A chocolate tempering machine is a countertop electronic mixing and heating pan or appliance that is designed to take all the guesswork and manual labor out of tempering chocolate. Raw chocolate that is melted to make various types of candy must be tempered to be crisp and smooth. If not, melted chocolate dries to a very dull, unattractive and uneven color, streaked with gray. Moreover it will be chalky and feel grainy on the tongue.

A chocolate tempering machine solves this problem by automating a process that causes the molecular crystals of the chocolate to take on a specific uniform structure, called a Beta V form. The chocolate tempering machine does this by heating the chocolate to a very precise temperature, then cooling slightly and reheating, while mixing the chocolate in a regulated manner.

The combination of heating to the exact temperature — which is different for semi-sweet chocolate, milk and white chocolate — and mixing just the right amount, causes the proper crystals to form. A chocolate tempering machine that is computer-controlled can keep chocolate in the tempered, melted stage for hours at a time, allowing you to make candies without tending to the tempering process itself. When tempered chocolate cools it will be even colored, shiny, and crisp, yet will melt to a smooth, creamy consistency on the tongue.

How to temper chocolate with the machine?

Step 1: Melt your chocolate in the chocolate tempering machine (turn the thermostat up to 45°C) then lower the thermostat to ± 31°C (for dark chocolate) or to ± 29°C (for milk chocolate and white chocolate).

Step 2: Immediately add 5% Callets™ at ambient temperature (18-20°C).

Step 3: The machine mixes the Callets™ into the melted chocolate, distributing the stable crystals of the Callets™ thoroughly and evenly throughout. Do the Callets™ melt too quickly? That means your chocolate is still too hot. So add more Callets™ to lower its temperature and let the machine keep stirring them in.

Step 4: That's it: your chocolate is smooth, slightly thicker and ready for use!