When your recipe calls for melted chocolate and you don't have a double boiler or don't feel like pulling one out, it's nice to know that you can melt chocolate quickly and easily in the microwave. Though you may use this method most commonly for melting chocolate by itself, you can also use it to successfully melt chocolate with another ingredient, such as heavy cream or butter.
Prepare Your Chocolate
Store your chocolate in a cool, dry place away from pungent foods like onions or garlic if you're not ready to use it immediately. Chocolate absorbs strong odors, which can affect the flavor of your melted chocolate. Chocolate melts best in the microwave when it's grated or chopped into small pieces. You'll find your chocolate easier to grate if you pop it in the freezer for half an hour before you want to shred it.
Preparing Your Tools
Choose a microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup, and wipe it down thoroughly with a clean, dry cloth before adding any chocolate to it. If your chocolate comes into contact with any moisture, it can become stiff and grainy -- a process known as seizing -- and you'll have to beat it with cream or shortening to restore its smooth texture. Also wipe down your utensils -- the spoon, spatula or chopstick you will use to stir the chocolate -- to ensure they are completely dry.
Consider the Type
Milk solids are sensitive to heat and can become grainy if they get too hot, so chocolate that contains a lot of milk solids -- like milk chocolate or white chocolate -- will need to be stirred more frequently than dark chocolate, which has little to no milk solids. Plan to stop the heat and stir your chocolate after 1 minute if you're melting white or milk chocolate; return it to the microwave for another 15 seconds to continue melting after you have stirred it. Dark chocolate, on the other hand, usually needs only one stir and can melt in the microwave for up to 4 minutes.
Technique
To melt chocolate, put up to 6 oz. of chopped or grated chocolate into the microwave-safe container you have prepared and set the chocolate in the microwave. Change your microwave settings to 50-percent power, and set the timer for 1 minute. Check the chocolate when the timer goes off; stir it, then put it back in for another 15 seconds to a minute to continue melting. Microwaved chocolate will retain its shape when it starts to melt, so stir it even if it doesn't look like it's started to melt yet.
Member Comments