Warm up this winter with the best electric hot pots that are perfect for stewing and grilling all sorts of Japanese dishes.
Growing up in Japan, there was no better way to take the chill off of a cold winter’s evening than making some delicious hot pot. Classic Japanese specialties like Mizore Nabe and Miso Nikomi Udon have a special place in my heart — and, luckily, thanks to the best electric hot pots, it’s not too difficult to recreate these cozy, yummy dishes right at home!
If you’re new to this style of cooking, it can be hard to know how to shop for an electric hot pot. That’s why I’ve scoured the market to curate this list of the best electric hot pots. After figuring out what I like most about my favorite electric hot pot (the Zojirushi EP-RAC50), I took a look at some of the most popular models and read through customer reviews to find other great options.
Ahead, check out the best electric hot pots to make delicious hot pot from the comfort of your own kitchen!
My Top Picks:
- What’s in My Kitchen: Zojirushi EP-RAC50 Gourmet d’Expert Electric Skillet – $163.99 at Amazon
- Best Budget: Aroma Housewares ASP-137 Grillet Electric Indoor Grill – $31.10 at Amazon
- Best Multi-Bowl: Aroma Housewares ASP-610 Dual-Sided Shabu Hot Pot – $63.18 at Walmart
- Best for Grilling: Food Party DUO Electric Smokeless Grill and Hot Pot – $109.99 at Amazon
- Best Portable Electric Hot Pot: Proctor Silex Adjustable Temperature Hot Pot Electric Kettle – $21.99 at Walmart
Reviews of The Best Electric Hot Pots
1. What’s in My Kitchen: Zojirushi EP-RAC50 Gourmet d’Expert Electric Skillet
Since purchasing this electric hot pot back in 2021, it has more than earned its place among my go-to cooking appliances. It’s a jack of all trades — I love that it can make nabe (hot pot) dishes, grill up meat and okonomiyaki (cabbage pancake), and even steam dumplings and buns.
I most often use mine for hot pot parties with friends, where it’s fed up to six people with ease. The clear lid makes monitoring cooking progress easy, and when I’m done cooking, its inner pans come out easily for cleaning. (Just be careful not to use metal or harsh cleaners on the non-stick finish!) And, like all Zojirushi products I’ve owned, this electric hot pot is super durable. So far, I absolutely love how well-designed and built it is.
The Specs:
- Temperature Range: 176°F (keep warm) to 480°F
- Material: Nonstick-coated stainless steel
- Dimensions: 15 x 17.5 x 8.125 inches (with pan)
- Capacity: 3 quarts
The Pros:
- Can finely adjust temperature
- Easy to use and clean
- Clear lid allows monitoring of cooking progress
- Durable construction
The Cons:
- Expensive
- Some reviewers noted that non-stick pan coating may scratch
What Others are Saying:
Beyond being my favorite electric hot pot, this Zojirushi model has a solid 4.7-star rating from more than 800 Amazon reviews.
Buy the Zojirushi EP-RAC50 Gourmet d’Expert Electric Skillet:
2. Best Budget Electric Hot Pot: Aroma Housewares ASP-137 Grillet Electric Indoor Grill
If it’s simple functionality you’re after, the ASP-137 model from Aroma Housewares is a great choice that won’t break the bank. While it doesn’t have all the bells and whistles featured in my favorite Zojirushi model, it still features a great aluminum cooking pan that can steam, stew, and grill (it even makes sears in grill marks!). With a temperature range from 300 degrees F to 450 degrees F, it can get really hot, but may not be the best option if you want to keep foods warm for long periods. That being said, I also love that all of the cooking surfaces are detachable and dishwasher-safe.
The Specs:
- Temperature Range: 300°F to 450°F
- Material: Cast aluminum
- Dimensions: 12.8 x 13.38 x 7 inches
- Capacity: 3 quarts
The Pros:
- Versatile
- Easy to clean
- Affordable
- Automatic shut off feature for safety
The Cons:
- Relatively small capacity
- No steaming function
What Others are Saying:
The Aroma Housewares ASP-137 Grillet Electric Indoor Grill has a 4.5-star rating on Amazon from more than 6,100 reviews.
Buy the Aroma Housewares ASP-137 Grillet Electric Indoor Grill:
3. Best Multi-Bowl: Aroma Housewares ASP-610 Dual-Sided Shabu Hot Pot
If you’re primarily looking to use your new appliance for hot pot, soups, and stews, the dual-sided ASP-610 from Aroma Housewares may be your best bet. It’s a unique model since the pot is evenly divided down the middle into two separate compartments, allowing you to heat two broths at once. This feature is particularly useful if you’re cooking for a crowd that has different dietary preferences or tolerances for spice.
It has a decent capacity of five quarts total (2.5 per side), which means it should be able to serve a decently sized group without the need for regular refills. The pot itself is removable and dishwasher-safe, making cleanup after your next hot pot party a snap.
