Takeout Kit
Hot Pot Kit: Everything You Need for Hot Pot at Home

Hot Pot Kit: Everything You Need for Hot Pot at Home

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Build Your Own Hot Pot Kit

Our own divided pot is sold out, so here is the kit I would actually assemble instead. I have eaten hot pot in Chengdu, and the lesson travels well: hot pot is not a recipe. It is a heat source, a divided pot, a good broth base and a sauce bar. Everything else is whatever is in your fridge.

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  • Heat & Pot
  • 🍲 Dezin 6L Electric Hot Pot with Divider
    Why this one: the whole party in one box. The divider gives you one spicy side and one mild, and because the element is built into the base nobody is running an extension cord to a camping burner halfway through dinner.
  • 🥘 5.5 Qt Divided Shabu Shabu Hot Pot
    Why this one: the closest match to the divided pot we used to sell. Two broths side by side in a pot made for induction, so pair it with the burner below and you have the classic tabletop setup.
  • 🔥 Duxtop 1800W Portable Induction Cooktop
    Why this one: if you already own a divided pot, this is the missing half. The failure mode of hot pot at home is a pot that goes lukewarm by the second round. 1800W brings a full pot back to a boil fast enough that the conversation never stops.
  • Broth
  • 🌶️ Haidilao Beef Tallow Spicy Hot Pot Soup Base
    Why this brand: Haidilao is the hot pot chain that makes it, and the beef tallow version is the one worth buying. Start with half a bag. A whole one on your first attempt is a lesson you only need once.
  • 🥣 Little Sheep Hot Pot Soup Base, Plain
    Why this brand: the mild side of the pot. Little Sheep is the Mongolian-style hot pot chain behind this base, and the plain version gives you a savory, gentle broth for greens, fish and dumplings, and for anyone sitting out the chili side.
  • Dipping Sauce Bar
  • 🥜 Wang Zhihe Pure Sesame Paste
    Why this brand: Chinese sesame paste is made from roasted seeds, so it is deeper and toastier than tahini. Thin it with warm water and a splash of soy sauce for the classic northern dipping sauce.
  • 🦐 Bullhead Barbecue (Sa Cha) Sauce
    Why this brand: sa cha is the savory garlic, shallot and dried-shrimp sauce that Taiwanese hot pot is built around, and Bull Head is the jar you will find on those tables. A spoonful in your bowl adds instant depth.
  • 🔴 Lao Gan Ma Spicy Chili Crisp
    Why this brand: the original chili crisp. A spoonful in your sauce bowl gives you crunch and heat without committing to the full spicy broth.
  • Tools
  • 🥄 Geiserailie 10-Piece Hot Pot Strainer Scoops
    Why this one: one basket per person. This is the small detail that turns a pan of soup into an actual hot pot night, because everyone cooks their own and nobody is fishing around for their beef in someone else's broth.

How to Make Hot Pot at Home

Hot pot is one of the most social ways to eat: a pot of simmering broth in the middle of the table, plates of raw ingredients around it, and everyone cooking their own bites. I have eaten hot pot in Chengdu, where the broth runs red with dried chilies and Sichuan peppercorns, and the good news is that the at-home version needs very little equipment. Here is what goes into a hot pot kit and how to put the night together.

What's in a hot pot kit?

  • A heat source that sits on the table. An electric hot pot has one built in. Otherwise, use a portable induction burner.
  • A divided pot, so you can run a spicy broth and a mild broth at the same time.
  • Broth bases. Concentrated hot pot soup bases do the heavy lifting, so all you add is water.
  • A dipping sauce bar: sesame paste, sa cha sauce and chili crisp, plus garlic, scallions and cilantro.
  • Small strainer scoops, one per person, so nobody loses their food in the pot.
  • The dippers: thinly sliced meat, tofu, vegetables, noodles and dumplings.

Electric hot pot or stovetop pot?

If you are buying from scratch, an electric hot pot with a divider is the simplest setup: one plug, one pot, adjustable heat. If you would rather have a stainless steel pot you can also use on the stove, get a divided pot and pair it with a portable induction burner. Check that the pot is induction compatible before you buy. A pot that drops to a lukewarm simmer is the most common reason hot pot at home falls flat.

Choosing your broths

Most tables want one of each. The spicy side is a Sichuan-style mala broth, rich with beef tallow, dried chilies and the tingle of Sichuan peppercorns. Start with half a packet of a spicy base, taste, and add more. You can always add heat, but you cannot take it out. The mild side can be a plain hot pot base or a simple chicken stock, and it is where delicate things like fish, leafy greens and dumplings shine.

Build a dipping sauce bar

The sauce is half the experience. Set out a few jars and let everyone mix their own bowl. Three good starting points:

  • Northern style: sesame paste thinned with warm water, a splash of soy sauce, a pinch of sugar and chopped scallions.
  • Taiwanese style: a spoonful of sa cha sauce, soy sauce and chopped cilantro, with a raw egg yolk stirred in if you like.
  • Sichuan style: sesame oil with minced garlic and cilantro, which cools and coats every bite you pull from the spicy side. Add chili crisp for crunch.

What to cook in hot pot

Plan on a third to half a pound of protein per person, plus plenty of vegetables. Good choices include thinly sliced beef or lamb (look for hot pot or shabu shabu slices at an Asian grocery), shrimp, fish balls, firm or fried tofu, mushrooms, napa cabbage, bok choy, spinach, thin slices of potato or lotus root, frozen dumplings, and noodles to finish.

How to host hot pot night

  1. Prep everything ahead. Slice, wash and arrange the ingredients on plates around the pot.
  2. Fill the pot about two-thirds full with water and add a soup base to each side. Bring it to a boil, then lower it to a steady simmer.
  3. Set out the sauce bar and let everyone build a bowl.
  4. Cook in small batches. Thin slices of meat take seconds. Root vegetables and dumplings take a few minutes.
  5. Top up with hot water or stock as the broth reduces, and save the noodles for the end, when the broth is at its most flavorful.

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