Fondue pot help
- Thread starter Susie-Que
- Start date
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Welcome to the forums Susie 
We've got a fondue, it was a Christmas present! It's still on the kitchen table after Valentine's day (bit smelly!). Anyway, it's a small blue, ceramic fondue, which serves about 4 people. It uses about 1/2 litre of vegetable oil per serving. This sounds like a lot but you can get vegetable oil really cheaply now.
We haven't had a cheese fondue yet, but the meat ones are really great. My only tip would be to pre-heat the ceramic bowl on the hob before you put it over the flame, this saves time. Our fondue is heated by using methylated spirit, but you can also get ones that use flamable gel - I would choose the gel!
Hope this helps, let me know any questions you have.
Love,
Choo x
We've got a fondue, it was a Christmas present! It's still on the kitchen table after Valentine's day (bit smelly!). Anyway, it's a small blue, ceramic fondue, which serves about 4 people. It uses about 1/2 litre of vegetable oil per serving. This sounds like a lot but you can get vegetable oil really cheaply now.
We haven't had a cheese fondue yet, but the meat ones are really great. My only tip would be to pre-heat the ceramic bowl on the hob before you put it over the flame, this saves time. Our fondue is heated by using methylated spirit, but you can also get ones that use flamable gel - I would choose the gel!
Hope this helps, let me know any questions you have.
Love,
Choo x
Susie, I noticed on several of the cooking shows, that if you are doing a lot of chocolate and cheese fondues, they use the ceramic and the oil ones with meats, shrimp, etc. seem to call for the metal ones. Guess it's all according to what you enjoy cooking the most.
Back in the stone age, I got one for a wedding gift (it was avacado green if that tells you anything) and never used it even one time. Now, of course, I am dying to get one for the chocolate fondues that I saw on Good Morning America....they looked fabulous. Everything goes around at least once from fashion to fondues I guess! Let us know what you decide and share those recipes...... Carol
Back in the stone age, I got one for a wedding gift (it was avacado green if that tells you anything) and never used it even one time. Now, of course, I am dying to get one for the chocolate fondues that I saw on Good Morning America....they looked fabulous. Everything goes around at least once from fashion to fondues I guess! Let us know what you decide and share those recipes...... Carol
Ann - sorry for the long delay. Tonight was the finals on the ladies figure skating and I was glued to the screen! WOW, it was worth staying up for. I'm a skating junkie to be sure!!
They were using an imported chocolate for that; but they said you could use semi-sweet, mixed with white chocolate - according to your taste. They also mixed brandy (just a little) in with it and said you could use any kind of liquers, extracts, whatever you wanted. This was for the fruits to be dipped in. I'll have to do some research on it and see if we can find some definite recipes. Carol
They were using an imported chocolate for that; but they said you could use semi-sweet, mixed with white chocolate - according to your taste. They also mixed brandy (just a little) in with it and said you could use any kind of liquers, extracts, whatever you wanted. This was for the fruits to be dipped in. I'll have to do some research on it and see if we can find some definite recipes. Carol
jennyema
Chef Extraordinaire
fondue
Chooster,
You really give yourself away when you say that you preheat something on "the hob!":p
Anyway, I have a LE Cruset cast iron fondue pot with ceramic coating heatied by strno.
I strongly recommend ceramic for it's heating properties. Although an electric fondue set may have more controllable heating, there is just someting very interesting and even romantic about the sterno set up. Plus you can take it anywhere.
Chooster,
You really give yourself away when you say that you preheat something on "the hob!":p
Anyway, I have a LE Cruset cast iron fondue pot with ceramic coating heatied by strno.
I strongly recommend ceramic for it's heating properties. Although an electric fondue set may have more controllable heating, there is just someting very interesting and even romantic about the sterno set up. Plus you can take it anywhere.
kitchenelf
Chef Extraordinaire
I also have A Le Crueset fondue pot. I like it because you can start heating something on the stove first, instead of standing around twiddling your thumbs. Mine takes either the spirits or sterno - I used sterno as that is what I had already. I too think there is something romantic about "fondueing".
Ann, you can also dip angel food cake, cheesecake, pound cake, etc. I like to pretend the cake "accidentally" fell off the fork to get more chocolate!
Ann, you can also dip angel food cake, cheesecake, pound cake, etc. I like to pretend the cake "accidentally" fell off the fork to get more chocolate!
Finally
Assistant Cook
Fell of the Fork ?
Kitchen Elf: maybe I'm about to show my age too, but I do have to ask: If you "accidentally" drop you dippig item, do you still have to pour the nesx round???
We have re-use centres in our area; a great concept that border upon franchiosed garage/Tag sales, and often operated by charitable organizations. They are great places for Fondue Pots of all varieties at reasonable prices. Nice thing is that you can offer different mediums in which to cook/dip without having to visit the kitchen for a wash and re-fill plus re-heat.
Finally,
David
Kitchen Elf: maybe I'm about to show my age too, but I do have to ask: If you "accidentally" drop you dippig item, do you still have to pour the nesx round???
