Sitting around a table with friends, sharing fondue, combines two of the most intensely comfortable experiences possible-sharing camaraderie and enjoying delectable food.
If you're looking for a stainless steel fondue pot, you've probably already stored up a few of those memories! Recreate and relive them in your own home, whether you're having guests over or just planning to sit around the table with your family. What kind of fondue pot should you buy? All fondue pots involve a container held up by some type of support over a heat source, accompanied by a set of long-handled forks. The model that you ultimately choose depends upon your fondue preferences.
Fondue is a dish that comes to us from the Swiss, and it's a word derived from the French past participle-fondu-of the verb "to melt"-fondre. There are three basic types: The first of these involves cheese of some sort, generally diluted with wine or broth. Second, of course, you have the dessert fondues-mostly chocolate, but also caramel or other sugary concoctions. The third involves seasoned, heated oil. And you can dip whatever you like into any of these!
You can find a simple wrought-iron stand that supports a one-pint (570ml) bowl, complete with a rack for candle or sterno holder plus tiny forks for about $5. For less than $15, you will advance to a unit that offers two pots, one made of ceramic to use for your chocolate or cheese recipes, and one made of stainless steel if you're heating spiced oil. Don't expect to find the candle or sterno included with the less expensive models, however.
Then you can move up to one of the more sophisticated versions. For less than $30, you get a 40-ounce (1000+ ml) pot, generally made of stainless steel and including an insert that functions like a double-boiler for cheese or chocolate mixtures. Most of these offer sturdier stands, and the flame or heat source is shielded. This size works well for small to medium crowds, where it won't overwhelm your guests but it's large enough to last for a few hours.
The next level of sophistication-at just $5 more-is a unit that lets you stop fussing with flickering candles or messy sterno. Electric fondue pots begin at about $35, and they are a dream come true for people who just want to heat it up and get the party started. Most of these come with a stainless steel pot, with a heating element welded to its bottom and a detachable electric switch thermostat. Just set the switch at the temperature recommended for the recipe, and in minutes you're in business. This type also has a breakaway magnetic electrical cord so that if someone accidentally tugs on or trips over the cord, it will come free without spilling the pot. For clean up, you unplug the electrical cord and switch, and the pot is submersible.
The granddaddy of stainless steel fondue pots includes a 56-ounce stainless steel container that lifts away from its TeflonTM-coated heating element. If you are serving an oil or broth fondue recipe, the pot rests directly on the heating element. For chocolate or cheese, the container floats a ceramic insert in about 20 ounces (566ml) of water. The water maintains the heat at even better uniformity than the electrical element. You can use or remove a notched ring inside the rim of the pot to support your diners' forks.
We've reviewed models by Trudeau, Rival, Cuisinart, and Chantal. There are others, too-Rachel Ray makes an enamel-lined, cast-iron pot with a liquid sterno heat source. Several manufacturers offer Lazy Susan models. Tip: If you buy a non-electric pot, ascertain that the pot comes with its heat source and that refills are readily available to you. You can find these models and others at Amazon.com or in your favorite hometown department or discount department store.