Choosing the chocolate

• Chocolate chips need added oil to help them melt
  
  Look for chocolate labeled "couverture". This chocolate has more cocoa butter, allowing it to melt smoothly without added oil. Ideally, the amount of cocoa butter in the couverture should be between 31 and 38 percent. Gourmet stores and candy-making outlets should carry couverture. Should couverture be too difficult to find, chocolate chips from a supermarket baking aisle melted with oil to thin will also work in a chocolate fountain.
  
  

Adding the oil to the chocolate

• Weigh the amount of chocolate to be added to the fountain. If using couverture, oil does not need to be added for melting. For every five pounds of regular chocolate chips, add 1/2 c. vegetable oil. Place both the chocolate chips and oil into a resealable zip top plastic bag and close.
  
  

Melting the chocolate in the microwave

• Melted chocolate to be poured into fountain
  
  Place the plastic bag in the microwave on high power for 1 1/2 minutes. Remove the bag and knead to mix the chocolate and oil. Heat for an additional 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 minutes or until all of the chocolate has smoothly melted. Snip a corner off of the zip top bag and add to the chocolate fountain according to manufacturer's directions.