A one-pot wonder for shabu shabu and other hot pot dishes, traditional donabe (Japanese clay pot) is made of special earthenware and is one of Japan’s oldest cooking vessels. Today, I‘ll show you how to season and care for your new donabe.
Once you purchase your first donabe (土鍋), a traditional Japanese clay pot, it’s time to season it before the first use. If you haven’t found a donabe yet, check out my donabe purchasing guide first. Since I received several questions from my readers about how to season and care for donabe, I’ll be covering some key points today.
Table of Contents
What is Donabe?
Traditionally made of special clay, donabe is a centuries-old cooking vessel from Japan. It is a highly versatile tool for today’s kitchen. Because it holds heat exceptionally well, it’s ideal for cooking hot pot dishes, soups, stews, and braised dishes. They’re also wonderful for steaming, roasting, and cooking the most delicious rice! Read more about this one-pot wonder in my post How to Choose the Best Donabe.
Why Season Your Donabe?
Clay pots have different characteristics depending on the material used. If you purchase a brand-new traditional donabe, you will need to season it before using it. In Japanese, we refer to this seasoning process as medome (目止め). Why does it need seasoning? Because the pot is made of clay, which is naturally porous.
To address this, starch from rice or flour will fill the microscopic pores in the pot, helping prevent breakage and damage from heat. Seasoning also helps prevent odors and stains from the food cooked in it. Therefore, the medome process helps extend the life of your donabe, as does proper care.
Donabe that need seasoning:
Traditional earthenware types of donabe pottery that you must season before first use include:
- Banko ware or Banko-yaki (萬古焼): Popular brands include Ginpo and Kagetsu.
- Iga ware or Iga-yaki (伊賀焼): The most popular brand is Nagatanien.
- Shigaraki ware or Shigaraki-yaki (信楽焼): Some popular brands are Kanefusa Seito, Hechimon, and Kumoigama.
Donabe that do not need seasoning:
Unlike earthenware donabe, ceramic pots (セラミック鍋) do not transfer odors and they absorb almost no water. Therefore, you do not need to season ceramic donabe before first use, including the following:
- Ginpo Brand’s Kikka Blue Donabe comes in No. 9 size (4 people) and No. 8 size (2-3 people).
- Hario Gohangama is a donabe rice cooker that I love. It’s quite sturdy, so I don’t worry about chipping.
- KINTO carries modern-style donabe pots like the KAKOMI IH donabe 2.5 L (3 people) and KAKOMI IH donabe 1.2 L (1-2 people).
How to Care for Your Donabe (Must Read!)
Take good care of your donabe and it will last a lifetime. Donabe is fragile, especially with rapid temperature changes. There are a few things to remember when you care for your donabe.
- Make sure the bottom of the donabe is completely dry before using it on the stove. It will crack if you don’t dry it.
- DO NOT heat an empty donabe without liquid or food inside.
- Avoid rapid temperature changes, such as using high heat or soaking the hot donabe in cold water.
- Start from medium-low heat, then gradually increase to medium heat. Once the liquid starts boiling, reduce the heat to low to maintain the cooking temperature.
- DO NOT leave any leftover food in the donabe. Transfer it to a container to store.
- Let the donabe cool completely before washing.
- Wash the donabe with warm water and a soft sponge. You can use a small amount of gentle soap but immediately rinse it. NEVER soak the donabe in (soapy) water.
For more details, see the Troubleshooting section following my Donabe Seasoning Guide below.
Donabe Seasoning Step-by-Step Guide
Donabe seasoning takes time but all you need is uncooked (or cooked) rice and water. Read the instructions below to season your donabe before the first use. You can also use the same seasoning technique to fix hairline cracks. I talk more about this in the Troubleshooting section below.
How to Season Your Donabe (Japanese Clay Pot)
Materials
- 2 Tbsp uncooked Japanese short-grain white rice (alternatively, you can use cooked rice; read the instructions below)
- water
Instructions
To Season the Donabe
- Fill 80% of the donabe with water. Add 2 tablespoons of uncooked short-grain white rice or 1 rice bowl of cooked Japanese rice.
