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Years ago, when I was a student in Tokyo, my friend Sebastian and I bought a butane burner and donabe so that we could make hot pot together on cold winter nights. We lived in the same apartment complex and shared joint custody over the burner and donabe. We’d buy trays of thinly sliced meat, packs of mushrooms, konnyaku, cabbage, carrots, noodles—the world was our oyster (mushroom), simmered in broth. That little Iwatani burner that we’d picked up at Yodobashi Camera for 2500 yen (less than $19) brought us so much joy, but when the time arrived for us to leave Japan, we left it in the apartment for the next tenant to love.
That was 17 years ago, and every winter since I’ve thought about that little burner, Sebastian, and that time in my life. It was a period of growth and personal discovery—leaving my closeted life behind and moving to Japan was what finally gave me the courage to come out to my friends and family back home. After years of hiding so much of myself, I stepped off the plane and simply was gay—no big coming out or uncomfortable conversations. I was thousands of miles from anything familiar, including the straight version of myself. I was lucky; my coming out met with overwhelming positivity and acceptance, which cemented those years abroad as a turning point in my life.
Early on in the pandemic, desperate for positive feelings and scouring the internet for something that would make me feel anything other than dread, I found a new model of Iwatani burner, a donabe, and both the Aburi Grill and BBQ Grill Plate that Iwatani makes for their burners. I thought I might recapture some of that positivity and courage over a hot pot session with friends.
The burner I picked was the Iwatani 35FW, chosen because it is the company’s most powerful, operating at a maximum of 15,000 BTUs. It also came equipped with a wind shield to protect the flame outdoors, as well as a carrying case, which meant it would be good for a trip to the park or the beach or a campground.
The burner uses the same butane canisters as my Iwatani kitchen torch, so I already had what I needed to get going. However, if you need canisters, they're readily available on Amazon (though may not be available for shipping to every state.) as well as in some Asian markets, and camping supply stores like REI.
The day after the burner arrived, I brought in all the classics: trays of thinly sliced meat, enoki and maitake mushrooms, bean sprouts, cabbage, and chewy konnyaku—noodles or cakes made from the konjac yam. My friends and I gathered around the pot (this meaningful act of communal eating is called 鍋を囲む, or nabe wo kakomu) and dug in, taking turns adding veggies to the simmering broth and swishing meat through it before eating it with a mouthful of rice. And for just an evening, we forgot that the world was in chaos outside.
Since that night, I’ve used the burner regularly for hot pot, yakiniku parties, and Korean-style barbecue. I’ve taken it outside to perform messy and smelly tasks like deep-frying—the adjustment knob offers a surprising amount of control over the flame, which is important for maintaining the consistent temperature necessary for frying. The canisters last a surprisingly long time—I usually get at least three or four hour-long cooking sessions out of each canister, and each one only costs a few dollars.
My nostalgia and sentimentality aside, the burner has become an invaluable cooking tool in my kitchen (and my cooking life outdoors). I’ve found that it’s great having an extra burner, especially one that can move anywhere in the kitchen. I love it for camping, but it’s also good for just keeping food warm. I’ve always loved cooking for friends, but nothing beats sitting around the table and sharing a meal that we simultaneously cook and eat together.
Iwatani Single-Burner Butane Portable Cooktop
Iwatani Butane Canister, Pack of 3
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