Top 5 Best Raclette Grills

If you’re looking to impress guests at a dinner party, there’s no better way to do it than with the best raclette grill. For both the creative home chef and adventurous dinner host, raclette grills are a great investment in entertainment. Traditionally from the Swiss Alps, raclette is actually a semi-hard cheese that was melted over a fire or hearth and served over potatoes, onions, and bread. Modern raclette grills are electric grills that have a flat grill to cook meat and vegetables on top and several small trays below for melting cheese, making them unique when compared to your average camping grills. Nowadays, they make a fun centerpiece to a dinner party and allow everyone to join in the cooking. If you love melted cheese, check out our raclette grill reviews and ratings below.

The 5 Top Raclette Grills

* Ratings are determined using our specialized rating system.

There is a large variety of raclette machines, so picking one can be overwhelming. Luckily, we’ve gone through and compared five great raclette machines so you can pick the best of the best! Check out our picks for the top five best raclette grills below.

Milliard 8-Paddle Raclette Grill with Granite Cooking Stone

The Milliard Raclette grill has two levels with eight individual raclette trays on the lower level. With its large top grill and adjustable temperature, the Milliard is perfect for serving large numbers of people and getting creative with cheeses and sauces. The alternate reversible metal grill top allows even more versatility in your cooking.

This raclette is easy to clean, and the granite top won’t warp or rust. This raclette party grill is wonderful for a dinner party, Super Bowl party, Independence Day celebration, or whenever you want to take out the grill! The cheese trays below can be used to make sauces, fondues, quesos, or cook food for someone with a dietary restriction separately. The granite can be washed in the sink just like any other pan, and must be seasoned after each use.

Swissmar Stelvio 8-Person Stainless Steel Raclette Grill

The Swissmar Stelvio is a premium 8-person raclette with a granite grill top and brushed stainless steel cheese pans. The heating element on the Swissmar Stelvio heats both the grill and the cheese below to perfection. With the Swissmar Stelvio, you can throw an exceptional holiday party with up to 8 different cheeses and self-serve hors d’oeuvres.

This lightweight 8-raclette machine is a wonderful centerpiece for a party, and gives guests and the hosts a way to make food together instead of one person being trapped in the kitchen while everyone else has fun. While you wouldn’t want to use it to cook large pieces of meat, bite-sized portions and other appetizers are perfect for raclette.

Artestia Electric Dual Raclette Grill With Aluminum Grill Plate

If you the classiness of the best raclette grill party but not the premium pricing, the Artestia Electric Dual Raclette grill may be the solution you’re looking for. The Artestia has multiple grilling surface options, allowing you to use double stone, reversible aluminum grill, or stone and aluminum.

Whether you choose stone, aluminum, or one of each, this raclette machine comes with eight individual raclette pans. Mix and match your favorite cheeses as well as mixing and matching different surfaces for different foods.

The aluminum side will heat up faster, but you don’t have to worry about ruining the coating of granite. While granite can crack, aluminum is prone to warping and scratches from forks picking food off will do more damage than stone. It’s up to you how versatile you want your raclette to be!

Artestia Electric Raclette Grill With Granite Stone Grill

Artestia also makes a larger single raclette grill with a two-tiered heat source for the upper and lower dishes. The granite grill stone is 16″ x 7.87″, and the temperature is adjustable, unlike its cousin, the Artestia dual raclette grill. Teflon raclette plates mean cheeses and sauces slide right off, though be careful not to scrape them with metal.

This Artestia product is very elegant with the granite and wood finishes, but no worries about the heat! The material is not wood, but sturdy, lightweight, and heat-resistant material called polypropylene with a wood pattern.

This raclette grill still has the large granite grill, but isn’t quite as big or heavy as some other granite top options. Because of this, it is also more affordable than some other granite slab raclette grills. If space or maneuverability is a potential issue, this raclette grill is a great middle ground.

Swissmar Classic 8-Person Anthracite Raclette Grill

Our final mention goes to another Swissmar product, the extremely variable Swissmar Classic 8 Person Raclette with interchangeable grill tops. This product has a sturdy enameled steel base and comes in a variety of options. The grill comes in granite, cast aluminum, or cast iron, (all sold separately) and can be swapped out as needed. The cast iron grill pan and cast aluminum grills are also reversible, with a flat grill/crêpe top on the other side. The heat is also adjustable, which is handy considering the variety of grill surfaces you can purchase.

The cast iron and cast aluminum options also have ridged edges, so if you’re cooking a greasier cut of meat it won’t slide right off like the stone. The nonstick coating makes it easier to clean the grill, but you have to watch out for wear/tear and scratches from metal utensils. The granite heats up slower but cooks more evenly, has no coating to wear off, and is more durable long term. However, it doesn’t have a ridge to hold in grease if you want to cook greasier foods.

