The Wonder Pot, also known as seer peleh in Hebrew, is a high-walled cooking dish with a hollow tube in the center that can be used on any heat source. It was popular in Israel in the 1950s-1980s due to the lack of indoor ovens. It can be used to make a variety of dishes, including baked goods, casseroles, soups, and stews. The pot’s original versions lacked functionality and elegant design, but different versions appeared over time. Most companies stopped making the pot in the late 1980s.
A wonder pot, also called seer peleh in Hebrew, is a type of cooking dish designed to emulate the way food is cooked in an oven, but does so on a stovetop or other heat source open. The main vessel is circular and high-walled, with a hollow tube rising vertically in the center like a Bundt pan. The skillet sits on top of a metal griddle designed to distribute heat evenly across the bottom surface. A lid is included with a wonder pot, and it’s usually heavier than the rest of the pan with holes to allow steam to escape while cooking.
The Wonder Jar was invented in the 1950s and was heavily used in Israel until the 1980s when it started to become obsolete. The wonder pot’s original popularity emerged in Israel due to the lack of indoor ovens in apartment buildings and homes. The pot could be used on any heat source, whether it was a small burner, an open fire, or even a space heater in some circumstances. As the cost of ovens and ranges decreased, the pot was replaced with traditional oven pans that were capable of accommodating large quantities of food. Eventually, the frying pan was relegated to a position of nostalgia, finding little use in kitchens.
The first pot of wonder cooking recipes shown could be used for a variety of different dishes. Baked goods such as cakes, brownies, and breads can be made in the pot when properly prepared and without burning while the pasta cooks. Likewise, it is capable of making casseroles with any combination of ingredients.
In addition to acting like a stovetop version of an oven, the wonder pot is capable of being used as an all-purpose pan. The cookbook that was included with early versions of the pot contained recipes for soups, stews, and dishes that included grains like couscous that aren’t traditionally prepared in an oven. The only difficulty in using the pot like any other cooking vessel is dealing with the large central column, which can make stirring difficult.
The original versions of the wonder pot were made to serve a specific function and lacked functionality or elegant design. Early pots were made of thin aluminum which tended to rust with use. As the pot became more popular, different versions began to appear, including electric versions with their own burners and different colored enamel pots. Most of the companies that made the wonder pot stopped making the pan in the late 1980s.
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