Correct, I am using generally things such as Almond Bark or Candy
Coating or plain chips from a bag. I use high quailty chocolate for my
Chocolate fountain which is 38% cocoa butter and I do NOT add oils to it.
The recommened use of chips is what you normally add oil to, however, the
ratio of oil to chocolate did not seem like it would make a very tasty or
eye pleasing sort of chocolate that I would dip anything into. SO I go to
Whole Foods and buy huge chunks of GOOD chocolate (I can't think of the name
of it) and melt and pour into the fountain. Works great and tastes a heck of
a lot better than anything I could use that was thinned with oil.

But, for dipping, I use inexpensive candy coating or chips (when called
for) and I'm pleased with the results.

>
> You aren't using "plain" chocolate, you are using "summer coating" or
> "candy melts" or "compound chocolate"--whatever you want to call
> it--which, as a professional candy maker told me years ago before I became
> a professional, isn't really chocolate.
>
> You DEFINITELY don't want to try using couverture in a chocolate fountain.
> Chocolate fountains are designed to use inexpensive thinned "chocolate" of
> the type you are already using--and they aren't thinning it with cocoa
> butter because then it would be really expensive. Every chocolate sold
> for fountains that I've seen is a thinner-when-melted version of candy
> melts.
>
> If you are going to use candy melts, it seems to be generally agreed that
> Merckens has far and away the best taste.
>
> As to equipment, one inexpensive setup that works well if tempering is not
> an issue is putting a heating pad inside a larger bowl, making a warm nest
> for a metal bowl containing the melted candy melts. If the heating pad has
> heating controls, so much the better.
>