NAGATANIEN Donabe Rice Cooker KAMADO SAN CT-50 CT50 5 Rice Cups KAMADOSAN Japanese

I first bought a smaller sized one just to do rice in and the double lid design makes it a slightly-pressured cooker....you get it up to temperature by heating over med-high heat and once steam starts coming out of the top-lid's hole, you turn off the heat and let it sit and it continues and finishes more gently. In general there are more surfaces to clean which makes it less easy than a regular pot with straight sides, but it isn't a big deal. I only gave it 4/5 for "easy to use" because you do have to wait for it to heat up about as long more maybe a bit longer than you do a big heavy cast iron pot.I have only used this bigger (biggest) model once to make a Japanese "Chicken Hotpot" ("Tori-nabe") from page 68 of the book "DONABE: Classic and Modern Japanese Clay Pot Cooking" by Naoko Takei Moore and Kyle Connaughton. The book I bought here on Amazon as well and while it has a number of Japanese-specific ingredients needed, it opened me up to different ways to prepare and eat things like just putting mushrooms (sliced) directly into the pot at a certain point during the cooking and they stayed firm and meaty!Before the first time you use it, it is suggested that you "season" it by washing it first, then cooking a small amount of white rice to the point of overcooking and kind of smearing that starchy porridge around the cooking areas...not sure why you'd do it, but I did it. All the inner and some outer surfaces are glazed smooth and, I assume, not permeable to water. The bottom is a rougher and raw so be CAREFUL what you put the pot down on as it will scratch, which is why they also include a raw clay square trivet to put it on. Also, this raw bottom can absorb water which you don't want too much of because if you go to heat it, any trapped water COULD expand trapped inside somewhere and cause damage when it expands. BUT if you wash it out and get the bottom wet..it isn't like you soaked it for a long time...just letting it sit out it should dry fine OR put it over LOW heat for 5-10mins and it'll be fine!This kind of Donabe is supposed to be better because of the prefecture (area) in Japan that the clay comes from. The area was once below water/sea level and a large amount of very small creatures fossil skeletal microscopic remains create a bunch of tiny little air pockets when baked into the pot. Mini science lesson here: These little voids are creating insulation as heat has trouble transferring across low density air pockets because there is less matter to vibrate ("heat" = molecular vibrations) which makes it slow to cool down. This means that it is good at holding onto heat the same way people value heavy cast iron pots because they are also going to stay warmer longer. BUT it also means that it is going to heat MORE SLOWLY, so do not expect aluminum heat transfer speed. But that is not why you buy any ceramic heavy duty vessel like this. You want it to heat up and hold onto that heat, because this kind of pot is meant to be aesthetically pleasing (look good) to serve from at the table. Also, some recipes utilize that slower cool down to continue a more gentle kind of cooking.So, I think it looks cool, and works well. I also have only used both my sizes of Donabe at a relative's house who has a glass/ceramic stove top. I think they tell you not to do this and I'm not sure if it for the safety of the pot or the stove. You certainly don't want to drag this thing around on that glass top as it will scratch it. BUT, having said that, I cooked the Chicken Hot Pot recipe on that stove top and used medium-high heat and it is fine. I also used it over the gas side burner on an older Weber Genesis E-300 series grill when I was rice-seasoning it before its first use. I had a spill and some of that starchy water burned a pattern on the bottom wich should be that tan and rough material. I like that patina though, as it gives it a kind of character.I also know you don't just have to do Japanese soup kind of recipes, but you can also make whatever you'd use most any pot to cook...just maybe not heating it too high/hot without much or anything in it. Like sauteeing, but I'd expect if you have some oil and the food in it, you PROBABLY could. I'd say as long as SOMEthing is in the pot, then heating it shouldn't be an issue....but that is a question for Professor Google and here is what the professor said when I clicked on the link from The Spruce Eats "TIPS" (keep in mind that this advice is for all kinds of clay cookers and not necessarily as high a quality as this specific Japanese one made from the better clay with the prehistoric little fossils in it:https://www.thespruceeats.com/basic-tips-for-using-donabe-2031002Tips:-Remember, a donabe is not dishwasher-safe. You have to hand-wash it.-Don't soak the donabe for a long time in soap, scrub it too harshly, or use a rough sponge. That kind of treatment could damage the clay.-After washing, flip it upside down to let it dry overnight because the clay is porous and absorbs a lot of moisture, so you want to dry it out completely.-Do not heat it while empty. Always make sure you have a light drizzle of liquid inside, whether that's a touch of oil for sautéing, a soup ingredient, or stock.-Hairline cracks in a donabe are normal. When you see cracks, it's time to re-season the pot. Rice will work best since the starch will fill the pores. If the donabe leaks water, it's time for a new one.

While i like the product overall the broken baseplate ( on arrival) ruins the experience to me

This rice cooker is also called kamado san. It took a few tries perfect to my liking. I found the browned crust was a bit hard to chew and wasted quite a bit of rice even though it was fun to have a few bites of the crispy crust. I cooked it for 5 minutes in medium high heat, then tuned it down to medium heat for 7 minutes or until a bit steam came out. Turned it off and waited 20 minutes. Result - a perfect pot of rice with no browned crust. I just enjoy this type of non-high tech effective cookware. I also have a kamado charcoal grill. Another Japanese style cookware. They produce mastery cooking without master chef skills required. This is an art of simplicity!

Bruh this donabe is an AB. SO. LU. TE. UN. IT. Five cups of rice boi, weighs enough to get jacked af and work off that rice weight. Originally was using the 2 gou donabe, which was basically enough for 2 people. This new one got me goin cause i can have people and their people over and bathe them in rice. Also hot pot got enough liquid space for leftovers. Swwooop swoop. Bruh my biceps are huge now. Lift it up put it down. Best rice. YEEEEE. Idk how this price exists. Most others are twice the price. Save dat money crew.

I would like to have know this donate is a steamer. would love to have that capacity for cooking a different way.

Makes the best rice EVER!!