Prepare to melt over these raclette grills
17.10.2018
The season for melted cheese has started: From fondue to raclette – the liquid gold is on everybody’s lips. After dedicating myself to fondue a few days ago, it’s time to turn to its little brother: raclette. Keep reading to find out which grill you need to suit your cheese requirements.
Raclette is one of my favourite dishes. I get nervous in the summer months and can’t wait for temperatures to drop and the cheesy season to start. I recently showed you my fav fondue pots and was happy to get positive feedback. Customer jumping asked me if I’d written a similar article on raclette grills. This wasn’t the case at the time so I did some research and am now proud to present the results.
One for all
Got a lot of mouths to feed? Summing your loved ones up as a tribe would be an understatement? Then you’ve come to the right place. This monstrosity caters for eight raclette pans that can be moved to a separate cool area when they’re not being used. What’s more, there’s plenty of space for anything grillable on the giant BBQ top. You can even make crepes, mini woks or pizzas. In other words, there’s nothing in the way of a feeding frenzy. What more could you ask for?
One for everything
This baby just keeps on giving. You can make anything from crepes, mini woks, pizzas, raclette and even fondue on this grill. Yes, you read right. It’s a raclette grill with a fondue feature! Or just stick the little pans on the designated space on the hotplate and you can enjoy your beloved cheese in all consistencies and variations. This grill will also feed eight people. However, everything needs to go on the hotplate as the heaters are directly below. So simultaneous racletting and grilling is only possible to a limited degree and on a very small space.
Tradition at its best
This is raclette in its most archaic form. And that’s the way it should be celebrated. There’s no making pizzas and bratwurst at the same time. No pygmy pans that make it near impossible to scrape off any incrusted cheese. Let’s be honest, all you need for a real raclette is half a wheel of cheese and this grill. Screw the wheel onto the mount, shove it under the heat and let the fun begin. As soon as the top layer’s ready, you can scrape the melted cheese straight onto your plate. Brace yourself for a culinary climax. How cool is that?
A hot, stony path
You cannot imagine the patience I had to muster when I joined my old school friend and his family for a weekend in the mountains in Wengen. They promised me raclette and tasty bits from the tabletop BBQ for dinner. The problem wasn’t the raclette. Thanks to the heating coils, the cheese was gooey quite quickly. But it took an eternity for the accursed stone hotplate sitting in the oven to reach the temperature you need for grilling. And after only a few minutes of use, we had to put it back in the oven because it had already cooled off again. A strenuous, nerve-racking back and forth, to say the least. I have nightmares to this day.
Dinner for one
Being single has its pros and cons. The cons: You’re often home alone without anybody there to give you a hug after a hard day’s work. Single seats on trams are where you’re confined to. Not to mention those unbearable stories from loved-up couples. The big pro: You don’t have to share your raclette with anyone! This wee raclette grill also provides candlelight and romance in the comfort of your own home. Who cares about the others when you’ve got melted cheese on your plate.#cheese4life
Take your hat off to this
Grilling meat horizontally is so 2017. Don’t you think? This is where a Tatar’s hat comes into it: Skewer your food and watch how it gets cooked. Don’t worry, there won’t be a cheese shortage. This product also comes with four wee pans in which you can melt your cheese while the rest is being grilled. BBQ flavours on top, cheesy goodness below. Heart attack on top, high blood pressure below. Anyone else hungry?
Watch and melt
This gadget does not do BBQ. Sure, feel free to place food on top but not much will happen. This is because the high-quality, extremely stylish glass plate with circular patterns exists for decorative purposes only. In my opinion, it also serves a further, much more important purpose: It allows you to watch your food cook. Watching slices of cheese slowly form a crust – now that’s a Netflix series that has yet to be outdone.
I packed my bag and in it I put... raclette
Who needs a boring sausage when you can pack a full raclette grill including plates, cutlery and a bottle opener? With this set, there’s nothing in the way of that cheesy date in the park. Unless, of course, your sweetheart is lactose intolerant. Tough luck, sweetheart. Your loss. That leaves more for me. I can also warmly recommend this rucksack for students. Whenever a lecture is eating itself into your lunch break, you can set up your equipment in five minutes and treat your fellow students with an exciting olfactory experience.
Kumbaya’s for beginners
A few circularly arranged stones, wood to burn, a few pointed sticks and sausages – that’s all it takes for a cosy grilling session around a campfire. Wrong! One thing is missing. That’s right. Cheese. At least that’s what the ladies and gentlemen at Nouvel must have thought when they created this raclette pan with a built-in telescopic handle. Whip this out and you’ll be the cool cat gently melting a slab of cheese. Leave the others to grill their stupid sausages. Once your raclette’s done, simply unhook the handle and dig in. Guaranteed everyone will be envious.
Now it’s your turn: Are you on team raclette or team fondue?
Cheesus Christ!
Raclette or fondue?
- Raclette74%
- Fondue24%
- I can't stand cheese2%
The competition has ended.
Header image: The main reason I look forward to autumn and winter: raclette à gogo!
Raphael Knecht
Senior Editor
raphael.knecht@digitecgalaxus.chWhen I'm not stuffing my face with sweets, you'll catch me running around in the gym hall. I’m a passionate floorball player and coach. On rainy days, I tinker with my homebuilt PCs, robots or other gadgets. Music is always my trusted companion. I also enjoy tackling hilly terrain on my road bike and criss-crossing the country on my cross-country skis.
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