Hamptons Lane is a monthly subscription that sends gourmet foods and kitchen tools. They release a new box every month based around a theme, and you can opt out if it isn’t for you.
This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
The Subscription Box: Hamptons Lane
The Cost: $47 a month (with the option to skip any month).
ACTIVE DEAL: Save $10 off your first box
CODE: Subscription10
The Products: Artisan food products centered around a new theme each month.
Ships to: U.S. only, with extra shipping costs for Alaska and Hawaii.
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February's theme is "Fondue Party"!
Hamptons Lane includes a booklet that details all of the items included in the box.
The booklet also contains loads of recipes and cooking tips. This month has recipes for 'traditional' cheese and chocolate fondues, as well as a pizza fondue -- and even a breakfast fondue!
I love that the booklet was full of so many out of the box ideas for how to use my new fondue pot!
I also received a card promoting the add-on items for this box.
Now onto the items!
IMUSA Fondue Set - Retail $30, on sale for $24 (On Amazon for $42)
The hero item this month is no big surprise: it's a fondue pot! (This is currently sold out at Hamptons Lane.)
This is the second month that the featured item was cheaper on the Hamptons Lane website compared to Amazon, too.
This 11 piece set comes with 6 fondue forks with colored tips and everything else you need:
It does not come with fuel, but the instructions give you a few easy options, like denatured alcohol.
I love the bright red - this will be a great centerpiece for the appetizer table at our next party.
The instruction booklet for the fondue pot was really thorough, in case you've never done fondue before. It came with even more recipes!
Let's check out the other included ingredients and get cooking:
World Spice Poudre Forte, 2 oz - Value $4.50
You could smell this fragrant blend right away when opening the box! Poudre Forte includes ground cinnamon, ginger, peppercorn, grains of paradise, and cloves.
This 2 oz bag should last a long time because this stuff is strong!
The included recipe book uses a touch of this for traditional cheese fondue and a spicy chocolate fondue, but I thought it sounded best as part of the sweet maple syrup breakfast fondue. Wouldn't it be perfect for dipping french toast bites?
City Saucery 'nduja, 8 oz - Value $7.50
I sampled a bit on bread while we were cooking up our fondue and really enjoyed it. This piquant tomato chili sauce has the consistency of a spread, and was savory and not too spicy. This would be a great pesto alternative for a quick pasta dinner.
The included recipes this month use 'nduja to add a bit of spice to some of the fondue variations.
(I had some on eggs this morning and it was equally delicious)
Nuts.com Butterscotch Chips, .2 pounds - Value $1
I know these are for a sweet fondue recipe, but I probably could have eaten the whole bag on their own. They are pretty straightforward butterscotch flavored chips:
I'm thinking about including them with my next batch of homemade granola (added at the end after it cools) for a nice treat!
As much as I like the idea of fondue, it's definitely got more of a 'retro romantic dinner' or 'party food' vibe, so I wasn't sure how to fit it into our normal routine at first. My husband can't eat a lot of dairy and my toddler loves pizza, so in the end we whipped up a quick dinner of pizza fondue!
I actually had all the ingredients I needed to to make the sauce on hand already (forgot to add the dried basil to this shot):
The sauce simmers and reduces for about 30 minutes before you stir in the cheese and serve. We ate our fondue with baguette slices and some of our favorite pizza toppings: turkey meatballs and olives!
This was a huge hit with our toddler! Since he was super interested in this, we opted not to use the fuel or the base in this case to prevent a potential accident or spill.
(Yes, we often eat dinner standing at the kitchen counter. #momlife)
So much fun! The final dish wasn't exactly culinary genius, but it was quick and fun for a weeknight dinner. The nonstick surface made for quick and easy cleanup, too.
We're excited to use this set again with guests for our son's upcoming birthday party next month! And I haven't hosted brunch in awhile but I am looking for the perfect reason to try the breakfast fondue recipe.
Verdict: Depending on the price you use for the fondue set itself, the total value of the items in this box ranges from $33-$55, which seems to be the price range that Hamptons Lane regularly falls into. The hero item this month was great, and I think they included a great range of ingredients and recipe ideas to help you think outside the box when it comes to fondue. Like last month, the ingredients are high quality and from brands I might not have found on my own. Since Hamptons Lane makes it easy to swap or skip any given month, I still think this is a good subscription to consider if you're trying to grow your arsenal of kitchen tools and gadgets, while getting some great ideas and inspiration for using them at the same time.
What do you think of this month’s box from Hamptons Lane? Have you ever had a fondue party?
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