Hot Pot Hardware: Why Your Regular Pots Won't Cut It

Chinese hot pot is a fun and social way of eating. It involves cooking a variety of thinly sliced raw ingredients in a pot of flavoured broth at the table. The ingredients can include meat, seafood, vegetables, tofu and noodles.

To make Chinese hot pot at home, you will need a heat source such as a portable gas, electric or induction burner, and a wide, shallow pot. You can use any wide, relatively shallow pot, but Chinese stainless steel hot pots are ideal because of their round shape and depth.

What type of burner do I need?

When preparing for a Chinese hot pot, the burner is an important piece of equipment. It is the heat source that will be used to cook the food. There are several options for burners that can be used for a Chinese hot pot:

Portable Butane Stove

Butane burners are cordless and easy to use. They are also quieter than induction burners and can work with non-magnetic pots. They are also relatively inexpensive. However, the main drawback is that you will need to procure butane canisters and ensure you have backups as they tend to run out quickly. You will also need to dispose of the empty canisters properly.

Portable Induction Cooktop

Induction burners are safe, efficient, and electric. They have a magnetic coil that generates heat in the pot itself, without heating up the surface of the burner. This keeps the surrounding area cooler and your fingers safer. Induction burners do not require butane cans and are more versatile for everyday cooking. However, they only work with pots made of magnetic materials with completely flat bottoms, preferably thicker ones. They tend to be noisier due to the built-in fan and require a nearby electrical outlet.

Other Options

Other options for burners include electric stoves, gas stoves, or propane-fired tabletop stoves. You can also use a simple stove if you are preparing the hot pot in a kitchen.

In summary, the type of burner you need for a Chinese hot pot depends on your preferences and equipment. Butane burners offer simplicity and portability, while induction burners provide safety and efficiency. If you opt for a butane burner, remember to have extra butane canisters on hand. If you choose an induction burner, ensure you have a compatible pot and access to an electrical outlet. Ultimately, any portable heat source that works with your pot will do the trick!

What type of pot is best?

The best type of pot for Chinese hot pot is one that is shallow and wide, allowing for a good amount of food to be cooked without being too deep for ingredients to be lost at the bottom. Chinese stainless steel hot pots are ideal, as the thin metal allows the soup to heat up quickly as ingredients are added. Some designs even have a "yin-yang" feature, with a divider down the middle to separate two types of broth. However, any wide, relatively shallow pot will work.

If you don't have a suitable pot at home, you can buy an electric hot pot, which comes with a burner and a pot. This is a good option if you don't already have a portable burner, but keep in mind that the unit is larger and may be harder to store. Alternatively, you can buy a portable burner separately and use it with a pot that you already have. Induction, gas, or electric burners are all suitable options.

If you plan on making hot pot a regular event, investing in a hot pot set with a built-in electrical heating element is recommended. The pot is removable for easy cleaning, and you can find designs with a divider for two types of broth.

What ingredients do I need?

Chinese hot pot is a highly customizable meal, so you can choose your ingredients according to your preferences. However, there are some key components that you should include.

Firstly, you'll need a broth. You can make this from scratch, using chicken, beef, or pork bone broth, or buy a pre-packaged hot pot base. If making your own, add ingredients like shiitake mushrooms, daikon radish, green onions, and ginger.

Next, you'll want to select your proteins. Beef, lamb, and pork are popular choices, and should be sliced thinly against the grain. You can also add pre-cooked meatballs, canned meat, fish, shrimp, fish balls, crab, clams, mussels, and other seafood.

Vegetables are also important. Good options include napa cabbage, bok choy, spinach, pea tips, watercress, pumpkin, tomatoes, corn, and various types of mushrooms.

Starches are another key component. You might include mung bean vermicelli, rice noodles, thin fresh white noodles, spinach noodles, rice cakes, or dumplings.

Lastly, you'll want to include some tofu or bean curd. Options include silken, soft, or firm tofu, tofu puffs, tofu sheets, and dried tofu skin.

For your dipping sauce, you can combine a base of sesame sauce, peanut butter, or soy sauce with additional flavorings like Sichuan peppercorn oil, chili garlic sauce, Chinese black vinegar, toasted sesame seeds, or fried shallots.

What is the best way to prepare the ingredients?

Preparing the ingredients for a Chinese hot pot is simple. The key is to have a good balance of 3-5 items from each category: vegetables, meat and seafood, and starches.

For vegetables, you'll want a mix of Chinese leafy greens and harder root vegetables. Wash the greens thoroughly and cut them into manageable pieces. For larger leaves, cut them into smaller 1-2 inch pieces. For root vegetables like pumpkin, tomatoes, corn, and potatoes, peel and slice them into 1/4-1/8 inch slices or 1-inch chunks.

Meat and seafood should be sliced thinly against the grain for quick cooking. Beef, lamb, and pork are popular choices, but you can also use chicken or sliced fish fillets. If you're using shrimp, squid, or scallops, leave them whole. You can also add pre-cooked beef, pork, or fish balls, which just need to be heated through in the broth.

For starches, opt for thin/small items like thin noodles, small dumplings, rice cakes, or mung bean vermicelli. These will cook quickly and won't add too much starch to your soup base.

Wash and cut all your ingredients into bite-sized pieces before placing them on plates around the pot. Don't forget to prepare your dipping sauces by mixing and matching ingredients like soy sauce, peanut butter, sesame paste, chili oil, and minced garlic to taste.

What is the best way to serve the hot pot?

Chinese hot pot is a fun and social meal to share with friends and family. It involves a pot of broth placed at the centre of the table, with a variety of raw ingredients that diners can add to the broth to cook. Each person can then retrieve their cooked food and dip it into their own sauce.

To serve a Chinese hot pot, you'll need to prepare the broth, dipping sauces, and food items in advance. You'll also need to ensure you have the right equipment, including a heat source, a pot, plates, bowls, and chopsticks.

Broth

The broth can be prepared in advance and simply heated up when you're ready to eat. It can be as simple as chicken broth with daikon radish, green onions, and ginger, or you can add other ingredients like shiitake mushrooms. You can also buy pre-packaged hot pot soup bases and dilute them with water.

Dipping Sauces

Each person can have their own small bowl of dipping sauce, with extra on the side in case they want to adjust the flavour. Common dipping sauces include sesame paste, peanut butter, soy sauce, chili oil, and Chinese BBQ sauce.

Food Items

Wash and cut all the food items into bite-sized pieces and place them on plates around the pot. You can include a variety of meats, seafood, vegetables, tofu, and starches. Meats should be thinly sliced so they cook quickly.

Equipment

You'll need a heat source like a portable gas, electric, or induction burner, and a wide, shallow pot that sits stably over the heat source. You'll also want to provide each person with a bowl, chopsticks, and a plate.

Serving Procedure

• Place the heat source and pot in the middle of the table and pour in the broth.
• Place the plates of food items, bowls, chopsticks, and drinks around the pot.
• Turn on the heat and wait for the broth to come to a boil before adding any food items.
• Add food items gradually to the broth, cooking each piece for a few minutes or until the colour changes.
• Use chopsticks or a slotted spoon to retrieve the cooked food and dip it into the sauce before eating.
• Top up the broth with hot water as needed, as the water will evaporate during cooking.

Enjoy your Chinese hot pot feast!

Frequently asked questions