Say Cheese! (Le Creuset Gourmand Fondue Set)

Member Name: snowbunni

Product:	Le Creuset Gourmand Fondue Set
Date:	21/04/06 (3238 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Stylish, Reliable, Beautifully - Made, Easy To Clean

Disadvantages: Costly, No Lid, A Little Small For Meat Dishes

If fondue sets were the epitome of 1970's dinner party kitsch, this violently tangerine- coloured gem by Le Creuset must surely be the John Travolta of cheese-bubblers. Shamelessly orange, and nestled like a plump hen on its black, cast-iron nest, the Creuset caquelon somehow contrives to be chic and yet timeless, stylish yet efficient. It seems made to last, possibly forever, and is very easy to clean. In short, the Le Creuset Gourmand is the smartest and most functional fondue caquelon I've ever owned. Furthermore, secured as it is by a 101-year guarantee, I don't imagine I'll ever have cause to buy another one…

Fondue fads come and go, and suddenly, it seems it's 'hip to dip' once again. Consider the evidence. Stella McCartney, launching her latest Adidas range last month, celebrated with a fondue party in Aspen, natch. Chocolate and cheese bubbled amidst the supermodels in their high-waisted, 1950's style ski-suits. Such designer fads bubble down to all of us eventually, like the molten chocolate in those dripping fountains that flooded the stores before Easter…Meanwhile, in my world, fondue never, ever went out of fashion anyway, and compared to a neat and stylish caquelon, those tiered chocolate fountains seem little more than messy abominations.

I first fell in love with fondue more than a decade ago, when I was a student and living in cheesy Zurich. There's a little place in the old Niederdorf that devotes itself to the art, and I'd happily find myself in there once or twice a week, dunking away into some gently bubbling cauldron… Trust me, there's nothing nicer on a chilly winter evening than to gather around a fondue pot with friends, wine on hand, skewered bread at the ready.

Whilst living in Switzerland, I secured myself a fondue set of my own, a cheap, utilitarian version, which was perfectly adequate but slightly unexciting. Fondue, in my opinion, is more than just a meal, it is an event, and the right pot (or caquelon) makes all the difference. Finally, I invested in the wonderful Le Creuset Gourmand, and whilst I've tried and tested a number of caquelons over the years, I have yet to find one that comes close to rivalling it.



LE CREUSET have been crafting high quality kitchenware from cast iron since 1925. The company is based in Fresnoy-Le-Grand, in a rural area of Northern France in which cookware has been cast in the same way for centuries. During the course of the Twentieth Century, the company became indispensable to culinary fuddy-duddies, foodies and wedding-list compilers alike, with its impressive stable of stylish and high-quality cookware. Today, these range from solid and sensible casserole dishes to more innovative Terrines, Morroccan Tagines and novelty soufflé dishes.

The Le Creuset cookware is made by a process that involves hand-casting molten cast iron in sand moulds. Even today, every individual mould is destroyed after casting, and the cookware is then 'polished, sanded by hand and scrutinized for imperfections'. The items are then coated in enamel, twice, and fired after each coating at a temperature of 800°C, a process which leaves the surface extremely hard and durable, making it 'almost completely resistant to damage during normal use'. The use of individual sand moulds means that no two Creuset dishes are exactly the same, and the company proudly maintains that each passes through the hands of 30 different craftsmen before it is completed.


THE FONDUE SET: The Creuset 'Gourmand' fondue set is made of enamelled cast iron, and available in two colours; 'Volcano', a bright, reddish-orange, and the Creuset 'Blue', a deep, cornflower-like shade. The Blue set is inoffensive enough, however the Volcano will not be suited to every décor. I've a set of matching Volcano cookware (saucepans, casseroles etc.) in my kitchen, and they look pretty smart in their surroundings, a mixture of wood and Tuscan tile. However, the colour won't be to everyone's taste, so tread carefully if buying as a gift. The interior of both caquelon colour-ways is a creamy white, making it easier to clean, and the vitreous enamel interior surface is 'completely hygienic' and impervious to acids, flavours and odours, making it ideal for storing or marinating foods in the fridge.

