Get ready to melt: It’s national chocolate fondue month!

Not that you need an excuse to eat more chocolate—especially with Valentine’s Day around the corner—but it is chocolate fondue month.

And whether you’re looking for a romantic at-home dinner with your loved one or seeking a warm and cheerful way to make it through the final stretch of winter, February is a great time to host a fondue dinner party. But in case you haven’t thought about fondue since the hippie days, here are some tips to help you pull off a fantastic fondue night.

Dust off that old fondue pot—or pick up a new one, like this fantastic electric Cuisinart fondue kit from Macy’s, on sale for $59.99. Considering whipping out the chocolate for Valentine’s Day? We love this adorable red personalized fondue pot (above). You Warm My Heart fondue set, $32.95, personalizationmall.com

Don’t forget the long forks. You can also use long bamboo skewers or even chopsticks. Consider offering each guest an individual ramekin or small bowl to cut back on double-dipping, and keep a mesh strainer ladle on hand to rescue any stray food particles that get lost in the pot.

Don’t have a fondue pot? You can simply melt your chocolate with sweetened condensed milk in a pan on the stovetop instead. You also can make chocolate fondue in a crockpot—and no need for a huge one. This four-quart crockpot from Walmart will do the trick, especially with a rich recipe, like this slow cooker S’mores fondue (with marshmallows) that couldn’t be easier.

Offer a variety of recipes. Keep the sweetness simple, with this two-ingredient chocolate fondue recipe that takes only 10 minutes to pull together. Got Melting Pot envy? This blogger offers recipes to recreate the famous Melting Pot dips.

Serve up some cheese, too. Make it a full meal by serving melted cheese dips before your chocolate. For the rich and hearty, we love this Swiss fondue recipe from Better Homes & Gardens.

Be adventurous with your dippers. Of course, serving bread for the cheese and strawberries and bananas for the chocolate are givens. But also consider cherries, cookie dough bites, Rice Krispie treat squares, waffles, pancakes, wafers, cinnamon toast, candy canes, donuts, caramel candies, potato chips and bacon for the chocolate. Bacon would also work well smothered in cheese.

Other cheese dipper ideas: tortilla chips, tortilla triangles, croissants, sausage chunks, broccoli, green peppers, meatballs, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, ham cubes, roasted potato wedges (or french fry wedges), zucchini, cauliflower and shrimp. Luckily, cheese and chocolate are two of the most versatile dips with a seeming endless list of dip options. Get creative—or ask your guests to bring their favorite dippers and award the most creative.