The Specs:
- Temperature Range: Low, medium, or high
- Material: Stainless steel
- Dimensions: 12.88 x 16.13 x 8.63 inches
- Capacity: 5 quarts
The Pros:
- Can cook two different hot pot broths at once
- Heats up quickly
- Easy to clean surfaces which contact food in dishwasher
- Large capacity good for sizeable groups
- Clear lid allows for easy monitoring of cooking progress
The Cons:
- Not designed to grill or steam
- Less temp control than some other choices
- Divider cannot be removed
What Others are Saying:
Delish named this dual-sided model their top overall pick among electric hot pots, and it has a 4.6-star rating on Amazon.
Buy the Aroma Housewares ASP-610 Dual-Sided Shabu Hot Pot:
4. Best for Grilling: Food Party DUO Electric Smokeless Grill and Hot Pot
Sometimes I can’t decide whether I want to grill or make a hot pot, but this grill-and-hot-pot duo would be the perfect solution. Using the ring-shaped grilling plate, you can sear up your meat and vegetables, or pop them into one of the two central bowls to stew them in a flavorful broth. Either way, you’ve got a tasty treat and a fun activity to share with friends and family.
I’m a huge fan of the fact that the temperature of the grill and bowl can be controlled separately, so you can dial each to the perfect temperature. When you’re done, the entire cooking surface can be removed for easy hand-wash cleaning.
The Specs:
- Temperature Range: Dial control
- Material: Metal
- Dimensions: 15 x 18 x 6 inches
- Capacity: Can hold up to 2 liters of liquid
The Pros:
- Grill and make hot pot simultaneously in one device
- Separate grill and pot controls make customizing heat levels easy
- Comes with accessoriesRemovable cooking surface is easy for cleaning
The Cons:
- Bulky and potentially difficult to store
- Not dishwasher safe
What Others are Saying:
The Spruce Eats dubbed this model the best hot pot for grilling.
Buy the Food Party DUO Electric Smokeless Grill and Hot Pot:
5. Best Portable Electric Hot Pot: Proctor Silex Adjustable Temperature Hot Pot Electric Kettle
When I’m traveling for work or pleasure, I often miss the comforts of home cooking, including my electric hot pot. Luckily, this portable hot pot exists, which means you can take a bit of that home comfort on the road with you. It’s lightweight (1.8 pounds) and has a small footprint that allows you to easily fit into a suitcase or backpack.
While its capacity is correspondingly small at just 1 quart, that should be more than enough to meet the needs of one person, especially since it also functions as an electric kettle. You can use it to make your morning coffee, heat up soup, or warm up broth for instant noodles or, of course, a personal mini hot pot.
The Specs:
- Temperature Range: 6 temperature settings (warm to boil)
- Material: Plastic
- Dimensions: 6.5 x 9 x 6.7 inches
- Capacity: 32 ounces
The Pros:
- Tiny footprint and lightweight
- Removable lid makes cleaning easy
- Spout allows for clean pouring of liquids
- 6 heat settings allow precise control
- Inexpensive
The Cons:
- Opaque lid makes it hard to monitor cooking progress
What Others are Saying:
This model was named the best portable electric hot pot by Good Housekeeping. It also has a 4.4-star rating from more than 2,600 Amazon buyers.
Buy the Proctor Silex Adjustable Temperature Hot Pot Electric Kettle:
Other Electric Hot Pots to Consider
Aroma Stainless Steel Hot Pot, Silver (ASP-600)
This hotpot from Aroma is pretty similar to the ASP-610, with one major exception — how the pot sections are divided. In this version, there’s one small pot in the center surrounded by a larger circular pot. While reviews say this bullseye-like design works plenty well, I’m personally partial to splitting the pot down the middle so that you have equal amounts of both broths, and you’re less likely to spill broth from one section into the other. The Aroma Stainless Steel Hot Pot (ASP-600), 5-Quart is available at Amazon for $62.15.
Topwit Electric Pot
This affordable little hot pot has good ratings, but I think there are more functional choices available for just a bit more money that can cook a larger volume and have more heat settings (I’d personally suggest the Aroma Housewares ASP-137 Grillet). The Topwit Electric Pot, 1.5-Liter is available at Amazon for $23.99.
Aroma Housewares AMC-130 Whatever Pot
As mentioned earlier, Aroma makes some great electric hot pots. This compact option, however, leaves some things to be desired compared to its larger counterparts. It can develop hot spots that lead to uneven cooking at high temperatures, plus it’s a bit more expensive than other picks on my list. The Aroma Housewares AMC-130 Whatever Pot is available at Amazon for $54.79.
