Fondue is popular at parties, but you'll find that a lot of people really don't know what it is. Fondue is a Swish dish that usually is a semi-liquid cheese sauce served in an earthenware pot over a small burner, but it doesn't always have to be cheese and it doesn't have to be served in a pot.

Where cheese fondue can be a main meal, where guests dip cubes of bread or other food into the fondue, chocolate fondue is a great dessert piece that you can serve with many different foods to dip.

To make things a little fancy, a fondue fountain is a great choice. These are quite popular at some wedding receptions, baby showers, and birthday parties.

If you're still trying to figure out what you can melt to make fondue, the most popular choices are cheese, meat, and dessert. The meat fondues are generally some kind of boiling fat, bouillon, or sauce that people can dip cubes of chicken, turkey, beef, or pork into the fondue pot. The dessert fondue can be chocolate (most popular), marshmallow, honey, coconut, or caramel.

If you're thinking about purchasing a fondue fountain, you'll definitely want to consider the following, as they'd be great for formal parties, weddings, and just about any occasion that you want to have something a little different. Fondue fountains make great centerpieces, but provide a warm sauce for your snacks.

The Wilton Pro Fountain has three tiers that warm chocolate fondue can flow. The Pro Fountain can hold up to four pounds of melted chocolate that will definitely serve many guests at your party to dip cookies, bananas, strawberries, cherries, pretzels, marshmallows, or anything else that you'd think would taste good with chocolate. This fondue fountain is easy to use and clean, and if you're looking for your first fondue fountain, this is it. All you need is a sponge and soapy water, so that after the party, you can gently wash the machine clean. There's no hassle.

The Sephra Fondue Fountain comes in a 16 and 19 inch model, and for more options, you can opt for the stainless steel, cherry red, or brushed stainless steel and black colors. You can get the one that best fits your decor and preference. The 16 inch model is perfect for small parties. This product is dishwasher safe, which means you don't have to hand wash them after your gathering. This one is easy to disassemble and wash, and it can run for two to three hours without any problems.

If you're just looking for a small fondue fountain, this one is for you. It holds up to two pounds of chocolate. It has an elegant and stylish look that works perfect for parties, birthdays, weddings, fundraisers, or anything else where you'd want to get a few people together. This is a two tiered auger fountain that carries the chocolate to the top of the tower where it flows down each tier for a nice presentation. This mini fondue fountain assembles and disassembles quickly and is easy to clean. You even get a 90 day warranty.

Holding two pounds of chocolate, so the Rival fondue fountain is a mini fondue fountain that is great for small parties. This model has separate heat and motor settings that runs with relatively no noise. The product is dishwasher safe which helps reduce your dishes in the sink. Rival offers a one year limited warranty. Your guests will love the design and look of the flowing chocolate as they dip their fruits, cookies, and pretzels in the chocolate.