Microwave in short bursts, stirring vigorously between bursts until 75% of the chocolate is melted. The exact amount of time the chocolate needs to be in the microwave will depend on your particular microwave. In my microwave, I do it for a minute at half power, then microwave for thirty more seconds at half power for the next interval.
Mix the melted chocolate with the unmelted chocolate already in your bowl until completely smooth.
Wait until the chocolate cools slightly before using it. If you have a candy thermometer (recommended), check to make sure it has cooled to 90 F (for dark, semisweet, and bittersweet chocolate) or 86 F (for milk and white chocolate) before using it.
A block of tempered chocolate - You will need to chop it into small pieces yourself. You can buy an inexpensive chocolate chopper to help with this.
Some chocolate bars - Be careful of which brand you buy. If you see ingredients like vegetable oil, coconut oil, or even artificial chocolate flavoring, don’t buy it.
Don’t use:
Chocolate chips - They are designed to hold their shape while cookies are in the oven so they aren’t the best choice for melting and tempering.
Unsweetened chocolate (sometimes labeled baking chocolate) – If you’ve ever tasted that chocolate on it’s own, you’ll know why. It’s only meant to be eaten after being mixed with sugar in baked goods.
Candy melts – Candy melts are easy to work with. You don’t need to worry about tempering at all. But, they aren’t real chocolate. Their flavor won’t be nearly as good as the real thing! You should be wary of chocolate labeled ‘compound chocolate’ or ‘chocolate coating' as the texture and taste is totally different from the real deal.
If you have a candy thermometer, make sure that the chocolate never goes over 122 F (for dark, semisweet, and bittersweet chocolate) or 105 F (for milk and white chocolate); once over these temperatures, the chocolate will become thick, have a grainy texture, and might even burn.If you accidentally melt all of your chocolate in the microwave instead of only 75% of it, add unmelted, tempered chocolate to the bowl and stir until it melts completely.