Fondue Set Reviews
Fondue Supplies Reviews
Fondue Kit Reviews
General Overview
Some fondue pots work best for cheese and other pots work better for meats and chocolate. Do we really want to have 2 or 3 different fondue dishes? My favourite pot is the one that can do it all.
There are electric heated dishes and fuel heated ones. Personally, I like the fuel heated ones. It’s more original, the heat can be adjusted quickly and it’s safe. Electric works just as well if you have reservations about using an open flame in your house.
Being Swiss, I love the original heavy ceramic cheese fondue pots. They last a lifetime and can come with beautiful graphics. They work for broth based meat and chocolate fondues, but not very well for oil based meat fondue.
Meat fondues are made with either broth or oil. The meat needs to be submerged into the broth or oil for a couple of minutes, so a meat fondue pot will have slots for the forks to stay in place. In cheese and chocolate fondue the fork is stirred briefly then taken out. Fondue bourguignonne is made with oil and should have a guard over the pan to avoid the oil from spilling. The typical cheese fondue pots don’t have this, but there are multi purpose pots available.
Materials
Non stick: I do not like non-stick coatings on fondue pots. Non stick coating works, as long as it doesn’t get damaged. With people stirring metal forks in these pots, children losing their fruit in the chocolate fondue then fishing for it, these coatings just don’t last. I don’t recommend non stick coatings in fondue pots.
Stainless Steel: Stainless fondue pots look great and work really well for meat and chocolate fondues. Unfortunately, cheese can stick brutally to stainless steel. Further, the stainless doesn’t hold the warmth like ceramic does and the cheese will start to harden along the stainless wall. Stainless steel needs attention otherwise it can start to look worn. Lower quality dishes can get dents over time.
Cast Iron and Ceramic: These are my personal favourite materials. They last forever, and they never lose their esthetics. Here is a picture of my 30 year old Ceramic fondue pot:
Forks: Fondue forks need to be handled carefully. They are meant to pick up a piece of bread, vegetable, or fruit, then go from cheese to mouth. If you are serving salad with your fondue, for instance, I recommend giving your guests a regular fork. The fondue fork is not meant to scoop up food from a plate and it will bend over time. I always wash them by hand and avoid the dishwasher.
My 5 favourite fondue pots
Swissmar is really good quality. This set looks sharp because it is copper coated on the outside. It is stainless on the inside and comes with the splash guard for meat fondues. It also comes with a ceramic insert for cheese and chocolate fondues! It’s an all in one deal. It has a gel burner. The gel dishes with the swissmar brand are more expensive than a generic one, but you can get them at many department stores. I would recommend buying one set of gel dishes with this set so you have everything to get started. The forks are of decent quality, but not as good as I would like to see. They bend easily, but if you are careful and wash them by hand they will last. It is a very cool fondue set that allows you to make 3 different fondues in one evening! The set comes with 6 forks, which in my opinion, is the very max this size set can handle.
Currently not available in Canada
This is a traditional Swiss cheese fondue pot. It is made of ceramic and it has a beautiful design. These pots are easy to clean, last forever, and keep their looks for a lifetime. The forks in this set are of very good quality. It comes with 6 forks. This pot is big enough to feed 8 people easily, so I would order an extra 2 forks.
This ceramic pot can be used for broth based meat fondue and chocolate fondue as well. I would not recommend it for oil based meat fondue. It has a gel burner. The gel dishes with the Swissmar brand are more expensive than a generic ones that you get at department stores. I would recommend you buy one set of gel dishes with the set, so you have everything to get started.
Currently not available in Canada
This is a good deal for a versatile fondue set. It has a cast iron pot, which will work really well for cheese fondue. It also comes with a cast iron splatter ring, so it can be used for all types of fondues. You can use this pot on the stovetop to get your fondue going before transferring it to the burner. The forks are of lower quality and have to be handled carefully. I wouldn’t recommend placing them in the dishwasher. It has a gel based burner, and if you buy this set i would order extra gel dishes along with it.
I find the pot a bit on the small side if you’re looking to feed 6 hungry people cheese fondue.
I am including one more typical cheese fondue set, since we are all about cheese here. This is a traditional cheese fondue pot made from ceramic. It has a simple but appealing design. The burner rests on a wooden base, which looks really good. The forks are of good quality. What I like is the mixed usage burner. It runs on liquid fuel and gel. This set is a great investment that will last a lifetime.
Oster is a well known brand and this is a nice fondue set for a reasonable price. It is Ceramic and works well for cheese and chocolate fondue. It comes with a ring for the forks, which also makes it very suitable for meat fondues.The titanium infusion makes it really easy to clean. There is a big difference between “infused” and “coated’ surfaces. The titanium infused ceramic will last a long time. My only concern with any electric set is the lifetime of the heating element. If it burns out, will there be a replacement available? The forks in this set are of decent quality, but like all fondue forks I would wash them by hand.
Fondue Fuel
There are 2 types of fondue burners available for a traditional fondue set, liquid and gel. Personally, I don’t choose my fondue pot according to the burner type. Quality and aesthetics of the set are more important to me than what kind of fuel it comes with.
Swissmar F65400 Swiss Fire Gel for Fondues
- Ideal to use in fondue fuel burners.
- Bottles include safety features – squeeze both sides of cap and turn in order to remove; squeeze bottle in order to dispense
- Formula based primarily on ethanol – reducing risk of explosions, fumes, smells and/or irritations
- Made in Switzerland, according to strict safety regulations
- Easy and safe to use; burns longer than regular alcohol
Swiss Fire Gel Fondue Fuel Paste
- Ideal to use in fondue fuel burners.
- Formula based primarily on ethanol reducing risk of explosions, fumes, smells and/or irritations.
- Made in Switzerland, according to strict safety regulations.
- Easy and safe to use; burns longer than regular alcohol.
Greenscapes Bio Fuel, 15 oz, Grey
- Organic All Natural
- Bio Fuel is Nontoxic
- Alcohol and petroleum free
- Ideal for fondue, camping, and catering.
- Safe for indoor/outdoor use.
- Non-hazardous organic material
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