Princess 162251 Classic Stone & Raclette Set > Reviews (1)

The term raclette can refer to 3 things.

The grill

These come in various shapes, sizes and styles. The simplest being a holder where you place the cheese and once melted it is simply scraped off by the diners as often as they like. Modern versions like the Princess classic stone & raclette set have small individual wedge shaped pans where you place the cheese before popping under the grill to melt. The stone can then be used to cook meat, fish and vegetables.

The cheese

This cheese originates from Switzerland . Made from unpasturised cows milk and pale yellow in colour, has a mild nutty flavour which when melted, transforms into the most delectable, salty, buttery tasting treat. It is said that Swiss cow herders would take it with them when they were moving the cattle up the mountains. In the evenings they would place the cheese on a rock by the campfire and once melted it would be scraped onto bread to be enjoyed as their evening meal. Incidentally, the word raclette is derived from the French verb racler meaning scrape…… scraping off the cheese from the grill onto foods of your choice. For some reason it isn’t that easy to get hold of in the UK unless you are shopping for it around Christmas time. All is not lost though as there are a few alternatives out there which share the same melting properties and work just as well if not better. I have found Gruyère and Jarlsberg to be good substitutes.

The meal

A traditional raclette meal would consist of boiled potatoes, gherkins, pickled onions, cold meats such as proscuitto, ham, salami etc.. plus raclette cheese. The cheese would be melted and scraped onto the potatoes. This is very popular in Switzerland, France, Germany, Australia and even America as a fun way to relax with friends. Meals like this have been known to go on for several hours as the emphasis isn’t just on the food but enjoying each others company too.

We received this Princess 162551 classic stone and raclette set as a gift for our wedding anniversary last year and I have to say it has proved to be a most stress free and fun way to entertain.
It is ideal for dinner parties or other occasions where you just want to relax and chat with friends whilst enjoying good food.

The grill is placed in the centre of the table and everyone cooks their own food when and how they like it. I have lost count of the number of times in the past when we have had friends round for a meal only to find myself stuck in the kitchen cooking between 4 and 6 steaks from rare to well done then trying to ensure they all arrive at the table at the same time. Cooking with this alleviates all that and also allows you to spend more time round the table with your guests instead of being stuck in the kitchen missing out on all the fun.

What’s in the box

First of all there is the BASE UNIT This is as light as a feather and contains the heating element. The power cord only measures 28 inches which is ridiculously short considering the idea is to place the machine in the centre of the table so everyone has easy access.

I conducted a bit of research on other raclette grills and it seems all machines have really short power cords, so you will find yourself having to use an extension cable as there is no way you’d be able to have it plugged in on the table without one. The unit has, as you’d expect, an on/off switch in the form of a dial which has an indicator light that shows red when the machine is switched on.

Secondly you have the GRILL STONE which is the heavy part and weighs about 6kg ( I popped it on the bathroom scales just to see) . It is grey in colour and oval in shape and offers a cooking space of 11x15 inches which is designed to be sufficient for up to 8 people to cook all at the same time. You can also use the stone to keep things like potatoes warm . This fits into a frame on the heating base unit. It’s best not to use sharp metal implements on this to avoid it scratching the surface. I have found our plastic rookie chopsticks come in very handy for turning food over to ensure it cooks evenly. This stone is not dishwasher safe. To clean it after use you simply wipe over with a paper towel, unless any food residue remains which needs to be loosened by covering in oil then leaving to stand. 5 minutes is usually enough to do the trick. You can then simply wipe the oil away and as if by magic the food particles come away too. Leave it to dry before putting away ready for the next time.

Thirdly there are 8 PANS which are designed to melt cheese, warm sauce or grill vegetables. The idea being each diner has their own so they can cook individual portions of their chosen ingredients. They can be placed either under the grill or on top of the stone. These are finished with a non stick coating based on PTFE (Polytetrafluorethylene) and you are advised not to use any sharp implements with them as this could damage the surface. They have cool touch handles there is no need to be concerned about burning yourself when removing them from under the grill or off of the stone. These are not dishwasher safe either and should instead be washed once cool in hot soapy water and dried thoroughly before putting away.

Finally 8 WOODEN SPATULAS which eliminate the need to use metal or sharp objects when removing food from the pans, you just use one to scrape your melted cheese, vegetables, sauce etc.. onto your plate.

There is naturally a USER MANUAL Which is quite a thick booklet and covers guidance notes for the different raclette grills from the Princess range. It’s written in 13 various languages . The instructions given are pretty clear, simple and also includes some handy cooking tips .

Getting started

The instructions tell you rinse the grill stone thoroughly under running water and allow it to dry before attempting to use it for the first time then, you are required to brush the polished surface of the stone with a heat-resistant edible oil, eg olive or peanut oil, allow this to soak in then wipe off any excess. Once done, your machine is ready for use.

