A simple, step-by-step tutorial on How to Cook Rice in a Donabe, a Japanese earthenware pot, on the stove. Perfect rice every time!
I’ve been making steamed rice in my reliable rice cooker. Not as fancy as the rice cookers currently available in Japan, but my rice cooker makes good decent rice.
Several years ago when I visited Japan, I had several occasions to eat rice cooked in the donabe at ryokans and rice specialty restaurants, which utterly blew my mind. The rice was unbelievably tender and fluffy – so tasty that I cannot stop thinking about it.
I had eaten rice made in donabe countless times growing up, but this time it made me want to get a donabe that’s specific for cooking rice.
Table of Contents
- What is Donabe?
- Benefits of Cooking Rice in Donabe
- Season Your Donabe Before the First Use
- The Right Rice-to-Water Ratio for Short-Grain White Rice
- How to Cook Japanese Short-Grain White Rice in Donabe
- Donabe Cooking Tips
- My Two Favorite Donabe Rice Cookers
- Other Methods of Cooking Japanese Short-Grain Rice
- More Recipes Using Donabe
What is Donabe?
Made of special clay, donabe is a century-old cooking utensil in Japan. In the modern days, these unique clay pots are most commonly used for hot pot dishes such as Shabu Shabu, but they are essentially a highly versatile tool for everyday cooking.
Donabe is excellent for making soups, stews, and braised dishes, but you can also use it for steaming, roasting, or cooking the most amazing rice you’ve ever had. It holds heat exceptionally, which makes it an ideal vessel for cooking dishes that require liquid and long cooking.
Donabe is essentially the ultimate one-pot wonder and I believe it also has the best capability in cooking rice. In today’s recipe, I’m using a donabe rice cooker, which is specifically designed just for cooking rice.
Benefits of Cooking Rice in Donabe
The taste and texture of the rice are everything, but here are other things to consider.
- Simply put, rice cooked in donabe is DELICIOUS.
- The pot is designed to retain heat and moisture.
- Simple, rustic, and gorgeous tableware to serve your rice in.
- Easy to use and maintain.
Cooking rice with a handmade donabe also brings a more profound and more sacred experience. A high-quality donabe is not cheap, but it’s the best rice cooker your money can buy! The donabe cooks your rice perfectly and keeps your food so warm that you know it will be your life-long companion in the kitchen.
Season Your Donabe Before the First Use
I’ve shared a detailed step-by-step guide on how to care for your donabe. It’s incredibly useful to read through, so your precious earthenware pot can last you for a lifetime.
The Right Rice-to-Water Ratio for Short-Grain White Rice
The Japanese golden ratio for white rice to water is 1 to 1.1 (or 1.2).
The plastic rice cooker cup that comes with the rice cooker is ¾ cup (180 ml). In Japan, this amount is called ichi go (一合). Here’s how much room-temperature water you need for each rice cooker cup of Japanese short-grain white rice when you follow the 1-to-1.1 (or 1.2) ratio:
1 rice cooker cup (180 ml) = add 200 ml of water
2 rice cooker cups (360 ml) = 400 ml
3 rice cooker cups (540 ml) = 600 ml
4 rice cooker cups (720 ml) = 800 ml
5 rice cooker cups (900 ml) = 1000 ml
Calculation: 180 ml x 1.1 (or 1.2) = 198 ml (or 216 ml)
How to Cook Japanese Short-Grain White Rice in Donabe
The Ingredients You’ll Need
- Japanese short-grain white rice
- Water (at room temperature)
The Cooking Steps
- Measure the Rice: Overfill your rice cooker cup (or US measuring cup) with uncooked rice, then level it off.
- Wash and Rinse: Start with an initial quick rinse, followed by washing and rinsing the rice three times. See the recipe card for my detailed step-by-step instructions and photos.
- Drain Well: Drain the rice very well in a fine-mesh sieve and shake off any excess water.
- Add Water: Add the drained rice and the measured water to the inner pot of your rice cooker.
