If your fondue has ever gone from dreamy and glossy to oily, stringy, or weirdly clumpy in the pot, the cheese is usually the reason. Not just the type, either – the blend. The best cheese for fondue is almost never a single cheese doing all the work. It is a team effort, and once you know which cheeses bring melt, flavor, and stability, homemade fondue gets a whole lot easier.

Fondue should feel a little festive and a lot low-stress. You want that smooth, savory swirl that coats bread without turning into glue five minutes later. So let’s talk about which cheeses are actually worth grating, which combinations taste the best, and how to choose a blend that fits your crowd.

What is the best cheese for fondue?

For most home cooks, the best cheese for fondue is a mix of Gruyere and Emmental. That classic pairing gives you the balance that fondue needs. Gruyere brings the nutty, salty, rich flavor. Emmental softens the sharpness and adds that mellow, buttery melt that keeps the whole pot from tasting too heavy.

If you want one answer and not ten caveats, start there. A half-and-half blend is dependable, crowd-pleasing, and close to the traditional Swiss style most people picture when they think of cheese fondue.

That said, there is some wiggle room. If you like a bolder, deeper cheese flavor, use more Gruyere. If you want a milder fondue for a mixed group or family night, lean a little more on Emmental. The best choice depends on whether you want your fondue cozy and subtle or rich with a little bite.

Why blends work better than a single cheese

Listen, I get it – using one cheese sounds easier. But fondue is one of those dishes where the blend really matters.

Some cheeses melt beautifully but taste mild. Others have fantastic flavor but can turn greasy or tight when heated. A smart fondue mix solves both problems at once. You are combining cheeses for taste and texture, not just tossing in whatever is in the fridge.

Gruyere and Emmental work because they cover each other’s weak spots. Gruyere gives fondue personality. Emmental keeps it approachable and smooth. That balance is exactly why the pairing has stuck around.

You can absolutely branch out, but the goal stays the same. Pick one cheese that melts cleanly and one that adds depth. Once you think about fondue that way, building your own blend gets much less intimidating.

The best cheeses for fondue, one by one

Gruyere

If fondue had a star player, this would be it. Gruyere is nutty, savory, slightly sweet, and deeply cheesy without being aggressive. It melts well and gives fondue that classic alpine flavor people go back for.

It can make a fondue feel richer and more complex, but on its own it may taste a little intense for some palates. That is why it shines even brighter in a blend.

Emmental

Emmental is the quiet hero. It is mild, buttery, and smooth-melting, which makes it ideal for balancing stronger cheeses. If Gruyere is the flavor engine, Emmental is the texture support.

Used alone, it can feel a little too gentle. In fondue, though, that gentleness is useful. It rounds things out and helps the pot stay mellow and silky.

Fontina

Fontina is a great option if you want something lush and creamy with a softer flavor profile. It melts beautifully and gives fondue a velvety texture that feels especially inviting for American home cooks who want comfort over sharpness.

The trade-off is that it does not have the same classic Swiss character. If tradition matters, use Fontina as part of the blend rather than the whole base.

Appenzeller

This one is punchier, earthier, and more assertive. A little Appenzeller can make fondue taste extra special, especially if you like more depth and funk. It is fantastic for a dinner party crowd that appreciates stronger cheese.

Too much, though, and it can overpower the pot. Think of it as a supporting cheese, not the entire plan.

Raclette

Raclette has that gorgeous melt and a rich, slightly funky flavor that feels made for cold-weather entertaining. It adds body and warmth in a way that is incredibly satisfying.

It is not always the easiest cheese to find depending on where you shop, and the flavor can get heavy if it is the main cheese. Blend it with Gruyere or Emmental for the best results.

Comte

Comte is polished, nutty, and layered, with a flavor that can taste a little fruity or browned-butter-like depending on the age. It is excellent in fondue if you want something elegant and deeply savory.

The downside is price. If you are feeding a crowd, Comte may not be the most budget-friendly choice for the whole pot. But mixed with more accessible cheeses, it can bring a lot of personality.

Cheeses that are not the best fit

Not every melty cheese belongs in fondue. Cheddar can taste great, but it tends to separate more easily and pushes the whole dish toward queso territory. Mozzarella gets stretchy instead of silky. Fresh goat cheese can make the texture chalky. Very aged hard cheeses, like straight Parmesan, add amazing flavor in tiny amounts but do not work as the main base.

That does not mean these cheeses are bad. They are just better in other dishes. Fondue needs smoothness more than drama.

