An Easy Recipe

Fondue has come back in style in a big way. No longer is it that groovy fad from the seventies, now it's a great way to add some fun to any dinner party. But in order to make fondue, you'll need a fondue pot. Here are some things to consider when buying a fondue pot.

What types of fondue do you plan on making? There's cheese, chocolate, hot oil and even broth fondue. When making hot oil and broth fondue, you skewer raw meats like chicken, pork or beef and cook them in the fondue pot. Knowing what you want to make before buying the pot is important. Not all pots can get hot enough to cook meats.

A fondue pot that is heated by a candle is very romantic but not very practical. Most fondue pots without a heating element will not melt chocolate or cheese and you definitely can not heat oil to a temperature of 350 degrees and cook meat in them. With an electric fondue pot you'll be able to maintain a constant temperature without any fuss or muss. An electric fondue pot is definitely the right way to go.

Sitting around a pot of hot cheese is romantic but it can also be dangerous. People are most likely drinking and should they accidently trip over the power cord, they'll be badly burned. Now they make fondue pots with break away magnetic power cords. These cords work great especially if you have clumsy guests. Better safe than sorry. You don't want to be know as the host who gave everyone a cheese burn.

Having the right amount of fondue forks is always important. If you only have four forks, then you can only have four guests. Try to find a fondue pot that not only comes with forks but also try to find one that comes with at least six of them. Otherwise you'll have to buy a separate set of fondue forks and you'll probably worry about the new set matching the old set and just wind up spending too much money on something as silly as forks.

Having a temperature dial on the fondue pot makes regulating the temperature a lot easier. With a dial or a gauge you would need a thermometer and you'd have to adjust the heat up or down constantly. You don't want your meal to be a chore, so having one less thing to worry about is a big plus.

A non stick coating is important too. Melted cheese is pretty sticky so unless you enjoy cleaning your fondue pot for days at a time, I'd go with a non stick surface.

A dishwasher safe fondue pot is the easiest thing in the world to clean because all you have to do is put it in the dishwasher. If you have a dishwasher in your house, then you should make a point of trying to find a dishwasher safe fondue pot.

While I don't recommend moving a hot fondue pot, a cool touch handle is a valuable feature if you have to. Some recipes are more complicated than others and require you to heat ingredients up on the stove and then transfer them to the fondue pot. Having a cool touch handle makes this job a little easier.

And if you're cooking hot oil fondue be sure not to use one of those old fashioned ceramic fondue pots. The high temperature of the oil could crack the ceramic pot and then scalding hot oil will get everywhere. If you want to make chocolate, cheese and hot oil fondue then you should go with an all purpose fondue pot made of stainless steel.

These are some of the things to remember when buying a fondue pot. Try to pick one that has the features that are most important to you and you'll be making fondue in no time.