Any Fonduers out there? - 01/13/22 10:04 AM
We have a decades old tradition of doing a fondue meal on New Years Eve but this time around we had an unexpected event. As my wife and I were refilling the burner with fuel (methyl hydrate), the container of fuel exploded.
We were both on fire, which we quickly doused, but the explosion sent burning bits flying across the house, starting a bunch of small fires – seat cushions, carpet, window coverings, et cetera. A couple of things were fortunate. 1) The Christmas tree didn’t catch fire and 2) I have always kept a fire extinguisher in the home. It would have been impossible to put out all the fires without it.
Given that experience, I'd obviously like to change to a less volatile fuel. I see there are different types (gels, et cetera) that look safer but I'd hate to pick the wrong type and find that there isn't enough heat (we cook beef, chicken, pork, vegetables). So, if there are any other fondue fans in our group with experience in different fuels, what do you suggest?
We were both on fire, which we quickly doused, but the explosion sent burning bits flying across the house, starting a bunch of small fires – seat cushions, carpet, window coverings, et cetera. A couple of things were fortunate. 1) The Christmas tree didn’t catch fire and 2) I have always kept a fire extinguisher in the home. It would have been impossible to put out all the fires without it.
Given that experience, I'd obviously like to change to a less volatile fuel. I see there are different types (gels, et cetera) that look safer but I'd hate to pick the wrong type and find that there isn't enough heat (we cook beef, chicken, pork, vegetables). So, if there are any other fondue fans in our group with experience in different fuels, what do you suggest?