Austin Food & Drink
This holiday, let it flow, let it flow, let it flow
Chocolate fountains for home all the rage this shopping season
AMERICAN-STATESMAN FOOD EDITOR
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
I encountered my first chocolate fountain at a swank hotel occasion in Vancouver a few years ago. It was a cascading flow of chocolate, falling into a circular basin before cycling back up. I was charmed.
Since then the fountain has migrated south, showing up at better parties in town, where mesmerized guests dunk strawberries or firm cookies into the fountain of chocolate in sort of a free-flowing fondue fashion. It's been a popular party attraction, with a rental fee in the hundreds.
The 19-inch Elite Fondue Fountain costs about $250, but others are sold for as little as $30.
Last week I spotted home chocolate fountains on an endcap at the grocery store for $30. Meanwhile, at Williams-Sonoma cookware store in town, a $249 stainless steel unit is flowing daily during the holiday season, while national food magazines this month tout ads for various models.
What's the difference in these machines?
In some of the less-expensive units, cooks have to pre-melt the chocolate before placing it in the fountain, says Devan Muir, president of Sephra, a leading maker of units ranging from $99 to $399. Cheaper models often are plastic and occasionally leak into the units. Controls might be limited to on and off. And the amount of chocolate they hold might be only a couple of pounds.
Better units often have parts that can be put in the dishwasher. They come with leveling feet, will hold up to six pounds of chocolate and will melt the chocolate as well as keep it warm.
They are quieter, too, says David Barmore, manager at Williams-Sonoma. He says some cheaper units "sound like a cement mixer."
Not all home fountains are limited to chocolate. "Last month we did a pumpkin spice dip. It was delicious and flowed perfectly," Muir says. He's also tried ranch salad dressings, barbecue sauces, sweet and sour sauces and cheese fondues.
The secret is getting the right viscosity for a smooth flow, he says, and then limiting dippers to non-crumbly edibles.
