3 Gou

I should have reviewed this donabe 2 years ago when I bought it. I use it on-average once a week. Since learning the minor tricks (follow the guidance in Naoko Takei Moore and Kyle Connaughton's "Donabe" cookbook), this pot is literally the ONLY way that I make rice now. The rice made in this pot is so good my family requests it almost every week, sometimes more. I've made a few different recipes in this donabe, but I mainly used it for rice.I've found this pot to be surprisingly durable, but i recommend treating it with care. Over the last two years I managed to put a small chip in the inner lid and top of the pot (see photos). Most recently - and most upsettingly - I managed to knock one of the lugs off when it hit the front of my apron sink. ugh! It still works just find and still produces the best rice I've ever had.Note that Naoko Takei Moore has a YouTube channel that provides step by step guidance on using the various types of Donabe and the cookbook itself is full of gorgeous pictures of the various types of pots, recipes, techniques, and the manufacture of the Donabe themselves. I highly recommend getting a copy if you buy the pot.https://www.amazon.com/Donabe-Classic-Modern-Japanese-Cooking/dp/1607746999/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1545173035&sr=1-1&keywords=donabeI also recommend getting a 1 "Gou" measure - they run around $5.00 and are a good investment. A Japanese "cup" is smaller than an American cup, so having one or two will make your life easier.https://www.amazon.com/d/Rice-Cookers/Japanese-Measuring-Stainless-Pirikachan-Japan/B012ZY2FGA/ref=sr_1_11?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1545173264&sr=1-11&keywords=gouI own four other donabe - large and medium "standard" hot pots, plus a Miso Shiro type and a Tagine type. They represent an investment and commitment. They are all beautiful, but this Kamado-San gets the. most use.Over the past two years, the bottoms has slowly darkened and gained an almost polished and glazed appearance. Overall, it is by far the best and most practical investment I've made in Japanese Cookware, since I took up the cooking style.

this indeed is optimized to make white rice and the result is amazing.I can't read japanese, but I have experience making rice with clay pots so I just went ahead use it following my instinct.I have other Iga donabies, inexpensive Chinese clay pots, and Korean stone pots all for making rice. this Kamado makes the best rice. the Thai jasmine rice came out firm and aromatic and best part is the toasted layer on the bottom that is perfectly browned. the Kamado also does not seem to stick to the rice as much as all other clay pots I have used to make rice.I think the ultra thick bottom contributed to this very even heating. The thin walled Chinese clay pot is the least favorable in this aspect as the heating can be very uneven but these pots cost nothing compared with this kamado-san. The Korean stone pot actually comes quite close to this in the quality of the rice it produces but it is tricky to use because the lid is just a simple piece of wood and water evaporates quickly and this demands a lot of attention; whereas the Kamado is very easy to control.the trick is to use a very gentle flame and less water then usual as the double lid reduces the evaporation rate. my water to rice volumetric ratio is less than one. I also added a teaspoon of peanut oil to the rice. I watch for the steam coming out from the vent hole and wait until it subsides. At this point I lower the flame further for a couple of minutes. I then turn off the flame and let it rest for a few more minutes before serving.the thick and heavy pot has a lot of thermal inertia and the rice keeps on cooking for a bit after the flame is turned off. it would still be sizzling minutes afterwards when I opened it up to serve at the table.

massive, thick, heavy. no cracks, arrived undamaged despite not the best packing. was covered in a ton of fine dust. washed up perfect. very clear manual with lots of tips and a few recipes, Wish it was more of a heavier duty paper though. Overall very nice.Update: I've used this for almost half a year, 3-6 times a week without issue. I use it mostly for cooking noodles, or making rice dishes. If I'm doing rice, I lightly butter the bottom of the Donabe as it's starting to warm, add the water, rice, then I just dump veggies ontop, onion, carrots, peas, broccoli, put the lid on and cook like normal. Turns out amazing every time. I've yet to mess up a single meal with it yet with the actual rice cooker I used to use, 1/3 meals wasn't cooked right.To cook rice, I heat over medium high heat, once steam is shooting out of the hole I turn off the stove. Let it sit for 10-20 min depending on how much rice/veggies is in there. I've lifted the lid a few times to check on it, and check the rice with a paddle and haven't found any issues if it has to go longer, I just put the base lid back on and lit it sit a bit longer. Opening it wont ruin anything if it's not done cooking, there's still enough heat and moisture to keep things going.A++ product. Will buy again if I ever break it.Update 2022: still using this and it still looks as new as the day I got it on the inside. I am traveling the states and use this as my main cooking dish daily. I've cooked so much random stuff using it without any issue. I've grilled meats, toasted breads, Mac n cheese, rice, beans. Best cookware I've ever purchased.