Equipment
The kit I actually use in my kitchen. Not an exhaustive list — just the essentials, the tested, the things that make a difference when you cook Asian food regularly.
Cookware
Carbon steel wok
The single most important tool in Asian cooking. Carbon steel (not stainless, not non-stick): heats fast, takes high flame, builds a patina over time. 32-36 cm diameter for a home stove.
Buy on Amazon →Wok spatula and ladle
Long handle, curved blade that hugs the wok's belly. The spatula-plus-ladle pair covers 90% of moves: stir-fry, toss, deglaze, scoop broth.
Buy on Amazon →Cast iron Dutch oven (4-5 L)
For red-braises, long soups, homemade stocks. Cast iron holds low and steady heat, exactly what you want for hong shao rou or a 12-hour tonkotsu broth.
Buy on Amazon →Stock pot (8-10 L)
For homemade chicken stock, tonkotsu broth, big-batch noodle soups. Thick-walled stainless or tin-lined copper. Tall capacity, wide base for reduction.
Buy on Amazon →Deep-frying pot
For deep-frying you want high walls and a thick base — less surface exposed than a wok, so the oil holds temperature. Cast iron or thick stainless, 4-5 L. Worth keeping dedicated to frying so flavours don't bleed across dishes.
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Steaming
Bamboo steamer
Bamboo absorbs condensation and keeps dim sum dry and glossy — metal can't do that. Stack two tiers to cook two dishes at once. 25-30 cm to sit cleanly on top of a wok.
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Knives & boards
Chinese chef's knife (cai dao)
Broad rectangular blade — not a cleaver, despite what people think. For slicing, smashing garlic, transporting what you just cut, shaving paper-thin slices. Once you get used to it, there's no going back.
Buy on Amazon →Wooden cutting board (large)
At least 40 × 30 cm, hardwood (beech, maple). Essential when you use a Chinese chef's knife — you need the real estate. Wood is gentler on the edge than hard plastic.
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Small tools
Granite mortar and pestle
For crushing Sichuan peppercorns, garlic, lemongrass, pounding a curry paste. Heavy stone — granite or marble — does the work for you; wood and ceramic are too fragile.
Buy on Amazon →Long cooking chopsticks
30-40 cm, bamboo. For beating eggs, fishing noodles out of boiling water, pulling fritters from 180°C oil. The everyday Asian-kitchen gesture.
Buy on Amazon →Microplane grater
Photo-etched blades, far sharper than traditional graters. For ginger paste, kaffir lime zest, garlic without lumps. Once you have one, you don't put it down.
Buy on Amazon →Kitchen thermometer
For deep-frying, for infusing oil with Sichuan peppercorns, for low-temperature chashu. Probe-type, 0-300°C range, sub-5-second read.
Buy on Amazon →Airtight containers for grains and spices
Essential for keeping whole spices (Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, cardamom) away from light and moisture. Glass + silicone seal. Set of 6-8 sizes.
Buy on Amazon →Rolling pin
For rolling out wrappers for jiaozi, baozi, xiaolongbao. A short Chinese-style rolling pin (20 cm, no handles) gives the right motion — you roll from the edge toward the center to get a thin middle and a thicker rim.
Buy on Amazon →Spider strainer
Woven wire-mesh skimmer with a long bamboo handle. For lifting fritters, wontons, squid out of hot oil quickly without spilling. Drains better than a slotted spoon.
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Appliances
Rice cooker
If you cook Asian regularly, this is the appliance that changes your daily life. Zojirushi or Tiger for Japanese quality, or a Korean brand will do. 5-6 cup capacity for a household.
Buy on Amazon →Pressure cooker
Cuts long braises by two-thirds: a Taiwanese beef shank that needs 3 h in an open pot comes out tender in 50 min under pressure. 6 L to 8 L model for a household. Stainless, silicone seal.
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