Self-Stirring Cauldrons

• Type: Magical Device, Potions Equipment
• Owners: Commercially available to the wizarding public.
• Maker: Various commercial cauldron manufacturers.

A Self-Stirring Cauldron is a standard potion-brewing vessel that has been enchanted to stir its own contents. In appearance, it is largely indistinguishable from a regular cauldron and is available in the same variety of materials, including copper, brass, pewter, and silver, as well as various sizes. The magical properties are not visible until the cauldron is in use.

The primary function of a Self-Stirring Cauldron is to automate the stirring process in potion-making, a task that often requires precision, patience, and extended periods of manual labour. The enchantment allows the cauldron to maintain a consistent stirring motion, freeing the brewer to perform other tasks. However, the capabilities of these cauldrons may be limited. Advanced potions, such as the Draught of Living Death, require highly specific and variable stirring instructions, such as precise clockwise and counter-clockwise turns in a particular sequence. The fact that N.E.W.T.-level students like Harry Potter are still required to perform these complex stirs by hand suggests that Self-Stirring Cauldrons are likely best suited for simpler brews or for stages of a potion that require continuous, uniform stirring rather than intricate, changing patterns. They are a convenience item, but not a replacement for the skill of an advanced Potions master.

By the 1990s, Self-Stirring Cauldrons were an established and readily available product within the British wizarding community. They were advertised on a sign at the Potage's Cauldron Shop in Diagon Alley, alongside collapsible models and different metal types, when Harry Potter first visited in 1991. This indicates they are a common, if perhaps more expensive, alternative to standard student cauldrons, which are not enchanted. The production of such items falls under the general purview of the Ministry of Magic. While not specific to the self-stirring enchantment, Percy Weasley's work on a report regarding the regulation of cauldron bottom thickness highlights that manufacturing standards for magical equipment are a matter of official concern.

The Self-Stirring Cauldron serves primarily as a piece of world-building, illustrating the ways magic is integrated into everyday life to provide convenience. Its appearance on a shop sign in Diagon Alley is one of Harry Potter's first encounters with such mundane magic, contributing to his and the reader's sense of wonder. The item's existence implicitly contrasts with the standard, non-magical equipment required for first-year Hogwarts students, subtly indicating that more advanced or luxury magical goods exist beyond the basic school supply list. They do not play a direct role in any major plot events.

• In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, the sign advertising “Self-Stirring” cauldrons is clearly visible in Diagon Alley, consistent with the novel (film).
• Self-Stirring Cauldrons appear as a usable piece of equipment in the Book of Potions game, where players can use one to aid in brewing (video game).
• They are also featured as interactive background elements in the LEGO Harry Potter video games (video game).