These Fondue Pots Are Literally Perfect for Making Family Dinners Feel Special

Fondue has been around for a long time, and we understand why. It’s hard to go wrong with melted cheese and chocolate, especially when entertaining guests or kids. In its simplest form, a fondue pot is a vessel that sits atop a direct heat source — either a heating element or an open flame. It’s designed to stay warm on its own so it can be used on a tabletop or buffet.

The most common uses are for melting cheese or chocolate for dipping, but it's also used for heating broth or oil for cooking meat. While you can certainly make fondue without a fondue maker, these warmers take away the fuss of heating to the right temp without burning and maintaining the perfect level of melty-ness.

In the Good Housekeeping Institute, our experts test thousands of products each year from knives to the coolest kitchen gadgets. When we asked the Kitchen Appliance Lab experts what to look for when buying a fondue maker, Senior Testing Editor Nicole Papantoniou said the key factors to consider are heating style (electric or manual), material (stainless steel, ceramic, enameled cast iron), and size (individual and up to three quarts). Below are our top recommended fondue makers, included a variety of different types and features; plus, an explanation of the different types and features.

• Best Overall Fondue Pot: Swissmar Lugano 9-Piece Fondue Set
• Best Value Fondue Pot: Oster Titanium-Infused DuraCeramic 3-Quart Fondue Pot
• Best-Selling Fondue Pot Amazon: Nostalgia Stainless Steel Electric Fondue Pot
• Best Fondue Pot for Parties: Cuisinart Electric Fondue Maker
• Best Ceramic Fondue Pot: Boska Holland Tealight Fondue Set
• Best Enamel Cast Iron Fondue Pot: VonShef Fondue Set
• Best Fondue Pot for Chocolate: Wilton Chocolate Pro Chocolate Fountain
• Most Versatile Fondue Pot: All-Clad Cast-Aluminum Fondue Pot