Andrew James Electric Raclette Hotplate Party Non Stick Grill Machine, Oval Stone Hot Plate Cooks Evenly and Retains Heat, 8 Fondue Cheese Pans and Wooden Spatulas Set, 1200W, Thermostat Control

I first came across the idea of cooking on a hot stone at the table when on holiday in Canada and it was a really fun meal. Never really saw anything suitable to use here until I came across the Andrew James Raclettes. I did take a while to decide which one to purchase and I am so glad I decided to go for the 8 person model as this gives you ample room for cooking.One advantage the raclette has over the hot stones is that it is electric so you are not having to keep reheating the stone - you are in control of the temperature. We were having fish and meat so we had a fondue going too so we could keep the cooking of meat/fish separate.There is a fair bit of prep beforehand. I cut the different meats/fish into small pieces (they cook quicker on the stone) and I had them marinating in different things. As well as marinating the meat/fish there are veggie items to chop/slice and cold meats and cheeses to put out for the raclette trays. Once the prep is done it is just a case of getting everything on the table and letting people do their own selection/cooking.I have to say this is a quality product from a quality supplier. It looks good and it is good. The stone is not dishwasher safe and does require a little effort to clean but it is not too difficult.If you are not familiar with raclette it is not easy to get a cookbook (unless you speak German). If you look closely you will find almost all the raclette books are in German. However, it is not too difficult to work out and a lot of fun to experiment. I did have a fondue book which gave me ideas for marinades for the meat/fish.The one thing I would stress is you need space. The 8 person model is substantial in size but I purchased the mini boards too so everyone used them plus a small plate which helped. Also had the various platters on the table with the meat/fish/veg etc.The favorite seemed to be the little raclette trays that go under the stone. In these you can add meat, sliced veg such as peppers, mushrooms and top with raclette cheese. If you cannot get raclette cheese emmental is a good substitute.It was so enjoyable other family members are looking to buy one too. One warning - keep it out of the reach of tiny fingers. This stone does get and stay very hot. Just common sense really but just make sure any little hands are out of reach.If you are prepared for the prep work it is a lot of fun and you can really relax once everything is on the table.

We have used the raclette a few times now, the children love it to cook their fajitas on. We have had two dinner parties and the guests love it and are going to buy one themselves. Did a starter of Asparagus wrapped in palma ham, which they melted raclette cheese on little dishes that go under the stone. Did meat and prawns on the stone for main with pickles, salads, cous cows and even little apple crumbles and tried baked Alaska on the little trays for the baked alaska used pre cooked meringue then spooned ice cream on the top then topped with uncooked meringue it was delicious, they are not too many recipe books around but once your up and running your imagination can run riot. I found it easy to clean just in hot soapy water, we had a crack in our stone and Andrew James replaced it no quibble great service and very quick delivery.We are going to buy another one so that four people can use the raclette at a time if you have a dinner party for 8.

What a great bit of fun. At first we were cautious to order as some buyers commented on how the plate doesn't get hot enough to cook raw meat? Well they must either have a faulty unit or just doing it wrong - this rocks. Trick is to turn on full heat and leave it (having oiled the stone first) for at least 15 minutes. The stone is very heavy and thick and does need a good warming up first. This is really suited for four people in our view, giving everyone two of the mini trays under for vegetables or cheese. Now the mini trays aren't going to cook raw potatoes but we've found them fine for cherry tomatoes, cheese, peppers etc. The unit is well made and solid, once the stone is off it's incredibly light. Cable is too short though which is annoying. You cant advertise something that potentially serves 8 people and therefore needs to be in the middle of a large table and then attach a 1m cable expecting it to be long enough. Hence no 5 stars.

What a brilliant product!!! This is a fab way to let everyone cook there own food on and all socialise together even my son, who's 11 enjoyed being all grown up cooking his own tea.....we did meat which again you cook to suit your own liking and vegetables, we put different cheese in the holders (these are bigger than I thought they was going to be) and prawns and mmmmmm they tasted lovely. I can't believe how great it is to invite people round for tea and be able to enjoy the whole evening because they cook their own it is great. We found cleaning the hot stone was easy enough as long as you clean it as soon as its cooled down. Now i can wait to use it again!!! I can't praise Andrew James enough especially their customer service as there was an issue with the courier not being able to find my address (it isn't the easiest to find) but I made a phone call to them and they did the rest and kept me informed!!! Brilliant service along with a brilliant product well done - one happy customer!!!!

Love this item. We bought it because we love steak hot rock restaurants and it didnt disappoint. We used it al-fresco in the garden and it was a real treat. Unlike hot rocks its keeps hot for as long as you need it to as its electric. We placed a piece of food on it whilst it was heating up. When the food sizzled we knew it was ready. The pans are great. We added baby potatoes and butter/ cheese and fine sliced peppers and onion.....delicious.Thoroughly recommend this item.Oh and it cleaned up a treat with barely any effort or scrubbing 👍

My daughter has one that she brought to my house to use for dinner one night really enjoyed the experience so decided rather than borrow hers I bought one used last night with visiting friends cooks really well and a very social thing to share so lots of talking and cooking I think my friends are now going to buy one to as they thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience.

Excellent, stone cooks great and cleans easily. The pans are perfectly non stick, cheese just slides off. Very happy

I bought this hot stone grill after a ski-ing holiday when the kids loved cooking their own food at a raclette restaurant. I thought it was very reasonably priced at c. £60. It arrived within a couple of days, much quicker than it said when I placed the order. It is quite large to store in a cupboard and and is a very solid piece of equipment.We have used it for up to 5 people so far and it is definitely big enough to feed everyone. I love the little dishes underneath which we used to cook beans & cheese for the kids and a mixture of onions, peppers & cheese for the adults. Although the stone grill does smoke for a few minutes when you first switch it on and add some oil, this doesn't last long. I find it best to cook a mixture of meats (duck is brilliant as it is quite a fatty meat & helps stops everything else from sticking, especially chicken) and add a little oil with a kitchen roll each time you add new meat.The stone is removable and is very easy to wash - if you soak it for about 10 mins you don't even need to scrub it - and the little dishes are extremely easy to clean. The only one negative is the cable is a bit short and doesn't reach from our table in the centre of the room to the wall socket but this is easily fixed with an extension cable. Overall an excellent product and I would definitely recommend it.