Fond of fondue: how to choose the right set

Bring people together for conversation and fun, while sharing an interactive dining experience with a fondue set. Here’s some advice on how to choose the right fondue set for your next dinner party.

Fondues can be divided into three different categories: meat, cheese, and dessert.

• Meat:Slice up raw steak, chicken or shrimp into small bite-sized cubes that can be skewered onto a fondue fork. Dip the meat into a fondue pot filled with hot oil or broth and let it cook for about one to three minutes at 375 °F(190°C).
• Cheese:A savoury dip for bread, chips or crackers, a cheese fondue serves as an easy appetizer alternative to cheese platters. Creamy cheeses like Gruyere, cheddar, and Emmental form the centerpiece of most fondue recipes, although a bit of experimentation can yield some tasty results.
• Dessert:From breads and pastries to fresh fruit, almost anything goes when it comes to a dessert fondue. While it’s tough to go wrong with chocolate-covered strawberries, try different fondue recipes like butterscotch, white chocolate or vanilla custard.

Most fondue sets are heated by a burner powered by one of three sources: electricity, fuel or candle.

Electrical:With quick heating and variable temperature control, electric fondue sets are a great choice for cheese, meat, or dessert fondues that need to be cooked at a consistent temperature.

Fuel:Fuel-based sets are powered by fuels like alcohol, sterno or gel. Alcohol and butane fuel provide enough heat for creating all types of fondue, while gel fuel is ideal for the low to medium temperatures required for dessert and cheese recipes.

Candle:Because of their low heat output, candles are only useful for heating up a chocolate fondue.

Think about the type of fondue you want to make before purchasing a fondue set. You’ll want to use a cast iron or stainless steel fondue pot that can handle high temperatures to prepare meat fondue. For dessert and cheese fondues, look for a ceramic or tempered glass cauldron that evenly distributes heat. If you’re planning on trying them all, look for three-in-one fondue sets with ceramic bowl inserts that allow you to make quick changes.

Fondue Tips

• Use fondue forks with colour-coded ends to help keep track of who is using which fork
• Consider adding a second fondue set or raclette grill when entertaining larger groups
• Add extra flavour by infusing broth with herbs and spices, or offer crowd-pleasing dips like soy sauce or honey mustard

When looking for a fondue set, ensure that you pick up the right fondue kit for your needs. Different styles of fondue will need to be prepared at different temperatures and may require different fuels and cooking pots.

Decide what type of fondue you’d like to make, and then make sure that you have the equipment to make your next fondue party a success.