What is a Chocolate Fountain? The chocolate fountain is a mechanical fountain specially designed for use as a "fondue". Chocolate cascades off round tiers while guests dip fruit, pretzels, marshmallows and other accompaniments into the warm flowing chocolate. Chocolate fountains have become very popular at wedding receptions, birthday parties, anniversary parties, corporate events, bar mitzvahs, restaurant buffets, and other events where the hosts want their guests to enjoy a special treat. What is a Chocolatier (or fountain attendant)? The Chocolatier is your chocolate fountain “chef” for the day. He or she will set up and remain with the fountain during your event. They are professional, personable and knowledgeable and will answer any questions your guests have regarding the fountain. He or she will also hand napkins to guests, refill skewers, refill any dipping items that need to be replenished and generally provide you with a "no worries" feeling during your event. Our chocolatiers are appropriately dressed for your occasion and identified as employees of The New Zealand Chocolate Fountain Experience. They always wear food handling gloves when handling your chocolate or dipping items. How do I rent a fountain? Renting a fountain is easy. You will need to provide us with your personal details, information regarding the location of your event, type of event and number of guests. We can help you decide which size fountain is appropriate for you, who should handle the catering of your dipping items, and which extra touches you would like to add to your fountain. We will even speak to your caterer or location to make arrangements for you. We will send you a quotation and you will be required to pay a deposit to hold the fountain for the date of your event. See our rentals section for more details. How far in advance should I book my fountain? Our fountains are in high demand so we recommend booking as soon as you have made a decision. We are booking dates well into 2010 already. Of course, if you are unable to book this far in advance we may still be able to accommodate you. Call us for availability on our 24 hr hot line 09 413 7578. What type of chocolate is used in the fountain? We use fine Cadbury Dark,Belgian or Coverture chocolate in our fountains. These chocolates have a high cocoa butter content which makes the fountain flow smoothly and is ideal for chocolate fountain use. White, milk or dark chocolate is available. How is the chocolate melted? There are 3 options for melting the chocolate. The chocolate can be melted with a double boiler, in a microwave oven, or in the fountain itself. Of these 3 options, the most efficient, and the method we use, is a double boiler. A double boiler will decrease the amount of time needed to melt the chocolate and greatly reduce the chance of burning the chocolate. While the base of the fountain does contain a heating element and you can melt the chocolate directly in the fountain itself, doing so will take considerably longer. In addition, melting the chocolate in the fountain or a microwave oven, each require the chocolate be stirred more frequently, to reduce the chance of burning. We melt all chocolate in double boilers before leaving for your event. This allows us to reduce our set-up time. How long does it take you to set up? Because we pre-melt our chocolate, we will arrive at your event approximately 30 - 45 minutes early to set up. We will do our best to be as discreet as possible while setting up. Who provides the foods for dipping? What are the most popular dipping items? This depends on the location of the event. The New Zealand Chocolate Fountain Experience is your best choice to provide dipping items because this is our specialty! We create a beautifully displayed table with your choice of items and you will be assured that the items are fresh and will be continuously replenished throughout the event. However, you may choose to have your hotel or caterer provide these items. We will do our best to work with your caterer in these cases to ensure you get the service you deserve. Popular dipping items include strawberries, pineapples, banana, marshmallows, cookies, biscotti. We provide a list of popular choices on our dippers page, but encourage our clients to use their imagination! What do I need my banquet hall or facility to provide? You will need your facility to provide a sturdy table with linens, a three-prong electrical outlet within 10 feet of the table, napkins and plates. We provide the wooden skewers and serviettes. Can the fountain be used outdoors? Yes and no. As long as there is a power supply the fountain can operate outdoors. However, we strongly recommend indoor use for two reasons:
How big is the fountain and how much does it weigh? The medium fountain weighs approximately 45 kilograms and the large fountain weighs approximately 50 kilograms. Sitting on a regular sized table the large fountain is nearly 2 metres tall! What power supply does the fountain require? Just your standard plug socket is required. (Our fountains run 8 amp fuses.) |
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