A pot that sits on a stand over a small burner at the table, keeping its contents hot while diners dip pieces of food on long forks. Cheese fondue is made in a wide, heavy ceramic or enamelled cast iron pot, called a caquelon, which holds the heat evenly and keeps the cheese from scorching. Meat fondue, cooked in hot oil or broth, needs a narrower metal pot that stands high temperatures safely; chocolate fondue uses a small pot over a candle.
The set includes colour-coded forks so each diner finds their own. A cheese fondue is stirred in a figure of eight as it is eaten to keep it smooth, and the crust that forms on the bottom at the end is the prized last bite.