We independently evaluate all of our recommendations. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. What to Buy Grilling & BBQ The 5 Best Raclette Grills, According to a Cheese Expert Melt cheese to gooey perfection with these top expert-approved picks. By Ariane Resnick Ariane Resnick Ariane Resnick, CNC is a leader in the realm of nutrition and special diets, helping to make healthy eating affordable and easy for all. She has cooked professionally, intermittently, for well over twenty years, and has nearly a decade of professional writing experience. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on August 15, 2024 In This Article View All In This Article Our Top Picks Reviews Our Favorite Raclette Grill Factors to Consider FAQ Our Expertise Photo: Food & Wine / Jaclyn Mastropasqua If you ask any turophile about dinners centered around melted cheese, you’ll likely get an earful about fondue recipes and raclette. These dishes, made with semihard cheese held at a perfectly gooey temperature, are ideal for social gatherings that are food-centric yet casual. You’re probably familiar with fondue, but raclette, a popular Swiss dish, is a great alternative — and a more straightforward process. Rather than crafting a cheese sauce, you melt the cheese itself. And just like the right fondue pot will have your guests enjoying fondue for hours, the right raclette grill will make or break your experience. The best raclette grill will score major bonus points for presentation on your next charcuterie board. To help us break down the best attributes of different raclette grills, we spoke with Alexandra Jones, a cheese expert, former cheesemonger, and the author of Stuff Every Cheese Lover Should Know. Read on to learn more about the best raclette grills for home cooks. Our Top Picks Best Raclette Grill Overall: Swissmar Classic 8-Person Raclette at Amazon $160 Jump to Review Best Raclette Grill for Beginners: Hamilton Beach Electric Raclette Table Grill at Amazon $65 Jump to Review Best Mini Raclette Grill: SALE Boska Mini Raclette Cheese Melter & Grill at Amazon $55 $45 Jump to Review Most Versatile Raclette Grill: Giveneu Fondue Pot With Barbeque Grill at Amazon $110 Jump to Review Best Raclette Grill for Pros: Boska Copper and Concrete Raclette Melter at Amazon $250 Jump to Review Best Raclette Grill Overall Swissmar Classic 8-Person Raclette PHOTO: Amazon $160 at Amazon $160 at Williams Sonoma $160 at Wayfair Pros A reversible cast iron grilling top and individual raclette dishes provide everything you need for a full raclette-centered meal. Cons You may need to season the cast iron plate before use to make it truly nonstick. Our best overall pick is the Swissmar Classic 8-Person Raclette Grill, as it has everything you need for a crowd-pleasing setup. It includes a stainless steel grilling tray, a reversible cast iron grill top, eight nonstick raclette dishes, and eight spatulas. With ample grill space and tools for eight people, this model is ideal for holidays, dinner parties, and other at-home celebrations. Customers say it’s fun for all ages, durable, and easy to use and clean. Plus, the cast iron grill plate can also be used in the oven or on the barbecue grill. “The style that will work best for most people is an electric ‘party grill’ — a plug-in tabletop appliance with a central heating element that sometimes also heats a cooking surface on top,” Jones says of this type of grill. “Diners place slices of cheese on little nonstick paddles and place them in slots below the heating element, then pull them out when they're melted and scrape the cheese onto bread, potatoes, and veggies.” Tip: We suggest placing a bowl of cubed or sliced bread next to the grill so guests can toast it on the cast iron top before dipping it into the melted cheese. Cooking Surface: Cast iron | Dimensions: 14 x 9 x 5.5 inches | Weight: 9 pounds | Power: 1200 watts Best Raclette Grill for Beginners Hamilton Beach Electric Raclette Table Grill PHOTO: Amazon $65 $60 at Amazon $60 at Target $65 at Wayfair Pros The tray, grill, and accessories are all dishwasher safe so cleanup couldn’t be easier. Cons Heating may be uneven across the grill. As our favorite pick for raclette beginners, the Hamilton Beach grill simplifies the process for you as much as possible. An extra large grilling surface provides plenty of room for your vegetables and proteins, and the grill is dual-textured, consisting of both a smooth griddle side and one that has raised ridges to add sear marks to your food. It has five heat settings, and because of how the cheese sits underneath, it will stay at the same warm temperature no matter how high you turn the grill above. Since the cooking surface is slightly larger than many other models, you may experience areas of the grill that are hotter or cooler. Cooking Surface: Nonstick dual-texture griddle | Dimensions: 15.5 x 16.5 x 7.12 inches | Weight: 7 pounds | Power: 1300 watts Best Mini Raclette Grill Boska Mini Raclette Cheese Melter & Grill PHOTO: Amazon $55 $45 at Amazon View on Boska.com View on Webstaurantstore.com Pros This raclette is perfect for date night and requires little storage space. Cons There is no way to control the heat, so you must watch for overheating. Jones says of mini raclette grills, “They are great for serving one or two people without having to bust out the big guns,” and this Boska model embodies that sentiment perfectly. It’s only 12 inches long and four inches wide and comes with everything you need for a raclette meal for two, including two spatulas, two raclette pans, and a removable grill plate, which are all dishwasher safe. Unlike the larger models, this raclette grill has just one heat setting, so you’ll need to keep a closer eye on your food than one with adjustable settings. Despite its small size, it has 1,000 watts of power, so you shouldn’t have issues melting your raclette cheese to the right consistency. Cooking Surface: Nonstick stainless steel | Dimensions: 12 x 4.33 x 4.33 inches | Weight: 2 pounds | Power: 1000 watts Most Versatile Raclette