We have re-use centres in our area; a great concept that border upon franchiosed garage/Tag sales, and often operated by charitable organizations. They are great places for Fondue Pots of all varieties at reasonable prices. Nice thing is that you can offer different mediums in which to cook/dip without having to visit the kitchen for a wash and re-fill plus re-heat.
Finally,
David
kitchenelf
Chef Extraordinaire
- yepHAY!!! I was working on a reply and it just went away!!! Anyway, back to business:
1. I prefer sterno over electricty. Since a fondue meal is a casual affair, a sterno pot can be used anyplace in the house without having to worry about electrical outlets or tripping over cords. One of our favorite ways to do fondue is on a low table in front of the fireplace with everyone sitting about on cussions; well, before my accident when I could still honker down on a cussion.
2. I hate staneless steel anything. I think it's cold, steril, hospital like and very unappealing, threfore I persionally would go with ceramic. Mine however is a lovely little copper pot.
3. Shape; a fondue pot is roundish. The flat, more straight sidded skillet type are acturally chaffing dishes for keeping things warm on a buffet.
Now; are you talking Fondue Nuchetell, (cheese) or Fondue Burginione, (thin strips of meat cooked at table in hot oil).
And remember, you don't have to go to all the trouble of making rouxes and white sauces etc. Just grate your cheesees, add a bit of liquid and melt them in the pot. My basic recipe is: for each cup of grated cheese, add 1/4 cup of liquid, (wine or beer) and about 2 teaspoons of cornstarch. Toss the cornstarch with the grated cheese before adding the liquid. You may also add any flavorings you happen to want; mushrooms, onion, garlic, chives, caraway seeds, seafood, even a bit of salsa is good. Have fun.
1. I prefer sterno over electricty. Since a fondue meal is a casual affair, a sterno pot can be used anyplace in the house without having to worry about electrical outlets or tripping over cords. One of our favorite ways to do fondue is on a low table in front of the fireplace with everyone sitting about on cussions; well, before my accident when I could still honker down on a cussion.
2. I hate staneless steel anything. I think it's cold, steril, hospital like and very unappealing, threfore I persionally would go with ceramic. Mine however is a lovely little copper pot.
3. Shape; a fondue pot is roundish. The flat, more straight sidded skillet type are acturally chaffing dishes for keeping things warm on a buffet.
Now; are you talking Fondue Nuchetell, (cheese) or Fondue Burginione, (thin strips of meat cooked at table in hot oil).
And remember, you don't have to go to all the trouble of making rouxes and white sauces etc. Just grate your cheesees, add a bit of liquid and melt them in the pot. My basic recipe is: for each cup of grated cheese, add 1/4 cup of liquid, (wine or beer) and about 2 teaspoons of cornstarch. Toss the cornstarch with the grated cheese before adding the liquid. You may also add any flavorings you happen to want; mushrooms, onion, garlic, chives, caraway seeds, seafood, even a bit of salsa is good. Have fun.
kitchenelf
Chef Extraordinaire
You just gave a great, easy description of "fondueing". A lot of people are afraid and you took it to a very simple form - for each cup of cheese, toss with 2 tsp. cornstarch, add 1/4 cup liquid of choice. Perfect, easy, simple, non-intimidating description.
Bigjim68
Head Chef
I have a couple of copper, tin lined fondue pots picked up from yard sales. They are no better than new ones, but sure look good on the table. Fondue was popular in the 50's and 60's, and there seem to be a lot of these pots available, many brand new. My grandkids love fondue parties, and I usually do the dinner for them. The combination of electric cords to trip over, kids, and hot oil worry me, and so use I sterno pots. As for sauce recipes, many of the better groceries and gourmet shops have all sorts of sauces and dressings. If you have access to one of these, find sauces that look interesting. Worst that can happen is that nobody eats them and you have them for another use.
I agree with kitchen elf regarding cheese fondue, I generally use a medium priced white wine which I then serve, and to me, the better the cheese, the better the fondue. Fondue really does call for a trip to the gourmet cheese shop.
I agree with kitchen elf regarding cheese fondue, I generally use a medium priced white wine which I then serve, and to me, the better the cheese, the better the fondue. Fondue really does call for a trip to the gourmet cheese shop.
BubbaGourmet
Senior Cook
We never stopped fondueing after our parents introduced it to us in the late....mmmm...errr...60's. My current choice is an electric version by Cuisinart. We bought 2 of them and went to the electric because of the dangers of de-natured alcohol and the convenience of just turning on and letting it go. We have found that we break them out more often than we ever did the sterno driven models and we use them at parties for hot dips and taco meat and the like. Versatile , easy to clean and no longer uni-takers!
Barb L.
Master Chef
I bought a electric one for the same reasons, haven't used it yet though - !
CeliacFamilyCook
Cook
We also have the electric Cuisinart one. If it were my choice I would have probably gone with ceramic, but it was DH's and he had to have an electric one. We haven't used it in a bit, I think it's still packed away from our move six months ago, but prior to that we used it pretty often. Probably two or three times a month. It actually has a very long cord on it and we run it down the side of the table where there isn't as much foot traffic. We've never had a problem with anyone tripping on it, but it does also break away so you don't have to worry about a pot of oil flying.