- Slowly bring it to a boil on medium-low heat. Stir the water and rice thoroughly.
- Once boiling, reduce the heat and simmer the porridge on low heat for 1 hour. Tip: If repairing hairline cracks in your donabe, simmer for 2 hours, but make sure the bottom of the pot does not burn.
- Turn off the heat. Leave the donabe with the thick porridge to cool to room temperature. It will probably take more than 1 hour to reach room temperature.
To Wash the Donabe
- Your donabe must be at room temperature before washing; otherwise, it may crack. First, discard the thick porridge. Then, rinse the donabe with a sponge and warm water. You can use a small amount of gentle soap, only if needed, but rinse quickly. DO NOT soak your donabe in water (or soapy water) as the donabe has good absorbency.
To Dry the Donabe
- Immediately dry the donabe with a clean towel. Allow it to air dry completely, keeping it upside down overnight, before the first use or storage.
Donabe Troubleshooting
How to fix hairline cracks:
It is normal to have hairline cracks. When you observe these cracks, you will need to re-season the pot. Using cooked rice works best, as it contains more starch and is thicker, effectively filling in the pores. If the water still leaks, you may need to consider purchasing a new one.
What to do when the donabe is burnt:
No matter how careful you are, the pot may end up burnt from the food you’re cooking inside. Here’s a helpful tip to remove stains or burns.
- Add water and bring it to a boil.
- Turn off the heat and let the pot soak, cooling naturally.
- Once cooled, discard the water and gently scrub the burnt area with a soft sponge.
- Repeat a few times if the stains or burns remain.
How to remove odors:
Donabe has many small pores that may absorb smells from cooking certain foods. Here’s what you can do to remove them.
- Tea leaves: Put water and used tea leaves in your donabe and bring to a boil. Let it sit for 30 minutes and rinse under warm running water.
- Baking soda: Bring water to a boil and then turn off the heat. Add baking soda and set aside for 30 minutes. Rinse under warm running water.
Delicious Donabe Recipes
Here are some of the hot pot recipes that you might enjoy!
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on February 9, 2016. It was republished with more helpful information on March 5, 2024.
Hi! Thank you for your website and all your great recipes!
I used the cooked rice method to season my vintage donabe, but unfortunately I forgot about it on the stove and the porridge-rice burnt to the bottom of the pot. My question: do I need to re-season the donabe after I clean out the burnt parts? Thank you!
Hello Denise! Thank you for reading Nami’s post.
We recommend re-seasoning to ensure that your vintage Donabe is properly seasoned and will last for a long time. 🙂 We hope you enjoy cooking with the Donabe soon.
How can I tell if my donabe is earthenware or ceramic?
Hi, Nan! Thank you for reading Nami’s post.
The ceramic Donabe’s surface is very smooth and coated. Other Donabe have little air bubbles. We hope this helped!
Can this vessel be used on a glass top electric cooktop? I watch many of the cooking shows and it seems they either have gas stoves or use a portable gas burner. Makes me hungry every time.
Hello, Mardie. Thank you for reading Nami’s post!
Unfortunately, most Donabe are not suitable for glass cooktops unless specified otherwise. Therefore, we recommend that you carefully check the product details before making a purchase. However, the good news is that all Donabe dishes can still be prepared using a standard pot. We hope this information is helpful to you!
Hi, I’ve recently bought a donabe from a Japanese surplus store. I’ve noticed the inside of the pot is glazed, should I season it or is not necessary if it’s glazed?
Hi, Drew! Thank you for reading Nami’s post.
We recommend seasoning the Donabe. We hope you enjoy preparing a variety of dishes with this!🤗
Happy cooking!
hi, i realize despite i have dry my donabe properly, it turns mouldy after a week or two. what can i do to prevent that?
Hello, Billie. We’re sorry to hear about your Donabe.
After washing, add clean water and boil it for a few minutes to eliminate any remaining bacteria. Allow it to dry for a few days, until completely dry.
