Best 10 Fondue Sets
As Of July 2022
We did the
Best Overall Fondue Set
- Enjoy versatility with the ability to make meat, broth, cheese and chocolate fondues
- Cast iron material allows you to use on multiple heat sources
- Each has their own fork from 6 colour-coded ones
- Keep your fondue warm with the included burner
#2 Fondue Set Choice
- Spruces up your dinner setting with its glimmering hammered copper finish under candlelight
- High-quality set that’s durable & has a 5-year warranty
- Allows you to serve up to 6 people at a go
- Great for gifting as it’s packed in a cute box with accessories
Best Fondue Gift Set
- Indoors & outdoors usability with the refillable fuel burner
- Adjustable burner to heat at preferred temperatures
- Heat cheese & chocolate separately with the ceramic bowls
- Metal stand with heat resistant tray protects your furniture
Best Accessorised Set
- No mix-ups thanks to its 6 colour-coded set of forks & spoons
- Less movement on the dining table with the rotating stand & 6 porcelain bowls for each topping
- You’ve more control on the cooking with the splash guard
- Durable set so you enjoy long usage
Best for Intimate Dining
- Ideal romantic set gift for your romantic & intimate date nights
- 2 forks with heart-shape handle to set the hearty-dessert mood
- Versatile porcelain bowl that you can use in a microwave
- Cute, fancy and unique for your dining decor
Best Electric Fondue Maker
- Exquisite set with bamboo handles & 8 bamboo colour-coded forks
- Protects the furniture with the fancy bamboo housing piece
- A fondue ring cover for holding the forks in place
- Safe to work with with a long power cord & cool to touch handles
Best for Durability
- Enjoy long fondue making days with this durable cast iron set
- Save heating time thanks to its dough burner
- Perfect protection & safety with fork ring cover, splash guard & tray
- Serves up to 6 & with no mix-ups as each gets their own coloured fondue fork
Ideal for Easy Cleaning
- Easy to clean with the dishwasher safe stainless steel bowl
- Savour every fondue with the safe adjustable thermostat in control
- Indicator light lets you know when it’s on & has the right temperature
- Fits neatly in your cupboards thanks to its compact size
Best for Cheese & Chocolate Fondues Only
- Small, lightweight & highly portable burner
- Safe & non-toxic material that’s FDA approved
- Dishwasher safe bowls for easy & quick cleaning after a savoury dessert
- Everyone gets to enjoy some hygienic dipping with particular forks
Top Pick for Compact Design
- Made to fit in any cupboard due to its compact size & 2-piece design
- Beautiful centrepiece for special occasions like an anniversary dinner
- Enjoy this high-quality ceramic stoneware at all seasons
- Powered by a tealight which is easy to find at stores
Best Fondue Pots to Spruce Up Your Dinner Party Delicacies
The festive season might be here, but there is never a wrong time to throw a party with the best cheese dipping and chocolate fountains. That is why we consider buying a pot for fondue, an investment that requires your undivided attention. The next party you throw will be the talk of the town!
Imagine dipping a piece of warm bread in a sauce with cheese, herbs and wine? Yes, cheese is delicious on pizzas and burgers, mouth watery even, to look at. But in a melting pot with an array of aromas that leave your tongue wanting more! Now, that's a treat that's hard to beat.
But that treat is only hard to beat when you know what you are doing, and you have the right gadget by your side. With our guide, you get to bring Swiss delicacies to your doorstep with the top fondue pots in the market. We are also here to make your shopping time as blissful as it can get. A shopping guide plus top 10 recommendations are here to save you from all the confusion associated with online shopping.
What is a fondue?
Fondue is a melted cheese delicacy from Switzerland where one dips food pieces like bread and crackers. The treat is enjoyed from a communal pot placed on a warmth source, like a stovetop, spirit lamps, or tea candles to keep the fondue hot. There are long-stemmed forks for hygiene purposes that one uses to dip the bread or crackers into the fondue.
While the main fondue from the Swiss is the cheese fondue, there are other types of fondues that you can make. It is made from mixing different kinds of cheese and adding herbs or liquids like wine for taste and liquefaction. To make fudge fondue, melt chocolate on low temperature with a mix of cream to liquefy the fondue. This fondue is ideal for desserts where one can dip fruits like strawberries, pineapples, melons, kiwis or bananas. If you are catering to children or need to satisfy your sweet tooth, you can provide marshmallows.
Oil fondue, also Bourguignon fondue, is made using oils such as vegetable, olive, canola or peanut oil. Broth fondue, also known as Chinese fondue, uses beef broth and other types. With both the oil or broth fondue, you boil the liquids to cook pieces of meat or veggies. It's best to pre-boil these to shorten the cooking time on the fondue.
How do fondue Makers work?
Although all sets for fondue are for cooking cheese, oils, broth or melting chocolate for dippings, the working will mostly depend on the warmth source. Some types use open fire where you use candles to keep the fondue hot, while others are electric and use electricity as a source of heat.
There are fuel-based sets with a burner for putting the liquid or gel alcohol to use as fuel. With such a set, you just fill the burner with the fuel, light the fire and place the set on top of the burner cover to keep it warm.
Heating Source
Thanks to technology, you can enjoy adding a set of electric fondue pots to your kitchen appliances collection. However, it is best to also think about the pot's heating source and consider whether it works for your setting.
A pot for fondue that uses electricity as the source of heat is more efficient with better heat control options. Unfortunately, these are only ideal for indoor usage due to proximity to power sockets. Unless you have a power outlet outdoors, you are better with other heating sources, like an open flame or fuel.
Fuel-based and open-flame fondue pots are more flexible for both outdoor and indoor usage. An open firepot is smaller and better for more intimate gatherings or entertainment of fewer than 3 people, where you can use tea candles. With fuel-based pots, think about the pot's fuel since each fuel type comes with its own costs and risks.
