Enter pot volume, style, number of diners, and salt target. The card gives salt, chili oil, doubanjiang, and per-diner ingredient plan.
Why this exists
Most home hot pot recipes treat the broth as a "boil water, dump a packet" step. The sodium content of restaurant hot pot is 50-100% higher than home broth, which is why you feel thirsty after eating out. This tool calibrates to a target you choose.
Who this is for
Home cooks hosting hot pot dinner parties. Anyone trying to lower sodium without losing flavor. Vegetarians planning a multi-broth evening.
How to read the result
Sodium target is measured per liter of finished broth, not per dish. Doubanjiang contributes salt as well - when increasing doubanjiang, reduce added salt by ~10%. The per-diner ingredient plan is for a typical 2-hour dinner; longer nights = 25% more per person.
Honest limitations
Restaurant broths often use hidden MSG. If you want the exact "restaurant taste", add 1 g MSG per liter (optional and clearly labelled). Bones take hours to extract; instant powder broths are weaker but acceptable.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
What are the common mistakes when using Hot Pot Broth Builder?
Most common mistakes come down to four habits: entering 20 when the field expects 0.2 because the field is a percentage; leaving a field blank and accepting the default without checking what it stands for; changing one input and reading a result that was calculated before the change; and quoting the output as an exact figure when the page describes it as a reference estimate. Press calculate again after any edit, and treat the number as a reference point rather than a final answer.
How do I read the result from Hot Pot Broth Builder?
Read the final figure first, then come back to this section for the conditions behind it: Sodium target is measured per liter of finished broth, not per dish. Doubanjiang contributes salt as well - when increasing doubanjiang, reduce added salt by ~10%. The per-diner ingredient plan is for a typical 2-hour dinner; Keep two things apart: the number itself, which comes from the values you typed, and the assumptions it depends on, which decide whether that number is meaningful. The page sets out what a higher or lower result means for your case, so check that direction as well as the magnitude.
Can I act on the Hot Pot Broth Builder result directly?
Treat it as one reference sheet before you decide, rather than as the answer itself: Restaurant broths often use hidden MSG. If you want the exact "restaurant taste", add 1 g MSG per liter (optional and clearly labelled). Bones take hours to extract; instant powder broths are weaker but acceptable. The output describes a magnitude under the conditions you entered. It does not include what it actually costs to act, what might change while you act, or how the other side behaves. Before you commit, compare the result against reality and note which assumptions do not hold where you are.
What inputs does Hot Pot Broth Builder need?
Hot Pot Broth Builder takes 2 inputs: Pot volume (L)、Diners. They are listed in the order they feed the calculation, so an earlier value can change a later one. Do not skip a field you do not recognise - work out what it means first, because a silently guessed value produces a number that looks reasonable and is not. Before typing anything, make sure every figure uses the same unit and the same time period.
Why does my broth taste flat? Not enough simmering time. Clear broth needs 3 hours minimum.
Can I make it the day before? Yes, actually better - flavors develop overnight.
Yin-yang divider food safe? Use stainless or food-grade silicone. Aluminum reacts with salty broth.