We recommend storing it somewhere with plenty of ventilation (not in the plastic bag). If you need protection for it, use paper. Also, if you live in a high-humidity environment, keep the lid off to prevent mold growth.
We hope this helped!🙂
Hello! Planning to buy my first donabe soon and I’m glad I came across this page in your website! I just have a few questions: How often do I have to season the pot? Is it just for the first time after I purchase it or do I need to do it regularly? Once a month? For maintenance?
Also I plan to use it to cook a meal enough for two portions, and I’ll have one for lunch and the rest for dinner. If it’s a stew I typically just leave the rest of the leftovers in the pot so that I can just use the same pot to heat it up later. Is that okay to do in a donabe? It would basically be sitting on my counter with food inside it for six-ish hours until dinnertime.
Hello, Despina! Thank you so much for taking the time to read Nami’s post!
The Donabe only needs to be seasoned once. However, you can restore using method 2.
You may keep leftover food in the Donabe for dinner, but the Donabe has a lot of small pores that may absorb smells from certain foods. Kikka Blue Donabe Casserole in this post has a coating on it, and it might be a better choice for your situation.
We hope this was helpful!
Hi Nami san. I recently bought a new Donabe n seasoned it accordingly. It got burnt marks from the first dish I cooked (takikomi gohan) n were removed after a few wash. But when I used it the second time just to cook plain rice (with no other ingredients), the same burnt marks returned in the same spots. Does it mean the Donabe is damaged?
Hi Robyn! Thank you for reading Nami’s post!
The Donabe is not damaged, but we recommend using a bit lower heat on your next try.
To remove the burnt marks inside the pot, you can try Method 2: “Baking Soda” from this post. If that doesn’t work, the next step will be to add about 1/4 cup of vinegar instead of baking soda.
We hope this helps!
Hi Nami, I live in Geneva, Switzerland and I subscribed to your wonderful site a few years ago. It was wonderful to discover it because it is so interesting, the recipes are just great and so well explained. I love everything about your blog and have many of your recipes.
Now I have a question : I am looking to purchase a small clay pot with a lid and a diameter of 7 to 8 inches. It is quite difficult to find them on Amazone these days and here in Geneva, it is even more difficult.
A friend, who lives in Manhattan, is coming to Geneva in July could perhaps bring me one. What could you suggest ? Where could he find or order one ? Last year, I found a donabe and now I would like to have a smaller clay pot. Thank you for your suggestions and your fabulous site. I love it. Evelyne
Hi Evelyne! Nami and all of us at JOC are so glad to hear that you’ve been enjoying the recipes and everything else that we share. It means so much to us. Thank you very much for your kind feedback.🥰
This Donabe is one of Nami’s favorite and very easy to maintain, and the size is 7.5 inches. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009VUZCW6?tag=onamzjusoneco-20&linkCode=ssc&creativeASIN=B009VUZCW6&asc_item-id=amzn1.ideas.2U85QFHG8JUD1
You can also check out other Nami’s recommend Donabe here: https://www.amazon.com/shop/justonecookbook/list/2U85QFHG8JUD1
We hope this helps!
Happy Cooking!
I’ve recently subscribed to your amazing site. I’m reading everything about Japanese food and I’m enjoying every minute of it! I lived in Japan years ago and oh the FOOD! I cook a lot of Japanese food and can’t wait to follow your marvelous instructions for cooking even more dishes. Great site, thank you.
Hi Jen! Welcome to the JOC family, and thank you for your subscription!
Nami and all of us at JOC are so glad to hear that you’ve been enjoying newsletters and everything else that we share. It means so much to us.
We hope you explore many Japanese dishes!
Great website. Foresee a lot of visors in my future! Question: I used my traditional donabe regularly then I didn’t use it for 10 years. I’m a bit nervous about using it again. What should I do? Is reseasoning it sufficient? Will that work?
Hi Tracy! Thank you very much for reading Nami’s post and for your kind feedback!
