Hotpot for First-Timers

Your No-Panic Playbook to Ordering, Cooking, and Surviving Your First Pot

By: Supreme Simmer, November 11, 2025

Trying hotpot for the first time?

Don’t worry!

It may look chaotic—steam everywhere, endless trays, people dipping things nonstop—but once you get the basics, it becomes surprisingly simple (and addictive).

Here’s your step-by-step guide, like we’re talking over the table.

Start With the Right Broth

Think of the broth as the “vibe” of your meal.

If you want something safe and cozy, go for chicken, pork, or mushroom.

If you want excitement, go spicy—but maybe half-spicy, half-mild first.

If you’re indecisive, good news: most pots let you pick two flavors anyway.

Pick Your Essentials

Instead of grabbing everything at once, begin with a simple lineup:

• Beef or pork slices

• Shrimp or fish fillet

• Tofu

• Leafy veggies

• Noodles (save these for last so they soak the broth’s flavor)

Trust me—starting simple helps you enjoy each flavor more.

Watch the Cooking Time

Hotpot cooks fast. Faster than you think.

• Meat: a few seconds

• Shrimp: about a minute

• Veggies: half a minute

• Noodles: about two minutes

If it floats or changes color, it’s probably ready.

The only time hotpot fails is when you forget what you put in the pot.

Create Your Sauce

This is where your personality shines. Start with something basic:

1. Soy sauce or sesame sauce

2. Garlic

3. Chili oil

4. Calamansi or sugar to adjust

Taste as you go. No pressure—everyone else is doing their own experiments too.

Don’t Dump Everything In

The pot isn’t a storage box. If you put too much food at once, the broth cools and nothing cooks properly. Add a few things, remove them, then add more.

Enjoy the Process

Hotpot isn’t just eating; it’s interacting. Chat with your table, taste each other’s sauce creations, argue about whether the shrimp is done—half the fun is the mini chaos.

By the time you finish, you’ll wonder why you ever felt intimidated. After one good session, you’re basically a hotpot pro.

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