Kool-A-Tron Melting Pot: How to Melt Chocolate Without Scorching or Burning

If you have problems with the double boiler method of melting chocolate and don't want to run the risk of microwaving it, the Kool-A-Tron Melting Pot is a nice under twenty dollar purchase. It is extremely easy to use and the outside of the unit does not get hot so it is something that you can use with younger kids as long as there is constant parental supervision. You can purchase the melting unit or the kit; I strongly suggest getting the kit if you are new to melting chocolate because it comes with some great tools. The kit is sold for about $18.00 in most home gadget type stores but if you only want the melting pot you can get it for about $14.00. Needless to say, this makes for a great Christmas present or housewarming gift but only if you know the person will make use of it at some point in time.

Purchasing the kit nets you some pretty sweet but basic tools. The wire rack is good for allowing excess chocolate to fall away from what ever you are coating and the finishing knife comes in handy when you want a smooth surface to something. You also get two dipping tools; one is for strawberries (or anything round) and the other is a fork-styled tool that you can use to completely dunk fruit into the melted chocolate or for lifting out pretzels after they have been pressed into the chocolate. The drop-in melting cup makes pouring chocolate in to a squeeze bottle a complete breeze. I do not suggest using the cup to pour melted chocolate in to a candy mold because you will not get an accurate pour from it.

There are limitations to what the Kool-A-Tron Melting Pot can handle; it does not get hot enough to make hard tack candy in and the reserve only holds about six to eight ounces of chocolate depending on the chunk size of it. It doesn't get hot enough to melt most type of cheese but if you are looking to do a fondue with it you can melt the cheese then use the unit to keep it in a liquid state. The unit is not waterproof so it is important to keep the outside of it clean and make sure that the drop-in cup stays in mint condition. There are replacement cups that you can buy but the last time I priced them they were about six dollars. I'd rather just spring for a whole new unit.