Yes. We strongly recommend seasoning the Donabe again. It will be fine.🙂
We hope you enjoy many Donabe recipes again! https://www.justonecookbook.com/search/?q=donabe
I bought a donabe after I read the article about cooking rice in donabes from this website. I love it! After just a couple days of experimenting, I was cooking the best rice I’ve ever made. Even as little as 1/2 cup dry in a 3-go donabe turns out perfectly!
However, I was a little bit confused about this comment from this article:
“…you shouldn’t soak it even though the food is stuck on the bottom”
Usually, to clean any other rice cooker, I would just soak it with water for a little bit, which loosens up the rice residue, then it wipes off pretty easily. Is it bad to clean the donabe in this way? Or is the article saying that it is only bad to soak foods in the donabe that may cause it to pick up those flavors and retain them for a few days?
Hi Paul! Thank you very much for reading Nami’s post and trying her recommended Donabe! We are so happy to hear you enjoyed the best rice!
Soaking in the water or soapy water is not recommended for most Donabe because the clay has good absorbency. Instead, fill Donabe with enough water to cover the burnt/stuck spot and boil for 10-15 minutes.
We hope this helps!
Thank you for your reply! Ah, I think maybe I misunderstood the original suggestion. What I am doing right now to clean it is filling it about 1/2 full with water, setting it on the counter and waiting 10 minutes, then wiping it out with a sponge. By “avoid soaking”, I think maybe The article means, “avoid totally surrounding it with water”?
Hi Paul! Yes! Soaking the entire Donabe is not recommended. The way you are currently doing is fine, but make sure to fill the clean water so that Donabe doesn’t absorb the unwanted smells. We hope this helps!
Thank you for your website. It’s awesome! We are retired Army. I bought a donabe on Okinawa while stationed there. I have never been sure of how to cure it. Inside the bowl has a glazed looking finish. Not the outside. I’ve moved this donabe around with us for 40 years but have never used it. I’m not sure which steps to use and if I can put on my gas stovetop. Any input would be great!
Hi Cheri! Thank you very much for reading Nami’s post and for your kind feedback!
Without looking at the Donabe, It is hard for us to tell, but we recommend seasoning first using Method 2. Make sure to use simmer on low heat.😉
We hope you enjoy the Donabe!
Nami, I love your blog! Thank you for providing such amazing recipes and detailed instructions.
I live in San Francisco. It looks like California banned the sale of butane to the general public a couple years ago. It does not seem possible to purchase on Amazon anymore.
Is there any way you recommend to enjoy nabe (cooking at the table together) without requiring butane canisters?
Hi Mara! Thank you very much for reading Nami’s post and for your kind feedback!
Nami usually purchases the Butane canisters from the local Asian market. You might also find it at home depot etc., but they don’t deliver it anymore.
If you are looking for another method to enjoy the Nabe, Electric portable cooktop (You need the Donabe that can be used on the electric cooktop.) or Electric Skillet Hot Pot would be great.
https://amzn.to/3JeNCHg
https://amzn.to/3sE5BRz
We hope this helps!
Thank you Naomi!
Hi Nami,
Thank you for your Japanese food blog. I bought a donabe pot from Marukai. I didn’t know I was supposed to season my donabe before the first use. How do I remove burnt spots on the bottom of the pot?
Thank you from Honolulu!
Mandy
Hi Mandy! Thank you very much for reading Nami’s post and trying her recipe!
You can try soaking the pot with warm water and Baking soda, then gently scrub the burnt area with a soft sponge.
We hope this works for you!
I love your website! It is so informative and helpful. I lived in Japan for 4 years when I was a child and I have many Japanese items, including a donabe, from my mom. I did not know what it was or how to use it until I found your site. I was going to have a sushi party (taking tips from your page!) and thought I might be able to use the donabe for the rice. Now that I know how to use the donabe, I think I’ll make the miso soup in it instead! Thank you so much!
Hi Mothereco! Aww. We are so happy to hear you love our website, and many of Nami’s tips are helping you!
Here is a post you may also like; https://www.justonecookbook.com/nabemono-japanese-hot-pot/
We hope you continue to enjoy many recipes include Donabe recipes!
Thank you very much for your kind feedback. Happy Cooking!