Fondue pot

Does anyone have a fondue pot?  Are they easy to use?  Do you use it frequently?  I am thinking about buying an electric one and wondering if it would be worth it.  My only contact with fondue has been at the Melting Pot.  I think DH and I would like one, but I don't want something that's destined to just sit under the cabinet and take up space.

I don't have one; we've been tempted several times to buy one, but I didn't think I'd use it enough to make it worthwhile. Usually if I want to make something like that, I do it on the stove and then put it in a crock pot. It doesn't look very nice, but usually when we do fondue, it's during a break in the card game or something and we deal with it that way. Sorry, no advice here.

nurseangel said:

 
Does anyone have a fondue pot?  Are they easy to use?  Do you use it frequently?  I am thinking about buying an electric one and wondering if it would be worth it.  My only contact with fondue has been at the Melting Pot.  I think DH and I would like one, but I don't want something that's destined to just sit under the cabinet and take up space.

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Somebody gave us on as a gift and that's what happened to it--it sat in a cupboard.  I never used it even once.  Not sure why it was given to us--I never expressed an interest in having one.      I finally gave it away to a friend.

nurseangel said:

 
Does anyone have a fondue pot?  Are they easy to use?  Do you use it frequently?  I am thinking about buying an electric one and wondering if it would be worth it.  My only contact with fondue has been at the Melting Pot.  I think DH and I would like one, but I don't want something that's destined to just sit under the cabinet and take up space.

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DH bought one at a thrift store years ago. It's in one of the cabinets somewhere. it's never been used. It will be heading back to the thrift store if the troll that lives in the cabinet hasn't eaten it by now.    If you have a crock pot, I'd recommend skipping the fondue pot and do the same thing that @Winchester  does

I don't think i would use it either.  A few of us have went to the Melting Pot a few times in the afternoon for chocolate fondue, it is a very good but very occasional treat.  I have never been there for a meal, I personally think their prices are a little high for what it is.

I've got a little mini chocolate fondue pot that uses a tea light as a heat source. It came with four skewers but I'm not quite sure it's big enough for four people's worth of chocolate. I got it about a month and a half ago and I've used it once, though I'm supposed to be on a diet anyway so...

The main reason I got it was because my husband and I have visited a restaurant called the Severn Shed in Bristol that does some lovely fondue -- considering it's pretty much on the other side of the country to us it's a bit of a trek just for that So the fondue pot/set was a compromise on that.

I'm pretty sure if I buy one it will sit in the cabinet, too.     I haven't even used the bread machine DH got me for Christmas yet, something I specifically asked for.  My house was going to smell like fresh baked bread.  

nurseangel said:

 
Does anyone have a fondue pot?  Are they easy to use?  Do you use it frequently?  I am thinking about buying an electric one and wondering if it would be worth it.  My only contact with fondue has been at the Melting Pot.  I think DH and I would like one, but I don't want something that's destined to just sit under the cabinet and take up space.

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Something you should know about fondue pots; generally speaking you don't cook  the fondue in them--they just keep the fondue warm and melted for the party. (Necessary, I know.) Another thing; the recipes in the booklet that comes with it assume that you're going have a party of at least seven moderate eaters (don't know why). Before you get a fondue pot I highly recommend you make sure that the people you live with (or invite over on a regular basis) actually like fondue. In my house I'm the only one, so it does sit up in the attic (except for the forks, which were repurposed for snacks). One more thing, and this is personal so it might not be the same for you, but I found the recipes I found for free online, mostly in fondue party blogs, to be tastier than the ones in the book. That could just be the brand I've got, so just something to keep in mind.

If you get one, I hope you enjoy it! 

nurseangel said:

I'm pretty sure if I buy one it will sit in the cabinet, too.     I haven't even used the bread machine DH got me for Christmas yet, something I specifically asked for.  My house was going to smell like fresh baked bread.  :shame:

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I haven't used my bread machine in a long time either. I used to set it up at night on timed bake and would wake up to fresh bread in the morning for breakfast.

AbbysMom said:

I haven't used my bread machine in a long time either. I used to set it up at night on timed bake and would wake up to fresh bread in the morning for breakfast.

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I donated mine to the thrift store a long time ago. The bread was a pain to slice and I wasn't a big fan of how it came out. 

Now, see, I'm the exact opposite of most of you.  I got a fondue pot, then another and another...it wasn't at all unusual for me to have all three going...one with seasoned oils for meats, one with cheese for veggies and bread (and dipping the meats) and one for dessert.  A whole meal of fondue.  I scoured the internet, and scrounged through book stores, and had about 200 fondue recipes (and 100 pesto recipes...I bought a processor just so I could make pesto).  When I moved, it went into storage, and the storage unit was demolished before I got back to get everything out.  Now I'm sitting here thinking...Fonduuuuuuuuuuuue.....

