Melting chocolate
I notice that professionals tend to always melt chocolate in a basin over steam to prevent burning. I have over time become lazy and melt chocolate in the microwave on defrost as this is SOO easy also doesn't burn it. But I am wondering if the act of microwaving it would interfere with the structure of the chocolate?
Best Answer
If all you're trying to do is melt it, then there's no structure you can mess up. The only harm you can cause is by scorching or burning spots, which might happen if your microwave is uneven and you heat too fast without stirring. But otherwise, the microwave is a great way to melt chocolate. Open it up and give it a stir now and then, be careful not to overheat (sounds like you are), and you'll be fine!
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What is the best way to melt chocolate?
Place over a medium heat and bring to a very gentle simmer. Place a heatproof bowl on top of the pan so that it fits snuggly but doesn't touch the water. Lower the heat to a very gentle simmer. Break up the chocolate and add to the bowl, then leave to melt for 4-5 mins, stirring regularly.What type of chocolate is best used for melting?
The ideal chocolate for melting and dipping is called "couverture" chocolate. (Find it here and here.) Couverture chocolate has a higher ratio of cocoa butter to cocoa, which helps it melt more smoothly. If you can't find couverture, use the best quality chocolate that you can find.Is there a trick to melting chocolate?
If you must add a liquid (such as heavy cream of milk) to chocolate, do so before the chocolate melts. Heat up the liquid first, then add the chocolate. The chocolate will melt more evenly and distribute into the liquid. Once the chocolate is melted, remove it from the heat source immediately.What are the basic rules of melting chocolate?
Evenly chopped chocolate will melt at the same rate, this is especially important if you are not stirring it as often as you should.- Don't let any water get into the chocolate mixture. ...
- If you use a microwave melt the chocolate in short blasts. ...
- Don't over heat the chocolate.
3 Super Easy Ways to Perfectly Melt Chocolate | You Can Cook That | Allrecipes.com
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Answer 2
It very well might destroy the structure of the chocolate. Since cocoa butter has a crystalline structure, when it cools it will set differently based on how how it was.
If melt chocolate over water, you're guaranteed (more or less) that none of it will reach a temperature over 212 Fahrenheit. If you melt it in the microwave, due to the nature of the microwave, there might be spots well over the boiling point, and spots that are well under the boiling point. It won't be burned, but when it cools, you might not get the uniform texture that you're guaranteed to get using a double boiler.
See below on how temperature affects chocolate texture: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chocolate#Tempering
Answer 3
I Agree with Jefromi. However, if you are also talking about the structure of the chocolate crystals, you might want to stir in some well tempered chocolate after you melted the chocolate. In this way you add 'good crystals' to your melted chocolate to improve the crystal structure.
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