How To Use A Fondue Pot? Easy Guideline For Beginners

Fondue has been around us for a very long time.

As the weather starts to turn cold, the warmth of gooey cheese and bread seems mouthwatering, doesn’t it?

Oh! And let’s not forget about the combination of melted chocolate with cute-sized pound cake that melts together to create the most delicious dip ever!

Owning a fondue pot means you have got your A-game on to take your dinner parties to the next level. From appetizer to the main course to deliciously-prepared desserts, you can cook rock the table with different recipes.

Does that mean any fondue pot can be used for cooking meat, seafood, dessert or other items as you wish?

Turns out, there are certain rules on how to use a fondue pot for preparing every recipe! Read through this article to know all the details required for hosting a successful fondue party.

How To Use A Fondue Pot For Different Recipe?

With so many different recipes out there, you need to know how to use the fondue pot properly for each dish.

Here are the simple procedures you need to follow for the 3 most popular courses:

1. Fondue Bourguignon: Cooking Meat And Raw Vegetables In Oil

Fondue Bourguignon requires you to use high heat for its process.

Wash and cut the veggies/meat/seafood into bite-sized pieces.
Arrange the raw meat and veggies on separate plates so that they don’t contaminate each other.
Refrigerate the ingredients until you are ready to cook.
Before putting the ingredients into a hot fondue pot, make sure the meat and vegetable are properly dried so that there is no chance of dangerous splattering.
Pour some oil(vegetable/peanut/canola/broth) into the fondue pot and heat it just under the boiling point.
To make sure the temperature is just right, dip a small cube of bread into the oil. If the bread turns golden-brown within 30 seconds, then you know it’s ready to be transferred on its holder at your dinner table.
Turn on the burner of its holder and prepare the meat and veggies into the fondue for the desired time.
For beef, you might need around 15-20 seconds if you like it rare, 25-30 seconds for medium-rare, and 40-45 seconds for well-done meat.
Fish requires approximately 30-50 seconds to cook and seafood requires a bit longer (around 2-3 minutes) before they get ready to be served.
Lamb needs 1 minute to get prepared while you need to dip poultry for around 2 minutes.
Vegetables require the longest time (3-5 minutes) to cook in this process.

Caution Needed While Cooking Fondue Bourguignon

Do NOT leave the pot unattended while cooking.
Do NOT transfer heated oil from a separate pot into the fondue pot.
If you want to prevent oil from splattering, it’s best to avoid filling up the pot more than 1/3 part.
If by accident, a fire erupts, you don’t want to use water for stopping that as this action will only spread it further. Instead, use a lid to cover the container as that will cut off the oxygen supply and stop the fire quickly.

2. Cheese Fondue

Looking forward to enjoying a cheese fondue party?

Let’s learn some cool ways to use the fondue pot to make it easier!

The cheese fondue must be prepared and heated properly before transferring to the fondue container.
If you want the cheese to melt quickly, it’s better to use shredded or grated cheese for this recipe.
To make the mixture smooth, keep stirring it into the pot with a wooden spoon.
Rub the inner surface of the container with a clove of garlic before you add the cheese mixture into it. This will help add more flavor to your dish.
The crust that’s left at the bottom of the pot is called “la croute”. Scrape the delish part off the pot and serve it to the guest for the best result.

Caution Needed While Cooking Cheese Fondue

Cheese fondue is a delicate dish. To get your desired texture, use a ceramic or cast-iron container for this purpose. You will need to buy a Sterno for the flame separately.
If you are a fan of automated things, then purchasing an electric pot is a better option for you. Electric pots will let you control the temperature. However, it can be a bit difficult to avoid the plug while washing these types of containers.

3. Chocolate And Dessert Fondue

For making chocolate and desserts in fondue pots, you need chocolate that has above 50% cocoa content.
The chocolate and cream mixture needs to be heated over a double burner. If possible, keep stirring the mixture constantly.
Once the mixture is nice and creamy, it’s time to transfer it to the fondue pot before serving.
A small amount of heat is then required to keep the dish warm in the container. You can use tea-light for this purpose.

Caution Needed While Cooking Chocolate And Dessert Fondue

Do NOT place the mixture over direct heat. Only use a double boiler before placing it into the pot.
If the guests take a longer time to come, preheat it on the stove before serving it into the container. Remember, a fondue pot can only keep things at a constant temperature, however, it can NOT cook.

How To Clean Fondue Pots Properly?

