How To Choose A Fondue Pot?

Hosting a fondue dinner is fun and a sociable event. But the first thing you need to know before you throw such a dinner party is how to choose a fondue pot?. Choosing an incorrect fondue pot that breaks off under extreme heat in the midst of the party or that makes your fondue dipper stick to the bottom and burn can be really embarrassing. Therefore, know the various kinds of fondue pots and choose a fondue pot that really suits your requirement."fid":"538631","viewmode":"wysiwyg","fields":"format":"wysiwyg","type":"media","attributes":"alt":"","title":"Choosing a fondue pot depends a lot on the kind of dipper that you make.","style":"border-right: 2px solid border-top: 2px solid float: left margin: 7px border-left: 2px solid width: 320px border-bottom: 2px solid height: 480px","class":"media-element file-wysiwyg"Broadly speaking, there are four kinds of fondue pots the Cheese Fondue Pot, the Chocolate or Dessert Fondue Pot, the Hot Oil or Broth Fondue Pot and the Electric Fondue Set. Therefore, depending on what kind of fondue you decide to make, you need to choose the right one.Cheese Fondue Pot: These fondue pots are usually made up of ceramic or earthenware. They normally have a flat bottom with a large opening in order to accommodate dipping. Cheese fondue pots usually have unglazed surface. The unglazed surface absorbs the flavors of the cheese, wine and other ingredients, which in turn impart a much more complex flavors to the fondues you make later on. Cheese fondue pots use an adjustable alcohol or gel fuel burner which maintains a constant temperature and prevents the melted cheese from solidifying.Chocolate or Dessert Fondue Pot: Chocolate fondue pots can be made of ceramic, earthenware, porcelain and at times tempered glass as well. Chocolate fondue pots are much smaller than the cheese or meat fondue pots. But their surfaces are glazed, in order to prevent the chocolate from sticking to the bottom of the pot frequently. Typically, these pots use tealights to keep the melted chocolate at the right temperature. However, you can also use adjustable butane flames for the same.Hot Oil or Broth Fondue Pot: Hot oil or broth fondue pots (at times also known as meat fondue pots), should be the kind that can withstand heat and very high temperatures (so that the meat is cooked well) and yet does not crack down. Therefore, metals are best suited material for this kind of pots. These pots are mainly of two types. The first is an all-metal pot, where it is made up of copper and is lined with tin or stainless steel. Such pots absorb the heat quickly and distribute it evenly. The second type is the one made up of stainless steel and is equally effective as well. These pots at times come with a spatter guard as well, and you might consider buying one of those. These spatter guards fit on top of the pot with small holes on them from where you can insert your skewer. The idea is to lessen the area from which oil can spatter, thereby making it more easy, convenient and safe for you.Electric Fondue Set: These fondue sets are becoming more and more popular nowadays. You can make all kinds of fondue using this and thus, in one word, it is a multipurpose fondue set. Just plug it in, set the right temperature and the ingredients and your fondue will be ready in minutes. Thus, the versatility that these pots offer, the simplicity of usage that they give, the amount of time that is saved when using them and the degree of safety that they bring along (the fact that no fire or flame is involved, makes it accessible to kids as well, though under the guidance of adults), make them one of the smartest choices in todays age.
Thus, choosing a fondue pot depends a lot on the kind of dipper that you make. Therefore, know the differences between each and then make a choice for your own.Photo Courtesy: glutenfreemom.typepad.com