Donabe

CIBI recommends simple care and maintenance to ensure the best results from your donabe.  The below guide applies to Kamoshika Rice cooker 3cups, Igamono Rice Cooker 3cups and Igamono White Donabe. 

Before you enjoy delicious home cooking your donabe needs some care to prevent cracking and ensure durability.  To do this we make ‘Me-dome’, plain congee, a process that seals and preserves the naturally porous ceramic material of the pot.

 

Let’s do ‘Me-dome’ / making plain congee

1. Thoroughly wash the inside of your Donabe to remove any impurities they may be present from the manufacturing process.

 

2. Place your donabe up-side down to dry.  It is very important the underside of your donabe is completely dry before proceeding to avoid cracking when placing on heat, if unsure simply leave overnight.

 

3. Prior to applying to heat source place your dry donabe on cooktop and add a bowl of cooked rice.

 

4. Fill up water to about 80% full and mix well with rice. 

 

5. Place lid on and cook with low heat for approximately 30 minutes until congee is ready.  If your donabe has two lids you do not need to place middle lid on during this process.

 

6. Once congee is ready, turn the heat off and leave to completely cool down, this may take over an hour.  Once cool remove congee and wash donabe well.  Do not throw away your congee, you can enjoy as a meal afterwards as a reward.  Enjoy!!

 

How to Donabe / Clean 

Clean with a mild detergent and tawashi brush or fukin cloth, donabe’s best friends.  Then place donabe upside down to dry the bottom of donabe to avoid me-zumari’ / clogging.  If not thoroughly dried mould can occur on the surface of the donabe.

 

What is ‘Me-zumari’ / clogging?

If cooked rice or residual water / dampness is left in the donabe too long it may cause clogging.  If this occurs, the flavour and taste of the rice may be unpleasant or appear brownish in colour.  This is caused by the starch present in the cooked rice and/or burnt rice becoming carbonised, although harmless it is best avoided.

 

What do I do to remove ‘Me-zumari’ / clogging?

1. Place water 80% full into donabe
2. Add 1 tea spoon of bicarb soda
3. Place donabe on heat and cook for 10 minutes.
4. Discard water.
5. Dry donabe well in sunlight area if possible
6. Return to top of care and maintenance instructions and complete Let’s do ‘Me-dome’ / making plain congee

 

How to Donabe / maintain odour

If an odour develops over time CIBI recommends to employ tea leaves / mild odour, vinegar for mould odour or bicarb for hard to remove sticked surface

1. Place water 80% full into donabe
2. Add either;
1. 1 tablespoon of used Japanese tea leaves
2. 3 tablespoons of vinegar
3. 1 teaspoon of bicarb soda
3. Place donabe on heat and cook for 10 minutes.
4. Discard water.
5. Dry donabe well in sunlight area if possible 
6. Return to top of care and maintenance instructions and complete Let’s do ‘Me-dome’ / making plain congee

 

How to Donabe / guide to cooking happiness 

• Always ensure your donabe is dry before cooking.  A wet donabe can crack when applied to heat.
• Do not place cold water into a hot donabe as a means to cool it down, dramatic changes in temperature can result in cracking.
• Donabe is not suitable for deep-fry, as it can result in catching fire.
• Donabe is not suitable for induction heat as it is made of ceramic.
• Always place pot stand under donabe when serving to avoid ceramic base scratching table surface or creating heat stains.
• Handle with care to avoid burns.  Use oven mitt when handling.
• Do not leave donabe in water to soak or put away before drying.  Doing so may result in ‘Me-zumari’ / clogging, refer to notes above.
• Cracks may be present on the surface of the donabe.  This cracking is present only in the glazing and does not represent a faulty or unusable donabe.
• Cleaning, tawashi or a fukin cloth are donabe’s best friend.  Tawashi, turtle brush will not scratch the surface of the pot and it cleans surface well. 
• Natural patina, over time your donabe will look like below images inside and out.  CIBI celebrates the beauty of the patina, reminding us how many delicious meals we have enjoyed.