First chop up all of your chocolate very VERY finely. The smaller the pieces, the faster and more evenly it will melt. I like to use a serrated knife to do this job. The chocolate you buy should be glossy and shiny and already well tempered.

Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set the bowl over a saucepan with just ½ inch of barely simmering water. Stir the chocolate constantly until it three-quarters of the chocolate is melted, but the rest is still in pieces. Make sure to stir all around the sides of the bowl to ensure that all of the chocolate melts evenly.

Use a thermometer to make sure the melted chocolate does not get heated above 90°F. If it goes to 92°F, then you risk melting and disassembling the organized cocoa butter crystal structure that your chocolate manufacturer has worked hard to build.

Once three-quarters of the chocolate is melted, remove the bowl from over the heat and continue stirring to let the residual heat melt the rest of the chocolate. Use it immediately to coat or drizzle.