Bain Marie Method

Place your chocolate in an immaculately clean, completely dry stainless steel bowl set over a saucepan with hot water. Ensure the base of the bowl does not touch the water and stir the chocolate regularly with a silicone spatula until all of it has been melted. The water in the saucepan should not boil and should ideally be held at 65°C–70°C (149°F–158°F) to ensure minimal steam evaporation, which may taint the chocolate. This method is used for quantities of chocolate larger than 3 kg (6 lb 12 oz); take care to ensure the chocolate does not heat too quickly and that no moisture finds its way into the bowl of chocolate.