How To Melt Chocolate Quickly In The Microwave (Without Making A Mess)

Melting chocolate can be a real challenge, as it's such a delicate ingredient. You see chefs often employing the double boiler method, which involves placing a bowl on top of a pot of steaming water, then melting the chocolate in that bowl. This ensures that the heat from the steam transfers to the bottom of the bowl gently, which ensures you don't break the chocolate (meaning the solids separate from the fat). But there is one way you can melt chocolate quickly and easily, all with the press of a single button: by using the microwave. 

We spoke to Phillip Ashley Rix, Master Chocolatier and founder and CEO of Phillip Ashley Chocolates, to learn more about how you can use the microwave to melt chocolate. Rix explains that the timing is important. "[You] just have to do it in shorter bursts. 45-60 seconds is the first warming to get the chocolate molecules moving. Then, shorter bursts of 20-30 seconds until melted. Be sure to stir in between times, so it melts more evenly." 

You do need to keep in mind just how much you're melting, however. The more chocolate you're prepping, the longer it'll take. However, if you have too little chocolate in the bowl, you risk burning it. Therefore, in general, melting more chocolate at once is the better scenario.

Rix has more advice when it comes to melting chocolate in the microwave. First of all, you can melt all types of chocolate — white, milk, or dark — but the fewer cocoa solids that are in it (aka the lighter the chocolate color), the more likely the chocolate is to burn into a "clumpy mess," as he puts it. Rix advises being particularly mindful when melting white chocolate in the microwave. Keep an eye on it at all times, and consider melting white chocolate in shorter bursts than darker chocolate varieties.

Rix also says that glass bowls are generally his preference when it comes to microwave vessels, though plastic works too. "You can use plastic, but you have to really be careful. Microwave safe containers always." 

And you won't want to melt your chocolate in its original bar state; you'll want to coarsely chop the bar into pieces prior to microwaving it. Rix also says you need to finish the job and melt your chocolate fully before it can be used, too. And if you want proper results, precision is key. "Use an infrared or candy thermometer to measure temp. Don't overheat!" 

So, your microwave is definitely useful for more things than reheating leftovers. It can even help you do things like prepare ingredients like chocolate for baking or dipping. But it's not just chocolate; we use the microwave to perform other useful culinary tasks in the kitchen too, so don't knock that gadget as a one-trick pony — it can do more than you think.