Chocolate Tempering Guide
Tempering temperatures for dark, milk and white chocolate from Callebaut, Michel Cluizel and Valrhona: melt, cool and work, in °C and °F. How it works
Use the Chocolate Tempering Guide
Published temperatures for dark chocolate
| Stage | Callebaut | Michel Cluizel | Valrhona | Where they differ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melt | 40-50 °C 104-122 °F | 55-58 °C 131-136.4 °F | 50-55 °C 122-131 °F | Sources differ: their ranges do not overlap |
| Cool (seed point) | 27 °C 80.6 °F | 28-29 °C 82.4-84.2 °F | 28-29 °C 82.4-84.2 °F | Sources differ: their ranges do not overlap |
| Work (warm again to) | 31-32 °C 87.8-89.6 °F | 31-32 °C 87.8-89.6 °F | 31-32 °C 87.8-89.6 °F | Ranges overlap |
| Maximum working temperature | 34.5 °C 94.1 °F | not given | not given | Only one source gives this |
Callebaut figures are for its dark 811 recipe; Michel Cluizel's and Valrhona's are their general dark chocolate figures (Valrhona labels its Temp #1, #2 and #3). Fahrenheit is converted from the Celsius figures printed by the makers. There is no single correct value: the makers disagree, and each brand prints its own curve, so use the curve on your chocolate's package when it has one.
Seeding materials
- Cocoa butter powder (Mycryo) (Cacao Barry)
Melt at 40-45 °C, cool to 34-35 °C (dark) or 33-34 °C (milk, white, coloured), stir in 1% Mycryo (10 g per kg of chocolate), then use at 31-32 °C (dark) or 29-30 °C (milk, white, coloured).
- Tempered chocolate pieces (Pistoles) (Cacao Barry)
When the melted chocolate is at about 40 °C, add 15-20% Pistoles at room temperature (15-20 °C). On a melting tray at 45 °C, lower the thermostat to about 32 °C (dark) or 30 °C (milk, white) and add 15-20% Pistoles.
- Chopped solid chocolate (Valrhona)
Melt three-quarters of the chocolate to Temp #1, set a third of the melted chocolate aside, stir the remaining quarter (solid) into the rest until it reaches Temp #2, then add the set-aside chocolate to reach Temp #3.
These figures are the makers' own, from the pages cited below. Each applies to that maker's product and method; the temperatures differ from one maker to the next.
Steps
- 1. MeltMelt to Callebaut: 40-50 °C (104-122 °F) / Michel Cluizel: 55-58 °C (131-136.4 °F) / Valrhona: 50-55 °C (122-131 °F)
Melt gently and stir so the chocolate heats evenly. None of the pages gives a time for this step.
- 2. CoolCool to Callebaut: 27 °C (80.6 °F) / Michel Cluizel: 28-29 °C (82.4-84.2 °F) / Valrhona: 28-29 °C (82.4-84.2 °F)
Callebaut and Valrhona describe seeding (stirring in chocolate that is already tempered) as one method; Cluizel's page does not use the term (it adds more Mini-grammes while cooling dark chocolate). None of the three gives a time.
- 3. Warm againWarm to 31-32 °C (87.8-89.6 °F) and work at that temperature
Callebaut lists 34.5 °C (94.1 °F) as the maximum working temperature for dark chocolate. Michel Cluizel and Valrhona give no maximum.
Sources: Callebaut, "Guide to different tempering methods", and Michel Cluizel, "The art of tempering chocolate", both read on 12 October 2026; Valrhona, "Tempering chocolate", and Cacao Barry, "Tempering with Mycryo" and "Tempering with Pistoles", all read on 22 October 2026. Callebaut says to test a sample before using the chocolate; no page names a test method, and none gives times for the steps, so none is shown here.
About the Chocolate Tempering Guide
Work dark chocolate at 31-32 °C (87.8-89.6 °F), milk at 29-30 °C (84.2-86 °F) and white at 28-29 °C (82.4-84.2 °F): Callebaut, Michel Cluizel and Valrhona print the same working ranges. For dark chocolate they part ways on the first two steps, melting to 40-50 °C (Callebaut), 50-55 °C (Valrhona) or 55-58 °C (Cluizel) and cooling to 27 °C (Callebaut) or 28-29 °C (the other two), because each curve is written for that maker's own chocolate. Follow one maker's curve all the way through rather than mixing them; with a labelled bar, follow the curve on the package.
