Chocolate fountain

A chocolate fountain is a device for serving chocolate fondue. Typical examples resemble a stepped cone, standing 2–4 feet tall with a crown at the top and stacked tiers over a basin at the bottom. The basin is heated to keep the chocolate in a liquid state so it can be pulled into a center cylinder then vertically transported to the top of the fountain by a corkscrew auger. From there it flows over the tiers creating a chocolate "waterfall" in which food items like strawberries or marshmallows can be dipped.

"Chocolate fountain machines" were invented by Ben Brisman and popularized in 1991 by a Canadian company called Design & Realisation. They did not become very popular until Design & Realisation began displaying these fountains at the National Restaurant Show in Chicago, starting in the early 1990s.

Jay Harlan (an entrepreneur and former Marriott catering executive) collaborated with D & R to introduce the chocolate fountain to the U.S. hotel and resort industry. Jay Harlan's company (Buffet Enhancements International) began distributing the D & R fountain in the U.S. in 2001. It wasn't long after 2001 that Buffet Enhancements copied and improved the D & R fountain idea and began manufacturing their own American-made version.

Chocolate fountains can be categorized as commercial-use and personal-use. Commercial Chocolate Fountains can be categorized as Auger system and Pump system.

Commercial chocolate fountains usually range in size from about 20" inches to 50" inches tall and are designed for use in professional environments such as catering. These fountains are normally constructed of food-grade stainless steel and, as such, are quite durable. Depending on the model, commercial chocolate fountains may hold as much as 35 pounds of chocolate. Originally, chocolate fountains consisted of multiple tiers that formed curtains of chocolate. New models on the market now have a 'cup' design, dropping chocolate from cup to cup which can be much more chocolate efficient than traditional models, and save quite a lot of money.

Home chocolate fountains range in size up to about 19" tall. They are primarily made of plastic and may have some stainless steel components (although all-stainless models do exist) and are usually dishwasher safe. Home chocolate fountains normally hold 6 or fewer pounds of chocolate.

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