- Soak the Rice: Very important! Soak the rice for at least 20–30 minutes.
- Set the Donabe on the Gas Stovetop: Make sure to dry the bottom of your donabe with a towel.
- Cook: Cook the rice over medium-high heat for 13-15 minutes.
- Steam: After cooking, let the rice steam for 20 minutes.
- Fluff and Serve: Insert a rice paddle vertically into the cooked rice. Turn over a scoop of rice from the bottom. Then, use a slicing motion to fluff the rice. Repeat until fluffed, then enjoy!
How Much Rice Do I Need to Cook
The plastic rice cooker cup that comes with the rice cooker is 180 ml or ¾ cup. In Japan, this amount is called ichi go (一合).
- 1 rice cooker cup (180 ml, ¾ cup, 150 g) of uncooked short-grain white rice
- 2¼ cups or 330 g of cooked rice
- 2 rice bowls
- 3 onigiri rice balls
- 1 donburi bowl
- 2¼ cups or 330 g of cooked rice
- 2 rice cooker cups (360 ml, 1½ cups, 300 g) of uncooked rice
- 4⅓ cups, 660 g of cooked rice
- 4 rice bowls
- 6 onigiri rice balls
- 2.5 donburi bowls
- 4⅓ cups, 660 g of cooked rice
- 3 rice cooker cups (540 ml, 2¼ cups, 450 g) of uncooked rice
- 6⅔ cups or 990 g of cooked rice
- 6 rice bowls
- 9 onigiri rice balls
- 4 donburi bowls
- 6⅔ cups or 990 g of cooked rice
- 4 rice cooker cups (720 ml, 3 cups, 600 g) of uncooked rice
- 8¾ cups or 1320 g of cooked rice
- 8 rice bowls
- 12 onigiri rice balls
- 5 donburi bowls
- 8¾ cups or 1320 g of cooked rice
- 5 rice cooker cups (900 ml, 3¾ cups, 750 g) of uncooked rice
- 11 cups or 1650 g of cooked rice
- 10 rice bowls
- 15 onigiri rice balls
- 6 donburi bowls
- 11 cups or 1650 g of cooked rice
Helpful Notes to Remember:
- One cup of cooked brown rice weighs 5.3 oz (150 g).
- A typical rice bowl serving is 1 cup (150 g) of cooked rice.
- A typical donburi bowl serving is 1⅔ cups (250 g) of cooked rice.
- A typical onigiri (rice ball) weighs 3.9 oz (110 g) each.
Donabe Cooking Tips
- Always rinse and wash the rice. We always quickly rinse and wash the rice a few times. This is important to help remove impurities and the natural occurrence of arsenic on the rice.
- Short-grain rice always requires soaking (20–30 minutes), unlike other kinds of rice. The rice grains are rounder and fatter, so they need a head start to absorb moisture to the core of the kernel.
- Dry the bottom of the donabe with a towel. Otherwise, the donabe will crack.
- Never use high heat. Use medium-high (or medium heat for the commercial-grade stove).
- Let the cooked rice steam for 20 minutes when it’s done cooking. Steaming is essential! It’s the final step in cooking Japanese rice. Without it, your rice will not cook fully. Resist the urge to peek under the lid during this time! If you open the lid, you’ll release the precious steam crucial for this resting period.
- When you use new crop rice (新米), reduce the water slightly.
- When you get a different brand of rice, test cooking the rice and adjust the amount of water, if needed
- The more rice you have in the pot, the more delicious your cooked rice will be. That’s because the most evenly cooked rice is in the center of the pot. The rice near the bottom and top simply cooks too fast. More rice in the pot means you’ll increase the central proportion of steamed rice for a more delicious outcome. That’s why I recommend cooking at least 2–3 rice cooker cups of uncooked rice at a time, even if you only need 1 cup. You can always freeze the extra rice with good results.
