donabe pot, do-nabe, ceramic japan

Donabe pot do-nabe from ceramic japan

Stylish donabe pot “do-nabe” from ceramic japan

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[ceramic japan]do-nabe

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  • With Japanese description
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It is difficult to find a stylish donabe pot

Japanese people love “Nabe Ryori” or Japanese hot pot with their family or friends. Nabe Ryori warms our body and makes the conversation livelier.
To have a Nabe party, we need a donabe pot. Usual cooking pot is not suitable. To cook and keep warmth, Japanese clay pot “donabe pot” is best!

When you have a Nabe party with your friend, a stylish donabe pot is better, isn’t it? However, Staub or Le creuset does not fit well to Japanese Nabe Ryori. Nevertheless, traditional Japanese donabe pot is cute, but not stylish.

These 5 years, I have looked for a stylish donabe pot, but I could not find it.
Finally, however, I find the one, a stylish and modern donabe pot!

A stylish donabe pot do-nabe

The name is ... “do-nabe!”

The stylish donabe pot I finally found is “do-nabe.”
This name means “let’s do Nabe!” Nabe means the Japanese clay pot and cooking a Nabe Ryori.

Therefore, “do-nabe” has a message that “please enjoy a Nabe party with your friends or family.” What a heartwarming message!

I was amazed at the naming of the stylish donabe pot. Why I cannot realize it before.

Anyway, this donabe pot “do-nabe” is the one I was looking for.

Free from common sense! Novel design of the donabe pot

This stylish donabe pot “do-nabe” is a porcelain pot produced by “ceramic japan.” The most striking feature is the modern and stylish design.
However, “do-nabe” is not just a stylish clay pot. We introduce 5 attractive points of this stylish donabe pot here.

  1. Polished beauty

    The most different point of “do-nabe” from other donabe pots is “no handle” and “flat lid and pot.” The designer designed “do-nabe” to “produce a smart and usable donabe pot.” This smart donabe pot is produced by cutting down all unnecessary points from usual donabe pots.

    Therefore, “do-nabe” has polished, smart, and stylish design. this donabe pot fits into even a luxury hotel room.

    Smart design of do-nabe

  2. Bigger capacity than it looks

    Usual donabe pot has rounded bottom. So, people often cannot put all the ingredients at once.

    However, this do-nabe has bigger capacity than it looks.
    S size is good for 2 people, and L size is suitable for 4 people. You can put a lot of ingredients.

    Since the bottom of the donabe pot is flat, you can put ingredients in order neatly. A delicious and beautiful Nabe Ryori can be made with do-nabe.

    Do-nabe can contain a lot of ingredients

  3. Lighter than usual donabe pots

    Usual donabe has certain thickness and heavy lid. You need to be careful when you lift most donabe pots.
    On the contrary, do-nabe is not so thick. Flat lid is easy to open and close.

  4. Easy to be washed and stacked

    You can wash the smart and flat donabe pot easily. After washing, it can be stacked in your cupboard neatly.

    When you turn the lid over, the do-nabe becomes smarter. You can pile up other tableware on the donabe pot.

    Do-nabe can be stacked neatly

  5. Multiple use

    The stylish donabe pot “do-nabe” is a heat-resistant porcelain. It is made with a traditional skill of Seto ware.

    Therefore, you can use do-nabe over open fire, in oven, and microwave oven. What’s more, do-nabe series has INDUCTION COOKTOP SAFE do-nabe. With a plate for Induction cooktop, you can use the smart donabe pot over Induction cooktop.


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For Japanese food, Western food, or in winter or summer, do-nabe works every day

Usually, donabe pots are used in winter. However, do-nabe works not only in winter.

You can use do-nabe as cooking pot to make stewed food, soup, or any other food.

After you cook, you can serve the donabe pot directly to the dinner table.
For Japanese food, Western food, in winter and summer, you can use do-nabe every day.

Western-style stew food with do-nabe

Why did a designer design a donabe pot?

A product designer Michio Akita designed this smart donabe pot.
The design of “do-nabe” started with some questions of the designer.