AbbysMom said:

I haven't used my bread machine in a long time either. I used to set it up at night on timed bake and would wake up to fresh bread in the morning for breakfast.

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My bread machine is a platform for our bags of (store bought) bagels   

Mom gave us a breadmaker years ago. I don't think I used it more than once or twice. Rick used it fairly often. We eventually sold it at a yard sale (at least I think we did; I don't think we have it anymore. I should probably check the basement.).

I'm still having the fondue pot debate   (with myself, I'm arguing with myself).  DH is on board with the idea.  I'm just worried it might end up like the waffle maker, the quesadilla machine, the fantastic oil core electric frying pan, both rice cookers, and the NuWave oven.  Oh, and the electric smoker, and of course, the food dehydrator.  Even the crock pot...    

I do love strawberries dipped in melted chocolate and a fondue pot would be great for this.  A microwave seems to be the only kitchen appliance that I can say "no" to without hesitation.  

I did look a bread recipes tonight.  That's a step in the right direction!    

You know, you can use the dehydrator to make delicious jerky and fruit leather. 

Tallyollyopia said:

 
You know, you can use the dehydrator to make delicious jerky and fruit leather. 

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Oh, don't get me started on the dehydrator thing! I know we've talked about this before. I've made wonderful jerky in our dehydrator; that stuff was delicious. I made my own tomato powder from the skins of the tomatoes from our garden; a tablespoon of tomato powder in stews and pot roasts, not to mention soups and even gravies gives a wonderful depth to the food. I've done raisins, pineapple, onions, mushrooms, peppers, all kinds of stuff in the dehydrator. That appliance has become a summer staple in our kitchen, to the point where I had to buy extra trays for the thing. I've not done apples and bananas yet.

I think I mentioned that my BIL gave me his first electric smoker. The weather hasn't been great, but as soon as spring comes, I'm going to try my luck at smoking. He'll help me.

I have a ton of kitchen stuff. Rick has said he thinks I probably have enough kitchen stuff to completely outfit three kitchens. Some of it may only get used once or twice a year, but that's often enough for me to be comfortable keeping it around. Rick built shelves for storage space for my kitchen stuff in the basement, so it's not a big deal. 

I guess my point is that if you want a fondue set, get one! If you use it once or twice a year, that's fine. I think you should get one and post about the different fondues that you make with it. Who knows? Maybe you'll convince some of us to buy one, too!   Seriously, if you really want one, get it. And have a ball with it! (I guess I'm not the person you want to talk to when it comes to kitchen items....I'm an enabler when it comes to the kitchen.)

Tallyollyopia said:

 
You know, you can use the dehydrator to make delicious jerky and fruit leather. 

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I've made fruit leather in the oven.  Strawberry - it was fantastic.

But SO time consuming and expensive!  Never made it again.

nurseangel said:

 
I'm still having the fondue pot debate 

 (with myself, I'm arguing with myself).  DH is on board with the idea.  I'm just worried it might end up like the waffle maker, the quesadilla machine, the fantastic oil core electric frying pan, both rice cookers, and the NuWave oven.  Oh, and the electric smoker, and of course, the food dehydrator.  Even the crock pot... 

  

I do love strawberries dipped in melted chocolate and a fondue pot would be great for this.  A microwave seems to be the only kitchen appliance that I can say "no" to without hesitation.  

I did look a bread recipes tonight.  That's a step in the right direction!  

 

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You don't use your waffle maker????

What on earth is wrong with you???? LOLOLOLOLOL 

About the waffle maker...when I worked in a doctor's office, a drug rep would bring a waffle maker and do waffles for lunch.  They were delicious.  I got inspired and bought one.  I used it maybe once.  My mil worked in a different doctor's office, had waffles prepared by the same drug rep, and she also bought a waffle maker.  I don't think she even took hers out of the box.  

I've been studying up on the bread machine and it even makes jam.  Don't know how, but it does.  Apparently, there is a "jam" setting somewhere on the machine.  The next step will be to take it out of the box, and that's a big step.  A commitment.   

I may see if DH wants to get me an inexpensive fondue pot for Valentine's.    

Mmmmmm, we love waffles. 

You know something I've always wanted and never could justify buying? Those French onion soup crocks. I have wanted a set of those things forever. Never bought any. I didn't think I'd use them enough to make them worth the cost (and it's not like they're really expensive!). Usually when we have onion soup, I just put the soup into heavy soup bowls, top with the toasted bread rounds and Greyere and broil them that way.

But I've always wanted a set of onion soup crocks. For years now. We go into kitchen shops and I see them....and then I pass them by.