My Two Favorite Donabe Rice Cookers
- Kamado-san – Handcrafted by skilled artisans, Kamado-san donabe is made from special clay sourced from the Iga region of Japan. The beauty of Kamado-san is the double lid that works like a pressure cooker, so it delivers heat evenly and retains the temperature extremely well. Even once you turn off the heat, your rice will keep warm for a long time. It also has a special glaze that helps the heat penetrate into the core of each rice grain.
- Hario Gohangama – I use it very frequently and absolutely love this donabe for three reasons. First, the heat-proof glass lid allows you to see the rice as it cooks. Second, the donabe body is Japanese-made Banko ware (similar to my favorite blue donabe below). It’s very sturdy and won’t chip easily compared to Kamadosan. Even though it requires hand-washing, it’s very easy to clean. Lastly, there are two lines inside the donabe indicating the water amount for 2 rice cooker cups and 3 rice cooker cups. I don’t have to measure the water anymore! When the rice is almost cooked, the whistle on the handle of the lid will let you know. As soon as you hear the whistle, wait for a minute and remove from the heat. Perfect rice every time!
Where to Buy a Donabe Rice Cooker:
- Kamado-san: Amazon and Toiro Kitchen
- Hario Gohangama: Hario website, Food52, MTC Kitchen
Other Methods of Cooking Japanese Short-Grain Rice
- How to Cook Rice in a Rice Cooker
- How to Cook Rice in a Pot over Stovetop
- How to Cook Rice in an Instant Pot
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How to Cook Rice in Donabe
Ingredients
★ WHITE RICE ★
For 2 Rice Bowls (2¼ cups, 330 g cooked rice)
- ¾ cup uncooked Japanese short-grain white rice (1 rice cooker cup, 180 ml)
- ⅞ cup water (200 ml)
For 4 Rice Bowls (4⅓ cups, 660 g)
- 1½ cups uncooked Japanese short-grain white rice (2 rice cooker cups, 360 ml)
- 1⅔ cups water (400 ml)
For 6 Rice Bowls (6⅔ cups, 990 g)
- 2¼ cups uncooked Japanese short-grain white rice (3 rice cooker cups, 540 ml)
- 2½ cups water (600 ml)
For 8 Rice Bowls (8¾ cups, 1320 g)
- 3 cups uncooked Japanese short-grain white rice (4 rice cooker cups, 720 ml)
- 3⅓ cups water (800 ml)
For 10 Rice Bowls (11 cups, 1650 g)
- 3¾ cups uncooked Japanese short-grain white rice (5 rice cooker cups, 900 ml)
- 4⅛ cups water (1000 ml)
★ BROWN RICE ★
For 2 Rice Bowls (2¼ cups, 330 g cooked rice)
- ¾ cup uncooked Japanese short-grain brown rice (1 rice cooker cup, 180 ml)
- 1¼ cups water (300 ml)
For 4 Rice Bowls (4⅓ cups, 660 g)
- 1½ cups uncooked Japanese short-grain brown rice (2 rice cooker cups, 360 ml)
- 2½ cups water (600 ml)
For 6 Rice Bowls (6⅔ cups, 990 g)
- 2¼ cups uncooked Japanese short-grain brown rice (3 rice cooker cups, 540 ml)
- 3¾ cups water (900 ml)
For 8 Rice Bowls (8¾ cups, 1320 g)
- 3 cups uncooked Japanese short-grain brown rice (4 rice cooker cups, 720 ml)
- 5 cups water (1200 ml)
For 10 Rice Bowls (11 cups, 1650 g)
- 3¾ cups uncooked Japanese short-grain brown rice (5 rice cooker cups, 900 ml)
- 6¼ cups water (1500 ml)
Instructions
- Before You Start: Please note that this recipe requires a soaking time of 20–30 minutes for white rice and 6–12 hours for brown rice. The rice-to-water ratio is 1 to 1.1 (or 1.2) for Japanese short-grain white rice and 1 to 1.6 (or 1.7) for Japanese short-grain brown rice. Please read the blog post for a detailed explanation.Please note that ¾ cup (150 g, 1 rice cooker cup) of uncooked Japanese short-grain rice yields 2¼ cups (330 g) of cooked rice. This is enough for 2 Japanese rice bowls (typically 150 g each) or 3 onigiri rice balls (typically 110 g each). 1 cup of cooked rice weighs about 5.3 oz (150 g).