Best cheese blends for different kinds of fondue nights

If you want a classic fondue, do equal parts Gruyere and Emmental. It is reliable, balanced, and exactly what most people hope fondue will taste like.

If you want a richer, more flavor-forward pot, try two parts Gruyere to one part Emmental, plus a little Appenzeller. That blend has more edge and feels ideal for adults gathered around the table with wine and plenty of bread.

If you want creamy and approachable, use Gruyere with Fontina. It is softer, rounder, and especially good if you are serving kids or guests who shy away from funkier cheeses.

If you want a dinner-party version with a little extra flair, mix Gruyere, Comte, and Raclette. It is luxurious without being fussy, and it tastes like you really thought this through.

How to choose the right fondue cheese at the store

Skip pre-shredded cheese if you can. It is often coated with anti-caking agents that can interfere with melting and make the fondue less smooth. Buy blocks and grate them yourself. It takes a few extra minutes and pays you back in texture.

Look for cheeses that feel firm but not dried out. With Gruyere or Emmental, you want good aroma and clean slices, not cracking edges or a sweaty surface. If your store has a cheesemonger, this is a great time to ask for a fondue-friendly wedge.

And if you are watching your budget, blend one pricier cheese with one more affordable one. Fondue does not have to be all luxury cheese to taste fantastic.

How cheese choice affects texture

Here is where fondue gets a little less romantic and a little more useful. The best flavor in the world will not save a fondue that breaks.

You want cheeses with good meltability and enough moisture and fat to turn fluid without separating. Alpine-style cheeses tend to do this well, which is why they show up again and again in fondue recipes. They melt into a cohesive sauce instead of turning rubbery or oily.

Age matters too. A very young cheese may be too bland. A very old cheese can get grainy or stiff when heated. For fondue, the sweet spot is usually a semi-firm, good-melting cheese with developed flavor but not extreme age.

A few easy fondue-saving tips

Even the best cheese for fondue needs a little help. Tossing grated cheese with cornstarch before adding it to the pot can help keep the mixture smooth. Adding the cheese gradually instead of all at once gives it a better chance to melt evenly.

Keep the heat gentle. High heat is where many fondue disasters begin. If the pot gets too hot, the proteins tighten up and the fats separate, and suddenly your cozy dinner has an oil slick on top.

Dry white wine also matters in traditional fondue because its acidity helps the cheese melt more smoothly. If you are making a non-wine version, you will usually want another acidic ingredient in the mix to help with balance and texture.

So what should you actually buy?

If you want the easiest answer, buy Gruyere and Emmental and call it a good night. That combination is classic for a reason, and it gives most home cooks the best shot at a fondue that tastes rich, melts smoothly, and feels special enough for company.

If you want to play a little, add Fontina for creaminess, Appenzeller for punch, Raclette for extra coziness, or Comte for a more layered flavor. Just keep your base grounded in cheeses that melt well and complement each other.

Fondue is one of those dishes that feels a lot fancier than it is. Once you choose the right cheeses, the rest gets much more fun – and a lot more delicious. If you are the kind of cook who loves turning simple ingredients into something everyone talks about after dinner, this is exactly your kind of pot.

The post Best Cheese for Fondue, Explained first appeared on The Faerietale Foodie.

I haven’t given up. However, you don’t need me to give you the lowdown on the latest restaurant openings, bars & cafes etc (though check my Instagram feed for a snapshot of that kind of suff) neither do you need me to write classic recipes. So expect the same sporadic, whimsical whispers, harebrained kitchen concoctions and occasional outbursts of cafe or restaurant love. I hope that’s ok with you.

If I’m honest, I’m more than over the Festive period, far from starving myself this New Year, but relishing throwing myself back into the gym. As always, I’m eagerly anticipating Winter’s proper New Year citrus gift of Blood Oranges. In fact I picked up an early crop at the weekend, just blushing pink at segments edge with reassuring tartness. Sure I’ll shoe-horn them into a few, not necessarily appropriate, recipes the moment I get a proper haul to play with.

Until then, I spent the last few days of the break working and simultaneously pottering around the kitchen – procrastinating you say? Yes, without a doubt.

I got entirely out of any kitchen rhythm towards the second half of the year, travelling, although inspiring, putting me in a situation where I was constantly in catch-up mode, not a state where I can really be bothered to concoct/bake/make a mess.

These fritters were inspired by a wander around the local greengrocers, based entirely on cravings that day, which I summoned by standing static in the centre and thinking, most probably looking vacant while doing so. Turned out these were that. I’m a curious one at times…..

