How much Grated, Melted, or Chips of Chocolate are in a ¼ Pound?

It can be frustrating to try a new recipe and not understand how much of an ingredient to purchase at the store. Sometimes they give you a quantity of chocolate in volume (1 cup), sometimes as a weight (4 ounces) and still others the chocolate is given as a description (1/2 pound block of milk chocolate). But what are they really talking about? How much chocolate in a pound? In order to help make cooking easier we did some experiments to help tell you exactly how much chocolate you need to buy.

Since chocolate blocks are sold by the pound, we selected 1/4 pound as our test sample to answer How much chocolate in a cup or in a pound.

When you break a 1/4 pound chocolate block into small chipped pieces you end up with 2/3 to 3/4 cup depending on the size of the chocolate bits. A full pound of chipped chocolate measures to 2.7 to 3 cups. One cup of these small chipped pieces weighed 5.9 ounces (167 grams).

A 1/4 pound block of chocolate yields 1/2 cup if melted. You would need a full pound of chocolate to get 2 cups. When grated into small pieces, a 1/4 pound block of chocolate yields 1 cup. If you weigh 1 ounce, you have about 1/4 cup of grated chocolate. To grate chocolate use a microplane grater, handheld grater, or the smallest holes on a box grater. You can use a cheese slicer or vegetable peeler to make fancy chocolate curls.

Grocery stores carry numerous brands of packaged chocolate chips in a variety of shapes, sizes (1/8 to 1/2 inch) and chocolate type (milk, semi-sweet, white, etc.). Chocolate chips are primarily used in baking and contain less cocoa butter than other chocolates. They are made to withstand moderate oven heat so they retain their texture and shape in cookies and other baked desserts. This makes determining a "normal" weight difficult. One cup of either Hershey's and Nestles' regular size chocolate chips is equal to about 6 ounces; 1 pound contains about 2.67 cups.

Did you know that It takes approximately 400 cacao beans to make one pound (450 gr.) of chocolate. Dark chocolate can be stored for around five years because it contains natural preservatives. Milk chocolate and white chocolate contain milk solids and should be used within a year. By the strictest definition white chocolate isn't technically chocolate because it doesn't contain cocoa solids or cocoa liquor. However it does contain cocoa butter from the cocoa bean.

So now whether you need melted, grated or chipped chocolate you'll be able to easily figure out how much is in a 1/4 pound block of chocolate. You can also use our conversion tool below for any custom how many cups in a... measurements you need. If you use a lot of chocolate you should consider getting a good box grater, and microplane. I use the smallest holes on a box grater for basic chocolate grating. There are several inexpensive models that do the trick OXO Good Grips and the iCooker Stainless Steel Cheese & Chocolate Grater are 2 good examples to consider. In addition to zesting, a microplane makes quick work of producing very fine grated chocolate, an especially nice decorative topping on desserts. For many years I have used the Microplane Classic Zester/Grater at home.

Custom Conversions for ¼ Pound Chocolate Block

One ¼ Pound Chocolate Block Equals

• There is ½ Cup (118 mls) of Melted Chocolate in a ¼ Pound Chocolate Block
• There is ¾ Cup (177 mls) of Chipped Chocolate in a ¼ Pound Chocolate Block
• There is 1 Cup (237 mls) of Grated Chocolate in a ¼ Pound Chocolate Block

Want a Fancy Cocktail?

How to Store ¼ Pound Chocolate Block

General How to Store Chocolate Info

Be careful when substituting one chocolate for another in a recipe; they all have different cocoa butter (fat) and sugar amounts.

When chocolate is stored at too high a temperature the cocoa butter separates, comes to the surface and crystallizes; however, the chocolate looks different but is not ruined.

Short Term Chocolate Storage

Chocolate should be stored in a slightly cool, dry, dark place; the perfect environment would be 60 to 70°F (15.6 to 21.1°C) with a less than 50 percent humidity. Store chocolate in its original wrapping or an airtight container. Milk and white chocolates will keep for 8 to 10 months; darker varieties will keep for several years. Since neither bittersweet and semisweet chocolate contain any milk solids, they can be stored for several years.

Chocolate Long Term Storage

To freeze chocolate, place it in an airtight container, and do not remove it from its container until it has been brought up to room temperature, to prevent condensation from forming on the chocolate.

Chocolate Side Notes

There are many different varieties of chocolate, such as; unsweetened, dark, bittersweet, semi-sweet, sweet dark, milk, white, couverture (expensive, used by professionals), gianduja (European style), "candy coating" (cheaper candy products) and unsweetened cocoa powder.

¼ Pound Chocolate Block Recipes

Sous Vide Chocolate Canelé - PB&J Style Recipe

This impressive and creative dish utilizes sous vide in several components, yielding an outstanding dessert fit for a King or Queen.

Sous Vide Chocolate Pot de Creme with Passion Fruit Syrup Recipe

This recipe combines a classic sous vide pot de creme with a sweet and fruity passion fruit sauce for a rich and complex dish.

Sous Vide Chocolate Pot de Creme Recipe

Sous vide makes pot de creme simple to make, and when topped with orea crumbles and smoked sea salt it is delicious and decadent!

Sous Vide Chocolate Layer Cake with Nutella Mascarpone Frosting Recipe

Lisa uses the sous vide to perfectly cook this rich and decadant chocolate cake that is topped with nutella mascarpone and raspberries for the perfect dessert.

Sous Vide Chocolate Custard Pie Recipe Recipe

This delicious sous vide chocolate custard filling is added to a pre-baked pie crust and finished in the oven for a rich pie slice that is silky smooth.

Sous Vide White Chocolate Creme Brulee

This fancy creme brulee recipe is easy to make with a sous vide machine and the white chocolate turns it into a more decadent dessert. I serve it topped with raspberries, a raspberry syrup or other berries in season.

Chocolate Whipped Cream with Berries Recipe

Like this chocolate whipped cream with berries dessert, sometimes the most impressive dishes to my guests are the easiest ones to make. In addition this combination is unforgettable when served warm on cake, brownies or ice cream!

Chocolate Covered Mint Marshmallows

This recipe takes classic homemade marshmallows and covers them in yummy chocolate. Mint and chocolate is a classic pairing and the soft marshmallows are a great way to hold them all together! A definite party favorite!

Cherry-Chocolate Marshmallows Recipe

Using a marshmallow base turns a rich, decadent chocolate covered cherry into a lighter equally satisfying treat. I add cocoa powder to the marshmallow mixture, resulting in a light chocolate flavor and cherry juice is turned into a marshmallow coating. These addictive snacks have great flavor and are a visually interesting dish that will get your guests talking!

White Chocolate Clouds Gelatin Foam Recipe

White chocolate foam dispensed over ripe berries, it does not get much better than that! This recipe will wow your guests.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls Recipe

Using a sous vide pasteurized egg is a great way to enjoy raw cookie dough without worrying about getting anyone sick.

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What is the Produce Converter?

One of the biggest hassles when cooking and working in the kitchen is when a recipe calls for "the juice of 1 lime" or a similar measurement. Often times when cooking people use bottled juices, pre-sliced vegetables and other convenient cooking time savers. Produce Converter will help you convert the "juice of 1 lime" and other similar recipe instructions into tablespoons, cups and other concrete measurements.

Produce Converter can also be used to figure out how many vegetables to buy when you need, for instance, "A cup of diced onion." You can use our easy conversion tool to figure out exactly how many onions you need to buy at the store in order to end up with the amount you need for your cooking.

We hope you enjoy Produce Converter and if you have any suggestions for how we can improve it and make your cooking easier please let us know.

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