Chocolate Tempering Temperatures

Tempering gives chocolate its shine and snap. Here are the melting, cooling and working temperatures for dark, milk and white chocolate.

Tempering curve

Chocolate	Melt to	Cool to	Rewarm / work at
Dark	113–122 °F (45–50 °C)	81–82 °F (27–28 °C)	88–90 °F (31–32 °C)
Milk	104–113 °F (40–45 °C)	79–81 °F (26–27 °C)	84–86 °F (29–30 °C)
White	104 °F (40 °C)	77–79 °F (25–26 °C)	82–84 °F (28–29 °C)

Notes

Cocoa butter can crystallize in six forms; only “form V” gives glossy, snappy chocolate. Melting erases all crystals, cooling forms new ones, and gently rewarming to the working temperature melts the unstable ones while keeping form V. Exact temperatures vary by brand — check the packaging. The seeding method (stirring in chopped tempered chocolate) is the easiest at home. Test by dabbing on parchment: it should set glossy within about 5 minutes at room temperature.

Frequently asked questions

What temperature do you temper dark chocolate?

Melt to 45–50 °C, cool to 27–28 °C, then work at 31–32 °C.

Why is my chocolate streaky?

It went out of temper — gray streaks are fat or sugar bloom.

Do I need to temper chocolate chips?

Only for dipping and decorating; for baking, no.

What is the seeding method?

Melting most of the chocolate and stirring in chopped tempered chocolate to cool it and seed stable crystals.