Fondue Makers, Chocolate Fountains and Melting Pots

Cheese, chocolate or hot pot: the heat source decides

Fondue equipment falls into three groups. Electric fondue pots with adjustable heat melt or hold cheese and chocolate at serving temperature without an open flame. Double-pot models usually give two compartments, so you can serve two flavors at once. Chocolate fountains and larger melting pots keep a mass of chocolate flowing. A separate group, the electric hot pot, cooks broth and fondue-style dishes at the table at higher power.

Wattage tells you the job. Models around 40 W are warmers: they are mainly designed to keep melted chocolate or cheese soft and melt solid chocolate only slowly. Units from several hundred watts to 800 W melt chocolate and run fountain pumps, and 1000 to 1500 W is hot-pot territory, for heating broth. The listed units are rated 110 V.

Pot size, materials and chocolate that flows

Size is given as volume in liters, such as 4.5 L for a hot pot, or as the weight of chocolate a commercial melting pot holds, so match it to your guest list. Stainless steel is durable and easy to clean; a non-stick liner helps with sticky cheese. Chocolate fountains need chocolate fluid enough to run, usually couverture or chocolate thinned with a little cocoa butter or oil, and thick bars will clog the tower. Check that tiers are removable for washing.

Questions about Fondue Makers, Chocolate Fountains and Melting Pots

What wattage does a fondue pot need?

A small warmer of about 40 W mainly keeps melted chocolate or cheese soft and melts solid chocolate only slowly. For fast melting from solid you want several hundred watts, and an electric hot pot for broth needs 1000 W or more. Choose by what you will heat and how quickly.

Can I use any chocolate in a chocolate fountain?

Not every bar flows well. Fountains need fluid chocolate, so use couverture made for fountains or thin ordinary chocolate with a little cocoa butter or neutral oil. Stir to a smooth, pourable consistency before starting the pump, and clean the tower right after use.

Is an electric fondue pot better than a burner-heated one?

Electric pots hold a steadier temperature and have no open flame, which is easier with children and for chocolate that scorches easily. Burner-heated sets suit cheese and oil fondue on a table without outlets, but they are harder to control.