- How to Measure: Overfill a US cup measure (a ¾-cup measure works well for this) or a rice cooker cup with uncooked short-grain rice and level it off. Put the rice in a large bowl. Repeat until you have the measured amount of rice needed. In this recipe, I‘m making 2 rice cooker cups of rice using my 2 rice cup size Kamado-san. You can also use a 3 rice cup size Kamado-san.
To Wash the Rice
- Gather the rice, the measured water, and a donabe.
- Quick Rinse: Add just enough tap water to the bowl to submerge all the rice. Then, discard the water immediately. Repeat one more time. Tip: Rice absorbs water very quickly when you start rinsing, so this step helps remove impurities from the rice and prevent it from absorbing the first few rounds of milky water.
- Wash: Next, use your fingers to gently agitate the wet rice grains in a circular motion for 10–15 seconds. Using very little water allows the grains to rub against each other. It also reduces the absorption of impurities from the milky water.
- Rinse: Add tap water and immediately discard the cloudy water. Repeat one more time.
- Repeat Wash and Rinse (steps 3 and 4) two more times.
- Drain: When the water is almost clear, drain the rice very well. Tip: Use a fine-mesh sieve to drain and shake off any excess water.
To Soak the Rice
- Transfer the well-drained rice to the donabe and add the measured amount of water (see below to find the water measurement for your amount of rice). Gently shake the pot and use your fingers to level the rice so that it‘s evenly distributed and submerged in the water.
- Place the lid (or both lids of the Kamado-san) on the pot and soak the rice in the donabe for 20–30 minutes. If you‘re cooking brown rice, it requires 12 hours of soaking time. You can also add a pinch of salt to help reduce the bitterness of brown rice (optional).
To Cook the Rice
- Set the donabe on a gas stovetop and turn the heat to medium high (or medium for a professional range). Cook* for 14 minutes for 4 servings (or find the cooking time below for your amount of rice). Alternately, simply watch for the steam to start puffing from the lid's hole, wait 2 minutes (for white rice), then turn off the heat.
* White rice cooking times:
- For 1 rice cooker cup: Cook for 11–12 minutes (on medium heat); 2 cups: 12–14 minutes (medium-high heat); 3 cups: 13–15 minutes (medium-high heat); 4 cups: 14–16 minutes (medium-high heat); 5 cups: 15–17 minutes (medium-high heat).
* Brown rice cooking times:
- For 1 rice cooker cup: Cook for 22 minutes (on medium heat; turn off the heat 10 minutes after the steam starts puffing); 2 cups: 28–30 minutes (medium heat; turn off the heat 13–15 minutes after the steam starts puffing); 3 cups: 35–38 minutes (medium heat; turn off the heat 15–18 minutes after the steam starts puffing); 4 cups: 41–43 minutes (medium heat; turn off the heat 17–19 minutes after the steam starts puffing). 5 cups: 45–48 minutes (medium heat; turn off the heat 20–22 minutes after the steam starts puffing).
To Steam the Rice
- Remove from the stove and let the donabe stand with the lid on (both lids for the Kamado-san) for 20 minutes for white rice and 40 minutes for brown rice. Tip: This resting period is crucial for the rice to steam properly. Resist the urge to peek under the lid and release the steam during this time.
To Serve
- Fluff the rice with a rice paddle, and it‘s ready to serve.
To Store
- Transfer the cooked rice to airtight containers and close the lid to keep the moisture in. Let the rice cool completely before storing the containers in the freezer (read my tutorial post).
Doesn’t it burn at the bottom? What is the trick to prevent burnt rice?
Hi Isabelle, It will not burn at the bottom if you follow Nami’s instructions carefully. The trick is to cook with the correct heat level for a recommended time. We hope this helps!