SPT Shabu-Shabu & Multi-Cooker
A top pick for multi-purpose functionality, this electric hot pot comes with a lot of accessories. It’s also relatively affordable, considering its quality stainless steel construction. However, it has a lower average Amazon rating than any of my top picks, and reviewers note that it tends to have hot spots while cooking. Additionally, it doesn’t have a particularly impressive capacity at 3 quarts, and I think most people will be better off looking at other models. The SPT Shabu-shabu & Multi-Cooker is available at Amazon for $47.25
Why You Can Trust Me
I’ve been cooking and eating Japanese hot pot (nabemono), one of my favorite cold-weather meals, since I was a child. Today, I keep those childhood memories alive and make new ones with my friends and family by cooking hot pot and teppanyaki in my home. Over the years, I’ve developed an appreciation for what makes a great hot pot, including ease of use, durability, and functionality.
Everything to Know Before Buying an Electric Hot Pot
What to Consider Before Buying an Electric Hot Pot
Here are some factors you should look out for when purchasing an electric hot pot.
Use: The first thing to consider when shopping for an electric hot pot is what you want to cook with it. Do you intend to cook exclusively hot pot and stews? Or do you also want to be able to grill or even steam with your new appliance? Electric hot pots tend to have a few different functionalities, like grilling, warming, searing, and more.
Capacity: Do you need just enough for you, or you and a friend? Or do you intend to have hot pot parties with many guests? If it’s just you or two people altogether, one or two quarts capacity will probably suffice. If you’re doing hot pot with a group, you’ll probably want at least 3 quarts capacity and maybe up to 5 quarts.
Cleaning: Some of the picks on my list have dishwasher-safe parts, but there are others that require hand-washing only. You should take your cleaning preferences into account before clicking ‘add to cart.’
What Is a Hot Pot?
Hot pot is a popular style of cooking that originated in China over two thousand years ago. It’s when vegetables, meats, or seafood, generally thinly sliced, are cooked in hot broth by diners right at their own table.
In Japan, where it is known as nabemono, it has become a staple of winter meals with family and friends. Nabemono (often called simply nabe) is typically made with a base of dashi (a kombu, bonito, and mushroom broth) in a donabe (土鍋), or heavy ceramic pot, over an open flame.
These days, electric hot pots that use metal bowls have replaced the combination of donabe with open flame in many households. While they’re not the most traditional approach, I find that these electric hot pots work quite well since they’re easy to use and heat up quickly.
What Can You Put in a Hot Pot?
One of the great things about nabe is that the dish allows endless versatility and creativity when it comes to its ingredients. While the broth is typically a dashi, which is a traditional Japanese formula made using kombu (seaweed), bonito (dried fish) flakes, and dried mushrooms, it can be enhanced with any number of ingredients including sake, mirin, and even soy milk.
As for what to cook in that broth, common ingredients include:
- Protein: Thinly sliced beef (brisket, short rib, ribeye, sirloin, or flank steak), pork (loin or belly), chicken, or fish (usually white or salmon, shrimp, or fish cakes)
- Tofu: Usually firm and sometimes grilled or fried
- Vegetables: Cabbage, carrot, daikon, sweet corn, lotus root, sweet potatoes, green onions, and shungiku (chrysanthemum greens)
- Mushrooms: Shiitake, shimeji, enoki, or king oyster, can add umami and satisfying textures to your nabe
- Rice or noodles: Usually consisting of udon, a type of noodle, a grain will make sure everyone is full and make the most of the flavorful broth
How Do You Clean an Electric Hot Pot?
This will depend on the specific model and the cleaning instructions provided by the manufacturer. Most models that I recommended above require hand washing, but a handful have parts that can be removed and put in the dishwasher.
In any case, if you want your electric hot pot to have a long life, I’d recommend treating yours with care and avoiding the use of harsh detergents, sharp utensils, or tough sponges with them. All of these can negatively impact the longevity of your hot pot, particularly any non-stick finishes.
Does an Electric Hot Pot Work Like a Regular Hot Pot?
Hot pot in Japan is traditionally cooked in a donabe (土鍋), or heavy ceramic pot, over fire fueled by charcoal or (more recently) gas. In recent decades, hot pots with built-in metal bowls heated by electricity have gained popularity as a cleaner alternative to traditionally fuelled hot pot.
That’s great news for home cooks because it means that they can easily make hot pot indoors in their homes without worrying about carbon monoxide or smoke. In terms of functionality, I’ve found that electric hot pots work just as well as their fuel-burning counterparts and, in some cases, heat up faster.
The Best Hot Pot Recipes
Once you’ve purchased your new electric hot pot, you can try out some of my favorite hot pot recipes! Check them out below.
- Yosenabe: ‘Anything Goes’ Hot Pot
- Mizutaki (Chicken Hot Pot)
- Tsukune Hot Pot (Chicken Ball Hot Pot)
- Soy Milk Hot Pot
- Mizore Nabe: Hot Pot with Grated Daikon
Prices were accurate at time of publication.
