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(More customer reviews)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.
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Emile Henry Flame Top Fondue Set RedEmile Henry Flame Top cookware, a technological innovation. An innovation in ceramics technology, Emile Henry's new line of Burgundy Clay Flame-Top ceramics products work directly on a gas flame or an electric or halogen hob without a diffuser, without any fear of cracking or breaking.Much lighter, (30%), than many types of comparable metal cookware products, Flame-Top is microwave and dishwasher-safe, cleans up very easily, is extremely strong and durable, goes under the broiler, and can go directly from a freezer or a refrigerator to a hot oven to the table, where it will retain the cooking heat for a very long time. This recent innovation from Emile Henry is a break-through in ceramics technology. Unlike most metal cookware products, Flame-Top cookware can sit on a very hot open flame for an extended period of time without any ingredients in the cook pot, and they will not crack, discolor or break. Perfect for braising, browning and slow cooking due to the incredibly gentle heat distribution properties of Burgundy Clay, Flame-Top products cook evenly and thoroughly when used on top of the stove, in the oven or even in the microwave.Enhancing this gentle cooking action are raised dots on the underneath side of each lid that evenly distribute evaporated juices directly back into the cooking food.This self-basting technique produces a more thoroughly cooked, tender and moist dish than with traditional lids, which force liquids to run down the sides of the pot, and which contribute to uneven cooking. Emile Henry Flame-Top ceramic cookware is light and versatile, and better brings out the flavors of all cooked foods.
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