Customer Reviews

Rival FD350S Stainless Steel Electric Fondue

5 star:		(62)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

First the heating is the best, from warm to over 400+ it heats not only quickly but more important safely! Take a close look on 'more pictures' see the 3 stage system the element is welded to the bottom of the pot the temp guide slides in and the electric cord is breakaway using hook and magnet, no way has the pot fallen or slid off the table with the 2 klutzes that live with me. We started a family Fondue Friday and have tried it ALL. Chocolate, Mex cheese, broth boil, and fry. Candles only do chocolate and cheese, sterno if not careful burns the chocolate and only hot enough to fry for 30 min. maybe. Think out side the description and put soup in it for the buffet table, or baked beans. The cord is short but a heavy duty extension solved that and the safety features resolves worry. Best for 3 to 6 adults. Our favorite is doing a sweet & sour combo of shrimp, scallops, pork, chicken, beef, everybody got to dip and fry their favorites while picking out their steamed veggies, sauces and type of rice. Amazon's shipping had this arriving quickly and in excellent condition.

I received one of these as a wedding gift several years ago. It sat in the box for a couple of years, then after an excursion to a high-priced fondue restaurant, we decided to dig the pot out and see if we could replicate it the cheese fondue we had loved at the restaurant for less at home.

Previously, we had been to parties where people had cheese fondue and I had watched our hosts and hostesses struggle with keeping the gel fuel or Sterno lit, or waiting forever for the candle in the base to heat up the pot. I had never seen an electric fondue pot, so I didn't know how it would compare.

The pot performed wonderfully. There is a thermostat on the electric component that allows you precise control of how hot the pot gets. We have now done oil, cheese and chocolate fondue in the pot and it always works perfectly. The thermostat lets you keep the oil hot enough, but also allows you to adjust the heat downwards as necessary so you don't burn your cheese or chocolate fondue. The pot heats up quickly for fast melting.

Best of all, you can detach the electric switch/thermostat from the pot and completely submerse the pot for cleaning, which is important when you're dealing with gooey cheese and chocolate!

We love this fondue pot! We actually bought a second one for when we have fondue parties, so we can have different kinds of fondue, or a fondue meal without having to wash a pot out. It would also be great for queso dip and chips, and would keep the dip hotter and be less bulky than the crockery-pot a lot of people use for keeping queso dip hot. I really can't recommend these pots highly enough. If you love fondue, get one of these pots today!

I have two children of my own and we have done fondue in the past, however, when I married a man with 3 children, our fondue pot wasn't large enough to accomodate all of us. When I saw this one, I had to try it. All 7 of us can have an entire fondued meal and have a lot of fun doing it. It's a great way to slow dinner down and spend some quality time with the family. The oil or chocolate stays the right temperature and the magnetic release cord makes me feel so much more at ease, because I know if one of the kids trips on the cord the pot isn't going to turn over. It is very well made. We love it!

I've used it a couple of times for chocolate, and once with cheese. Chocolate worked great because I melted the chocolate in a double boiler and then poured it into the fondue pot to keep warm. When I did cheese, I made the fondue right in the pot, which wasn't such a good idea. The heating element, like most, is either on or off. This means that it gets things very hot, then the thermostat turns off the element and gets it very cold, before it cycles on again. This makes it impossible to keep things at a simmer while you try melting your cheese. When the heating element is on, there is a ring of boiling cheese right over the heating element, meaning that there needs to be much stirring. Next time I do cheese fondue, I'm going to make it elsewhere (on my stovetop) and then transfer it to the pot to keep warm while I enjoy it.

I received the stainless steel version of the Rival fondue pot as a gift (I really never knew I wanted one). Upon opening the box, uncharted nostalgia came flooding to me as I was actually excited to try an infamous "fondue". What a wonderful gift this has been! It is more than large enough to double or triple anything you may be cooking up. It has very accurate temperature control and heats VERY fast. The breakaway magnetic safety cord is very thoughtful, tho you need to have it on just so for it to stay (otherwise it does what it is supposed to....it releases) once you get the hang of it, there should be no problems. The dipping forks are very long and allow you to weasle around others who are taking their time to dip. Very awesome gift I never expected! Extremely easy clean-up too! Just unhook the power cord and put the pot in the sink or dishwasher...it's that easy! Fondue parties will be sweaping the nation once again. Give this one a try~ you won't be let down.

As near as I can tell (and I purchased 2 of these), the every day low price at Target is $29.95. Someone is trying to fool someone here.

12/08/05 Update: After many months, Amazon has finally decided to meet Target's price of $29.95. Other than the fact that this is a more suitable fondue for a large crowd (You will likely use at least 1 1/2 qts. of peanut oil when you fondue with oil.) than for an intimate gathering of 1 or 2 couples, it will do the job well.

My husband and I received this as a wedding gift seven months ago. After occasional use, the cheap plastic handles and legs have broken off, and can't be glued back together. This is very upsetting, since it was wonderful for cheese and chocolate fondue before it broke.

I enjoy having small groups for fondue parties so I own 4 of the Rival Stainless Steel Electric Fondue. I also own 2 of the Westbend Electric fondue pots. I am very pleased with how they perform. It beats having to change your heat source (candles or sternos) right in the middle of fonduing. I usually keep two for the dessert....melted dark chocolate with different fruits for dipping! I even take one of my fondue pots when we have potlucks at work. I usually volunteer to bring dessert and this has gotten to be a very popular item. I highly recommend this product!

Fondue is the single best way to get your children to try different vegetables. Who am I kidding? It's the best way to get everyone to eat more veggies, as the various sauces are delicious and easy to prepare with this Fondue Pot. I love the fact that it's electric and has the magnetic break-away cord. The *only* problem I have with it is that the cord is a bit too short. I have to use an extension cord in order for my family to enjoy it at the dinner table. But that's a small, fixable problem, so I still give it 5 stars. :o) We use it 2-3 times a week, and I wouldn't hesitate to buy it for someone as a gift.

I have been using this fondue pot for a while, and I like the way it performs - when the fondue level runs low, it still manages to keep the heat even. When melting the cheese and wine initially, it heats quick but doesn't burn. At first I thought I was going to regret not getting the non-stick version, but I don't have a problem. Even crusted cheese comes off easily, and I can stick the pot part in the dishwasher (make sure you let all the water dry off before using again, common sense)
The reason it ends up being a star short is the power cord. This may have been the safest way to do it, but I find myself tethered to an extension cord (which increases the chances of a breakaway disconnect just by weight) or to some wall where the very short power cord plugs in directly.

Just for us, since we're generally careful with all the appliances we have, I'd have preferred a slightly stronger breakaway, like the MacBook Pro's (try it) or even a non-magnetic weak lock.

Still a nice, reliable, very functional product.