Help melting chocolate

[HuffleWitch]

I'm melting chocolate to dip biscuits in, and it keeps going lumpy and hard.

Do you think this is because:

A) it's too cold
B) it's too hot
C) it's got too many foreign bodies (crumbs) in it
D) it's got water in it
E) it's crappy chocolate
F) other - please specify.

Thanks!

Too hot

Think its best to melt it over hot water, rather than directly.

Well what are the lumps? Get your microscope out

If you overheat it it will be lumpy. If you don't melt it enough it will be lumpy and it will definitely be lumpy with crumbs in.

Eat it all with a spoon to see.

Water getting in it?

Are you doing this OP?

www.google.co.uk/search?tbm=isch&source=mog&hl=en&gl=uk&tab=wi&q=melt%20chocolate%20over%20boiling%20water&sa=N&biw=320&bih=416#i=2

You need to put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl (without water) and let it melt over a pot of simmering water.

Putting it in the microwave or letting water get it may make it lumpy.

in my experience, not any choc melts easily. Some choc (notably Cadbury's dairy milk) doesn't melt much at all, rather comes out looking like a very wet biscuit
It's probably down to the content of the choc, but I'm not sure exactly what.
I used to think supermarkets selling "cooking" or "baking" chocolate were just trying to flog poor quality stuff but I learned from experience that truly not all choc melts!

Dark choc is more likely to melt BTW.

Not all is lost though, if you add some milk or cream (or both) to your dipping choc and stir stir stir, eventually you will get a homogenous mass. It may be somewhat less brown than you want, but be patient and keep chucking in choc (of whatever kind), or add a bit of cocoa powder.

That's how I make truffles, and I never bother looking for cooking choc anymore. Just add cream and stir stir stir.

HTH!!

Oh and BTW I do it on the hob. Microwaving as a cooking method (rather than heating up cooked food) is far too unreliable IMO. And bain marie is a pain in the posterior. I virtually never use bain maries. Not even on custard.

Probably too hot. I've never had success melting chocolate in the microwave and always use the bain marie (sp?) method. You must make sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water though and the no water gets into the chocolate. If it does, it will seize up completely.

Thanks all. I was melting it in a glass bowl over simmering water. And it was melting cooking chocolate, not stuff off the confectionery aisle. Still went lumpy. Oh well. Less biscuits dipped, less available to wrap for gifts, more for me!

Do you mean straight in the saucepan Turquoise?

Make sure the bowl is v clean and dry. Ensure steam is not condensing into choc (ie keep water only simmering).

I've never had a problem melting chocolate in the microwave, however I take it out every 10 seconds and give it a stir. Usually takes 50-60 seconds for me to melt 100gram bar. Oh, and I don't let it melt completely, I stir a lot at the end to melt the last few chunks :)