Eggs and dairy
How to melt chocolate without seizing
Melt chocolate gently so it stays smooth and glossy instead of burning or seizing.
Step by step
- Chop the chocolate into small, even pieces.
- Microwave: heat in 20 to 30 second bursts at half power, stirring between each.
- Or set a heatproof bowl over a pot of barely simmering water without touching the water.
- Take it off the heat when a few lumps remain and stir until they melt.
How you know it's done
The chocolate is smooth and shiny and just warm.
Common mistakes
- A drop of water or steam, which makes it seize into a thick, grainy paste (stir in a spoonful of hot cream or oil to save it for sauces).
- Too much heat, which scorches it.
Simmerbee recipes that use it (0)
None of our recipes names it in the steps yet; it's here because it comes up in cooking all the time.
In those recipes the word is underlined in the steps; tap it for the short version. In hands-free cook mode, ask “How do I melt chocolate?”
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