I have a donabe that comes with a steam tray. However I’d wish to cook with it. Is there a way to purchase an inner lid for my steamer classic donabe so that it can be converted to a kamado San donabe? Thanks so much!
Hi Lucia, We had checked the websites but didn’t find the store that carries them. If you contact the place that sells Kamado San, it may sell them as the replacement part. Thank you for reading this post!
Hi Namiko!
Happy New Year to you and family.
It’s Nancy, I had asked you about miso contamination a year ago or longer. I made miso again, and keeping it much farther away from all my femented foods… so far, so good!
My question this time is in regards to cooking gohan in a donabe. I have started doing this, and agree the gohan is superb! Delicious. Ahhh, but now I would really like to know how one can get a nice thick layer of koge on the bottom. Just thinking about ochazuke with koge gohan!
If you have any hints.. I would really appreciate. I thought to steam the rice a little longer thinking this may give me the results I am looking for.
Thank you!
Nancy
Hi Nancy, Happy New Year! We are glad to hear you have been enjoying homemade Miso and Donabe rice!
To make Okoge, at the end of cooking, turn to high heat for about 10 seconds until you hear rice is crackle. Then remove from the stove and let it stand with the lid on (both lids for Kamado-san) for 20 minutes. We hope this helps and you can enjoy your Ochazuke!
I have a Donabe with no vent hole or a double lid.
Is it ok to cook rice in it over an electric burner?
My Donabe also is not glazed at the base.
Are there Any special notations I need to be aware of?
Hi Bree, Yes, you can use your Donabe to cook rice in lower heat. However, most of Donabe are made to use over the flame, and we are not sure if yours can be cook on an electric burner. Please test with water to see if it will transfer the heat well before you start cooking, and make sure to use only low-medium heat. Hight heat on an electric burner will result in cracks in the Donabe. We hope this helps!
OMG! I’ve had my double lid donabe rice cooker for some time now and could not read the directions on how to use it, so it sat on our countertop unused. This info is a life saver! Thank you so much!
Hi Jean, Yay!👏🏻 We are glad to hear you found the use for it! Now, you can enjoy the delicious rice! Let us know how it goes!😃
Hi!
I wanted to know if I could use a standard measuring cup or do I need to use one specifically for a rice cooker? If so what is the rice to water ratio? I’m guessing I would be able to cook jasmine rice in a donabe as well? If so what would be the rice to water ratio for that variety as well?Thank you 😊 I really enjoy your website – it is very informative – and look forward to trying more of your recipes.
Hi Jennifer,
Thank you for trying many of Nami’s recipes.
The 1 rice cooker cup (1 gō / 1合) is 180 ml (which is 150 g rice) instead of 200 ml or 240 ml, and Nami used Japanese rice to water ratio, 1:1.1 for this Donabe recipe.
If your measuring cup is 240 ml,
240 ml x 1.1 = 264 ml of water that you will need for 1 cup of rice.
As for Jasmin rice, Typically, the instructions on the package said 1-1/2 cups water for every 1 cup of rice. (Please adjust the water amount for your liking.)
We hope this is helpful.🙂
Yes it is! Many thanks 😊
You’re welcome, Jennifer!
Another excellent recipe!
Hi Laurence!
Thank you very much for your kind feedback!😊
I had rice in Japan with crispy parts on the bottom. How to I get this?
Hi Michelle!
At the end of cooking, turn to high heat for about 10 seconds until you hear a crackle. Then remove from the stove and let it stand with the lid on (both lids for Kamado-san) for 20 minutes, and 40 minutes for brown rice.
You will get the crispy parts (Okoge-in Japanese)!
Enjoy!
It is great explanation, make me more interest to use such kind of these utensil.
Bravo , Domo arigato
Hi Istiadi!
Thank you very much for your kind feedback!
We hope you have a chance to taste this rice. Arigato!😊
I am excited about getting a Kamado-san! Thank you for sharing. I would like to know if the rice, once cooked, does it stick to the donabe? My rice cooker has a stainless steel pot so the rice (and a lot of it) sticks to the pot so I don’t use it anymore.
