Fountain Of Goop

Put This One In The "Bad Idea" Pile

I've never been a fan of fondue, and even less so now.

A recent trend in buffets and wedding receptions is the chocolate fondue fountain. Instead of a bubbling pot of chocolate over a can of Sterno, you've got a self-heated warmer and a pump, and the liquified chocolate cascades down a series of bowls. You then dip your fruit/cake on a stick in it and eat.

Looks like this:


Now, fondue-in-a-pot isn't the worst idea. Everyone sits around the pot with their long skinny fork/poker and shares in the fun.

The fondue fountain on a buffet line? Not so much. I'm kinda queasy thinking about the inevitable juicy sneeze, the little kids with grubby/snotty fingers scooping out handfuls of chocolate, and also tipsy adults dropping cigarette ashes or who knows what in there.

And, of course, people have to take things to the extreme.

F'rinstance, the caramel fountain. Gotta be a nightmare to clean!!


Then, it just gets silly. Like the eggnog fountain.


And the ranch dressing fountain.


The nacho fountain?


Lastly, the ketchup fountain. *shudder*