“Why do all donabe pots have rounded bottom?”
“Is there a smart donabe that can be stacked neatly?”

Mr. Akita pursued not only smart form, but also the usability and the common sense of donabe pots. Finally, he proposed this novel form.

The designer produced flat bottom of donabe pot to realize usability. Also, he did not put handles. Instead of the handles, do-nabe has hollows inside the donabe pot.

The stylish donabe pot “do-nabe” was born from an idea of the designer. An innovated daily necessity for modern lifestyle.

A woman can lift do-nabe easily

Product designer Michio Akita

Michio Akita graduated from Aichi Prefectural University. He was majored in design.

After graduation, he worked as a designer at a maker of consumer electronics or coffee maker such as KENWOOD or SONY. In 1988, he started to work as a freelance designer.

His word expresses his philosophy against design.

“To increase function, technology is needed. To decrease function, however, philosophy is needed.”

He pays attention to the social connection of design. According to him, a design gains its value not only in the productive activity of colors or forms, but also in the connection with society.

The maker of do-nabe, ceramic japan

The stylish donabe pot “do-nabe” is produced by a ceramic atelier “ceramic japan.” Ceramic japan is a pottery brand in Seto city of Aichi prefecture. It was established in 1973.

Seto city is a producing area of Seto ware. Seto ware is started by potteries from China or Korea. It is one of “Japanese Rokkoyou,” or 6 old pottery in Japan. Now many makers and craftsmen produces porcelain or pottery in Seto city with inherited skill.

Ceramic japan is an epoch-making maker who started “ceramics with design.” They thought “the present day, it is not enough to produce Japanese tableware as usual.”

Under the consistent and inherited design policy, ceramic japan collaborates with talented designers. In addition to Michio Akita, Katsuhiko Ogino, Kaichiro Yamada, and TONERICO: Inc.

Some products of ceramic japan was designated as the permanent collection of MoMA (The Museum of Modern Art in New York). Their products get high reputation from the world.

Do-nabe is designated to Japan Design Collection

The stylish donabe pot “do-nabe” is designated to “Japan Design Collection.” Japan Design Collection is a select shop by Japan Design Committee and Matsuya Ginza. Japan Design Committee consists of famous designers, architects, and critics in Japan. All the items of Japan Design Collection are selected by the aesthetic sense of the members of Japan Design Committee.

Atelier of ceramic japan

Let’s have a Nabe party!

One day, I invited our staff and their friends to a Nabe party with do-nabe.

This time, I used “do-nabe (induction cooktop safe) / L / White / ceramic japan.”

The first impression was “it is a big donabe pot!” I was able to put all ingredients for 4 people.

We can put many ingredients at once neatly.
A friend of our staff said, “what a stylish donabe pot!”
As a host of the party, I was glad to hear that.

Have a Nabe party with do-nabe

So, how was the “do-nabe”?

We had a few Nabe parties. Here, we would like to introduce our impressions about using the smart donabe pot.

  1. How are the ingredients cooked?

    The taste of Nabe Ryori cooked by “do-nabe” were as delicious as it cooked with other donabe pots.
    It was our first time to use an induction cooktop safe donabe pot. However, we could use it just like usual donabe pots.

    When I used it, I felt that it took more time to simmer than cooking over open fire. It may be the feature of induction cooktop, though.
    Once it became simmering, do-nabe kept the warmth for a long time.

    You do not have to worry about half cooked. However, it takes some time to simmer by cooking over induction cooktop.

  2. White do-nabe is easy to get color of food

    I cooked some Nabe Ryori with tomatoes or curry. When you cook those strong color Nabe Ryori with white do-nabe, it gets the color of food.
    The color will fade little by little by many using.

    At first time, I was shocked to see the colored white donabe pot.
    As you use the donabe pot many times, the color will fade. However, if you would like to keep the beautiful white color, we recommend cooking light color food. Or use black do-nabe.

  3. Easy to wash, but it takes some time to clean plate

    It is very easy to wash the donabe pot. Flat pot and lid is easy to wash.
    However, the metal plate and ceramic plate for induction cooktop takes some time to clean. Since the plates have small halls, we need to clean them carefully.