Tempering temperatures by maker
| Chocolate and stage | Callebaut | Michel Cluizel | Valrhona | Do they agree |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dark, melt | 40-50 °C (104-122 °F) | 55-58 °C (131-136.4 °F) | 50-55 °C (122-131 °F) | No: the ranges do not overlap |
| Dark, cool to | 27 °C (80.6 °F) | 28-29 °C (82.4-84.2 °F) | 28-29 °C (82.4-84.2 °F) | No: the ranges do not overlap |
| Dark, work at | 31-32 °C (87.8-89.6 °F) | 31-32 °C (87.8-89.6 °F) | 31-32 °C (87.8-89.6 °F) | Yes: the ranges overlap |
| Dark, maximum while working | 34.5 °C (94.1 °F) | not given | not given | Only Callebaut gives one |
| Milk, melt | 45 °C (113 °F) | 45-50 °C (113-122 °F) | 45-50 °C (113-122 °F) | Yes: the ranges overlap |
| Milk, cool to | 27 °C (80.6 °F) | 27-28 °C (80.6-82.4 °F) | 27-28 °C (80.6-82.4 °F) | Yes: the ranges overlap |
| Milk, work at | 29-30 °C (84.2-86 °F) | 29-30 °C (84.2-86 °F) | 29-30 °C (84.2-86 °F) | Yes: the ranges overlap |
| Milk, maximum while working | 32.5 °C (90.5 °F) | not given | not given | Only Callebaut gives one |
| White, melt | 45 °C (113 °F) | 45-50 °C (113-122 °F) | 45-50 °C (113-122 °F) | Yes: the ranges overlap |
| White, cool to | 27 °C (80.6 °F) | 26-27 °C (78.8-80.6 °F) | 26-27 °C (78.8-80.6 °F) | Yes: the ranges overlap |
| White, work at | 28-29 °C (82.4-84.2 °F) | 28-29 °C (82.4-84.2 °F) | 28-29 °C (82.4-84.2 °F) | Yes: the ranges overlap |
| White, maximum while working | 31.5 °C (88.7 °F) | not given | not given | Only Callebaut gives one |
Callebaut's figures are for its dark 811, milk 823 and white W2; Michel Cluizel's are its general figures for each type; Valrhona's are its Temp #1, #2 and #3, with the white row covering white chocolate and Dulcey. "Do they agree" is no when any two makers print ranges with no temperature in common. Fahrenheit is converted from the printed Celsius figures, to one decimal.
Frequently asked questions
- What temperature do you temper dark chocolate at?
- Work dark chocolate at 31-32 °C (87.8-89.6 °F), the figure Callebaut (dark 811), Michel Cluizel and Valrhona all print for warming it again. Before that, melt it to 40-50 °C (104-122 °F) by Callebaut, 50-55 °C (122-131 °F) by Valrhona or 55-58 °C (131-136.4 °F) by Cluizel, and cool it to 27 °C (80.6 °F) by Callebaut or 28-29 °C (82.4-84.2 °F) by the other two. Callebaut gives 34.5 °C (94.1 °F) as the maximum working temperature for its dark 811.
- What are the tempering temperatures for milk chocolate?
- Callebaut milk 823: melt to 45 °C (113 °F), cool to 27 °C (80.6 °F), work at 29-30 °C (84.2-86 °F), with a maximum of 32.5 °C (90.5 °F). Michel Cluizel and Valrhona print the same curve as each other: melt to 45-50 °C (113-122 °F), cool to 27-28 °C (80.6-82.4 °F), work at 29-30 °C.
- What are the tempering temperatures for white chocolate?
- Callebaut W2: melt to 45 °C (113 °F), cool to 27 °C (80.6 °F), work at 28-29 °C (82.4-84.2 °F), with a maximum of 31.5 °C (88.7 °F). Michel Cluizel, and Valrhona for its white chocolate and Dulcey: melt to 45-50 °C (113-122 °F), cool to 26-27 °C (78.8-80.6 °F), work at 28-29 °C.
- Why do tempering charts give different temperatures?
- Each maker publishes the curve for its own chocolate. For dark chocolate, Callebaut's melting range (40-50 °C) and Cluizel's (55-58 °C) do not overlap, with Valrhona's 50-55 °C between them, and Callebaut cools to 27 °C where the other two cool to 28-29 °C. The page names each maker's own figure instead of a made-up middle. All three agree on the working temperature.
- How much seed chocolate or cocoa butter do I add when tempering?
- By the makers' own pages: Cacao Barry adds 1% Mycryo cocoa butter powder (10 g per kg of chocolate) once dark chocolate has cooled to 34-35 °C (33-34 °C for milk, white or coloured), or 15-20% Pistoles at room temperature (15-20 °C) to chocolate at about 40 °C. Valrhona melts three-quarters of the chocolate and stirs in the last quarter, chopped, until it reaches Temp #2. Each figure is for that maker's product.
- Why is my tempered chocolate streaky, dull or not setting?
- Callebaut lists streaky chocolate, bonbons that stick in the mould and products that do not harden, and says the culprit may be improper tempering; it also says not to let the chocolate rise above the final temperature on the curve. Valrhona says badly tempered chocolate can turn brittle, dull, bumpy and flecked with white marks, and that a few drops of water spoil the lot. Cacao Barry says Pistoles that melt too quickly mean the chocolate is still too hot: add more and keep stirring. Callebaut says to test a small sample before you start, but no maker's page names a test method.
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