Makes 2-3 portions

250g jerusalem artichokes scrubbed but not peeled

4 shallots

2 tablespoon plain flour

2 tablespoon spelt flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 eggs beaten

100g comte grated

salt & pepper

handful of sage leaves torn

oil for frying

Grate the jerusalem artichokes and shallots together and then squeeze out as much excess water as possible with a teatowell. Add the cheese, eggs, sage, seasoning, flours and baking powder and stir well to combine.

Heat generous oil in a large frying pan then spoon in golf ball sized portions of mixture before flattening with a spatula. Fry for several minutes before turning and squashing again. Fry until the fritters are golden and the cheese has melted and then crisped up again around the edges.

I have no problem serving these for lunch with avocado, even thought’s 2016 now. I served for dinner another day with a sort of spicy peperonata.

The post Jerusalem Artichoke, Comte, Shallot & Sage Fritters first appeared on The Faerietale Foodie.

Gosh, but it’s taken me an age to spit out a new blog post, hasn’t it?!

Believe me then, that this is worth the effort.

Sage Appliances sent me a waffle maker (cheers guys!) – so you can only imagine the long list of ideas I had managed to scrawl down in the time between their email offer and delivery of the very beast itself. The list including nothing so pedestrian as to contain anything requiring merely ‘waffle batter’. No, the common or garden waffle has never held much appeal to me; being neither my beloved bread nor interesting enough as a sweet option to really sway me. However the sampling of a corn bread version at Notting Hill’s Egg Break had me all of the curious…..

Inevitably then, it was a corn bread waffle that was to be the first I tried, incorporating sweetcorn, plenty of cheddar, spring onions and chills, it was a pretty good example of a savoury waffle, IMHO, which I served with avocado and bacon. Guacamole might have been preferable had I any inclination to make it.

Next I fancied sweet potato, muscovado sugar and jalapeño waffles, made with spelt flour. Typically, I teased out the sweet/savoury pairing, serving with spicy mini chorizos and plenty of drizzled honey. With butter. Salted.

Spelt & pecan, banana bread waffles were screaming out for streaky bacon & butter, whilst banana, tahini and cardamom ones were a solid pairing for the rhubarb and blood orange jam I made at one of Newton & Pott‘s classes.

Then, I had an idea that pushed all others aside whilst I furiously grated potato and shallots and cheese. It occurred to me that this waffle maker was merely a great, non stick, squishing and heating device similar to a toastie maker, simply waffle in shape. I’d wager you could make mighty fine rosti or hash browns etc etc

Turns out, I was not remotely the first person to come to this conclusion, as a swift googling will always and quickly reveal. Hey ho.

However it is really as simple as I’d hoped. The machine I have is quite deep and my first attempt taught me that you need to stuff the middles full, if not all the way to the edges, in order to get an even pressure on both sides. Other than that it was as simple as mixing everything together, and sandwiching for a good few minutes.

Below was simply potato, shallot, a spoonful of butter and comte with seasoning and below that, a messy version for brunch with chilli fried egg and smoked sausage. Sweet potato also a good variation.

It’s fair to say I’ve yet to exhaust possibilities but I’m declaring the following my pièce de résistance.

Potato, Wild Garlic & Pistachio Pesto & Gruyere Hash Brown

Grate 3 or 4 baby spuds per person, scrubbed but skin on and then squeeze out as much water as possible using a tea towel over the sink. Grate in a good chunk of Gruyere cheese, to taste. Stir through pesto (I just blitzed together wild garlic with pistachios, olive oil & seasoning) or just chopped wild garlic and a spoon full of melted butter. Heat for a good 7 minutes until the edges are crispy. This is where the Sage machine has a lovely feature to add ‘a bit more’ cooking time until you’re satisfied the waffles/hash browns are perfectly done.

And ta da – what’s not to love about giant, aggressively garlicky, crispy edged, cheese filled hash brown? Nothing is what.

I am WAY more into waffle hash browns than I am into waffles, if that wasn’t clear.

I’m starting to look like a waffle now, so taking a breather whilst a travel a little over the next month or so. If I’m not inspired by my wanderings (unlikely) then I still have, jotted in my notes…

Brown Butter Doughnut Waffles

Funfetti Cake Batter Waffles

Dhaal Brunch Waffles

Nduja and Honey Waffle

Waffle cheese Toastie

Hash Brown Waffle Cheese Toastie

I think you get the gist – I promise, they continue to get more ridiculous…..

The post Hash Brown Waffles with Wild Garlic Pesto & Gruyere first appeared on The Faerietale Foodie.