Features to Consider for the Best Raclette Grill

After reading our raclette grill reviews, you probably have a few ideas of what you do and don’t want in a grill. However, you should read about all the different features before making your mind up. Here are the most important features to consider before buying the best raclette grill for your needs.

Granite vs. Cast Iron vs. Aluminum

The best raclette grills come in a variety of different materials, all with different pros and cons. For our list, all the grills were either granite, aluminum, or cast iron.

Granite is one of the most common surfaces for raclette grills. Stone like granite takes longer to heat up, but it heats up more evenly, so you won’t get those pesky hot spots on the grill where one side of your crêpe is burnt and the other is barely cooked. Though stone can crack, granite is sturdy and doesn’t rust. Granite is very versatile and can also be put in the oven or microwave. Similar to cast iron, it needs to be seasoned. To season granite, coat it gently with oil and preheat it on the grill each time you use it.

Cast iron is more comparable to granite than aluminum or cast aluminum. Cast iron needs to be seasoned between each use, but over time less oil is needed because of the seasoning built up in the grill. Well-maintained cast iron will last you a lifetime, and is wonderful for searing. If not properly maintained, cast iron will rust or crack and it is very heavy.

Aluminum is the most lightweight but least durable of the three materials. It is still functional for your raclette, and very lightweight and inexpensive compared to cast iron and granite. Aluminum also heats up faster, but may warp over time. Aluminum is resistant to rust, but non-stick coatings wear off over time and deep scratches may be susceptible to bacteria. If using coated aluminum, make sure you don’t use metal utensils as this will damage the coating.

When choosing the best raclette grill, the material it is made from should be one of the first considerations you make.

Adjustable vs. Non-Adjustable Heat

While most raclette machines have manually adjustable heat, some only have an “on/off” function. Generally, just being “on” will be enough to cook your food, but if you like the ability to adjust the heat to fit cooking different foods, you should spring for a raclette grill with adjustable heat.

For the more price-sensitive of raclette chefs who just want to cook meat, vegetables, and cheese, non-adjustable heat is a perfectly viable and affordable option.

Separate vs Same Heat Source for Grill and Raclette Trays

As you’ve certainly noticed by now, the best raclette cheese grills are made up of two layers: the top grill, and the bottom raclette trays traditionally used for melting cheese. Most grills use the same heat source to heat both the grill on top and the raclette trays below, but some have the option of adjusting the heat on each layer separately.

For the traditional raclette cheese melting, single heat is perfectly fine—it’s what they were designed for! But if you would also like to use the raclette trays for warming sauces or cooking sides, an adjustable lower deck may be a nice consideration.

Benefits of Using Raclette Grills

There are many benefits to using the best raclette grill over a traditional grill or stove top. For those who have visited Switzerland, France, or Germany, it can be a fun reminder of the old days—for the rest of us, it’s just fun!

Raclette cheese grills allow the host to become part of the party, and encourage guest participation. Your raclette can sit on the counter or right on the table, allowing for conversation between grilling and keeping the host in the room with guests instead of isolated in the kitchen.

The best raclette grill is a single product that cooks everything you need. Your raclette will handle thinly sliced meats, vegetables, cheeses, sauces, and sides. You and your guests can use it more traditionally, with cured meats and root vegetables on the grill and various cheeses melting below, or mix it up to match your family. You can use the bottom trays to roast sides or keep sauces warm. If you have a picky eater, their dips and sides can easily be cooked separately on their own raclette trays. Since raclette machines cook nearly anything, you’re only limited by your imagination!

Precautions of Using Raclette Grills

When using a raclette machine, there are a few things to keep in mind. The first is that the raclette is hot, and you can easily burn yourself if you accidentally bump it while trying to grab a piece of food from it. When using your raclette, make sure to always use a fork, fondue skewer, or something else to take what you want.

Once dinner is over, you need to make sure you take care of your raclette machine properly. Depending on the material you choose for the cooking surface, the care needs will be different. Your grill may need seasoning or special washing. Make sure to read up on the proper care for the material you choose so you can help your grill last as long as possible.

Conclusion

Our winner for the best raclette grill is… the Milliard 8-Paddle Raclette Grill With Granite Cooking Stone! The middle-priced raclette includes both a granite grill and reversible grill top with eight nonstick raclette trays, meaning you can make what you like however you like it. The large 18″ x 9″ inch grill is great for gatherings, and the adjustable temperature allows you to cook all your food to perfection. The granite top also has a divot around all sides to catch some grease instead of a completely smooth top.

Since the Milliard comes with the granite and metal grill as well as wooden spatulas for each raclette tray, no additional purchases are needed for you to start grilling. I hope these raclette grill reviews have helped you choose your new grill!

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