I could smell this wonderful chocolate. I wondered where that delicious smell was coming from.
Then I saw it. Flowing chocolate is something to see. It almost looks like it’s not moving at all until you dip something into the cascading waterfall of chocolate.
There were plenty of oooh’s and aaah’s around the fountain as people delighted in their dipping experience.
Guests hung around the fountain like bees to honey. I couldn’t wait to dip something in that creamy chocolate. And it’s hard not to keep coming back for more. It seems the more dipping items available, the more you have to try them all just to see how they will taste.
I’m convinced a chocolate fondue fountain is the perfect entertainment and dessert, especially for a larger crowd.
If you have 15 or more guests you will love this thing.
Benefits Of A Chocolate Fondue Fountain:
Can be set up ahead of time, freeing the hostess to visit with guests
They make a beautiful center piece on the table
Guests love the uniqueness of it
Guests can serve themselves as much as they want
Placed on a round table, guests can gather all around it, serving many at a time
Kids and adults love them
If someone doesn’t like chocolate they can still eat the dipping goodies
They make the house smell great
In the past, chocolate fondue fountains could only be rented for weddings, anniversaries, bar mitzvahs, bachelor parties, baby showers, etc.
Now these chocolate fountains are made for the home market. They are so affordable that they make great gifts too.
What You Should Know Before You Buy
Now before you go out and buy a chocolate fondue fountain there are a few things you should be aware of.
My brother Chris did a lot of research on chocolate fountains before he bought his Sephra elite model. He’s the type of guy who likes to get a quality product that will last a long time. So I feel confident recommending this product.
I also have had plenty of opportunity to try it out as it has been used at several parties. Chris picked this model for a number of reasons.
He wanted a unit that was:
quiet
durable
have a removable basin for cleaning ease
adjustable feet for leveling
variable heat controls
The chocolate fondue fountain Chris decided on is very quiet.
No one wants to stand around a noisy machine while you are trying to have a conversation. Some of the lower end chocolate fountains are noisy.
Look for durable stainless steel. Most of the components of the Sephra model are made of stainless steel with the exception of the tiers which are made of plastic. It also has a removable basin. To me that is important in clean up. The parts can be washed in the dishwasher.
Another thing to consider on a chocolate fountain are adjustable feet for leveling. If a fountain is not level the chocolate will not flow over the tiers evenly. This model has adjustable feet.
Variable temperature settings are handy and help you get the most out of your fountain. Sephra has 4 temperature control settings for hot or cold fondue.
More temperature settings mean that you can run other ingredients through the chocolate fountain such as BBQ sauce, caramel, cheese sauce, and ranch dressing. So far Chris has only used chocolate.
Other Chocolate Fountain Tips
Chris buys Belgium chocolate from Sephra. When you run quality chocolate through the machine your guests will have the ultimate chocolate experience. Belgium chocolate is certainly one of the best.
Some of the cheaper fountains will require that you add a fair amount of oil to the chocolate when melting it so that it will flow properly. This is especially true when using lower quality chocolate.
The chocolate from sephra is already formulated to flow through the machine. You don’t have to add a thing. Chris just places his chocolate in a glass bowl and melts it easily and quickly in the microwave. Then he just pours it into the fountain.
Now with any chocolate fondue fountain there is the issue of storing the leftover chocolate. This is something to be aware of if you are considering buying one.
The Sephra fountain holds 6 lbs. of chocolate with 4 lbs. minimum to operate. At the end of the party there will be about 3 lbs. of chocolate you won’t want to throw away.
Chris stores his in a bowl and keeps it in his pantry. When he is ready for the next party he just brings it out and melts it again in the microwave.
No matter what chocolate fondue fountain you buy, make sure you use quality chocolate. If you buy Sephra Dark Chocolate you won’t have to spend time adding oil to the chocolate and making sure you get the right consistency. You will also get outstanding flavor. This chocolate is delicious.
So after extensive research Chris chose the Sephra Elite which sells for around $150.00.
Another model that gets good reviews and is a good value is the Rival Chocolate Fountain It costs around $50.00. Keep in mind that it doesn’t have a removable basin,and is not as quiet or attractive. But for the price, it’s a great value. My recommendation would be to run Sephra chocolate through it.
Dipping Do’s and Don’ts
Here are some dipping ideas for you to use for your next party. Use your best judgement based on the age of your guests when choosing dipping items.
What you don’t want are items that easily break off or crumble into the chocolate. If they do break off and fall in the basin you should try and fish them out so as to not clog up the fountain.
Some items like pound cake or angel food cake might not be the best choices as they tend to break off or crumble easily.
You could work around this by providing a ladle and asking people to fill the ladle and then pour the chocolate onto the cake in their plate.
You might also provide tong type utensils if you have small, hard items like nuts or berries, or anything you can’t stick a skewer into.
Dipping Ideas For Chocolate Fondue Fountains
Sweet Treats
- Toffee
- Caramels
- Rice Crispie Treats
- lady fingers
- Sugar Wafers
- Chocolate Cookies
- Peanut Butter Cookies
- Graham Crackers
- Cheesecake bites
- Pound cake, use caution
- Marshmellows
Fruit
- Strawberries
- Orange slices
- Pineapple, fresh is best
- Apple slices
- Bananas
- Cherries
- Assorted dried fruits
- Blackberries
- Kiwi chunks
- Blueberries
- Mandarin orange slices
Salty
- All sorts of chips and crackers
- Walnuts
- Almonds
- Cashews
- Nut clusters
- Macadamia Nuts
- Assorted dried fruits
- Pretzels
- Brazilian Nuts
- Peanuts
Vegetable Ideas Try with chocolate or ranch dressing
sliced jalapeno, or other pepper
sliced cucumber
celery
sliced bell pepper
carrots
any vegetable of choice
Including a chocolate fondue fountain at your next party will certainly make it memorable with it’s wonderful chocolate smell and cascading waterfall of chocolate.
Owning your own means you can use it again and again.
Mexican food recipes to go with your chocolate fondue fountain dessert