Chocolate tempering temperatures at a glance
Tempering is the controlled melting and cooling of chocolate so that the cocoa butter sets in its stable crystal form. Done well, the chocolate is glossy, snaps cleanly and does not bloom with grey streaks. Done badly, it stays soft, dull and streaky. This chocolate tempering temperature chart gives the melt, cool and working temperatures for dark, milk and white chocolate in °C or °F, together with the steps for the seed method and for tabling.
Pick the chocolate and the method, optionally enter the weight you are tempering, and the page lists each stage in order. The table underneath shows all three curves side by side. Everything runs in your browser and nothing is uploaded.
How to use the Chocolate Tempering Temperature Guide
- Choose dark, milk or white chocolate and your preferred temperature unit.
- Choose the seed method (stir in tempered chocolate) or tabling (cool part of it on a slab).
- Optionally enter the weight of chocolate, so the seed amount is worked out for you.
- Melt to the first range, cool to the second, then bring it up to the working range and run the smear test.
Chocolate Tempering Temperature Guide features
Three curves
Dark, milk and white chocolate each have their own melt, cool and working temperatures.
Seed or tabling
The steps and the wording change with the method; seed weight is calculated from your total.
°C and °F
Each end of every range is converted and rounded to whole degrees.
Smear test
A short check you can do with a knife tip or a strip of parchment.
Copy button
Copy the three temperatures as text for a recipe card.
What the temperatures mean
Cocoa butter can set in several crystal forms. Only one, often called form V, gives the gloss, snap and slow melt that good chocolate has. Melting to about 45–50 °C (113–122 °F) for dark chocolate destroys all crystals; cooling to the “cool” range lets many crystals form, including unstable ones; warming gently to the working range melts the unstable ones and leaves the stable seeds that then spread through the batch.
Dark chocolate has the highest working temperature, milk chocolate is lower because milk fat softens the cocoa butter, and white chocolate is lowest of all. That is why the three ranges step down in the table. The figures follow the curves published in confectionery texts such as The Science of Chocolate by S. T. Beckett, and are typical ranges rather than a standard.
Seed method or tabling
The seed method is the easiest at home: melt most of the chocolate, take it off the heat and stir in chopped, already tempered chocolate, which provides the right crystals to copy. Tabling is the traditional method: part of the melted chocolate is worked on a cool marble or granite slab until it thickens, then returned to the bowl. Both end at the same working temperature. If the chocolate goes above the top of the working range, the crystals melt and the temper is lost; the simplest fix is to stir in more seed and cool it again.
Common problems
- Dull, soft or streaky set: the chocolate was not tempered or was overheated while working.
- Grey bloom days later: poor temper, or warm and cool swings in storage.
- Thick, grainy chocolate: a drop of water has got in. Keep bowls, spoons and moulds completely dry.
- Too thick to work with: the room is too cold or the chocolate cooled below its range. Warm it gently, a few seconds at a time.
Limits
Chocolate varies. A high-cocoa dark bar with little milk fat will want a slightly higher curve than a sweet one, and filling or couverture-style chocolate may print its own temperatures on the pack, which take priority. For sugar work see the candy temperature chart, and for fillings the ganache ratio calculator.
Chocolate Tempering Temperature Guide FAQ
What is the tempering temperature for dark chocolate?
A typical curve is to melt at 45–50 °C (113–122 °F), cool to 27–28 °C (81–82 °F) and work at 31–32 °C (88–90 °F). Check the pack if the maker gives its own figures.
What are the tempering temperatures for milk and white chocolate?
Milk chocolate is typically melted at 40–45 °C, cooled to 26–27 °C and worked at 29–30 °C. White chocolate is melted at 40–45 °C, cooled to 25–26 °C and worked at 28–29 °C. The °F values are shown above.
How much seed chocolate do I add?
About a quarter of the total weight is a common starting point. Use chopped chocolate that is already tempered, such as a fresh bar that is still glossy and snaps.
How do I know the chocolate is tempered?
Dip a knife tip or spread a little on parchment. In a cool room it should set glossy and streak-free in about 3 to 5 minutes. If it stays soft or dull, it is not in temper.
Can I temper chocolate in a microwave?
Yes, with care: heat in short bursts, stir between them and stop before it reaches the top of the melt range. Then seed and work it as above. Overheating is the usual mistake.
Does this apply to chocolate chips or compound coating?
Not usually. Chips often contain stabilisers, and compound coating uses vegetable fat instead of cocoa butter, so it needs no tempering. Check the label.