Grill Giveneu Fondue Pot With Barbeque Grill PHOTO: Amazon $110 at Amazon Pros Enjoy fondue and raclette simultaneously thanks to this versatile grill. Cons It’s on the larger side and more cumbersome than most raclette grills. Get the best of both worlds with this set that has every accessory you need to enjoy raclette and fondue at the same time. It includes a grill plate, a grill stone, and a fondue bowl, as well as eight mini grill pans, fondue forks, and wooden spatulas. Once you set up everything, your guests are equipped to create their melted cheese destiny. There are separate temperature settings for the fondue and the raclette, so both cheese dishes are held at the right heat and equally delicious. And thanks to the uniform heat retention throughout the grilling surface, you won’t have to worry about hot and cool spots. Cooking Surface: Nonstick stainless steel | Dimensions: 16 x 16 x 6 inches | Weight: 12 pounds | Power: 1500 watts Best Raclette Grill for Pros Boska Copper and Concrete Raclette Melter PHOTO: Boska $250 at Amazon $200 at Williams Sonoma $199 at Food52 Pros This beautifully designed raclette melter can accommodate a quarter wheel of cheese and only melts what you need. Cons It can be tricky to assemble and may require a bit more care, and you can only melt one cheese at a time. For those who want to get a bit fancier with their raclette, this model from Boska lets you melt your cheese right off the wheel. It can hold up to a quarter wheel of cheese, and the ceramic heat lamp melts only the top layer, leaving the middle intact so you can scrape off what you need and enjoy. It may not be the best option to serve a large group of people with distinct cheese preferences as it lacks the versatility of some of the other models on our list. However, it's sure to turn your next cheese party into a Gram-worthy event with that satisfying cheese scrape. It's constructed with a concrete base for stability, which pairs nicely with its white ceramic heat lamp and copper-finished cheese holder for a unique, retro look. And its industrial-style design will make an attractive addition to your tabletop. Dimensions: 16 x 17 x 15 inches | Weight: 12.5 pounds | Power: 400 watts Our Favorite Raclette Grill As our best overall pick, the Swissmar Classic 8-Person Raclette Grill allows up to eight guests to customize their raclette experience. A reversible cast iron grill top offers even heat distribution, and it comes with mini raclette pans and spatulas. Boska, a trusted name in cheese, has a mini raclette grill perfect for date night. Factors to Consider Cooking Surface Type Many raclette grills have nonstick surfaces, which ensures the cheese will be easy to remove for eating and cleaning. Nonstick models also tend to be safe for the dishwasher for quick cleanup. Cast iron grills allow even cooking and durability, and their surfaces can also be nonstick with proper seasoning. For grill surfaces to cook your dipping ingredients, we also like granite stone because it provides even heating. Size It’s common for raclette grills to serve eight people, and this size of grill tends to be 14 to 18 inches long. If you don’t plan on serving that many people, you can opt for a mini raclette grill, which serves up to two people, and will require much less storage space. Additional Features Technically, raclette grills can be as simple as a surface with a heating element underneath to warm the cheese. But there are more complex models, like ones with two layers: One layer to heat the cheese and another to grill your dipping ingredients. They can also come in combination with a fondue pot. Our favorite fondue pot and raclette grill pick features the most accessories and features out of all of our selections. Frequently Asked Questions What is a raclette grill? A raclette grill is a tabletop appliance used to melt individual portions of cheese to enjoy with meat, bread, and vegetables. The dish is native to Switzerland and has been around for centuries. How do you use a raclette grill? To use a standard raclette grill, you’ll plug it in and set it to your desired heat setting. If it has a grill top, you’ll wait for it to warm and place your items on it to cook. For raclette only, you will place a slice of cheese in each mini pan and wait for it to melt. When it’s ready, dip your cooked ingredients into the cheese or pour it over them. Jones’ tips for making the best raclette: “Use high-quality, raw milk artisan cheese. Seek out some nice dry white wines (traditional), dry rosé, or maybe a funky dry cider to sip alongside. Find a grill that works for you. Do as much prep in advance as possible (slicing cheese and chopping veggies, making sides, etc) so you can relax once the gathering gets underway. The traditional accompaniments include whole-grain mustard, boiled or roasted potatoes, little pickles (cornichons or pearl onions), and cured meats, but you can really take those in any direction you enjoy. Fresh fruit and veggies, roasted Brussels sprouts, crusty artisan bread, caramelized onions, or leeks are all welcome on the table.” What cheese is good for raclette? “I recommend sticking with raclette and raclette-style cheeses, so semi-firm, washed rind wheels that offer complex flavors that can range from fruity to meaty to nutty,” Jones says. “You want a flavorful cheese that melts well — in that Alpine family, that includes Gruyere as well as milder Emmental and Appenzeller.” She also suggests Swiss or Italian makers and raw milk mountain cheeses, like Fontina Val D'Aosta, or domestic producers making raclette-style wheels with raw milk, such as Spring Brook Farm's Reading Raclette. Our Expertise Ariane Resnick is a special diet private chef, certified nutritionist, bestselling author, and cheese fanatic. For this article, she consulted with Alexandra Jones, a cheese expert, former cheesemonger, and the author of Stuff Every Cheese Lover Should Know. Between her research and expert insights, she determined the best raclette grills. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit