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One Heat Level, Premium-quality Rice with Easy Preparation

Once you set the heat to medium-high level on the stove-top, you don’t need to readjust the heat level until it’s done. (The ideal heating level may vary depending on the type of burner.) The bottom of Kamado-san is about 1.5 times thicker than a regular donabe and its porous clay body “breathes” during cooking. So, the clay builds the heat slowly and gently starts cooking the rice. Then, once the heat is built, it brings the even and steady heat distribution. Meanwhile, the unique feature of double-lid gives the effect of pressure-cooking and helps prevent the contents from boiling over. The thick porous body has an extra-high level of heat retention ability, so after the heat is turned off, Kamado-san slowly cools down and continues to steam-cook the rice during the resting time. As a result, the rice tends to become fluffy and shiny when it’s cooked with Kamado-san.

Suggested item to purchase with Kamado-san: Rice Measuring Cup (Japanese 1-go/ 1 rice-cup size) for easy measuring of rice.

Kamado-san can also be used for making soup, stew or hot pot.

While Kamado-san is particularly designed for making premium-quality rice, this beautiful donabe can also be used for other purposes, such as making soup, stew or hot pot. (You don't need to use the inner lid.)

Wonderful durability

Donabe from Iga is also known for its great durability. With your tender care, Kamado-san can last for a long time. It will only add the nicer character to it.

Best seller donabe

In Japan, this donabe rice cooker, Kamado-san has been Nagatani-en's best seller donabe since it was first introduced in 2000. This donabe is not only very popular at home, but it’s also been in high demand among restaurants which care to present the premium quality rice to the customers. Some restaurants do individual donabe rice service at the table.

Honored with the Good Design Award of Japan.

This donabe rice cooker, Kamado-san, is not only great as an everyday cooking tool, but also makes a beautiful presentation at the dinner table.

True “Terroir” of Iga

Iga region, where this donabe is made, used to be the bed of Lake Biwa about 4 million years ago. The clay from this region is naturally highly heat-resistant and has been used for open-flame cooking for many hundreds of years. This clay consists of a high level of pre-historic fossilized microorganisms that leave the clay porous when fired. The porous body gives the donabe remarkable heat-retention ability. The donabe gradually builds the heat when it’s heated, then it cools down very slowly after the heat is turned off. This, along with the glaze that promotes the far infrared rays (FIR – the same effect as how the glowing charcoal cook ingredients without direct flame) when it’s heated, allow the donabe to produce a gentle, steady heat that penetrates to the core of each ingredient. The effect is ingredients are cooked evenly with all the flavors sealed inside.

Authentic Iga-yaki pottery by Nagatani-en

Iga-yaki (Iga-style) pottery is one of Japan’s most highly-regarded traditional ceramics and is said to have originated in Iga, Mie-Prefecture in the late 7th Century. This donabe is made by Nagatani-en, a leading producer of authentic Iga-yaki pottery since 1832. At Nagatani-en, each donabe is made by hand with care and it takes about 2 weeks to produce an individual donabe. Nagatani-en’s Iga-yaki products have been loved by both professionals and home cooks in Japan.

Your donabe develops its character as it ages

As you use your donabe over and over, it develops character and that’s something to be welcomed.

The very thin cracks could appear on the surface (glaze) of the donabe. It’s called “kannyu” in Japanese and the cracks run like veins. They are the naturally developed cracks on the glaze and won’t affect the function of the donabe.
Once you start using the donabe, the bottom part starts to change its color and black spots (like burned spots) could appear. It’s also the part of developing the character and the donabe is safe to use. However, if the bottom part seems to get too black too quickly, the heat you use might be too high. In this case, we suggest that you use the donabe over lower heat level.

All the donabe and Iga-yaki products made by Nagatani-en are hand-crafted with care, so every piece is unique and no two pieces are identical. There are slight variations within the color/ shade, shape/ curve, and patterns, among pieces, and that makes each piece so special. Also under different lighting and angle, the actual color shade and nuance may also appear slightly different from the photos in the product page.

1 Rice-Cup Size
Ideal for 1-2 servings.

Size: 7.5" x 9” x 5.5" high (19 cm x 23 cm x 14 cm high) – including handles and lid
Capacity: 0.6 qt (600 ml)
Able to cook up 1 rice cup (about 3/4 US cup =180 ml) of uncooked rice
Weight: 4.5 lbs (2 kg) – not including the trivet

2 Rice-Cup Size
Ideal for 2 - 4 servings.

Size: 8.5” x 10.5”x 6” high (21.5 cm x 26 cm x 16 cm high) – including handles and lid
Capacity: 1 qt (1,000 ml)
Able to cook up to 2 rice cups (about 1.5 US cups =360 ml) of uncooked rice
Weight:6.5 lbs (2.9 kg)

3 Rice-Cup Size
Ideal for 4 - 6 servings. Our best seller standard-size.

Size: 9.5” x 12”x 7” high (24 cm x 30 cm x 18 cm high) – including handles and lid
Capacity: 1.5 qt (1,500 ml)
Able to cook up to 3 rice cups (about 2 ¼ US cups =540 ml) of uncooked rice
Weight: 8 lbs (3.6 kg) – not including the trivet

5 Rice-Cup Size
Ideal for 8 - 10 servings.

Size: 10.5” x 13” x 8.5” high (26 cm x 32.5 cm x 21 cm high) – including handles and lid
Capacity: 2.5 qt (2,500 ml)
Able to cook up to 5 rice cups (about 3 ¾ US cups =900 ml) of uncooked rice.
Weight: 10 lbs (5 kg) – not including the trivet

Material: Clay
Producer: Nagatani-en
Origin: Iga, Japan
Included in the package: Donabe (bowl, inner lid, and outer lid) and English instruction sheet.

Usage and Care

Ideal for gas stove top use. This donabe is not suitable for electric or induction cooktop.
Oven-safe (up to 500℉/ 250℃). This donabe is not suitable for microwave.
Hand wash only.
Before the first use, this donabe must be seasoned (How to Season Donabe).

Domestic Orders

Usually ships out in-stock items within 3 business days of order.
We use FedEx, USPS Priority Mail, or USPS First Class Mail to ship our products, depending on the size and weight of the package.
Read about the shipping information and terms in our Customer Service Page.
Free shipping with purchase of $375 or more! (Within Continental US only. Total purchase amount to qualify excludes free shipping offer items.)

International Orders

Usually ship out in-stock within 5 business days of order.
We use FedEx or USPS International for international shipping.
We do not accept any returns for international orders. Any additional charges (including but not limited to import tax, custom fees, VAT, brokerage charge) that might incur after the order lands in the destination country must be borne by the recipient.
Read about the shipping information and terms in our Customer Service Page.

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