The grill takes approximately 20 minutes to reach the optimum temperature for cooking, so whilst this is happening you can make use of the time to prepare all the ingredients you need for your meal, you will also need to cook any potatoes you plan on serving.

The idea is to place such items in bowls or on plates on the table so your guests can help themselves to whatever takes their fancy. Make sure any food to be cooked is at room temperature, not only will this prevent thermal shock to the stone once the food hits it but it will also reduce the cooking time . The first time we tried it out we were all rather surprised at just how much heat was being felt from the machine, considering it is only 1100 watts. It is for this reason I wouldn’t really recommend cooking this way if you have young children around. The stone gets hot enough to make a steak sizzle on contact and I would hate to think what damage could be done to curious little fingers should they come into contact with it. The length of time food takes to cook depends on various factors, the thickness for a start and what you are cooking. I tend to make sure meat, fish and chicken are cut in to smaller than normal portions, not only does this reduce the amount of time you spend cooking but it also allows you to cook more as and when you want it or try lots of different things too. The added bonus is there is no need to add any oil or butter whilst you cook. Food will generally take the same amount of time as it would in a normal pan on the hob.

The grill will take about an hour to cool down completely once switched off and because of this it is obviously recommended you don’t attempt to remove the stone or move the machine until it’s completely cold.

One thing to remember however is don’t put the pans under the grill empty, in the same way you wouldn’t put a non stick pan with nothing in it under a conventional grill. The first time we tried this method of cooking I did notice a rather strange smell coming from the pans. On checking the instructions this is completely normal and the gasses released are harmless to humans. It should be noted though that the same can not be said for birds as they are extremely sensitive to such gases, so if you have tropical birds such as parrots then you would be well advised to move them to another room whilst operating this machine.

Our first meal using this was of the traditional raclette kind with cold meat, pickled onions, gherkins , boiled potatoes and of course raclette cheese. Although there didn’t seem to be that much on the table to be honest , the 8 of us happily munched away for a few hours enjoying the whole new experience. What was surprising was just how full it all left us feeling, which we all blamed on the cheese. It really was a belly busting meal Chose your accompanying drinks with care too and opt for something like a light beer or dry white wine if serving alcohol , as you certainly don’t want anything too heavy .

It’s not just about cheese

There is nothing to say you have to include cheese when using this grill and there are a few occasions where any cheese we have stays in the fridge rather being brought to the table. On average I’d say we use our machine 2 -3 times a month. We usually go for themed night meals, be it carnivore ( meat), surf ‘n’ turf ( meat & fish) exotic ( a selection of unusual meats such as crocodile, Eland, Impala and Springbok).

Butchers are starting to stock such unusual products but if you can’t find them locally there are plenty of places online that may just have what you are looking for. I tend to serve a green salad, jacket potatoes and crusty bread alongside the usual tomatoes, mushrooms and peppers that you cook yourself.

The most recent addition to our theme nights came about by accident when a meat/fish loving friend brought tofu with her. She was taking part in a sponsored event to raise funds for her sons school and had opted to abstain from meat or fish for a week. We now have a “bring your own” on our get together evenings.

All the meat and fish we have cooked have been juicy and tender although that said they have been of decent quality. We have found firm meaty type fish like Halibut, swordfish and prawns cook well and my friend was pleasantly surprised how well her tofu came out considering she isn’t really a fan of the stuff in the first place.

The little pans tend to get used for grilling vegetables like tomatoes, mushrooms and peppers etc. although on carnivore night we often add some crème fraîche and spoon on horseradish cream to make a lovely sauce.
There are no hard and fast rules on what you cook just let your imagination run riot and enjoy the whole experience.

Raclette nights are certainly becoming very popular and are taking off in a similar way to the Fondue nights that were all the rage back in the 1970’s the only difference being you don’t have to wear bell bottomed trousers or listen the Bee Gees dulcet tones all night.

This is quite a large item to store especially if you are short on cupboard space, I keep ours in it’s original box on the bottom shelf in the utility room , it was either there or under the bed.

If you like entertaining but are fed up spending half the evening in the kitchen away from your guests then this could just be the answer. It’s very sociable and extremely good fun.
We are very pleased with ours and it seems ,so are our guests, so much so 2 of our friends have already purchased one of their own so they can take their turn in hosting Raclette nights.

As previously mentioned raclette grills come in various shapes sizes and prices. I have noticed a few around which look almost identical to ours but tend to be more expensive.

At the time of writing the Princess 162551 classic stone & raclette set can be purchased from :-

John Lewis £39.95
Electric shopping.com £39.90

tune57.