Method and an apparatus for continuous tempering of chocolate-like masses

A method of continuously tempering a flowing, fat-containing, chocolate mass which method comprises:

• (a) flowing said mass through at least a first cooling zone and a second cooling zone each having a plurality of cooling surfaces and a subsequent reheating zone having a plurality of heating surfaces, said first cooling zone comprising an initial group and a final group of said cooling surfaces and the cooling surfaces of said second cooling zone being positioned between said initial group and said final group of cooling surfaces of said first cooling zone, so that said mass flows serially across said initial group of cooling surfaces of said first cooling zone, the cooling surfaces of said second cooling zone, the cooling surfaces of said final group of cooling surfaces of said first cooling zone and the heating surfaces of said reheating zone;
• (b) separately controlling the flow of a cooling medium and a heating medium, respectively, through each of said cooling zones and said heating zone during passage of said mass across said cooling surfaces and said heating surfaces so as to control the temperature of said mass in each of said zones;
• and
• (c) controlling the temperature, the flow rate, or a combination of the temperature and flow rate of said cooling medium in said second cooling zone to form stable .beta.-crystals in the mass during its passage across said cooling surfaces of said second cooling zone.