• Finely chop the chocolate so it can melt more easily.

Temper Chocolate WITH Thermometer

• Make a double boiler by placing a heatproof bowl over a saucepan with about an inch of simmering water in it, make sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water.
• Add ⅔ of the chopped chocolate to the bowl and let it melt gradually, stirring occasionally. Heat until the chocolate reaches a temperature of 113°F / 45°C.

  I like using this theremometer/spatula duo, but any quick read thermometer will work.
• Slowly add the remaining chocolate, a little at a time, stirring vigorously until it has completely melted. This is called seeding.

  Stir until the chocolate temperature drops to 82°F / 27°C.

  If the chocolate drops to the correct temperature and you haven't added all the chocolate yet, or if the chocolate you are adding stops melting fully, stop adding more chocolate and fish out any lumps of unmelted chocolate, then proceed to the next step.
• Reheat the chocolate very slightly by placing the bowl back over the double boiler until the chocolate reaches working temperature. This is: Dark Chocolate – 88°F / 31°C. Milk Chocolate – 86°F / 30°C. White Chocolate – 84°F / 29°C.

Temper Chocolate WITHOUT Thermometer

• Put ⅔ of the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30-second increments, stirring well in between each interval.
• Once the chocolate is about ¾ of the way melted, stop heating it. The chocolate should be mostly liquid but with a few chunks of chocolate throughout. We don’t want it entirely melted, as the chunks will help to bring down the temperature.
• Vigorously stir the chocolate until it is all melted, then add a small amount of the remaining chocolate. Continue stirring until completely melted before adding more.
• When the chocolate is no longer easily melting, stop adding more. If you have a few lumps left that won’t melt, just scoop them out – don’t reheat the chocolate as this will undo the tempering!

Check If Chocolate Is Tempered

• To check if your chocolate is properly tempered, dip a knife into the chocolate and leave it to sit on the counter. Alternatively you can just drizzle a little chocolate onto parchment paper and leave it to sit.

  After a few minutes, the chocolate should be set and shiny. If 5 minutes have passed and the chocolate is still liquid, the chocolate is not properly tempered.