Before you start cleaning/storing the container, make sure it has cooled down completely.
To ensure all the parts of fondue sets are cleaned properly, wash them in hot, soapy water.
As ceramic material is dishwasher-friendly, you can put your ceramic pots inside the dishwasher.
The burner needs to be cleaned on a regular basis. To clean that, you can use a damp cloth to wipe off the outer surface. If any stain occurs, use a stainless-steel cleaner and soft sponge to clean that up properly.

Tips For Making The Best Use Of Fondue Pots

As hot fondue pots can damage your table, it’s a good idea to use a trivet for protecting its surface.
Limit your pot to a certain group of people. A medium-sized container should be used to entertain no more than 4 people. If there are more people in the gathering, invest in more pots.
Hate splattering of oil or broth from the container? Keep the amount of food in the food to a certain amount so that it doesn’t spill over accidentally.
Only use the fondue fork while COOKING, not EATING. These forks can get extremely hot and spread germs if used for eating.
Place your container on flat, smooth ground and then insert the burner inside the rack safely.
Do NOT put the container inside any oven.

Types Of Fondue Pot Fuels

Electric

Electric fondue makers feature adjustable temperature settings to make it compatible with various ranges of recipes. The set typically includes a base, bowl, temperature probe, forks, fork rack etc.

While this type of pot isn’t that much traditional, it certainly is convenient if you are looking for a shortcut way to make fondues.

Candle-Lit

Like making dessert fondues?

Dessert fondue pots are a bit smaller than the regular ones. And the best part is that they don't require a high flame to operate!

As a fuel, you can use a tea light candle under the pot and the dish will be ready to serve in due time. However, if your pot is bigger in size, it may result in slow and uneven heat in that case.

Butane Fondue Burner

This is one of the newest models available on the market.

The butane burner unit stores butane in its tank. It’s quite easy to use this fuel to make beef fondue, broth or even cheese fondue. However, it’s not recommended to use it for more delicate items like chocolate fondue.

Alcohol Fuel

When used with an adjustable burner unit, alcohol fuel is an excellent source for fondue making.

With a small flame generated by alcohol fuel, you can make chocolate fondue. Turn up the heat by a little amount and you will have your very own cheese fondue. For oil or broth recipes, we recommend the highest flame of the whole setting.

Gel Fondue Fuel

Gel fondue fuel works as well as alcohol or butane ones.

This particular type of fuel is recommended for making chocolate or cheese fondues. For oil or broth recipes, it’s best to try the other fuel types mentioned in this category.

Materials Used For Fondue Pots

1. Enamel Cast-Iron

Enamel cast-iron vessels heat up pretty fast and they can hold the temperature for a long time. You can make any kind of fondue in an enamel cast-iron container. These pots are usually found in very attractive designs and colors.

2. Metal

Looking for a pot that can withstand high temperatures?

Metal pots are there to save your day!

Metal pots come with the ability to high heat and therefore, is suitable for broth recipes. Although metals can conduct heat pretty fast, oftentimes, the heat isn’t conveyed evenly. As a result, there might be some hotspots that can ruin delicate items like chocolate/cheese recipes.

3. Ceramic

Ceramic is one of the best materials for making fondues.

A ceramic container heats up slowly and holds the same temperature for a long time. Foods that require low melting points like chocolate or cheese fondues are usually made in a ceramic pot.

4. Stainless-Steel

Stainless steel is another popular material that's used in making these types of containers.

Steel pots heat up faster and they are quite durable as well. If taken care of properly, you can use them forever most probably.

However, some steel containers come with a thin bottom and they might cause your chocolate or cheese deserts to burn right away.

5. Individual-Sized Pot

These types of individual containers 12-ounce fondues in them.

It’s actually a perfect size for yourself or a small group of people. If you have a crowd to feed, then you should go for pot sets that can hold at least 3-quart of fondues in it.

Final Words

Planning to host your kid’s birthday next week?

Or thinking about celebrating the new year's eve with your friends and family perhaps?

Either way, you can never go wrong with a classic fondue with some delicious dippers on the side as it's a total hit item for both adults and kids at the same time!

Now that you know how to use a fondue pot and make delicious dishes with it, we hope, you will have fun while taking your fondue experience up a notch. Just remember to use the right kind of fondue pot for each dish and you are all set for creating the perfect recipe on your own.

Hey, there are certain ingredients that work together and some particular dipping that is really popular. But when it comes to making up your own combo, even the oddest ones seem to win everyone’s heart on the table!