How to Temper Chocolate
The seed method explained, step by step. Plus how to use a Chocovision Revolation 2 to automate it.
Melt fully at 50°C, stir in 20–30% grated tempered chocolate to cool to 27°C, then warm back to 31–32°C for dark. Pour. The Chocovision Revolation 2 handles all three stages automatically once you select the profile.
Chocovision Revolation 2 →Why tempering matters
Chocolate contains cocoa butter, which can crystallize in six different forms (Form I through VI). Only Form V, the stable beta crystal, gives chocolate its characteristic snap, gloss, and clean melt. Untempered chocolate is dominated by unstable crystal forms that melt at body temperature, look dull or streaky, and bloom within days of casting.
Tempering is the process of creating Form V seed crystals and ensuring the entire mass crystallizes around them. Everything else, the temperatures, the stirring, the machine cycles, is just the method for getting there reliably.
Temperature targets by type
These are the standard three-stage targets. Melt temperature is high enough to destroy all existing crystals. Working temperature is the holding point where Form V crystals are stable and the mass is fluid enough to pour.
The seed method
The seed method uses already-tempered chocolate as a source of Form V crystals. You melt the full batch to destroy existing structure, then introduce seed crystals to encourage Form V to dominate as the mass cools. It's the most practical method for home makers who don't have a marble slab.
Melt your chocolate to 50°C (122°F) in a double boiler or microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring between each. The goal is complete melting with no seed crystals remaining. If any solid pieces linger, the uncontrolled crystals will interfere with seeding. An infrared thermometer is useful here.
Grate or finely chop 20–30% of the total chocolate weight from a bar or block that you know is well-tempered (good snap, clean melt, no bloom). This is your Form V source. The quality of your seed chocolate matters: bloomed or poorly tempered chocolate will introduce unstable crystals.
Remove the bowl from heat. Add the grated seed chocolate in small additions, stirring continuously. The seed melts into the mass and lowers the temperature while introducing Form V nuclei. Keep stirring, keep adding seed, until the mass cools to 27°C. This takes patience, continuous movement helps the crystals distribute evenly.
Once at 27°C, gently warm the mass back to your working temperature (31–32°C for dark) using brief contact with your double boiler or a heat gun at low setting. This step melts out the unstable lower forms that formed during the cool-down, leaving only Form V. Do not overshoot, going past 34°C destroys your temper and you start over.
Dab a small amount on a marble surface, the back of your wrist, or a strip of parchment. At room temperature (65–68°F), well-tempered chocolate sets within 3–5 minutes with a matte surface, uniform color, and audible snap. If it stays soft, tacky, or streaky after 5 minutes, the temper is off, reheat to 50°C and start again.
Using the Chocovision Revolation 2
The Chocovision Revolation 2 automates the entire three-stage cycle. It runs a heated bowl with a rotating auger that both melts and stirs the chocolate continuously, cycling through the melt, seed, and working temperature stages on a preset program. For home makers producing more than a couple of batches per month, the consistency it provides is hard to match by hand.
The machine has preset programs for dark, milk, and white. Select the type that matches your chocolate. These correspond to the three-stage temperature curves in the table above.
Add chocolate in pieces or chunks, do not overfill past the maximum fill line. The auger needs room to move. The machine will melt and cycle automatically. Minimum fill is around 1.5 lbs; below that, the auger doesn't contact the chocolate consistently.
The Revolation 2 signals when the chocolate is in temper and at working temperature. At that point, you're ready to dip, mold, or enrobe. The machine will hold the chocolate at working temperature as long as it's running, replenishing the temper through continuous movement.
If you're working slowly, don't leave the machine idle for long stretches. The chocolate at the edges of the bowl will thicken and start to lose temper before the center does. Stir between molding sessions if you're stopping for more than 5 minutes.
Room temperature matters for both methods. Tempering in a warm kitchen (over 72°F) is significantly harder, the chocolate sets slowly, bloom risk increases, and maintaining working temperature is frustrating. If your workspace runs warm, a fan or brief use of air conditioning before a tempering session makes a real difference.
Signs the temper is off
Catching problems before you pour saves a lot of waste. Test before molding.
Under-tempered, not enough Form V crystals. Too warm or insufficient seed.
Partial temper, some Form V present but inconsistently distributed. Stir more during seeding.
Under-tempered, over-tempered, or room too warm. Re-melt and start again.
Over-cooled, over-seeded, or too much seed chocolate added. The mass has over-crystallized. Re-melt.
Temperature shock during cooling, or failed temper. See the fat bloom guide.
Log your temper notes alongside your roast and grind data. Noting room temperature, method, and result helps you diagnose problems and replicate successes.
Log a Batch →