Customer Reviews

Hamilton Beach 31602 Raclette 8-Person Party Grill

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The HB 31602 is an excellent raclette grill at a price well below that of most other raclettes on the market now. This is my second grill; the first - a Swiss-made machine - died after about 10 years of use. I decided to try the HB because of its features and attractive price, as well as my previous favorable experience with Amazon in the event I wanted to return the item.

In short, the unit functions perfectly. Its variable temperature control (a must for raclette cooking) does its job well. Clean up - a frequent gripe among raclette grill reviewers - is a breeze....assuming that you only use the top grill to cook normal raclette-type foods such as small potatoes, sausages or Canadian bacon, not frying eggs, and that you treat the non-stick surface properly.

Although the listing copy doesn't make this clear, the unit comes with both the rectangular pans and the plastic scrapers. And the cord length (another often-heard complaint) is quite adequate.

The only potential shortcoming is the way the item is shipped -- in its retail box only, the way you would pick it up at a store. That means the only thing between your grill and the rough world of a UPS trip is a few pieces of egg-carton packing and a flimsy, non-corrugated box....a recipe for disaster. Fortunately, my unit arrived OK though the box was pretty beat up. Amazon should require its third party 'partners' to use shipping cartons, like Amazon itself always does. (On the positive side, my one experience with Amazon re a shipping-damaged item was very satisfactory.)

We are very pleased with our HB Raclette Grill! We originally tried raclette cooking in France with friends and bought our own. We've used it for entertaining and daily dining, and everyone has a blast with it! All you have to do is prepare food items (potatoes, cheese, deli meats, veggies, eggs, etc) and each person cooks up their own combination. As the food cooks/heats you enjoy great conversation with up to eight friends, over the raclette and perhaps a glass of wine. Cleaning is simple given the removable parts and non-stick cooking surfaces.

The machine is quite handsome (more stylish than other comparables) with those crescent handles and nifty (baby) pans. The grill that rests on top is very useful and easily removable. The machine comes with the temperature dial on one side and the red indicator light, letting you know that the machine is plugged in (heating is fairly quick). The heat resistant plastic (baby) spatulas are surprisingly versatile. (Some other raclettes don't come with an indicator light or spatulas!)

If I had to note anything I didn't fully appreciate, it would be that the machine doesn't seem to have an off mode, other than pulling the plug. The only other thing to mention is concerning grill cooking. If the heat is up high and you leave fatty foods or oil on top, splatter can occur firing unfriendly projectiles/globules and making clean up a bit more work. This is true of any indoor grill though. Just be careful.

All in all, we love the raclette and use it happily and quite often! It is highly recommended.

I bought this Raclette grill to add to an existing collection. I was a bit hesitant because I typically do not purchase Hamilton Beach products. I have to say, I like this machine better than my other more expensive European models. It certainly is great value for money and easy to use. I highly recommend it!

I first tried a Raclette prepared meal in 2002 while visiting my fiancee's parents in Lyon, France. Needless to say I was hooked straight away. Although Raclette meals can be heavy (potatoes, cheese and various meats and veg), they are extremely good.

The Hamilton beach 31602 raclette grill is great. Temperature control is a nice feature. I have used it a lot since I bought it and recommend it. Good value for money and even has some recipes to try in the instruction manual.

We first got introduced to raclette through a relative from Europe. After the fun we had eating at her house, I HAD to find a raclette grill when I got home. I chose this one because it was both inexpensive and I liked the square shape of it (better suited to the shape of our table). This grill works great. It doesn't melt the cheese quite as hot as the grill we used in Europe but does do the job. The top completely removes for easy cleaning. Even though it does have a non-stick surface, we found it cleans up better if you start off with a light coating of non-stick spray before cooking. Also I agree with another reviewer that it would be better that it had an Off switch on the heat control instead of it being necessary to unplug it to turn it off, but, all in all, it is an attractive product, reliable, a good value for the money and about half the cost of other raclette grills I have seen.

We've had a blast making raclette and other dished with this grill. We've been using it for almost a year and haven't had any problems or issues with it. The variable temperature control is a nice feature and the top comes off for easy cleaning. Definitely recommended.

I bought this grill after reading reviews for many different grills, I thought this one seemed to have the better reviews, so I bought it. I really love it. It heats up pretty quickly, and has enough space for 2-3 people 4 people would have to eat slower, but it does have enough broiler space, and its square to have people at all 4 sides. We use it 2 time a month at least and makes a great fast meal. The only thing that causes some distress is that the grill is not quite as easzy to clean as they say. Most of it comes off very easily, but some spots of cooked grease remain, it comes of with some elbow grease, and a scrubby, but it would be nice if it was as easy as they said it was.

I have used this for treaditional recipies as well as with different ethnic twists..korean bbq, seafood, italian roasted peppers, artichokes, etc.We have used potatoes & bread for topping with goodies..the possibilites are truely endless.. The grill is easy set up, and easy clean up..very family friendly!

While the grill top is a little lightweight, the Hamilton Beach 31602 Raclette 8-Person Party Grill was exactly what I was looking for: an inexpensive but completely functional raclette machine that up to 8 people can use at a time. I expecially like how the trays (for melting the cheese) can be put into the grill's corner spots facing either way (i.e., to the front/end or to the side) because that makes seating around the grill more flexible.

I haven't tried cooking much on top of the grill (and would hesitate to try putting slabs of meat or too much of anything on it because of how lightweight the grill top is. But I just bought it for raclette and it works perfectly for that.

I just got this and have had a few chances to use it and absolutely love it! It's perfect for smaller groups, or even medium sized groups, just make sure your table is big enough! I've really enjoyed some of the few recipies that come with the user guide, the s'more's have been a special treat. Almost as good as over a fire! It's also really easy to clean, the heat controller is a great thing to have and has a good range, and the cord is definitely long enough for normal use. Definitely a great and affordable choice, don't be foold by the low price! :)