We’ll get this out of the way, as you might have some questions. Raclette is both a) a type of cow’s milk cheese native to Switzerland that is primarily used for melting and b) the dish that comes from heating the cheese, scraping off the melted part, then eating it on its own or like a civilized person on a piece of bread, vegetables, or whatever else you want to put delicious melted cheese on. In the past, raclette was made by holding the cheese in front of a fire. Now, it is typically made on a tabletop electric grill.
See? We’ve made it to the Partygrill. Basically, the Partygrill is your new favorite raclette maker.
Measuring about 2 feet long, the Partygrill comes with two cast aluminum reversible, non-stick plates (one side is smooth, the other is ribbed), and eight spatulas. You can fit around eight normal-sized burgers on the grill at a time (though in practice four is easier to flip and maintain).
To use the grill, simply let it heat up for about 10 minutes, then go to town. You want burgers and dogs and it’s raining outside? Done. You want to raclette the hell out of your apartment complex? Stop at your favorite cheese store and get ready to roll.
Now, this isn’t the be-all, end-all for indoor grilling. Anything bigger than a burger will take a while to cook, somewhat defeating the point of the Partygrill. Instead, we had success with bite-sized items (beef tips, sausage coins, broccoli florets, etc) as they cooked in just a few minutes and we could rotate out on a consistent basis.
If you’re looking to do both meats and cheese, we suggest doing the meat first, then melting the cheese (remember, it’s a non-stick top, so it’ll slide right off). Our favorite combination? Cooking some bacon, then melting cheese, then pouring the cheese all over the bacon.
Overindulgent? Yes. Totally awesome? You damn right.
Is the Partygrill going to replace your outdoor grill? Not in a million years, we won’t deny that. But would you really want five other people huddled around your grill, poking and prodding things while you’re trying to ensure the chicken wings cook to the right temperature? No. That’s your sacred domain and you should keep it sacred. Instead, move the friends inside and break out the Partygrill.
The Partygrill retails for $99.