    The metal plate for induction cooktop
    Metal plate for induction cooktop

    Once you use the metal and ceramic plate for induction cooktop, they become brown a little.
    It is natural for daily necessities to get dirty after use. Although, if you care about the color, we recommend choosing black donabe pot.

    There are a few caring tips of the smart donabe pot. However, do-nabe and the ceramic plate has water absorbency. Please dry them well after using.

    Ceramic plate to cover metal plate
    Ceramic plate to cover metal plate

Most recommended donabe pot is “black L do-nabe”!

After using do-nabe, now we recommend black do-nabe!
White donabe pot is very beautiful. However, if you would like to make various Nabe Ryori, you may become worry about getting color of food.
In this point, black one is better. You do not have to worry about getting color.

About sizes, we recommend L for 4 or more people. Do-nabe has 2sizes, S and L. For 2 people, S size is enough. But, we tend to eat much when we have Nabe Ryori. Moreover, we have many times to have Nabe parties with friends or family.

Therefore, bigger size seems to be better.

If you care about colors, please choose black do-nabe.


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Stylish donabe pot can cook rice as well!

Donabe pot “do-nabe” can cook delicious rice.
When you cook rice with “do-nabe”, you need to care heat control all the time.
Metal plate for induction cooktop may get burnt by rice cooking. If you cook rice with this stylish donabe pot, remove metal plate and use donabe pot over open fire.

How much rice can do-nabe cook?

  • Donabe pot “do-nabe” can contain 1450ml for S size and 2750ml for L size. One rice cup is 180ml. 200ml of water is needed for per cup of rice. So, S size pot can cook about 3~3 and 1/2 cups of rice, and L size pot can cook about 7 cups of rice at the maximum. However, this is just an estimate from the volume of pots. We believe it is very hard to cook rice at the maximum volume. Boiling over is unavoidable for cooking rice.

    Donabe pot “do-nabe” does not have narrow part (kaeshi) inside the pot unlike donabe rice cooker. Therefore, do-nabe is easier to boil over. When you cook rice with do-nabe, you need to control the volume. Cooked rice should be 60~80% of pot volume. Our staff recommend 2 and 1/2 cups of rice for S size, and 5 cups of rice for L size. (*This is personal impression of our staff.)

Stylish donabe pot “do-nabe” for gift!

A stylish donabe pot “do-nabe” would be great present for cooking lovers. How about sending the do-nabe as wedding gifts, birthday gifts or housewarming gifts? In Japan Design Store, we make stylish gift sets with wooden kitchen hot pad “Nabeshiki house.”

Original gift sets are within our original gift boxes. Our original gift box has gentle ivory color like Japanese paper. A gold logo mark is on the box as an accent.

Image of Japan Design store original gift box


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Do-nabe can be an interior item when you do not use
When you do not use do-nabe, the stylish donabe pot can be an interior item
Comparing the sizes of S and L do-nabe
This is the difference of the sizes of S and L

Japan Design Store offers more donabe pots!

If you look for donabe rice cooker, we recommend “Kamado-san” from Nagatani-en.

Usually, it is hard to cook rice with donabe. However, everyone can cook delicious rice easily with donabe rice cooker Kamado-san.
You do not have to care about heat control.

Also, we recommend cute “petit nabe” from Nagatani-en. You can use oven, open fire, microwave oven, or toaster for the petit nabe. So, you can cook small stew or pudding.
Small cute donabe pot is great item for gift, too.



Caring tips

  • * Microwave oven, oven and dishwasher safe.
  • * All the products are handmade by traditional craftsmen. Please enjoy different perspective of each product.

Personalize gift service

For the bulk order more than 20 items, we can personalize your items with the name of your company, school, or with logomarks. If you plan to order corporate gifts or keepsake gifts, please contact us from “Contact us.”
* Personalize gift needs service fee. The fee depends on items.
* Personalize service is not available for some products. Please feel free to ask us.