Sephra Chocolate Fountain User - Frequently Asked Questions

Chocolate fountains are not only great tasting fun desserts, they are fantastic revenue generators. There are literally thousands of food service professionals today utilizing chocolate fountains for the prime objective of making more money! Sephra fountains growing popularity has caused the fountains to be a must have among off-premise caterers, hotels, reception halls, event planners, and rental companies. Don't be caught having to turn away business based upon the lack of an absolute necessity, the Sephra chocolate fountain. Click here for more information about commercial chocolate fountains.

Unlike many other chocolate fountain manufacturers, Sephra is dedicated to improving the quality and features of the chocolate fountains, and is proud to be the standard that other fountain manufacturers are trying to match. We have several patented improvements and all our fountains are backed by the only Limited Lifetime Warranty in the industry! No one can match the quality of the Sephra Chocolate Fondue Fountains, and we are proud to be the industry leader in the innovation of the chocolate fountains.

All Sephra chocolate fountains are covered by our Limited Lifetime Warranty. Click here for complete warranty information.

Assembling the Sephra fountains could not be easier. Our QuickSet Tier System makes assembly fast and easy. Your entire fountain can be assembled in seconds.

Not at all. Once your event has concluded, simply use a rubber spatula to remove the chocolate from the fountain cylinder crown and tiers. Start at the top and work your way down. The chocolate can then be scooped or poured into a separate container. Paper towels or a damp cloth can then be used to wipe the fountain relatively clean. Once the majority of the chocolate is removed, you can place the individual parts (except the basin) of the fountain into a dishwasher to be cleaned (Caution! Never place the fountain basin in water! This will cause permanent damage to the electrical components.)

*Note: Chocolate must be disposed of into a trash receptacle or container. Chocolate disposed of into sinks will harden and cause damage to the drainage pipes.

For complete satisfaction, we highly recommend the use of any of Sephra’s fondue chocolates, specially formulated and ready to use in the fountain by simply pre-melting the chocolate in a microwave on HALF-power as instructed on our chocolate bags, or in your fountain directly. It requires no messy mixing of extra oil into the chocolate; saving you time, money and producing the perfect chocolate fondue every time.

You can use other chocolate, but we do not recommend it. In order for normal chocolate to flow consistently and smoothly over the fountain tiers, it must be altered to create a specific consistency. This is done by adding varying amounts of oil to the melted chocolate in a cumbersome and messy mixing process. We can't imagine your guests would be happy if they knew you added literally cups of oil into their chocolate! Wouldn't you and your guests rather have the convenience and flavor of the finest, richest chocolate? Click here to view our chocolate range.

Sephra Fondue Chocolates have been specially formulated for use in the Chocolate Fountains. It can be used directly out of the bag without adding or mixing oil into the chocolate. Sephra Fondue Chocolate is rich, delicious chocolate at its finest! It comes in chocolate chip form so it is easy to melt and you can use it for baking too. Click here for more Chocolate Fondue information.

Of Course, we wouldn’t have it any other way. Sephra fountains act as a tempering machine to keep the chocolate at the correct temperature and consistency. To use the fountain to melt the chocolate, place the chocolate inside the basin, and turn the control knob to “Heat Only” and set the temperature to the recommended settings in your manual. The chocolate should be stirred occasionally as it is melting. Using the fountain to melt the chocolate takes only 30-45 minutes to melt 20 pounds of chocolate.

Depending on the size of your fountain our commercial fountains hold between 8 and 20lbs of chocolate. Our home fountains hold between 3 and 6lbs of chocolate. We recommend you check your manual for the correct capacities of your fountain. If there is not enough chocolate in the basin, gaps will appear as the chocolate flows over the tiers. The basin should be full to within ½” of the basin rim. As chocolate is consumed by guests, more chocolate may be added to the fountain. Be careful not to add too much additional chocolate. When the fountain is turned off the chocolate settles into the basin and if too much chocolate has been added it will overflow.

This part is up to your imagination! Typically fruits such as strawberries and bananas work very well. Other popular items are pineapple, marshmallows, grapes, blueberries, mangos, papaya, apple slices, dried apricots, and pretzels, and of course maraschino cherries. Things that are not recommended are foods that produce crumbs, such as cakes, blackberries, raspberries, and some cookies. We recommend providing an ample supply of skewers, plenty of napkins, and small plates for your guests to use.

Once the chocolate has hardened in the fountain and the auger within the fountain tower was not previously removed, DO NOT turn the fountain motor on! This will burn out the motor and result in PERMANENT DAMAGE! Simply turn the fountain control knob to HEAT ONLY. This will gradually melt the remaining chocolate allowing you to clean the fountain as normal. You may use a heat gun, hair dryer or hot water to melt the chocolate off of the tiers and cylinder.

*Note: It is always easier to clean the fountain when the chocolate is melted. At a minimum, always remove the auger from the fountain tower immediately after use, if cleaning will be delayed.

We do not recommend re-using the chocolate due to health and sanitary safety concerns, but as far as the chocolate is concerned it can be re-used once melted again.

Both the tall 44" fountain (Sephra’s Fountain) and medium 34" fountain (Montezuma’s Tower) will serve the same amount of people and will continue to serve an infinite amount of people if additional chocolate is periodically added. As a guideline, 20 pounds of chocolate (one case of Sephra fondue chocolate) will serve approximately 200-250 guests. The smaller Aztec fountain will serve 50-150 guests. Home fountains will serve 5-40 guests.

Of Course, but you will need a Sephra Wind Guard to protect your fountain from Mother Nature. Wind, bugs and other outdoor nuisances can be easily remedied with a wind guard. Slight breezes can cause disasters when the chocolate fountain is run outside without a guard. Because of the thin, flowing curtain of chocolate, even a small breeze can cover more than just the strawberries in chocolate! We do not recommend you use your home fondue fountains outside.

Sephra chocolate fountains have set the industry standard for reliability, which means you will almost never encounter a problem. If for some reason your fountain is not working correctly, refer to the troubleshooting section of the Sephra Chocolate Fountain Operating Guide. If the problem cannot be resolved, please contact our customer support team immediately for additional trouble shooting assistance. All Sephra fountains are serviced at our USA Service Centre in Buffalo, New York. We are dedicated to taking care of our customers' needs as quickly as possible because we know that you lose business when your fountain is not in use. This is just one of the ways we provide our customers with superior quality service. Click here for contact information.

Store your chocolate in a cool, dry, dark place like a pantry or closet or cupboard. Chocolate over time will lose its chocolate taste if exposed to light and air. It is best to keep the packaging closed until ready to use. Chocolate composition will change as it gets closer to its best by date so if it is close to or past the best by date, the chocolate may be too thick to run in a fountain without having to add oil to thin it out. Do NOT store it in a fridge or freezer. The moisture is absorbed through the bag and your chocolate will be too thick for a chocolate fountain, but the chocolate will still be good to eat.