5 Reasons why everyone should try hotpot at home

Sitting together at the table, cooking your own food, and talking and enjoying for hours on end. Hotpot is much more than just a meal. It's an experience where the food and being together become part of the same moment.

And the best part is: you don't have to go to a restaurant to experience hotpot.

With a hotpot pot on the table, a good soup base, and some fresh ingredients, you can easily host your own hotpot evening at home.

But why is hotpot so much fun?

Here are five reasons why you should try it yourself.

1. A meal for everyone

One of the biggest advantages of hotpot is the enormous freedom it offers.

With a regular meal, you often choose one dish that everyone eats. With hotpot, it's different. You put various ingredients on the table, and everyone chooses what they like.

Love beef? You can add thinly sliced beef. Prefer chicken? That's fine too. Eating vegetarian? Fill your hotpot with tofu, mushrooms, and vegetables. And for lovers of fish and seafood, there are plenty of options, of course.

Everyone can also create their own combination.

This makes hotpot ideal for groups with differing dietary preferences. You don't have to cook three different dishes to keep everyone happy.

Tip: Place different types of ingredients in separate bowls on the table. This way, everyone can easily grab what they like.

2. Social dining

This might be the most important reason to try hotpot.

With many meals, the food is already ready before everyone sits down. With hotpot, the meal truly begins when everyone is seated.

The pot is in the middle of the table. The broth is simmering. Everyone chooses ingredients, cooks them, and then takes them out of the pot.

This naturally creates interaction.

You're not just eating, but also doing something together. Meanwhile, you talk, try new combinations, and perhaps wait a moment until that one piece of meat is perfectly cooked.

Hotpot is therefore not a meal you want to finish as quickly as possible.

It's a meal where you take your time.

Tip: Prepare all ingredients beforehand and let everyone decide what goes into the pot. This way, cooking becomes part of the evening.

3. Simple and time-saving

Hotpot might sound like it requires a lot of preparation, but that's not the case.

You basically only need a few things: a hotpot pot, a soup base, and ingredients to cook in the broth.

Most of the preparation involves slicing and arranging the ingredients. After that, everyone at the table essentially does their own part.

So you don't have to keep going back to the kitchen to prepare new dishes during the meal.

You also don't need to have everything perfectly ready at the same time. Ingredients can simply be added to the pot little by little.

This makes hotpot an interesting option for a weekday evening, but also for an elaborate weekend meal.

With a Hotpot Box, you also have many of the necessities already together. Then you mainly just need to choose your favorite fresh ingredients.

4. Endless variety

Are you someone who quickly gets bored with the same dishes? Then hotpot might be exactly what you're looking for.

You can vary almost endlessly.

For example, start with the soup base. Choose a spicy broth, a mild version, tomato, or another flavor you like.

Then come the ingredients.

Think of:

• thinly sliced beef
• chicken
• shrimp
• tofu
• dumplings
• mushrooms
• bok choy
• corn
• lotus root
• potato
• various types of noodles

And then there are the dipping sauces.

By combining different broths, ingredients, and dips, you can make every hotpot evening different.

Today, for example, you might make a spicy hotpot with beef and mushrooms. The next time, you'll choose a mild broth with tofu, dumplings, and vegetables.

Tip: During each hotpot evening, try at least one ingredient you haven't eaten before. This keeps it surprising.

5. Perfect for any occasion

Hotpot doesn't need a special occasion.

You can organize it when friends come over, during a birthday, with family, or just on a quiet Sunday evening.

Because everyone cooks and eats at their own pace, hotpot also works well for different group sizes.

A small hotpot evening for two can be just as enjoyable as a large table full of friends.

And precisely because the eating is so interactive, a hotpot evening quickly feels like something special.

You don't have to put together a complicated menu. The pot is central, and the rest of the evening unfolds naturally.

Tip: Make your hotpot evening a complete experience. Arrange all ingredients beautifully on the table, provide various dipping sauces, and give everyone their own bowl and chopsticks.

Why hotpot at home is so different from a regular meal

Ultimately, the special thing about hotpot is not just what you eat.

It's about how you eat.

The pot is in the center of the table. Everyone participates. You decide what you cook and how long you cook it. Meanwhile, the broth continues to simmer, and its flavor changes throughout the evening.

This gives hotpot something that many other meals don't have: the meal evolves as you sit at the table.

There's no clear moment when "the food is ready."

You start, cook, eat, talk, cook some more, and then just continue.

What do you need for a hotpot evening at home?

Fortunately, you don't need much to get started.

The basics consist of:

1. A hotpot pot
A pot in which you can heat and keep the broth warm at the table.

2. A soup base
This largely determines the flavor of your hotpot.

3. Ingredients
Choose meat, fish, tofu, vegetables, mushrooms, dumplings, and noodles to your own taste.

4. A dipping sauce
This gives the cooked ingredients their final flavor.

5. Bowls and utensils
Everyone needs their own small bowl and, for example, chopsticks and a slotted spoon.

You don't really need anything more.

From regular meal to hotpot evening

A hotpot evening doesn't have to be complicated at all.

Place the pot on the table, heat the soup base, and divide your ingredients into different bowls.

Then everyone can start.

Choose your favorite ingredients, cook small portions, and try different combinations. Perhaps during the evening, you'll discover a combination you want to make again next time.

And that's exactly what makes hotpot so much fun.

It's not a recipe you follow once.

It's a way of eating that you can constantly rediscover.

Conclusion: You just have to try hotpot once

Hotpot combines several things that make a meal special: delicious food, freedom, interaction, and coziness.

Everyone can eat what they like. You don't have to spend hours in the kitchen. You can vary endlessly, and the meal is just as suitable for an evening with friends as for a quiet dinner with family.

But perhaps the most important thing is that you're engaged together at the table.

No complicated courses. No rush. Just a pot in the middle of the table and enjoying it together.

Frequently Asked Questions about Hotpot at Home

What do you need for hotpot at home?

Basically, you need a hotpot pot, a soup base, ingredients, and dipping sauce. Additionally, bowls, chopsticks, and a slotted spoon are handy during the meal.

Is hotpot difficult to make at home?

No. Hotpot is actually relatively simple. You heat the soup base and prepare various ingredients. Then, the ingredients are cooked at the table during the meal.

What ingredients can you use for hotpot?

Practically anything you like. Popular ingredients include beef, chicken, shrimp, tofu, dumplings, mushrooms, bok choy, and various types of noodles.

Is hotpot suitable for vegetarians?

Yes. You can easily create a vegetarian hotpot with, for example, tofu, mushrooms, vegetables, dumplings, and noodles. Of course, choose a suitable vegetarian soup base.

Is hotpot suitable for children?

Absolutely. For example, choose a mild soup base and ingredients that children enjoy. Be careful with the temperature of the broth and the food.

How many people can eat hotpot?

Hotpot is suitable for both small and larger groups. With a suitable pot, you can eat with two people, but also serve a table full of family or friends.

How long does a hotpot evening last?

That's entirely up to you. Because you're constantly cooking new ingredients during the meal, a hotpot meal can easily last longer than a regular meal. This relaxed pace is part of the experience.

Ready for your first hotpot evening?

Ultimately, hotpot isn't just about the food, but about the experience surrounding it.

A table full of ingredients, a steaming pot in the middle, and good company are often enough for a successful evening.

Discover our Hotpot Box and get acquainted with the most enjoyable way to eat together at home.