Do I need a specific fondue pot to make fondue with?

Question

I want to make fondue cheese tonight but I don't have a fondue set....can I substitute anything for it? Thanks!

Answer 1

You can make anything you want if you are creative enough!  Do you have an electric frying pan?  Or an electric griddle?  Even a hot plate would work.  All you want is something that is going to stay warm and keep the fondue mixture warm enough to stay melted.  Kinda like a hot heating pad.  (I am not so sure that would work.)

Once you find your warming source, just melt the cheese in a saucepan.  Follow the recipe, keeping the temperature on low.  Stir it often, making sure it does not burn or scorch.  When you have it at the perfect temperature, transfer it to a ceramic bowl that you have filled with boiling water.  Filling it with boiling water will get it really warm and keep it warm.  When you replace the hot water with hot fondue mixture, the temperature of the fondue will not go down.  Place the filled ceramic (metal would also work) bowl into/onto your heat source.  Fill the heat source, say an electric frying pan with about an inch of water that you have kept warm.  If you are using a griddle or a hot plate, use a pan that you also fill with about an inch of water that you have kept warm.  This hot water bath will keep your fondue mixture more evenly heated, and you can adjust the heat just like a fondue pot. You could dip the bread or whatever you are "fonduing", using skewers or forks.  

Making due with creativity is actually fun and memorable!  Hope you have a great dinner!

Answer 2

microwave the cheese or put it in a bowl (that can take a lot of heat) then boil the water in a pot till cheese is melted(like a hot water bath around the bowl)

Answer 3

I'm guessing you were not married in the 60's.  Fondue pots were the #1 wedding gift along with a "Chip and Dip Sets".  Any garage sale will find many.  What was cool about them was a warming stand that you put a deep dish pot on top and those color coded long handled 2 pronged forks.  Yeah I had the "Nehru" jacket and my wife had that "Capri" pantsuit.  We were cool.  

To answer your question: No.  Today's entertainment center is the kitchen.  Heat Gruyere cheese in a stainlees steel bowl resting above a pot 1/3  filled with water smaller to gently melt.  Add sherry with a dash of nutmeg,cayenne pepper and worstershire sauce.  Cut up any great hard crust italian bread into mouth-size peices.  Let them dip. Have fun