Here Are the 8 Best Fondue Pots for Melting Cheese, Chocolate, and More

Best Overall, Electric

Cuisinart Electric Fondue Pot

$80 at Amazon

$80 at Walmart

$80 at Williams-Sonoma

While an electric fondue pot isn’t traditional, it’s certainly convenient—and this fondue pot is also very attractive. It has a brushed finish on the bowl and ring, and a mirrored finish on the stand and handles. The ring has notches to hold the eight included forks in place, though it is a loose fit.

In our testing, we found it to be thick and sturdy, with no wobbling during setup or use. The pot got very steamy when first setting it up, but nothing worrisome—it took just moments to load our pot with cheese or chocolate, turn the dial to the right setting, and have our fondue ready to serve. We found that though this model has eight heat settings, we only really needed to use up to level four, which was hot enough for melting (setting three was adequate for keeping things warm). We loved how easy it was to clean—even though the inner pot is dishwasher safe, it was a breeze to clean by hand.

This pot can be used with any type of fondue, including oil, broth, chocolate, or cheese. Foods can be heated right in the pot—no need to heat anything on the stove first. For oil cooking, it takes 10 to 15 minutes to reach 375 degrees Fahrenheit. The bowl is 3 quarts and has a nonstick coating for easy cleaning (but is prone to scratches). While this is designed for fondue, you could use it for keeping soup, stew, chili, or other foods warm for serving as well.

Material: Stainless steel with nonstick interior | Power Source: Electric | Capacity: 3 quarts | Dishwasher Safe: Yes | Suitable For: Cheese, oil, broth, chocolate

 

Best Overall, Traditional

Swissmar Lugano 9-Piece Cheese Fondue Set

$120 at Amazon

Orig. $120$111 at Walmart

$120 at Sur La Table

The old-world aesthetic of this 2-quart enameled cast iron fondue pot makes it great for traditional cheese fondue meals. The cast iron construction retains heat well and can be used right on the stove, so you don’t need to dirty a second pot to melt the cheese and then transfer it. The stand is made from wrought iron and holds a gel container that provides heat. Six fondue forks are included, and with three tines instead of the usual two, they hold food a little more securely. The set includes one 3-ounce fire-gel container to get you started right away.

In our tests, we found this to be a beautiful and sturdy model that serves a group of four very easily. We melted cheese in its pot on the stove, then transferred it to its stand where the fire gel kept its contents pretty hot. We discovered the development of a hot spot in the center (where it sits right over the flame), but that can be slightly adjusted by closing the gel container to make the flame smaller. The burner cup sits elevated in the rechaud so the heat source is kept away from the table surface. The enameled coating makes it very easy to clean, though the interior may become marked with superficial scratches from the fondue forks over time.

Material: Enameled cast iron | Power Source: Fire gel | Capacity: 2 quarts | Dishwasher Safe: Yes | Suitable For: Cheese, oil, broth, chocolate

 

Best Budget

Nostalgia 1.5-Quart Stainless Steel Electric Fondue Pot

$38 at Amazon

$38 at Walmart

$38 at Wayfair

There’s no need to break the bank to have fun fondue. This very affordable option runs on electricity, so there’s no need to buy or store the fuel for it, and it’s ready whenever you need it. Made of durable stainless steel, this model holds up to six cups and is controlled by a variable dial to adjust heat as needed. It also includes six color-coded fondue forks so guests can serve themselves. There are eleven variable temperature settings to easily control the heat of your fondue.

In our tests, we found this model to be extremely easy to use with either chocolate or cheese. The fondue pot’s external housing is very sturdy and stable, but the insert is made of thinner metal and doesn’t completely stay in place when stirring the pot. Regardless, the overall performance of this pot was enjoyable—we did have to keep an eye on the temperature as the pot tends to get hotter the longer it’s in use, but the control dial made it easy to adjust when needed. These minor issues were easy to overlook, as it delivers a great fondue experience at an easy price. The inner pot and forks are dishwasher safe, but we found them fairly easy to clean by hand as any stuck-on bits can be soaked with water and sloughed away with a non-abrasive scrubber.

Material: Stainless steel | Power Source: Electric | Capacity: 1.5 quarts | Dishwasher Safe: Yes | Suitable For: Cheese, chocolate

 

Best Small

Swissmar Sierra Iron Fondue

$88 at Amazon

$93 at Walmart

$100 at Wayfair

This gorgeous fondue set will look stunning on your table and just as good on display in your china cabinet when it’s not in use. It includes a 1.6-quart fondue pot with handles, six forks, a splatter ring, a stand, a fuel burner (with fuel sold separately), and a grooved wooden base.

The pot is made from heavy, thick enameled cast iron that retains heat at both low and high temperatures, so your fondue will stay at a consistent temperature while you dine. You can heat the pot on the stovetop or in the oven, then keep it warm on its stand once it reaches the proper temperature. Three sturdy legs keep the pot stable and provide easy access to the paste or gel fuel below. The wooden base holds everything securely and protects your table from drips or spills.

While it’s designed to be ideal for meat fondues, you can also use it for cheese or chocolate. When you’re not making fondue, you can also use this for soups, hot dips, sauces, gravies, and stovetop or oven cooking.

