Best Raclette Set
If you’ve never heard of raclette, or don’t know what a raclette set is, be prepared to be wowed. Although raclette is a type of cheese, it is also a method of cooking, and refers to the type of equipment you need to make and serve raclette.
Typically, a raclette set includes an electric tabletop grill and small heat-resistant trays that are placed under a heating element to melt cheese. Some sets include scrapers to remove the cheese as it grills and bubbles.
The grill can be used to warm or cook meat, fish and vegetables. Traditionally, the melted cheese is poured over boiled or roasted potatoes and served with gherkins and pickled onions along with cured or dried meats.
This is a fun, unique way to have a leisurely dinner with friends or family, where everyone can slowly customize and cook their meal with whatever you put on the table.
We feature five raclette sets you can purchase online. Read on to find the set that best suits your needs.
Top Pick Best Versatile: Techwood Raclette Table Grill
If you’re looking for a dynamic way to entertain friends and family in a unique and fun way, then you may want to consider this versatile raclette set that can serve up to eight people.
Most raclette sets melt cheese, and a good set excels at it, but a great raclette set is one that is versatile and powerful enough to do more.
This large 1,500 watt raclette set by Techwood has a spacious 19-inch by nine-inch reversible non-cook cooking surface, so you can melt cheese on the lower level while cooking up meat, vegetables and fish on the top in minutes.
The electric tabletop grill offers up uniform heat distribution and comes with two cooking surfaces – a grooved one and a flat one for a variety of cooking options. The grooved side lets you grill food while the flat cooking surface is perfect for a brunch raclette scenario for crepes, pancakes or eggs.
An adjustable temperature gauge ranges from 392 – 536 degrees Fahrenheit, giving you the choice to warm, grill or sear, and visible indicator lights help you to keep track of the cooking process.
The set comes with eight individual cheese melting pans with cool touch handles. The grill plate and cheese trays can be put into the dishwasher, so clean up is easy.
Pros:
- Large non-stick cooking surface
- Reversible cooktop
- 1,500 watts
- Temperature gauge ranges from warm to sear
- Non-slip feet
- Stainless steel heating tube
Cons:
- Does not include spatulas/scrappers
Best Small Size: Boska Holland Milano Collection Mini Raclette Set
If you’ve always wanted to try raclette but didn’t want to invest in a large raclette set, then you may want to consider this mini raclette set. Perfect for one or two people, it’s a fun, delicious and affordable way to try the raclette experience.
This cute little tabletop set includes two enamel pans, two spatulas, and a removable grill plate. And while it might be small, it doesn’t skimp on all the culinary wonder that makes raclette so special.
You can still heat cheese in the trays and scrape it onto boiled potatoes – or on any other food that suits your taste and fancy. You will notice that after three or four servings, a crispy crust will develop on the edges of the cheese, which you can then scrape off with the sharp side of the raclette spatula and served along with the rest of the food.
Of course, you don’t have to just use raclette cheese; you can use any good melting cheese you wish, like cheddar, gouda, asiago, colby, and mozzarella. This mini raclette set also has a small top grill that you can use to heat up cut-up vegetables and small slices of cured meats. And since all surfaces are non-stick, it’s easy to clean when you’re done.
Perfect for a date night, special anniversary or a weekend night of Netflix binge watching, this compact mini raclette set for two won’t take up much space in your cupboard or on your table.
Pros:
- Mini-size for one or two people
- Compact and space-saving
- Comes with two separate coupelles to melt cheese
- Has a small grill
- Non-stick surface
Cons:
- No temperature control, just on/off
- Small grilling surface cannot hold much food
Best Overall: Swissmar Stelvio 8 Person Stainless Steel Raclette with Granite Stone Top
If you like to entertain, there’s no better way to share good food than with a raclette set. This set comes with eight cheese trays and eight spatulas, enough to spend an evening with family and friends and experience a fun and delicious interactive meal.
The electric tabletop grill has a cool-looking granite stone top and with 1,200 watts of power, you can be sure you’ll have all the heat your need to serve up to eight people and melt more than cheese using this raclette set.
The variable heat control feature lets you choose the level of heat you need to grill meats, fish, seafood and vegetables on the granite stone top. While all that is going on, you and your guests can melt the cheese of their choice below in the individual heat-resistant raclette trays.
So easy to use, you can plug it in and use it straight from the box. And when you’re done with your meal, the hot stone, trays and spatulas can be cleaned in the dishwasher and the base unit can be wiped with a soft damp cloth and patted dry.
