Chocolate Chipper

At first glance, the tool is small and unremarkable, resembling a miniature rake or pitchfork with its wooden handle and metal prongs. Lightweight, but very sturdy, it seems useful and easy to handle, but based on appearances alone, it is hard to figure out what it is for.

The tool in question is a chocolate chipper, pictured above with some chipped-up chocolate that makes its purpose far more obvious than merely seeing a display of these at a kitchen supply store. It is useful for chipping away at many things – including ice and packs of sausages that stick together when you freeze them, even though you only want to cook one at a time – but its primary purpose is for chocolate. The chipper is easier to handle than a knife and far less likely to slip in your hand. Simply press it straight down into the chocolate and the prongs crack it into perfect chocolate chunks.

I use mine frequently when I am making chocolate chunk cookies and other similar baked goods, but I also use it to coarsely chop chocolate before melting it in the microwave or a double boiler, as the smaller pieces help the chocolate melt more quickly and move evenly.