Material: Enameled cast iron | Power Source: Fire gel | Capacity: 1.6 quarts | Dishwasher Safe: No | Suitable For: Cheese, oil, broth, chocolate

 

Best for Meat

Cuisinart 13-Piece Cast Iron Fondue Set

Orig. $55$50 at Amazon

Orig. $80$50 at Walmart

$55 at Target

This enameled cast iron fondue set is the right kind of pot for meat fondue, whether it be “Bourguignonne” (where meat is dipped into hot oil for cooking) or Alsatian-German “Fleischfondue” (where meat is dipped into hot broth). This style of pot can withstand the high heat necessary for these types of fondues, but can certainly be used with cheese or chocolate too.

We like the versatility of the cast iron pot, allowing us to melt on the stovetop first before transferring it to its stand. The distribution and retention of heat are excellent, keeping contents consistently heated with little adjustment needed to the flame below. Because of this, it kept oil nice and hot for cooking, and also let us enjoy a leisurely fondue session with cheese or chocolate. We also found it easy to clean, whether by hand or in the dishwasher. It does have a small capacity, though, at 1.5 quarts.

Material: Enameled cast iron | Power Source: Fire gel | Capacity: 1.5 quarts | Dishwasher Safe: Yes | Suitable For: Cheese, broth, oil, chocolate

 

Best for Chocolate

Nostalgia 24-Ounce Chocolate Fondue Fountain

Orig. $40$28 at Amazon

$38 at Walmart

$38 at Wayfair

If you love chocolate fondue, why not have a fountain of chocolate? This holds up to two pounds of the sweet treat. The heated stainless steel bowl looks good and keeps the chocolate flowing at the proper temperature with an auger that moves the melted chocolate upward and ready to cascade down. There are separate switches for heating and the motor.

We tried this with both cheese and chocolate and liked how simple it was to operate. Two heat settings make it pretty intuitive to use—you just have to ensure that whatever will be used in the fountain is of a thin enough consistency for even, easy flow. The three tiers are easy to assemble for use and just as easy to disassemble for cleaning and storage, though we did find it a little more difficult to clean the base.

Material: Stainless steel | Power Source: Electric | Capacity: 24 ounces | Dishwasher Safe: No | Suitable For: Chocolate, cheese

 

Best for Parties

Dash Deluxe Stainless Steel Fondue Maker

$60 at Amazon

$60 at Walmart

$60 at Wayfair

If you plan on throwing a fondue party, you’ll need the right pot for the job. This electric fondue maker comes with eight color-coded forks, so you and your guests can keep track of which ones belong to who throughout the night. Plus, long cool-touch handles keep your hands from being burned while working with the heated pot. The pot even has convenient racks for storing the forks and reducing drips. A precise temperature dial keeps things heated at your preferred temperature. This product also features attachable ingredient cups to hold the tasty treats you plan on dipping in the fondue.

We like that the inner pot for this model has markings to indicate minimum and maximum fill levels. We found it incredibly easy to use as the included instructions specified which of the eight available heat settings were appropriate for whatever we were heating—cheese, chocolate, or oil. We were happy to find that there were no hot spots either, which can often be an issue with fondue pots.

The removable pot is made of nonstick stainless steel for easy cleaning; you can even stick the pot in the dishwasher. We found it very easy to clean by hand, and think this is one of the best value models we’ve tested. With a 3-quart capacity, you’ll have enough fondue to feed the hungriest group. The only downside of this fondue pot is that the electric chord is pretty short—which could make it a hassle to set up in the event of a gathering.

Material: Nonstick stainless steel | Power Source: Electricity | Capacity: 3 quarts | Dishwasher Safe: Yes | Suitable For: Cheese, chocolate, broth, or oil

 

Best Raclette

Hamilton Beach Electric Raclette Table Grill

$65 at Amazon

View on Walmart

$65 at Target

Though not technically for fondue, raclette grills heat up in minutes and can serve as an alternate version of an interactive dinner centered around melted cheese. When it comes to cheesy goodness, a raclette grill is a very versatile option. From the traditional raclette dish with potatoes and raclette cheese to grilled cheese sandwiches with cheddar and vegetables covered with mixed cheeses, the combinations are nearly endless. Plus, it’s fun for dinner parties where each person can make their own favorite combos.

This raclette can be used by up to eight people at a time, each using a single tray, or a single person can use multiple trays and combine them into an entire raclette-cooked meal. The controls are simple: an on/off switch and a dial to turn the heat up or down are on the front of the grill.

The top grill/griddle can be used to cook thin foods, brown pre-cooked foods, and toast bread. It has a nonstick surface, but we found that for many foods, it’s wise to add a little oil or butter. However, the nonstick trays that fit below have a different nonstick coating that lets cheese slide right out of the tray. Choose the desired foods from the top section, add them to your plate, and slide the oozy cheese on top.

While there are plenty of ideas for what to serve using a raclette grill, the cooking times were a matter of trial and error. We used a bottom tray to cook an egg, and it took longer than expected. For that reason, it’s a good idea to do a test run of different foods so you know the timing before introducing them at a dinner party, or stick to precooked foods that simply need to be warmed, along with an array of cheeses.

Material: Nonstick-coated food surfaces | Power Source: Electricity | Capacity: Serves up to 8 | Dishwasher Safe: Yes | Suitable For: Cheese, vegetables, meat, bread, eggs