When hosting a dinner party or just a simple get-together, making the event fancier than the last party you attended tends to be the goal in most peoples’ minds. From having a delicious four-course meal served on stunning
dinnerware, to the best wine in town (not forgetting the
dining flatware that will just wow your guests!). Now, how about a chocolate fountain just to take it to a whole new level?
Other than providing a dramatic visual presentation to your guests, you will offer mouth-watering, delicious treats they can indulge in as they end their meal with a
glass of wine. Additionally, some fountains are designed to accommodate pairing chocolate with other flavors. You will be able to customize your chocolate with either butterscotch, caramel, cheese or even some liquor just to ignite their taste buds. Some will also allow your guests to dip strawberries, marshmallows or pineapple.
Did we mention chocolate is also healthy for you – the dark type at least? Go ahead and indulge, guilt-free! But before we jump to our reviews, let us take a look at some of the features you need to keep an eye on when shopping for your chocolate fountain.
Price
Chocolate fountains are broadly priced between $49 and $260 for a good quality item, although the price can be even higher for the popular models. However, you can still get a cheap chocolate fountain and enjoy some of the benefits their expensive counterparts offer.
The main features affecting the price are the capacity of chocolate it can hold and the size of the fountain. Therefore, when purchasing a chocolate fountain don’t settle for the cheap options, as they might not offer all the features you will require to wow your guests during the next dinner party.
Features
Whichever chocolate fountain you hope to get, there are a few basic features you need to look out for.
Here is what we are talking about:
- Number of tiers – Most chocolate fountains are designed with three tiers – as the chocolate flows, it acts as an interesting centerpiece at the desert table. But you can also get a four or a five-tier fountain, if you are looking for more visual appeal.
- Size – When you have an idea of the general size of the gatherings you will be holding, it will help guide you in the size to purchase. You can either opt for a small unit that can serve ten people or opt for a big professional size to accommodate a larger group.
- Capacity – You can get a chocolate fountain that has a capacity between 2 and 11 pounds.
- Weight – A light unit is great for moving and setting up alone. However, if you purchase a professional size unit to accommodate your guests, then it will be heavy – you might need to call in your body builder neighbor to assist!
- The Motor – It would be great to have one with a quiet motor, you do not need to alert your guests when you turn on the fountain.
- Convenience – A fountain with dishwasher safe parts makes the cleaning process much easier. Still, if it is not dishwasher safe, ensure it has a wear resistant seal to give you extended service life.
- What is it best for? – If you are looking to excite your guests’ taste buds, consider a fountain with which you can combine various ingredients with the chocolate. Like chocolate and cheese, chocolate and caramel or even chocolate and liquors. If you’re not the experimental type, a simple fountain that only accommodates chocolate will work best for you.
Construction and Design
Chocolate fountains come in various sizes and weights. For a small home gathering, anything that is 10 inches would be ideal, as you don’t want it to take up the space provided for guests to mingle. However, if you opt for the professional size to serve a larger group, ensure you have adequate space as it will be anything from 16 inches and above.
You will also find fountains that will allow dipping of fruits and a few snacks into the bowl. A fountain that has three or four tiers and a large dipping bowl would be ideal as it reduces the mess. If the bowl is not large enough, you could have the guests dip one at a time, just to keep the area nice and neat.
Performance and Ease of Use
During a gathering or just a simple dinner party, there is usually some good slow music playing in the background to set the mood and keep the conversation flowing. A quiet fountain is ideal as it will not interrupt the mood. Nevertheless, if the fountain is loud, consider having it at the corner of the room, to give it visual appeal whilst not competing with the music in the room.
An easy to use fountain is the one to go for, as you will spend less time figuring out how to get the fountain started and cleaned. But for the complicated gadgets with more features, make sure you follow the step by step manuals that come with them.
By now you should have a better understanding about what products are available to you as well as what different brands have to offer. If you aren’t a fan of the specific featured product we have chosen then never fear! We have selected brands that have a large variety of products so simply browse through their other collections to find the right style of fountain for you!
If you aren’t a fan of the specific featured product we have chosen, then never fear! We have selected brands that have a large variety of products so simply browse through their collections to find the right style of chocolate fountain for you!