Thank you for sharing your recipes. They are very delicious, just like my mom’s!
Hi Sylvia!
Thank you very much for reading this post!
If you use Kamado-san, the rice will not stick like the stainless steel pot. The rice texture is much better too.
We hope you enjoy delicious rice made in a Donabe.😊
May be a stupid question, but only gas/open flame? They don’t work on an electric burner, either open coil or covered glass?
Hi CarolAnn,
It’s not a stupid question.
Most Donabe can be used only on an open flame (gas stove) unless otherwise noted. If you have an electric stove, you may use a portable butane gas burner to use it.
This Kikka Blue Donabe Casserole can be used on the coil top electric cooktop (but not IH). https://wholesale.miyacompany.com/j3502a-j3502a
We hope this helps!🙂
I LOVE my donabes – have a 1-Go for rice for just us and a 3-go for guests and bigger meals, as well as a mushi-steamer (my favourite). Rice definitely tastes much better, everyone comments when they try it. Consistency is beautiful as well, not to mention how good the donabes look if you want to display them.
Hi Pablo!
Aww. We are so glad to hear you LOVE your Donabes!
Thank you very much for sharing your story with us!☺️
Can’t wait to try this
Before you go and spend $300 on a Donabe, I recommend that you look into a state of the art Zojirushi or Cuckoo rice cooker. This author says that the donabe gives her perfect rice, but that is as long as you get the water and rice proportions down perfect. One also has to monitor the temperature and timing manually. I find more of a difference with getting a better brand of new crop rice than the actual type of cooking pot. If the donabe was so good, many more would be used in Asia. Both the So.Korean and Japanese are very particular about their rice. A high end restaurant sushi chef will probably not be using a donabe. The author seems to be caught up in the nostalgia of this traditional rice cooking method.
It’s true that, with technology, you can achieve incredible flavors and textures every time you push the on button. Japanese culture takes pride in mastering the art of making rice, tea, sushi, etc. Yes, it takes time and practice… Would you use a bread machine or make that scrumptious loaf by hand?
Restaurants would want the convenience of the rice cooker to make large quantities of rice in the least amount of work and time.
Thank you for your discussion. I think while there is a difference between tradition and technology. Being Japanese, I treasure the traditions of my culture whether it be culinary, art or technology. We are strong in those fields. Technology has allowed us to save time, and gain consistency which applies to rice cooking. I can remember when my grandfather went tuna fishing; he took a single pole and hook and caught nice fish from our local waters. Nowadays some of your best tuna from the best waters are caught by the hundreds and sent to the finest restaurants all over the world with the help of technology. The flavor and quality is improved by this selective process. The better qualities of rice are no longer hand planted nor hand harvested. Even our boutique smaller sushi establishments here do not cook rice by donabe. I would venture to say that most busy housewives cook rice by rice cooker to get consistent results.
Hi Mary!
We hope you enjoy the rice cooked in Donabe.😊
DONABE everyday cooking for vegetables, which ones do you use. Torio has been sold out of her inventory.
I’m looking for perfect steamed vegetables as well as making soups and stews do you have suggestion.
I’ll purchase the rice cooker, you linked thank you
Hi Jill!
It depends on the size that is needed for the recipe.
Here is the post where Nami explains about Donabe, and you can see Nami’s Donabes collection and a link to the detail for each product;
https://www.justonecookbook.com/how-to-season-your-donabe/
We hope you find a good size Donabe for your needs and color that you like!
Enjoy!
1. Can you make 2 measures in a 3 measure pot?
2. Have you any experience using a Donabe on a radiant cooktop? I suppose I can always use my portable butane cooker.
Hi, bkhuna!
Thank you very much for reading this post!
1. Yes. You can make 1, 2, or 3 cups rice in a 3 cup size Donabe.
2. Most Donabe pots are not suitable for the electric stove (including glass top) or induction cooktop unless otherwise noted. We recommend using a gas stove or portable butane stove as the best effect of heat distribution.
We hope this helps! 🙂