Donabe pot on an electric stove. Can it be done?

Hello folks. There is very little donabe talk on reddit based on my searching and my question is simple: Is it true you cannot use donabe on an electric coil stove?

I live in the inaka and a long drive away from the city, so when I came across a beautiful donabe pot at a secondhand shop last weekend, I just went for it and bought it. I had no idea what it was before buying it, but it was just screaming “Soup! Stew!” and on that front my intuition was correct. Unfortunately, googling upon returning home leads me to believe they should not be used on coil-top stoves. I want to know if any rule-breakers not living with gas have given it a go. Did it explode? If you start on low heat and slowly increase will it be ok? Is it worth the risk of trying?

\*\*EDIT\*\* My stove is an electric coil top shaped in a spiral. The coils heat up and turn red with heat.

Before anyone asks, I’m not sure if I want to commit to buying a portable gas burner. The price of the burner + gas refills seems like it might not be worth it for the amount I’d use it. So, do I go for it or keep it in a nice box for a Christmas gift?

4 comments
  1. There are IH compatible donabe that would be better. Since you bought it secondhand I wouldn’t know whether you had an IH one or regular unless you got the box too. From my experience if you try to use a non IH compatible pot with an IH stove, it won’t work and the stove will shut off.

  2. I really think the portable gas stove is the way forward. I have a pressure cooker that I can’t use on electric and if I need to use it I just get the portable out and I’m all set. The gas cans last a long time and once you open one you can still keep it. It doesn’t have to be used all at once.

  3. You have to use one that is specifically made for electric stoves or you will have a donabe disaster on your hands.

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