What's with all the Raclette?

October 26, 2009 6:10 AM

I'm looking for a decent Raclette grill around the 60 dollar mark. Can anyone make a recommendation?

My girlfriend's birthday is coming up in a couple of weeks and I'd considered having a fun dining experience for her and her kids. A German friend of mine said she liked using her Raclette grill for parties.

It'd only be the 4 of us so a smaller raclette grill would work but before I buy one, I wanted to know if someone recommends one over another.

Also, do you have to use Raclette cheese or can you use another type (it's in short supply where I live).

posted by Hands of Manos to food & drink (4 comments total)

Wow, It's been almost 20 years since I was introduced to Raclette in Switzerland, and since the advent of the internet it's never occurred to me to go looking for a grill available in the U.S. - I'll be watching this thread with interest!

I don't remember anything too distinctive about the cheese - it was fairly mild and the most important characteristic seemed to be how nicely it melted... I hope I am not guilty of a grave culinary faux pas in wondering if you could get away with something like Muenster or Port Salut. It looks like real Raclette cheese can be obtained online.

Newegg has this contraption for $40, although it looks like it doesn't give you the cool scraping-off-the-end-of-the-wheel action.
posted by usonian at 6:48 AM on October 26, 2009

is this what you're looking for?
http://www.amazon.com/West-6130-Bend-Raclette-Party/dp/B000WPX532/ref=pd_sim_k_6
posted by askmehow at 7:07 AM on October 26, 2009

usonian: yeah I like unique and odd things. I think it'd be a helluva fun time to do a swiss themed birthday party. She'd never expect it, that's for sure. I've looked at the contraption you mention but alas, no reviews. I just don't want to get something that's going to take up space and not work or warp.

askmehow: I looked at that this morning and the first review was "it's awful." I know there are other reviews on that page, I just don't want to get a lemon.
posted by Hands of Manos at 7:18 AM on October 26, 2009

We have had a Swissmar raclette grill-thingy for about 4 years now and absolutely love it. Our model has a non-stick, ridged aluminum top that fits over the heating element and then 8 small trays that sit on the base under the heating element. While normally I abhor cooking with aluminum cookware on a normal cooktop/stove, aluminum is actually perfect for raclette because it transmits so much of the heat very quickly and very directly through it (as opposed to radiating the heat out smoothly like cast-iron or cladded steel cookware).

When my daughter was little, she absolutely loved raclette. She called it "cooking on the table" and that's the name that's stuck ever since at our house. Whenever my parents come out in the winter, mini-webhund and her grandfather always team up to request "cooking on the table" for dinner. One of the most wonderful things about raclette is how it slows everyone down because you're waiting for cheese to melt, sausages to grill, etc... These things can't be hurried and, as a result, conversation and conviviality fills the time. Pure Gemuetlichkeit.

As for cheese, if you have time, I highly recommend the Blackstar Dairy Raclette from Michigan. Go ahead, get a full wheel!
posted by webhund at 9:09 AM on October 26, 2009 [1 favorite]