Surprise the Kids on Valentine's Day With This Popular Chocolate Fountain—Now on Major Sale

I’m not quite sure how it happened, but somewhere over the years as a parent, I accidentally created the tradition of bringing out a chocolate fountain for our kids on precisely two days of the year: New Year’s Eve and Valentine’s Day. Now the chocolate fountain is a super fun, special occasion treat for the kids. They love it, it creates an atmosphere of excitement, and they eat more fresh fruit that day than most days, so I’m calling it a win. 

After a good 10 years with our last chocolate fountain, I finally had to upgrade, so I went on a hunt for a new one on Amazon. I settled on this electric chocolate fountain with a 24-ounce capacity—that’s not a huge fountain, but because we use ours only a few times a year, I was fine with a smaller fountain. And the best part? It's currently $10 off right now—and I promise you'll get your money's worth out of this thing.

To buy: Electric 24-Ounce Chocolate Fountain, $49.99 (was $59.99); amazon.com  

This particular fountain will hold 1.5 pounds of chocolate, which is impressive for its size and that will give you an hour or two of continuous chocolate flow, depending on how many people you’re serving—and how much they love chocolate. You can add more chocolate while it’s in use if you need, just be sure it’s pre-melted with the oil, per the instructions. 

When you’re done with the fountain, it’s best to clean up as soon as possible, because it’s a lot easier to clean melted chocolate off of something than when it’s hardened again. I take mine apart and wash each part with hot water and rinse it all down the drain. The main fountain part can be tricky, but I tilt it over the sink and spray it down, avoiding any of the electrical components. Then, it can be dried and stored until the next time. 

To buy: Electric 24-Ounce Chocolate Fountain, $49.99 (was $59.99); amazon.com  

Chocolate fountain tips

A few additional tips to consider when using your fountain for the first time: 

• Use a disposable tablecloth for easy cleanup. The fountain can get messy, so it helps to have a disposable tablecloth underneath that you can just ball up and toss afterward. I have also used fabric tablecloths that I can wash in hot water. 
• An extension cord may come in handy. I like to display my fountain on the table for extra effect, but it’s hard to reach the outlet, so an extension cord is usually necessary when we use it. It’s also a good idea to tape the cord to the table if you have a lot of kids running around, so there are no tripping or accidental tip-overs of the whole fountain! 
• Bamboo skewers are great for dipping. Some fountains come with reusable skewers and those are great, but if you’re having a party or have a lot of kids, it can also be nice to pick up a pack of bamboo skewers. That way, you know you’re getting a clean skewer every time and when they inevitably fall in, it’s easy to get a fresh one. 
• Cut up more fruit than you think you need. Seriously. It’s amazing how fast you will run through your dipping items. Some of our favorite things to dip in the fountain are apples, bananas, pineapple, and strawberries, but you could also try pretzel rods, cookies and crackers, or even marshmallows for older kids. 

Plus, this particular fountain advertises itself as much more than just a chocolate fountain—it encourages you to try the fountain for other dipping experiences, including a barbecue sauce fountain, a cheese fountain, and even a hot sauce fountain. Some commenters even noted that they have used it as a ranch fountain, which isn’t my thing, but hey, if it works, it works. Think birthdays, sports parties, and more. The opportunities to bust this thing out and be the "fun parent" are truly endless.

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