Explore the world of chocolate dipping tools for pros & serious hobbyists! Find the best dipping tools for chocolate, and learn when and how each one is used.
You might be shocked when you first see the price of some chocolate hand-dipping tools. However, most professional equipment associated with chocolate making can seem expensive when you consider its construction.
Chocolate tempering machines are a good example, where a thermostatically heated steel bowl with a simple stirring mechanism can easily set you back thousands of dollars. It’s important when assessing the price of chocolate equipment to understand that chocolate making is a specialist market. Equipment manufacturers won’t be selling thousands of machines every week, and because they can’t benefit from economies of scale the price of equipment remains artificially high. Yet, the news isn’t all bad.
More recently, new manufacturers have spotted this gap in the market and so there are alternatives. Although there are more options now, it is a good idea to assess the quality of the products before purchasing.
How to Select Chocolate Dipping Tools
Your First Set of Dipping Tools for Chocolate
There is a lot to be said when starting on your chocolate dipping project, to buy a budget chocolate dipping toolkit online. While the tools may not have the professional finish of a more expensive set, they will enable you to familiarise yourself with the different styles of dipping and allow you time to develop your dipping skills.
After some initial practice, it should become clear which equipment is best suited for your requirements. Possibly some tools will become redundant but that’s no loss as you have only spent a fraction of the cost of a professional kit at the outset.
Budget Dipping Tools for Chocolate (Tool Kits)
Patelai 12 Pcs Candy Dipping Tools Set
Amazon US – Patelai Chocolate Dipping Kit
Kit includes:
- 10 Chocolate Dipping Tools
- 2 Culinary Decorating Spoons
STCRERAG 10Pcs Stainless Steel Dipping Fork Set
Amazon UK – STCRERAG Chocolate Dipping Kit
Kit includes:
- 10 Chocolate Dipping Tools
Quality Dipping Tools for Chocolate (Tool Kits)
Chocolate World – Chocolate Dipping Set in Carry Case
Buy from Countrywide Bakery (Australia)
Includes:
- 10 quality stainless steel chocolate dipping tools, made in Belgium
- Carry case
Chocolate Dipping Fork Set
Includes:
- 6 quality stainless steel chocolate dipping forks
- Plastic storage box
Chocofork Dipping Fork Set
Buy from Home Chocolate Factory (UK)
Includes:
- 10 quality stainless steel chocolate dipping tools
Chocolate Dipping Machines (Melting Pots)
It is possible to buy budget melting pots, that enable you to melt and temper small batches of chocolate for dipping. However, using a double boiler and tempering by hand is just as effective.
These are two inexpensive melting pot options:
Wilton Melting Pot 2.5 cup capacity $34.57
Alternatively, look at investing in a small tabletop tempering machine, which you can use for a variety of extra chocolate tasks too. An excellent option is the ChocoVision Chocolate Tempering Machine (£525.00 ex VAT):
ChocoVision – Revolation 2B Automatic
Types of Handheld Dipping Tools for Chocolate Professionals
Dipping Forks
Dipping forks and their uses for enrobing and creating clean lines
The most common instrument for dipping objects in chocolate is the dipping fork. A dipping fork consists of a metal shaft with prongs or tines at the end and a handle, which is typically made of plastic, wood, or metal. Forks usually have three tines, but variations with two to five tines are available for dipping larger and thinner items.
A dipping fork is easy to manipulate and can be used to flip, dunk and scoop up dipped items from the chocolate. As the tines are so thin there is minimal contact between the base of the dipped item and the fork, which makes it much easier and cleaner to slide the dipped item off the fork onto parchment.
Tips for Using Dipping Forks
When dipping it is a useful technique to lift the item out of the chocolate and then bounce the dipped item several times onto the liquid chocolate surface. This causes the surface tension of the liquid chocolate to draw off the excess chocolate around the filling resulting in a thinner, neater finish.
Being thin the tines of the fork make it easy to scrape off any excess chocolate from the base of the dipped item against the lip of the chocolate dipping machine. This is important because if you don’t remove enough of the excess chocolate, the chocolate on the sides can continue to slide down when the chocolate is resting on parchment, creating an unsightly ‘foot’ around the base of the chocolate.
Chocolate can easily build up and harden on the fork tines during a longer dipping session. However, it can be easily removed simply by drawing the tines against the lip of the chocolate container. Regularly cleaning the fork will produce a more professional-looking finish on your products.
When the dipped item is resting on the parchment you can gently press the three fork tines down onto the top surface of the chocolate to create a stylish ridged effect. Similarly, holding the fork with the tines vertically you can press a single tine diagonally onto the surface creating a single ridge across the chocolate.
Praline Forks
Praline forks and their benefits for achieving a smooth chocolate coating
Praline forks have a similar design to dipping forks, but they have a looped tine at one end in a circle. They can be used to scoop up fillings dropped into the dipping chocolate and their small surface area means excess chocolate is easily removed.
Spiral Dipping Tools for Chocolate
Spiral dipping tools and their role in creating decorative chocolate designs
Spiral dipping tools for chocolate are designed with a wire bowl at the end, which is ideal for holding and scooping up spherical items such as nuts or truffles during dipping. The wire bowl acts as a container for shapes, such as hazelnuts or macadamia nuts, which are difficult to control with a conventional dipping or praline fork.
Considerations when Dipping Chocolate
For dipping choose a more fluid chocolate such as couverture, which contains a higher cocoa butter content. Certain manufacturers provide a fluidity rating, such as Callebaut’s 1-5 drop rating. A more fluid chocolate will create a harder, thinner shell with a high gloss and a good crunch.
Chocolate needs to be tempered before dipping. Using a tempering machine allows you to keep the chocolate tempered for longer, which is useful if dipping larger quantities. If you use hand-tempered chocolate, it’s best to work with a larger quantity in a bowl, as this will stay in temper longer than a small amount, extending your dipping time.
Ensure your items to be dipped are at room temperature. If you try to dip a filling straight from the fridge the cold will take the dipping chocolate out of temper, leaving it dull and streaked when it sets.
Make sure all your equipment is scrupulously clean and dry. It only takes the smallest amount of oil or moisture to spoil a batch of dipping chocolate.
Always wear disposable gloves when dipping chocolate, this is partly for hygiene, but it also avoids accidentally leaving fingerprints on dipped chocolates.
Keep adequate space between each chocolate as you slide them onto the parchment. If they are too close, you run the risk, especially on warmer days, of interfering with the setting of the chocolate sides. The excess trapped heat can cause the chocolate sides to turn grey.
When you have finished a tray of dipped chocolates give them a few minutes to settle before putting them in the fridge. If you put them in the fridge straightaway the shock of the cold may interfere with the setting. Ideally, the fridge should be between 8-10 °C (45-50 °F). Only leave them in the fridge for a short time so condensation can’t form.
