Hotpots & pots
Hotpots & Pots
Hotpot cooking is central to Japanese winter dining culture, bringing people together around a shared pot at the centre of the table. Shabu-shabu, sukiyaki, oden, chanko nabe and countless regional variations all follow the same principle: a vessel filled with seasoned broth, placed over heat at the table, and cooked incrementally as people eat. The result is a sociable, unhurried meal that builds in flavour as the evening progresses and suits any group from two to ten.
The right pot is essential to this experience. For shabu-shabu, a wide, relatively shallow stainless pot allows maximum surface area for cooking thin slices of beef and vegetables. For sukiyaki, a cast iron pan is traditional, its heat retention allows the sweet soy sauce mixture to bubble and caramelise without burning. For oden, a deep pot with a tight-fitting lid is needed to hold the variety of ingredients at a steady simmer for several hours. Donabe clay pots are used for mizutaki and other lighter hotpot styles, and their natural insulating properties keep the contents at temperature beautifully.
The donabe collection here includes pieces from several styles and regional traditions. Mie Prefecture's Iga clay is considered the finest for donabe production, producing pots with exceptional heat resistance and the ability to be used directly on a gas flame. The Mishima, Ruri and Tokusa patterns represent different aesthetic approaches, from understated to richly decorated, but all share the same structural quality.
Pairing a good pot with a portable gas burner from Iwatani transforms any dining table into a hotpot station, which is exactly how these dishes are meant to be eaten.
Discover more in our subcategories:
Discover our shabu-shabu collection for everything you need to cook at the table, or browse sukiyaki essentials.
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