Comments on: How to Temper Chocolate

By: Emily @ Handle the Heat

Emily @ Handle the Heat — Tue, 04 Mar 2025 14:49:47 +0000

In reply to Cyndee. Hi Cyndee, great questions! We'd recommend avoiding chocolate containing caramel for tempering, as the added ingredients could interfere with the crystal structure and temperature control needed for proper tempering. We haven't tested tempering store-bought sea salt chocolate, but I don't see why it wouldn't work. Just be mindful that added ingredients might slightly affect the process. If you're adding your own salt, wait until the tempered chocolate has cooled slightly. This helps the salt stay on the surface for better texture and visual appeal. Also, the type of salt matters! Flaky salt like fleur de sel will give a different taste experience than finer sea salt. Have fun experimenting to see which you prefer :) Hope that helps, and happy chocolate making!

By: Cyndee

Cyndee — Sun, 02 Mar 2025 21:32:37 +0000

Hello! Thank you for this terrific information with the right amount of science so that I understand why certain steps and temperatures are important. In shopping the chocolate aisle I’ve seen a lot of flavor variations like sea salt, caramel, etc. Will these still work when tempering or should they be avoided? Also, I’m in love with salted dark chocolate. After tempering my chocolate, I plan on pouring it into molds. Should I sprinkle the sea salt as soon as I’ve poured the chocolate into the molds or wait until after it’s cooled? Thank you!!

By: Allison

Allison — Thu, 13 Feb 2025 16:26:54 +0000

Great instructions and explanation to what tempering does to chocolate! I tried this for the first time today, but accidentally heated the chocolate a bit past 120. I think this is why my finished product had no shine. However it set at room temp which was what I needed. Thank you so much!

By: Denden Tesoro

Denden Tesoro — Mon, 03 Feb 2025 04:12:36 +0000

Does this tempering work in warm (86-95F) and humid kitchens? Do you need to refrigerate the chocolate when it reaches the final temperature?

By: Emily @ Handle the Heat

Emily @ Handle the Heat — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 14:29:22 +0000

In reply to Maggie. Hi Maggie! A candy thermometer will work just fine, but it's not exactly the same as a chocolate thermometer. Chocolate thermometers typically have a smaller temperature range, which makes them easier to read and more precise for tempering chocolate. Some even have features to alert you if the chocolate moves out of the tempering range. Tessa loves the Taylor candy thermometer and this chocolate thermometer. She also loves this digital instant-read food thermometer for general use. Hope that helps! :)

By: Maggie

Maggie — Sat, 16 Nov 2024 15:43:18 +0000

You mention that using a “Chocolate thermometer” is a good tool when tempering chocolate. Is a “chocolate thermometer” the same as a “candy thermometer” ? Which brand would you recommend using? Is a “high-quality digital thermometer” the same as an Instant Read Thermometer that we might use in other food preparation? Many thanks!

By: Theresa Geil

Theresa Geil — Wed, 30 Oct 2024 16:13:45 +0000

In reply to Tessa Arias.

Did I miss the temperature requirement difference between microwave vs double boiler for dark chocolate? I thought it was a keep it between 115-120 for either method.

By: Emily @ Handle the Heat

Emily @ Handle the Heat — Mon, 16 Sep 2024 15:13:38 +0000

In reply to Julia.

Hi Julia! Unfortunately, simply adding new chocolate to tempered chocolate won’t temper the new chocolate. You should only add unmelted chocolate to tempered chocolate in two cases: during step 2 of the seeding method when you’re lowering the temperature, or if the tempered chocolate’s temperature rises above 89°F.

I recommend melting the new chocolate separately, following the tempering process to ensure any crystals are fully melted. Once it’s cooled to 89°F, mix it well into the tempered chocolate. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope that was helpful!

By: Julia

Julia — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 02:10:21 +0000

If I’m using a chocolate melter and I run low on the tempered chocolate, when adding more chocolate, do I need to:
1- Re-temper the big quantity of chocolate again (Up to 50 then seed temperature back down), or
2- just simply bring it to working temperature (30 degrees)?

I was wondering if chemically speaking, adding new chocolate to a small batch of tempered chocolate would make it tempered as well or would I need to bring this whole new batch to keep making truffles up to 45-50 degrees and back down. Hope that makes sense. Thanks!

By: Vola

Vola — Wed, 24 Jul 2024 01:01:39 +0000

Great article! Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
I’m trying to temper Trader’s Joe chocolate for candies but I can’t. Despite trying at least 5 times I can’t get it tempered. I use microwave method and electronic thermometer.
I also have a question about chocolate I wanted to ask, it’s about working temperature and thinness. Trader’s Joe chocolate is to thick at working temperature (I use mix of theirs dark and milk pound chocolate 1:1). I can pour in molds but there’s no chance I can pour it out. I tried to add some cocoa butter but can’t figure out how much and when to add. Do you have any suggestions as you mentioned you used it.
And would chocolate sets at 77 room temperature? Because I’m a bit frustrated about not being able to make tempering right and honestly don’t know what I constantly do wrong. It doesn’t set, doesn’t snap.