In Kitchen Gear

Why You Should Buy a Raclette Grille – Even if You’ve Never Heard of Them

You’re probably already familiar with the cheese fondue – it’s cheese that’s melted in a pot, ideal for dipping into with bread, meat, and so on. What you might not have heard of is a raclette grille, but they can produce a similarly social meal that’s even tastier than your traditional fondue.

The first thing you need to know about the raclette grille is that it actually has two levels. At the bottom you have an area to melt the cheese, while at the top you have a separate grille that can be used for meat and vegetables. Sometimes a raclette grille is handheld, while other raclettes are much larger.

So, what’s so good about raclette grilles?

Healthier Eating

Grilling is a very healthy way to cook, so a raclette grille encourages you to eat healthier foods than a fondue set. Additionally, the heat from a raclette grille is high enough to caramelise the food surface. This keeps in the juices, reducing the need to add any oil or butter to keep things moist, and the food’s nutrients aren’t lost as much as with other types of cooking. Better yet, food tastes absolutely amazing with all its natural juices locked in.

Assortment of Cheeses

Fondue sets are great, but the main drawback is that they can only heat up one type of cheese at a time, unless you want to combine several varieties in the same pot. A raclette is different – it provides several separate heating trays along its lower level, so you can melt different types of cheese to complement different kinds of food.

Freedom to Experiment

Speaking of different kinds of food, raclette grilles really give you the freedom to experiment. Traditional raclettes offer room for endless variation thanks to wide grilling platforms and different available cooking surfaces. That makes for a more social eating experience because more people’s tastes can be accommodated, and it’s always fun to work through different unexpected combinations.