A traditional piece of Japanese cooking equipment, a donabe is made from earthenware clay and maintains a gentle, even heat thanks to its thickness and the porous nature of the material. We love this one’s rich tenmoku finish (a classic pottery glazing style that dates to the 14th century), as well as its extra-heavy lid, which increases pressure to decrease cook time and ensure the rice steams properly. The vessel is often used to make rice dishes or other filling one-pot meals—for example, koge (scorched rice), in which the bits of rice in contact with the surface of the pot become crunchy and nutty as they overcook, which is difficult to make in a typical electric rice cooker.

Made in Japan by one of the country’s most sought-after ironware producers with a 100-year legacy in the trade, this small pot is ideal for soups and stews. The style is often used for traditional Japanese nabe (hot pot), but its durable cast-iron craftsmanship and stunning lid carved from Japanese cypress wood will make you reach for this pot every chance you can get. We love how this pot is sturdy yet light enough to use often, and it’s great at retaining heat. Plus, it has small feet on the bottom to keep it stable and to keep the heat away from your table, and its handles fold flat for easy storage.

These deep, minimalist bowls are ideal for rice, noodles or anything, really. They’re made from Japanese stoneware, a popular material for functional yet elegant tabletop items—as it falls somewhere between the utility of clay and the delicacy of porcelain. These bowls feature some hand-done glaze work and come in a lovely, earthy green hue with accents of the material’s natural brown peeking through. Comes in a set of four bowls.