Customer Reviews

Swissmar KF-77081 8-Person Stelvio Raclette Party Grill with Granite Stone

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

We have a Raclette Grill that has the granite stone top, and it is a lot easier to clean and more elegant for parties. Note: if you are vegetarian though not vegan, you can grill your cheese below and use Boca type veggie sausages, marinated tofu and vegetables on top for a very decent, meatless raclette. The stone lets you grill any of these items. After it cools, clean-up is quite simple. If you are serious about this, and want a party, the 8-person oblong set plus stone is a wonderful way to do this.

You need a pretty decent extension cord if your table is not near a counter-height outlet, as the cord isn't so long. The extension cord should be able to handle the voltage requirements as this element draws a lot of power as it heats up. The shape is rectangular, so this doesn't work so well for oval or round tables; there are raclettes that are shaped for round tables but they don't come with granite tops.

There are grills with teflon tops, but granite is more elegant, healthier (I think) and makes a beautiful party table along with the little divided dishes (raclette or fondue plates.) I discovered that it was inconvenient and cluttered to have so many custard cups of sauces (Bernaise, remoulade, etc) for the grilled items, so you may want to pick up a set of these if you get into raclette parties.

To serve raclette, get some good cheeses that melt well (fontina, butterkaese, raclette cheese if you can find it), some sausages, possibly shrimp and scallops, some cold meats (dried beef is a Swiss tradition but salami works well) and a selection of vegetables like sliced cherry tomatoes, sliced bell peppers, onions. Small whole boiled potatoes and cornichon gerkins are traditional. And you need a variety of sauces such as bearnaise, hollandaise, mustard sauce or any sauces you like with veggies and meats. Even ranch dressing works. Prepare a serving tray so each diner can select cheese, veg or meat and begin grilling. The cheese goes in the small tray under the element and the grill handles the fish, veg and meat.

This raclette grill is great. Cleanup of the granite is easy, just let it cool first. Another reviewer said to let it go overnight, but I've found leaving it for 2 hours is plenty of time for it to cool. The granite is not reversible and does have a ridge on the edge to catch any juices from the meat (or whatever you're making).

While I may not be a raclette expert, I got referred to this grill by a Swiss friend. We both love it.

Entertaining is fun with this grill. I would suggest that you have 1 grill for every 4 people, rather than the 8 that the specs suggest. It can be a long night if everyone only has 1 cheese tray.

This is the second raclette i've owned and this one far exceeded my expectations! The stone is solid with a small drain that goes completely around it to capture the juice from meats and is extremely easy to clean after it's cooled down. The dishes are teflon coated and the front is slightly angled to slide your food unto your plate. Excellent for entertaining family and friends with a variety for all to chose from; beef, chicken, shrimp, turkey and vegetables. More fun than a fondue!

Great seervice and great grill! Have used the granite top
to brown sausages, as well as to keep potatoes hot for serving.
Just don't drop this heavy granite stone on your foot! Cleans
up great but let the stone cool overnight first!

Replaces a jerry-rigged raclette grill that we first bought in Switzerland (hence the jerry-rigging to change to US electric). This is a major upgrade--and we should have done it years ago.

Reminds me of the times when we would settle down for an entire evening of conversation around fondues for the appetizers, main dishes, and desserts. It's a great way of entertaining. Very easy cleanup afterwards. The reason I did not give it 5 stars was because it did NOT come with the 8 tongs required...now I must go shopping for them...thankfully, a neighbour offered her tongs for use at my first Raclette dinner. Also, I wish the cord was much longer and would prefer a cord that I could remove when not in use.

I have only used this particular Raclette twice since I bought it about a month ago, but I love it.
Brings back memories. I grew up most of my life in Germany, and my Mom made Raclette for special occasions.
Every Christmas or New Year's we'd either have Raclette or Fondue, or when we had guests for dinner. I love it because of the variety for dinner, there is something for everyone. Plus what can beat melted cheese on top of everything? Love it, always have, always will! :)

The raclette grill works great!
(1) The stone gets quite hot and is capable of not just warming up but also cooking some food.
(2) The trays for melting the raclette are very effective--cheese does not stick and the trays are easy to clean.
(3) Guests love the informal nature of the meal. Highly recommended!

Perhaps the only small warning is that the grill can comfortably fit four people, and can fit six as well, but having eight people around this grill will likely not be a great experience. Despite having eight trays for melting the cheese, reaching the grill itself would be somewhat of a challenge for some members of an eight-person group.

The raclette grill we ordered is what is pictured here, but what was delivered has a cast iron top. It worked like a charm for cooking veggies and meat. The cheese melted in the pans underneath with no problem. Overall, we're very happy with it.

This product is outstanding. We thoroughly enjoy using it and it cleans up pretty easily. Only downside is that while it serves up to 8 people, 8 people can't comfortably sit around the same unit. My guess is we'll be purchasing another one if we think we'll use it for larger groups. Great, fun product. Seems to make the food even taste better!