Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)This pot is very simple to use if you just want to melt chocolate for baking or for fondue. It even comes with tiny little fondue forks (although admittedly, longer, nicer looking forks would have been more useful). However, if you are making candy, this pot heats the chocolate too high for tempering chocolate properly (meaning the chocolate resolidifies at room temperature with a nice sheen). You can still use it, you just need to watch it pretty carefully and keep a thermometer handy. You can pseudo-temper by not allowing the chocolate to get hotter than 96 degees F. Chocolate will start melting around 92, just don't let it get much hotter, and it will resolidify at room temp. The lowest temp setting on this device gets it up to about 109. But as I say, if you watch and stir and turn off occassionally, you can still do it.
02/08/11 edit: I've been using this device for two years, so would like to add a few notes regarding comments left by others. No, the device doesn't temper chocolate and it's not meant to. But you CAN get any chocolate (pre-tempered or not) to resolidify (a primary goal of tempering) by heating it up very carefully so it never gets very hot (as I said earlier, no hotter than about 96), stirring vigorously and frequently to aid in crystallization. The problem with this technique is that the chocolate is very thick at this temperature, so impossible to apply in a thin coat, if that's what you want. It also tends to bloom upon resolidification if you mix different chocolates or don't get it to just the perfect temp. All in all, pretty tricky for those kind of jobs. (Real tempering machines start at $400!)
If you're a dedicated candy maker, this ain't the product for you. If you just want to melt chocolate chips, use the microwave. But this is nice for fondue or, if you're not picky about final appearance, coating things per my recommended instructions above. Have fun!!!
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