Temperature Control
Are you able to control the heat settings of the pot to keep the fondue warm? Ingredients like cheese or chocolate burn when left on high heat for long. Electric models will mostly have an adjustable temperature setting while the traditional ones might have an adjustable burner.
Safety Measures
A simple misstep when using a set for fondue can wreak havoc- we are talking about burns or even fires. The good thing is that most modern sets are integrated with safety features that increase your safety when making fondue. Some safety features to consider are a thermostat when buying an electric fondue maker. You also need features like a long rubberised handle or heat-resistant handles on both sides of the pot.
If you are buying an electric fondue maker, ensure it has a breakaway cord, which disconnects the fondue from the power cable when it's tripped. You also need to confirm whether the set includes a snuffer, allowing you to extinguish the fuel safely.
Material
You will come across several materials, from cast iron to stainless steel, ceramic, or enamelled material, which can be quite confusing. So, what suits you? Ceramic material is quite common and very easy to clean. While it is slow when heating up, it holds and distributes heat well, making it ideal for desserts like cheese and chocolates.
Stainless steel material is durable and heats up very fast and handles high temperatures. Enamelled cast iron fondue sets are the best choice if you are looking for a colourful option. These heat up more quickly than ceramic fondue pots and also hold up the heat quite well. For meat, stainless steel or cast iron fondue set is the best. A stainless steel fondue pot can work for desserts if it has a non-stick coating, which keeps the ingredients from sticking to the pot's surface.
Capacity
You might think that a larger pot is the best choice, but sometimes it is not. What matters, mostly, is the depth. Is it enough for one to dip bread or other delicacies into the fondue without hitting the bottom of the pot?
Sizewise, the ideal capacity will depend on why you want the pot in the first place. Are you looking to host family parties and get-togethers that will have many individuals? If so, then you need to get a set for fondue with a large capacity. But if you need a set that caters to a small and more intimate group, like your date nights and movie dates with your close friends and relatives, you are better off with a small capacity of the pot.
Fondue Forks
Does the set include a set of forks? These go a long way in ensuring the fondue party sticks for general health measures. Everyone will be using the fondue forks to scoop their share. To avoid confusion when you are serving different ingredients, go for forks with varying colours. You would want to consider a pot for fondue with a fork rack or fork rings that hold the forks in place, so they don't slip into the fondue.
Uses
Some pots are made to use when making desserts or cheese while others are best for meat. Others accommodate making the three types of fondues. A 3-in-1 set is ideal if you want a pot that serves all purposes. If you want a pot for fondue that serves only one purpose, consider one built for making that particular fondue.
Which type of fondue maker is best?
The best pots for fondue for you will depend on the features you are looking for and what you need the fondue for. Will you be cooking for a large crowd, will the event be indoors or outdoors, and what fondue do you envision serving?
With Electric sets, you have better control of the temperature. It makes them the best for broth or oil fondues because you can always get to the highest temperatures without burning the contents. You can also dial down to the lowest prefered temperature as the pot's contents decrease to avoid burning the pot.
A manual pot is ideal for life on the move or catering to a small gathering. A few modern but manual pots for fondue include an adjustable fuel burner, giving you better control of the heat. The more traditional ones do not have this, so you will have to keep an eye on the temperature to avoid burning the fondue.
It would be best to consider what fondue you would be serving, apart from the temperature control. The build for a cheese fondue and fudge fondue pot is very different from that of a meat fondue. These sets tolerate higher temperatures than the cheese and chocolate sets.
How to use a fondue maker?
You use a fondue maker by placing the fondue bowl on the source and heating the contents. Depending on the bowl's model and build, you can use electricity, fuel or other open sources like candles. Ensure the bowl stays on the source of heat to keep the fondue warm or hot for maximum enjoyment.
For the ultimate Swiss experience, it's best to go for a set with other accessories like forks. We also recommend getting one with a splash suspender, fork ring, and a stand. These go a long way in helping you control the cooking and serving experience of the fondue.
What Makes Chocolate & Cheese Pots Different From Meat Fondue Pots?
Fondue pots for cheese and chocolate have a lower tolerance to temperatures because the cheese or chocolate will burn at high temperatures. As such, the build of these fondues ensures you can retain the pot on the source of heat at a low temperature without spoiling the decadent.
Most of these use open-source heat sources like portable burners or tealights. Meat fondues, on the other hand, require higher temperatures. That's why most are electric, which gives you more control over the heat settings.
How many people can one fondue maker serve?
This depends on the capacity of the fondue maker. An individualised set can cater for less than three people. You will find a wide variety of traditional models that need an open fire source like a candle or tealight work for such a gathering. For a large fondue party, you are better off with a quart capacity of about 2.5 to 3. With most sets in the market, you can serve up to six people.
Are fondue sets safe for home use?
Yes, fondue makers are safe for home use. Still, you must read the manufacturers directions on usage for extra safety measures. When using fuel-based or open-source sets, you need to be extra careful with the setting, so your guests do not topple over the pots and set everything on fire.
The same applies to the electric sets. Ensure the cables connected to the power source are not left in an open area where one can trip over the same. The set might have a breakaway cord, but it never hurts to be extra careful with the setting.
Closure
Are you ready to get the ultimate Swiss fondue experience from the comfort of your home? A fondue maker is what you need, and this guide helps you get the best. From cheese fondue sets to chocolate, meat and broth fondue makers.
Whether you want to keep it all traditional with open-fire fondue makers or getting a little more modern and digital with electric fondue pots. Whichever melting pot tickles your fancy and keeps the cheese and chocolate warm and drippy; we have got you covered!
