West Bend Raclette Party Grill (6130) - Raclette/grill/hot stone - 1.2 kW

It is an ok product for the price. It is indeed for a party and too large for a smaller family to use on its own. Go for the Tefal raclette if you want a family sized product. Tip for use – turn this raclette on far in advance of using it. The top element does not heat well and takes a while to get to temperature. Tip for food: At least once try the original Swiss version - raclette cheese, potatoes, gherkins, pickled onions and dried meet (optional)

The set is nice; however, the handles on the little baking pans are plastic. We used the pans first on the top grill. When you do this the handles are touching the grill and start to melt. After we noticed this and used the bottom section it went great and we haven't had any problems with it at all. It is such a fun way of spending time with friends and family at the dinner table while prepping your own food.

The West Bend Raclette Party Grill is exactly what I was looking for in size and price. We used it for the first time with friends about a week after it was shipped to me, and we all had a great time. It's interactive, it's fun and while you wait for your cheese to melt and your other food items to heat up, you enjoy each other's conversation without feeling the pressure of eating quickly. The food heats up at an expected pace and the grill cleaned up nicely afterward. I would definitely recommend this grill for a fun food experience.

My family had enjoyed Fondue Friday for a few years. I introduced the fondue to my very picky seven year old son, and five year old daughter. Well, the next phase of fun home meals was the raclette! I ended up purchasing a Swissmar model for twice the price of this Westbend product. And, I'm very happy with the Swissmar's reversible griddle/crepe non-stick surface. However, since my kids started telling their friends about how much fun it was to cook your own food, their parents found this Westbend model. From what I have gathered, it does take 15 to 20 minutes to heat up, but once it's hot it cooks just as well as any electric raclette, (including my Swissmar which takes about 10-15 minutes to heat). We are lucky to be able to find real imported Swiss raclette cheese at our local supermarkets, (Von's, Trader Joe's, Bristol Farms). So when we are having traditional raclette - cheese/red potatoes/bread/cornichons/onions, my kids call it "Stinky Cheese Night". My daughter who is two years younger than her brother has grown up much less picky with food, the original plan must have worked!! We also use it for making chicken and beef fajitas, make-your-own quesadillas, cooking shrimp and all kinds of vegetables with dipping sauces, and the Swissmar's flat griddle side is great for pancakes and crepes.

I was introduced to Raclette cooking via a French friend. After seeing how you could use a Raclette and how much fun it would be to sit down with guests and let everyone prepare their selections, I wanted one. This is a nice size Raclette for just two people or up to 8. The grill top has variable heating so you can control the degree of heat you want. The Raclette pans melt the cheeses easily and clean up of all is a cinch!