To maintain the raclette set in good functioning order, you should not clean it with steel wool, wire brushes or scouring detergents, and it is not recommended to submerge the base unit in water. As well, do not use cooking spray on the grill top surface or raclette trays.
This set also includes a raclette recipe book filled with delicious recipes, so you can discover a whole new world of culinary pleasures right from the get-go.
Pros:
- Serves eight people
- Comes with eight raclette scrapers and eight trays
- Variable heat control
- 1,200 watts
- Non-stick surface
Cons:
- More expensive than other models
Best Dual Surface: CucinaPro Dual Cheese Raclette Table Grill
This electric tabletop raclette set serves eight people and has a unique dual grill top. One side has a smooth granite top and the other side is a non-stick grill, so you can grill and cook your favorite meat, fish and veggies at the same time.
There is a space below the side-by-side grills to fit eight raclette pans to melt all kinds of cheese in minutes. With 1,200 watts of power and a temperature regulator that goes from low to high, you have complete control over how you want your meal to go.
The cheese pans are coated with a food safe non-stick coating to easily release the melted cheese and any sauces you may want to heat. The grilling surfaces are also non-stick, so clean up is easy, too.
The raclette measures 19 inches x 8 inches x 4.5 inches, so while it will accommodate up to eight people for a leisurely meal, it won’t take up too much space on the table, or in the cupboard when not in use.
Pros:
- 1,200 watts of power
- Dual grill
- Non-stick surface
- Temperature gauge from low to high
- Includes eight cheese trays
Cons:
- Does not come with spatulas/scrapers
Best Value: THE ROCK by Starfrit 024403-002-0000 Electric Raclette/Party Grill Set
This electric tabletop raclette set has a large sized two-sided grill that is ideal to serve between six and eight people for a leisurely meal of cheese, vegetables, fish and meat.
The cooking surface measures 16 inches by 9.5 inches and is made of thick cast iron aluminum for durability and even heat distribution. Unlike other dual surface raclette sets, this one is reversible, meaning you can use the griddle like surface or turn it over and use the smooth grilling surface. And with 1,500 watts of power, it will be easy to grill everything from shrimp and pieces of fish to sliced meats and vegetables.
The high sides of the grill plate make it easy to grill any type of food you desire, and you can even add sauces or garlic butter to enhance the taste, without making a sloppy mess.
Melt your cheese below using the eight cheese trays and then scrape it off with the included spatulas. But since the grilling plates are coated with Rock.Tec non-stick technology, you won’t have to worry about having difficulty removing food, or with cleaning up.
Pros:
- 1,500 watts of power
- Two-in-one reversible cooking surface
- Detachable dishwasher safe cooking plate
- Eight cheese trays and eight spatulas included
Cons:
- Temperature gauge doesn’t have exact markings
What to look for:
Size: A raclette set is such a fun way to enjoy a relaxing meal with family and friends where everyone gets to customize their meal with whatever you decide to put on the table. They are usually electric and placed on a tabletop for communal eating.
Originally, raclette was all about the cheese; unlike a fondue pot that melts cheese, a raclette melts and grills the cheese to your desired doneness. One it’s melted, you can pour or scape the hot, bubbly stuff onto boiled or roasted potatoes and serve it with bread, sweet pickles, or whatever.
If your desire is to experience that original raclette meal, then a basic unit with a small grill and space under the heating element for the cheese trays – called coupelles – is enough, especially for one or two people. Some simple models also include a spatula or scraper.
However, these days raclette sets have morphed into larger, more complex and versatile grills and cheese melting devices, with a grill surface that’s big enough to serve up to eight people or more.
Some of these models have a single heating surface on top and a ledge underneath for the cheese trays, while other models offer up two-in-one reversible cooking surfaces or two side-by-side cooking surfaces so you can choose to grill, heat or melt cheese, meat and vegetables, or even make eggs and crepes.
Some of the larger raclette sets have 1,200 or 1,500 watts of power and have temperature controls that allow you to choose your heat level, giving you the flexibility to cook different kinds of foods. Which model and size you choose for yourself will depend upon how you decide to use it and how many people you would like to serve.
Accessories: There aren’t too many accessories that go with a raclette set, although you want to make sure the set you purchase has heat-resistant cheese trays so you can melt cheese. Some include spatulas, or scrapers, but those are not essential, since many raclette sets have non-stick coatings for easy food release and clean up.
Price: Raclette sets are available in a range of price points and are quite affordable, although there are some models that can be expensive. The cost of a raclette set will be reflected in its size, the material it is made from, the kind of temperature control it has, if it comes with accessories, the cooking surface and the wattage.
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