The Bottom Line
- Young and old love to stand around the fountain, dip and chat.
- It's an easy to dessert to prepare and serve.
- All parts can be washed in dishwasher.
- Doesn't keep chocolate flowing beyond an hour.
- Chocolate needs to be heated separately before adding to fountain.
- A lot of oil needs to be added to chocolate to create the flow.
Description
- An auger style pump creates the waterfall of chocolate.
- Heated reservoir basin.
- Can work with one or two pounds of chocolate.
- Includes eight fondue skewers.
- Will work with any chocolate as long as it's first melted and thinned with oil.
Guide Review - Rival Mini Chocolate Fountain
This Christmas I received one of these fountains as a gift and immediately my daughters went wild, dying to give a try. So we opened it up and although I was able to assemble the seven pieces without too much trouble, I began to think about cleaning it up after we were done. We all had fun dipping berries, marshmallows and cookies into the chocolate. I was pleasantly surprised at how easily the machine disassembled, the chocolate rinsed off the parts quickly, and to top it all off we were able to put them into the dishwasher to remove the oily residue.
Another test followed quickly with back-to-back parties, one with mixed ages, and another with just kids. Before both events, I prepared large trays of cake, fruit, marshmallows and cookies that were set beside the chocolate fountain. Once the machine was turned on, it seemed as though everyone caught their second wind, eagerly stabbing goodies to hold under the flowing chocolate. Conversation flowed as readily as the fountain. It was undoubtedly a hit.
I have only a few reservations remaining about this product. First, it disturbs me that I have to add oil to the chocolate to make it flow. Eating lots of sweets and chocolate is one thing. Adding extra fat is quite another. I was also unhappy that the reservoir didn't keep the chocolate warm enough for the flow to last beyond an hour. It turned into a slow drip. But aside from those two issues, this fountain makes a fun addition to any casual party.
