Tefal Raclette - If you love cheese read on! (Tefal Raclette 78214)

Member Name: lynton1983

Product:	Tefal Raclette 78214
Date:	19/05/09 (179 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: It is cheese based.

Disadvantages: None

This is definitely my new favourite piece of kitchen equipment! In order to put things into perspective I would like to point out my culinary skills (not just cooking but using most appliances) are limited - but hopefully developing.

I was introduced to the Tefal Raclette when my girlfriend and I were invited to dinner by my brother and his French girlfriend he had been raving about it since returning from France a few weeks earlier and when he explained the concept I too was excited (providing an easy Christmas present decision),

The main aspect of the raclette is the use of cheese (I love cheese!) with raclette being a type of Swiss cheese. The machine, which is electric, is turned on and allowed to heat up. Once this is done you take your individual tray and place your cheese (you can use different ones to raclette such as gouda or emmental) in it and place it under the grill plate to melt. After a few minutes you remove your tray and pour your semi-molten cheese onto whatever it is you are having. I tend to have baked potatoes and French bread with hams, pickles, salad and various vegetables.

Whilst the cheese aspect is sometimes enough for me, the machine has a grill plate on which you can cook whatever you wish. My personal selection usually involves peppers, mushrooms and onions.

I find the whole concept pleasing as you can cook a bit, eat a bit, cook a bit more and eat that (you can see I'm an advanced cook!).

The machine comes with 6 individual cheese trays and can be stored relatively compactly. It is also easy to clean. The instruction manual that comes with it also offers a few different suggestions, a few of which I've tried and work well.

The raclette machine currently retails for £44.95 online with John Lewis.

In response to some of the questions raised about this product -

The whole item is what I would consider to be light with the grill pan be particularly light - I weighed it at about 500g. I think the picture of it gives the impression of a thick piece of metal, however it is quite thin with rounded ends. It is not too big either, the grill plate having a diameter of about 12" - about the same size as a large dinner plate - and th base unit being slightly larger.

It is non-stick as you would expect from Tefal and the grill plate and trays are dishwasher safe.

If there is anything anybody else would like to know then by all means ask and I'll do my best to answer.

Summary: A great way to eat cheese!