Fondue Party Size Reference
Guest count, cross-referenced against ingredient quantities, pot size, fork count, and burner fuel — every figure below comes straight from the site’s own calculators.
Cheese fondue (main course): ingredients by guest count
| Guests | Cheese | Bread cubes | Vegetables (blanched, for dipping) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 400g | 300g | 200g |
| 4 | 800g | 600g | 400g |
| 6 | 1200g | 900g | 600g |
| 8 | 1600g | 1200g | 800g |
| 10 | 2000g | 1500g | 1000g |
| 12 | 2400g | 1800g | 1200g |
| 16 | 3200g | 2400g | 1600g |
| 20 | 4000g | 3000g | 2000g |
Chocolate fondue (dessert): ingredients by guest count
| Guests | Chocolate | Fruit & dippers |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 170g | 300g |
| 4 | 340g | 600g |
| 6 | 510g | 900g |
| 8 | 680g | 1200g |
| 10 | 850g | 1500g |
| 12 | 1020g | 1800g |
| 16 | 1360g | 2400g |
| 20 | 1700g | 3000g |
Hot pot (main course): ingredients by guest count
| Guests | Broth | Protein (meat/seafood) | Vegetables | Noodles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 600ml | 500g | 300g | 200g |
| 4 | 1200ml | 1000g | 600g | 400g |
| 6 | 1800ml | 1500g | 900g | 600g |
| 8 | 2400ml | 2000g | 1200g | 800g |
| 10 | 3000ml | 2500g | 1500g | 1000g |
| 12 | 3600ml | 3000g | 1800g | 1200g |
| 16 | 4800ml | 4000g | 2400g | 1600g |
| 20 | 6000ml | 5000g | 3000g | 2000g |
Pot size & fork count by guest count
| Guests | Cheese pot | Chocolate pot | Hot pot pot | Forks (with spare) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 750ml | 500ml | 1000ml | 5 |
| 4 | 1250ml | 750ml | 2000ml | 10 |
| 6 | 2000ml | 1000ml | 2750ml | 14 |
| 8 | 2500ml | 1250ml | 3750ml | 19 |
| 10 | 3250ml | 1500ml | 4750ml | 23 |
| 12 | 3750ml | 1750ml | 5500ml | 28 |
| 16 | 5000ml | 2250ml | 7500ml | 37 |
| 20 | 6250ml | 2750ml | 9250ml | 46 |
Pot sizes are each style’s own recommended capacity at a safe two-thirds maximum fill, computed from that style’s per-guest liquid amount (200ml cheese, 85ml chocolate, 300ml hot pot broth). Fork counts include the calculator’s default 15% spare buffer and don’t vary by style — see the fork count calculator directly if you’re running more than one course.
Burner fuel: canisters needed (170g canister)
| Event length | low flame | medium flame | high flame |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5h | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2h | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 3h | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Canister counts don’t scale with guest count directly — they depend on flame level and event length. A larger table run at a higher flame to hold a bigger pot’s temperature will need the higher-flame column’s canister count, not the guest-count row on the tables above.
Why this page is never out of sync with the calculators
Every number above is produced by calling the same fonduePortionPlanner(), fonduePotSize(), fondueForkCount(), and fondueFuelBurnTime()functions that power the site’s six calculators — this page holds no separately maintained numbers of its own. The ingredient quantities come directly from the portion planner’s own per-guest figures. Each style’s pot size is derived by feeding that same style’s primary liquid amount (whichever ingredient the portion planner lists first for a given style — cheese, chocolate, or broth) into the pot size calculator, rather than a separately chosen number. Fork counts and fuel canister counts come from direct calls to their own calculators at this page’s reference guest counts, event lengths, and flame levels.
That matters practically, not just as an implementation detail: if any of the underlying calculators’ defaults or rounding ever change, this reference page’s tables update automatically the next time it’s built, rather than silently drifting out of step with the tools it’s meant to summarize.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do the numbers on this page come from?
Every figure on this page is computed by calling the exact same functions behind the site's cheese/chocolate/hot pot portion planner, pot size calculator, fork count calculator, and fuel burn-time calculator — nothing here is a separately maintained table. If those calculators' math ever changes, this page's numbers change with them automatically.
Why does the pot size differ between cheese, chocolate, and hot pot at the same guest count?
Pot size is driven by how much liquid each style actually needs per guest — 200ml of cheese, 85ml of chocolate, or 300ml of broth — fed into the same pot size calculator that keeps a two-thirds maximum fill level. Hot pot's broth-heavy format needs the largest pot at any given guest count; chocolate's smaller dessert portion needs the smallest.
Why doesn't the fork count change between cheese, chocolate, and hot pot?
The two-forks-per-guest etiquette rule is about how many guests are dipping into a pot, not what's in it, so this page computes fork count once per guest count rather than once per style. If you're serving more than one course, use the fork count calculator directly — its "courses" setting accounts for running multiple pots in one evening.
Why does the fuel table not scale with guest count?
Burner fuel consumption is driven by flame level and how long the burner stays lit, not directly by how many guests are eating — a bigger pot for a larger table may need a higher flame to hold its temperature, but the fuel calculator's inputs are event length and flame level rather than guest count. Use the fuel burn-time calculator directly if a larger pot needs a higher flame than the defaults here assume.
Reference figures only — every table above uses each calculator’s own defaults. Use the calculators directly to adjust per-guest amounts, fill ratios, courses, or fuel type for your own event.
Use it with
- Fondue & Hot Pot Portion Planner — adjust guest count and meal style directly instead of reading off a fixed row.
- Fondue Pot Size Calculator — set your own per-guest liquid volume and fill ratio.
- Fondue Fork & Skewer Count Calculator — model multiple courses and a custom spare buffer.
- Fondue Fuel Burn-Time Calculator — plug in your actual canister size and flame level.
- How to Host a Safe Fondue Evening — the safety guide this sizing reference is meant to support.