When melting bars of chocolate, it's best to chop the chocolate first so that it melts quicker and more evenly. There’s no need to be precise when it comes to chopping – in pieces or chunks is fine, as long as they're all roughly the same size. Many chocolatiers or pastry chefs will favour chocolate drops over bars of chocolate for melting. Chocolate drops are small and uniform, and come in different percentages of cocoa. Their shape means they are more likely to melt at the same time, avoiding burning.

Chocolate melts faster the higher the percentage of cocoa butter and fat, so dark chocolate melts the fastest. Once melted, it's glossy and has a good viscosity. Good-quality dark chocolate with no less than 70 per cent cocoa solids will leave you with a darker, richer flavour. Anything lower than that is usually too sweet.

Milk and white chocolate has a higher sugar content and can catch and burn quicker, so it must be stirred continuously when melting. It has a slightly thicker overall consistency than dark chocolate when melted.

Melting chocolate on the hob is the most controlled method. Make sure your chocolate never comes into contact with water, as it will become grainy and clump together – this is called ‘seizing’. Try these easy step-by-step instructions:

1. Fill a medium saucepan with 4cm of water. Place over a medium heat and bring to a very gentle simmer.
2. Place a heatproof bowl on top of the pan so that it fits snugly but doesn’t touch the water.
3. Lower the heat to a very gentle simmer.
4. Break up the chocolate and add to the bowl, then leave to melt for 4-5 mins, stirring regularly.
5. Carefully remove the pan from the heat and allow the chocolate to cool a little before using.

Top Tips

• Make sure that the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water and that no water comes into contact with the melting chocolate. These may cause the chocolate to seize and become unusable.
• Don't let the water get too hot – the chocolate may burn and then split.

Be especially vigilant with this method. Checking the chocolate regularly is important, as chocolate can catch and burn really quickly in a microwave.

• Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl.
• Microwave for 20 seconds. Check the chocolate, stir and keep cooking and checking every 5 seconds or until it has completely melted.