Japanese Hot Pot Table: Donabe, Tonsui Bowls, and Renge

A Japanese hot pot, or nabe (鍋), brings a shared simmering dish to the table. A donabe (土鍋) is a clay pot suited to many such meals, though nabe can also be cooked in other appropriate cookware. This guide covers pot size, heat-source compatibility, side bowls, and spoons.

What's on a Japanese hot pot table

A nabe setting has four parts. The donabe is the shared clay pot at the center. Each guest gets a tonsui, a lipped side bowl for transferring food out of the pot, and a renge, the ceramic spoon for broth. A few small kobachi dishes hold the dipping sauces, usually ponzu (citrus soy) or goma (sesame). That is the whole table: one pot to share, and a per-person set to eat from.

Choosing a donabe: size, gō, and your stovetop

Two things decide which donabe you want: how many people it feeds, and what you will heat it on.

Donabe size numbers commonly use 号 (gō). They are model-size designations, not the rice-measuring unit 合, and do not correspond to one fixed capacity. Compare the exact model’s usable capacity, dimensions, and manufacturer’s serving suggestion instead of applying a universal people-per-size chart.

Check the exact model’s approved heat sources. For induction, choose a model explicitly approved for IH, such as the linked IH-compatible Ginpo donabe, and follow its instructions. The Ginpo Hana-Mishima donabe and 9-gō Yuzuriha sukiyaki pot each need their own current compatibility information; their series names alone are insufficient.

Banko ware from Mie Prefecture is an important donabe tradition. Suitable heat-resistant body formulations help make these pots work for cooking; that property should not be assumed for every local clay or every Banko object. See our Banko ware guide.

What is a tonsui bowl?

A tonsui (呑水) is the small bowl with a lip on one side, made for eating at a hot pot. The lip, or thumb tab, gives you a place to hold the bowl and steady it while you move broth, vegetables, tofu, or dumplings out of the shared donabe. It is the single most useful bowl at a nabe table, and it doubles the rest of the year as a bowl for rice, salad, or dessert.

The Ginpo Hana-Mishima tonsui is a matching side bowl. Check the current model dimensions on the product page and maker’s specification, and plan one bowl per guest. A matching pattern does not establish the decorating process.

Renge and dipping dishes: the rest of the table

The renge (蓮華) is the ceramic spoon named for its lotus-petal shape. A good nabe renge has a hooked handle that rests on the pot's rim between servings. Our Hana-Mishima renge and rest set matches the donabe and tonsui, and its rest can also hold a little sauce. For a lighter porcelain option, the Kutani whale-tail renge works for ramen and hot pot alike.

For the sauces, a few small dishes keep ponzu and sesame separate. A set like our Mino ware kobachi, eight to a box, covers a full table and stores flat between uses.

Building a matched set

Ginpo’s Hana-Mishima series offers coordinated pots, bowls, and spoons. Slight colour differences may be visible between pieces; check the actual products rather than assuming the accessories and pot use the same body or manufacturing process.

A practical first setting is one suitable donabe, a side bowl and spoon for each guest, and small sauce dishes. Browse Donabe & Accessories and Tableware.

Before the first use

Many traditional donabe benefit from a first-use seasoning step (medome) before their first hot pot, though not all: some modern donabe are sold as no-seasoning-required, so check the instructions for your specific pot. Clay pots also want a different washing routine from porcelain. Rather than repeat it here, our donabe care guide walks through first-use care, daily cooking, and storage. The short version: follow the maker's first-use instructions, avoid thermal shock, and dry the pot fully before storing.

FAQ

What is a tonsui bowl used for?

A tonsui is a lipped side bowl used at a Japanese hot pot. The thumb lip lets you hold and steady the bowl while transferring broth, vegetables, tofu, or dumplings out of the shared donabe. Each guest uses their own. Outside hot pot season it works as a small bowl for rice, salad, or dessert.

How many people does a donabe serve?

Use the manufacturer’s guidance for the exact model. Size numbers marked 号 (gō) are not a fixed litre measure, and serving counts vary with pot shape, usable capacity, and the meal. They should not be confused with 合, the rice-measuring unit.

Do all new donabe need seasoning?

No. Many traditional donabe benefit from a first-use seasoning step called medome, often simmering a starchy liquid such as thin rice porridge to seal the clay. But some modern donabe are sold as no-seasoning-required, so always check the maker's instructions for your specific pot before the first use.

Can you use a donabe on an induction (IH) stove?

Only if it is made for induction. Most traditional donabe are built for gas or open flame and will not work on an IH hob unless the maker states IH compatibility. If you cook on induction, choose a donabe specifically labeled IH-compatible.

What is the difference between a tonsui and a renge?

A tonsui is the lipped side bowl you eat from at a hot pot; a renge is the ceramic spoon for broth, named for its lotus-petal shape. A full per-person setting uses both: a tonsui to hold your food and a renge for the soup.

What sauces go with Japanese hot pot?

The two most common are ponzu, a citrus soy sauce, and goma, a sesame sauce. They are served in small individual dishes so each guest can dip from the shared pot. Keeping a few small kobachi dishes on the table lets everyone have their own sauce.

Check the current product page and manufacturer’s instructions for dimensions, heat-source compatibility, first-use preparation, and care. Matching tableware is not necessarily suitable for direct heat.