Customer Reviews

Emile Henry Flame Top Fondue Set Red

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a nice fondue set manufactured in France. The caquelon (pot) is earthenware which is considered to be the more proper or traditional material for use in making cheese fondue. It is what you will typically find used in Switzerland for cheese fondue.

The enameled, cast iron caquelons made by several other manufacturers are better suited when used with oil or broth to cook meats or seafood. This is due, in part, to the fact that cast iron, once heated, retains heat extremely well. Accordingly, it does not respond rapidly to a drop in temperature (i.e. lowering the heat). That is why a cast iron frying pan is great for searing steaks - it does not lose as much heat as would a stainless steel pan when a cold steak is dropped in it. While a pot or pan with high thermal retention qualities can provide an advantage in certain types of cooking, it can prove a disadvantage when making cheese fondue. If the heat gets a little too high when melting the cheese, reducing the heat or removing the pot from the heat source will not have an effect for a couple of minutes because the cast iron will retain the heat. In the time it takes the pot to cool a bit, the cheese may already have separated from the excessive heat. Even while eating fondue, you will find yourself having to lower the heat periodically to avoid boiling the cheese or scorching the cheese on the bottom of the pot, particularly when most of the cheese in the pot has been eaten and you are getting near the bottom. Although earthenware also has relatively high thermal retention qualities and will retain a certain amount of heat, lowering the flame will have a more immediate effect with earthenware than it would with cast iron.

Aside from the above considerations, a particular benefit to the Emile Henry earthenware caquelon is that it is capable of being used directly on a gas, electric or halogen range top to melt the cheese. Some earthenware pots cannot be used directly on a range top and will crack if used in such a fashion. Accordingly, if made in some other manufacturer's earthenware pots, the cheese must first be melted in a separate pot (or double boiler) and then transferred to the caquelon. The Emile Henry flame top pot eliminates that step.

As to the other components, the rechaud (stand) is adequate and sufficiently sturdy, but I would prefer that it have a slightly wider base. Still, this one is fine and works well. The fondue forks are very nice. Although made of stainless steel, at first glance they look almost like wrought iron.

One note of caution: Do not follow the fondue recipe included with this set with respect to the wine - it calls for far too much wine. Reduce to no more than two cups wine and add warmed wine by the tablespoon thereafter if more is needed as you melt the cheese.

I have admired my mother-in-law's ceramic fondue pot from the 1970s for many years. I've been looking for a similar one for a while, and I found the Emile Henry pot two years ago. I finally purchased it, and I was quite impressed. For a fondue party, I cooked cheese and chocolate fondue in three different pots: one that was metal, one that was a ceramic bowl set in a copper bowl, and my new Emile Henry pot. The Emile Henry pot cooked the best, by far. It was so easy to cook directly on the stove top and transfer to the burner stand. We put the whole pot with leftover chocolate in the fridge, once it cooled. After we re-heated the chocolate the next day, the pot went directly into the dishwasher. I love it!!!

From stove top to speed along the process to sterno. This is a terrific fondue pot. I've bought three now. Two for us and one for my sister. Now we do cheese and chocolate at the same time. Worth every penny.

As I write this review, my girlfriend is cooking up some fondue in this pot. I don't know what scientific voodoo they did on this pot, but the cheese is melting really smoothly. Much nicer than the stainless steel fondue pots I've used before.

I got this fondue set after a loooong search online. I wanted to make cheese fondue, so I knew I wanted to buy a ceramic pot and not metal (I used to have a copper one, too high maintenance, and also got a stainless steel one, but it does not perform well for cheese). My friends got theirs in Switzerland, but I could not find it here. This one looked very similar so I tried it. I am very satisfied. We made the fondue on the stove and then transferred to the table (I did not use the fuel source provided but a regular tea candle, and it kept the caquelon at the right temperature, without burning the cheese). I cleaned beautifully!
My kids don't like cheese fondue, so I obliged with repeat performances of chocolate fondue. Also perfect, and what a success! The only issue is that the forks, even though quite beautiful, don't have the color identification that other sets have. No big deal for me, but a disappointment for my children. I completely recommend this set.

I've owned several ceramic pots over the years and this is the best. I can heat over a burner on the stove first and then I can transfer it to the flame. It hasn't cracked on me like other have in the past. It cleans up nicely after soaking the left over cheese in water. We are usually only two people, but I have needed a larger pot for dinner parties and there is plenty of room for at least three packages of cheese. The forks are solid and hold the bread, or any other items you dip, very well.

Overall, a pretty good fondue set. It's sturdy and holds a good amount.
The 3 top features:
- The ceramic/earthenware is lighter than cast iron and, for cheese fondues, allows the heat to dissipate faster which helps keep the cheese from burning when you adjust the burner.
- Dishwasher safe. But it cleans so easy, I didn't feel the need to toss it in the dishwasher. Nice to have that option, though.
- Can go straight from the stove to the table.

I just wish the fondue forks were a little more traditional (wood with colored knobs). It would help to keep the owners keep tab on their forks when cooking times are longer (like with fondue bourguignonne).