Scrumptiousmunches Clay Pot Must Haves!

Clay pots are highly functional and foods cooked in them taste amazing. People frequently ask me which clay pot they should start out with. This guide is a great primer to help you choose the pot that is right for you. Which clay pots are your favorites?

La Chamba Casserole pot

Uses: stove top or oven

These awesome black pots are made in Columbia from micaceous clay, which allows them to heat evenly. The casserole is extremely versatile, as you can make stews, roast veggies ormeats in it, or use for a number of dishes that you would normally use a Dutch oven for. They come in various sizes and you can order here:https://www.mytoque.com/collections/casserolesroasters/products/chamba-casserole

Romertopf Clay Baker

Uses: Oven only

This German pot was actually very popular back in the day and is great for roasting meats, veggies or even making breads in. This pot requires that you soak it in water first, then draining the water and adding the ingredients. The pot absorbs the water and releases steam during cooking. Once the water is evaporated, the food will dry roast from the heat. The pots are unglazed on the outside and interior used to come unglazed as well but they no longer make them that way. All new Romertopfs come with a glazed interior. I prefer an unglazed interior so I ordered mines used from Ebay.

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=unglazed+romertopf&_sacat=25846&LH_TitleDesc=0&_odkw=unglazed+romertopf&_osacat=25846

If you don't mind the glazed interior and would prefer a new one, you could order one here:

https://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/romertopf-classic-series-clay-baker/?pkey=ccookware-romertopf&isx=0.0.308.6666564941406

Cazuela

Uses: stove top and oven

Spanish cazuelas are shallow, skillet like pots that are great for sauteeing, veggies, meats, anything! They are very versatile!

https://www.spanishtable.com/category/cazuelas.html

https://carterandcavero.com/product-category/kitchen-table/cazuelas-traditional-terra-cotta-cookware-from-spain/

Bean Pots

Uses: Stove top

There’s a reason so many cultures have cooked beans in clay pots for thousands of years. The bean pot is an ESSENTIAL for delicious beans. They evenly heat them and the flavors can’t compare to cooking in a regular steel pot. Bram Cookware offers Egyptian made bean pots (check out their other clay pot offerings!) and Rancho Gordo sells the Mexican made bean pot that I have.

https://bramcookware.com/product-category/for-the-stovetop/bean-pots/?v=f24485ae434a

https://www.ranchogordo.com/products/110-mixteca-pot

Japanese donabes

Uses: Mostly stove top. Bistro Donabe (brown one above) can also be used in oven.

Donabes are Japanese clay pots that are used to make traditional hot pot meals. You don’t have to make Japanese food in them as I also use this to make Brazilian seafood stew (moqueca). These pots are great for soups, stews or easy hot pot meals. Mrs. Donabe from Toiro Kitchen regularly posts and shares easy recipes to use with these pots. I own several other pots from this company (the smoker, tagine, bistro donabe and rice cooker) and they are top quality. The same family has been making them for over a 100 years. Aaron and I visited the family compound when we were in Japan a couple of years ago.

My pot isn't from this company and a friend bought it for me as a gift years ago but I totally love these donabes. They are so stylish and durable.

https://toirokitchen.com/collections/classic-style-iga-yaki-donabe

The Kamado San rice cooker is one of my favorite donabes from Toiro Kitchen. This double lidded pot is great for cooking rice, quinoa, or bulgur.

https://toirokitchen.com/collections/unique-style-iga-yaki-donabe/products/kamado-san

I included the Misoshiru soup pot (stove top only) because it's from the same company and it's always good to have a nice soup pot. You could also find soup pots from Bram cookware or a Chamba soup pot if you prefer something bigger.

https://toirokitchen.com/collections/all/products/miso-shiru-nabe

https://www.mytoque.com/collections/soup-and-bean-pots/products/ss

Tagines

Uses: mostly stove top

Tagines originate in Morocco and their unique conical shape helps to condensate moisture and allow it to circulate throughout the food. This keeps the food from drying out. There are unglazed tagines, glazed tagines, and decorated tagines (for serving only). I suggest going for the unglazed tagines because they hold the memory of the food and the flavors are more earthy. I own a Souss style tagine from Southern Morocco, made of Mica rich clay but the Rifi one from the north is also nice. You can order Moroccan tagines here:

https://www.berbertrading.com/cat-cooking-tagines_all.cfm

Iga Mono also makes a tagine with a Japanese twist to it. This one is really awesome because you can also dry roast foods like potatoes or steam fry in them (can’t do this with a traditional Moroccan tagine).

https://toirokitchen.com/products/fukkura-san

Chinese Sand Pots

Sand pots are super inexpensive traditional Chinese pots that are all purpose. Use them to cook beans, stews, casseroles, rice, etc. You can also cook waterless dishes like potatoes, turnips, mushrooms and more.

3 quarts is a great standard size.

https://www.wokshop.com/newstore/product/chinese-clay-pots/