How to Make the Best Hot Pot at Home

Bring your favorite hot pot restaurant home with you! All you need is an authentic soup base, an electric hot pot cooker, and raw ingredients to take the plunge.

Sichuan hot pot is a unique dining experience, whether you’re splurging at a hot pot restaurant or setting the table at home. There are lots of familiar flavors and cultural norms wrapped up in this traditional dish, but you still have the freedom to make it your own. Choose your favorite ingredients and treat guests to a yummy surprise!

We’ll walk you through the entire setup process for hot pot at home, step by step.

Hot Pot at Home: How-To Guide

Think of hot pot as a blank canvas that you can personalize with your favorite flavors and toppings. It truly is a feast worth sharing, and it all starts with the pot.

Pick the Best Hot Pot Cooker

There are several different ways to heat hot pot cookers, and each fuel type has its pros and cons.

Gas hot pot cookers are the most traditional option, and they’ll bring your broth to a fast boil, but it’s not always safe or easy to use for hot pot at home. Induction cooking is one of the most energy-efficient options, but you’ll be more limited with specialized cookware.

We recommend electric hot pot cookers because they’re lightweight, portable, safe, and super easy to use. Look for an electric hot pot with adjustable temperature controls and 1500 watts of power for rapid boiling. (This one ticks both boxes!)

Choose Your Hot Pot Soup Base

It’s surprisingly easy to make hot pot broth at home – especially with Aroma’s video recipe guide. Mild pork and cabbage hot pot broth is the perfect palette cleanser. Or turn up the heat with a spicy Szechuan hot pot soup base and dried chilis.

If you’re short on time, you can always pick up a store-bought hot pot soup base instead. Scan the aisles at your local Asian market for umami-rich mushroom soup base, savory bone broth, or tongue-tingling spice mixes.

Still not sure what hot pot broth to pick? Don’t split the group – split the pot!

Did you know that Aroma makes divided hot pot cookers? These stainless steel hot pots are welded with a divider to keep two broths separate, so you can bring everyone together without compromising on flavor.

The most common style of hot pot is split 50/50 with a line down the middle of the pot – like this one. Aroma also created an ‘inner circle’ hot pot cooker to heat a small amount of mild hot pot soup base at the center, surrounded by a ring of fiery broth.

Fill the Table with Ingredients

This is where Sichuan hot pot and Shabu Shabu truly shine! Fill the table with a variety of flavors and textures – ranging from protein and seafood to vegetables, mushrooms, and starches. It’s truly a choose-your-own-adventure meal!

If you need ideas for hot pot at home, we always recommend starting with this classic spread:

Bring your broth to a rolling boil, drop in ingredients that take the longest to cook, and pull bites out at the perfect time. Dip, savor, and repeat! Your at-home hot pot restaurant is ready.