A circular crown, referred to as a 'fork holder' rests on top of the pot, with six indentations around its circumference. These are only really relevant if serving meat fondues, such as the Boeuf Bourguignonne, which involve heating cooking oil in the caquelon, and dunking in the meat until cooked, a process which takes up to 3 minutes. The fork rests are superfluous if making other types of fondue, and to be frank, this particular set does not really lend itself to dishes such as the Bourguignonne anyway, as the caquelon is too small to hold a decent quantity of cooking oil. The cast iron stand is black in colour, and conceals the burner, which operates on 'firepaste' gel. A reasonable degree of temperature control is possible if you twiddle the little gauge that rests on top. Finally, six colour-coded fondue forks complete the set.


The cast-iron and enamel caquelon is able to withstand very high temperatures, enabling you to prepare the fondue on the hob, before transferring to the burner for serving at the table. Le Creuset dishes are renowned for their heat-retention, and the caquelon is no exception. It will remain warm for a considerable period of time, even after it has been removed from the heat source. These factors make it ideal for fondue, which generally needs to be left gently simmering for some time.

The fondue set is very easy to clean, but it is important to remember that hot Creuset dishes should NEVER be immersed into cold water. Allow the dish to cool before washing.


RECIPE: Whilst fondues can be made with cheese, chocolate or chopped meat, it is the cheese fondue that has always appealed to me most. Ready-prepared cheese fondue, vacuum-sealed in aluminium, is available from some supermarkets, and can invariably be found in large, duty-free piles in Swiss airports, beside the Toblerone and the army knives. These can be very good, but the quality can vary widely, and it's always preferable to make the fondue yourself if possible. In any event, it certainly isn't a difficult dish to make.

Fondue recipes vary throughout Switzerland's different regions and cantons, however the only real variable is the cheeses used. A good fondue ought to include at least two or three different cheeses, all of which ought to be hard, and preferably Alpine varieties. The piquant Swiss Red Tilsit is an excellent fondue cheese, as is the Apenzeller, a rich, nutty cheese from a remote corner of the Alps. In Geneva, fondue is generally made with Walliser Bergkase, and many purists will frequently substitute Emmenthal for the more potent Vacherin cheese. However, a classic fondue will generally be made with two well -known and readily accessible cheeses; Gruyere and Emmenthal.

To make a basic fondue, you will need the following ingredients;

1 Loaf Bread, cut into 1" cubes
300g Gruyere, grated
300g Emmenthal, grated
40g Plain flour
500ml Dry white wine
1 Garlic clove, crushed
3 Tbs Kirsch
Grated Nutmeg, Salt & Pepper


Mix the grated cheeses with the flour in a bowl. On the hob, rub the inside of the caquelon with the garlic clove. Add the white wine, bring to a boil, and simmer for a couple of minutes, before turning the temperature right down, so that the wine is barely simmering. Then, gradually add the grated cheese, about a tablespoon at a time, ensuring each spoonful has melted into the wine before adding the next. When all the cheese has been added, and the mixture is creamy and smooth, stir in the Kirsch, add the nutmeg, and season to taste. At this point, the caquelon can be transferred onto the fondue burner.



CONCLUSION: As an incorrigible fondue fetishist, I struggle to find fault with the 'Creuset Gourmand' fondue set. It is sturdy, it is beautifully made, and it retains heat superbly. Cleaning it could not be easier. Furthermore, it looks fabulous when set on its burner and filled with bubbling cheese. On the other hand, the Volcano colour won't necessarily appeal to everyone, and whilst the caquelon comes complete with a fork rest, it has no lid, which is a pity because a lid could be very useful. Finally, priced at around £65-70, it isn't the cheapest model on the market. Rest assured, however, that it will last you a very long time indeed, hence that 101 Year Guarantee, and after all, fondue will always continue to come back into fashion!

However, perhaps the ultimate testament to the esteem in which I hold this small (but heavy!) piece of kitchen equipment lies in the fact that I have now transported it around the world with me, twice. If that's not customer loyalty, I'm not sure what is!

Summary: The Best Fondue Set On The Market