When we tried raclette while visiting in Europe, I knew I wanted one of these for at home. My teenagers were skeptical because they do not like sitting around the table socializing. When I got this grill here is how we handled it: I preheated it and set out these ingredients: a cheese party tray, lunch meats, bacon, a bowl mug of cracked and scrambled raw egg, some mushrooms and other veggies, and a fruit tray. I then told my family that I would leave the grill on and everyone could eat when they were ready and stay at the table only as long as each of them wished. A very low key fix your own eggs at your own timing brunch. My family including the teenagers loved it! After last person ate, turned off grill, waited for it to cool down, and put the top and the pans and scrapers in the dishwasher. Very little work with cleanup.

Heats quickly. All parts are quality made and very easy to clean.

I really wasnt sure what to expect with this Hamilton Beach raclette grill. The reviews made me concerned about the grill not heating or heating unevenly. I was ready for the worst with this because I didnt want to spend double for the grill people were recommending since I will only use the grill maybe once or twice a year. It turns out I was pleasantly surprised.

I have only used the grill for raclette and so I can not write about cooking meats or anything on the top grill. There is one single heating element that winds its way around under the grill plate and so I cant imagine the grill gets that hot. But, boy did it melt the raclette cheese well. Even the slots on the ends cooked well (some reviews mention that the ends are problems). I used the top to keep some items warm and that worked well.

So, if you are looking for a raclette grill from a brand you know, this is a good option. I am not a raclette pro in that I dont make raclette all the time. But, for what I needed, this grill worked very well. And it cleaned up quickly! I hand washed the top plate, but everything else went in the dishwasher. And everyone has had fun with the raclette meals over the holidays which was the point. Now if only raclette cheese wasnt so insanely expensive.....

Liked the nonstick surface, adjustable heat. Very easy setup and cleaning. Workspace is suitable for 4 people, cooking in intervals. We started with our potatoes since they took longest to cook then slowly added our vegetable and meat. Added cheese last. We totally enjoyed the raclette grill, great way to have table conversations and everyone cooking at same time. Glad we purchased this grill. Only con "¦wish grill was a bit bigger.

I was born and raised in Holland, and we call this a "gourmet set" (raclette is actually an entirely different thing, but I won't get into that :)). For the past 20 years I had been telling my wife and kids about it, and finally decided to get a set. There's a bunch of them, and price wise this seemed to be a middle of the road option.

What I'm not sure about is whether 110 volts is not enough to properly heat appliances like these in the US, or if there are fire hazard reasons for keeping the temp down. Growing up in Holland, our gourmet set used to be much hotter than this, so you can actually sear meat/veggies, and it doesn't take 15 minutes to cook a tiny piece of chicken. This set did an OK job at cooking food. It was too bad that it didn't sear the ingredients, but we were able to get past that and enjoy our "gourmet" meal.

Other than that, we've had wonderful meals with this one, and I am very happy to have gotten this one. If it is important to you do have a good sear, then this is not the one for you. I'd say when you plan for your meal, make a couple side dishes so you're not waiting most of the evening for the food to cook.