Fondue Fuel

Does Your Fuel Match Your Fondue Burner?

Having a meat fondue in oil or broth requires a particular type of fondue fuel whereas having a chocolate fondue requires a small tea light.

Do you know everything there is to know about fondue burners and fondue gel?

Don't worry if you don't, we've got you covered. Find information about fuels for fondue right here.

Different Fuels for Different Fondue Types

Let's start with the easiest ones: chocolate fondue, caramel fondue and dessert fondue.

For these types of fondue, you melt the dipping sauce on the stove top, then transfer it to your small fondue pot.

Your fondue pot only has to keep it warm and liquified so that your guests can dip their pieces of fruit, cake or other dippers into it.

This is why the fondue burners for these pots are unscented tealight candles

Hotter Fondue Types

Your meat, seafood and vegetarian fondues require higher temperatures that tealights could not reach. The fondue pots for hot oil fondue are made to withstand high heat and require a different type of burner.

An example of this type of burner is the Swissmar Dual Function Burner that requires Gel Fuel or liquid fuel and can be used for hot oil, broth or cheese fondue.

For these cheese, hot oil or broth fondue burners, you must use the fondue fuel indicated by the manufacturer of your fondue burner. It could be in a liquid form (alcohol) such as the blue liquid fondue fuel below, or gel fuel.

Please note that liquid fuel (alcohol shown on the right) cannot be shipped, and therefore cannot be purchased online. However, you should be able to find it in your local grocery store, near the BBQ supplies.

You need to put about 90 ml or about 3 oz of liquid into the bottom part of the burner. Make sure to not spill any of this flammable liquid on the table cloth for the safety of your guests.

Return the burner to a stable position under the pot and use a match to light it. Leave the air holes open. The larger the opening, the higher the heat coming out of your fondue burner. When you are done eating, simply put the cover on the burner and it will smother the fire.

If you have misplaced the burner for your fondue pot, you may be able to use a "sterno" type of burner for your hot oil, broth or cheese fondue. A sterno is fuel in a container such as this Cooking Fuel - Gel.

Find out more about fondue fuel, fondue sets and fondue pots here.

More About Fondue Burners

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