Kitchen gadgets from around the globe
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For foodies, tasting local dishes when travelling is the best way to experience the culture. These traditional favourites often require unique cooking techniques and specific kitchen tools to create – many of which you can only find in their home country. From Mexico’s must-have tortilla press to China’s versatile bamboo steamer, we’ve put together a list of the best kitchen gadgets from around the world. How many do you have in your culinary collection?
Read on to discover the best kitchen tools from around the world, counting down to the most essential of all.
24. String hopper press, Sri Lanka
The lesser-known sibling of a Sri Lankan hopper, a string hopper (also called an idiyappam) is just as delicious, if a little more complicated to perfect. A breakfast favourite, it’s essentially a small nest of rice noodles that’s best enjoyed with sambol (a coconut-based relish) or a flavourful curry. The noodles are made by pushing rice flour dough through a metal or wooden press, forming thin strings. These are then steamed on string hopper mats known as thattu.
23. Chitarra cutter, Italy
Store-bought spaghetti is fine, but if you want to level up your meal at home, it’s worth investing in a chitarra cutter. Translating into English as ‘guitar’, this fascinating tool looks just like a musical instrument. Set on a wooden frame, wire strings are positioned like a guitar to enable the pasta dough to pierce through, creating delicate strips of spaghetti alla chitarra. A speciality of the Italian region of Abruzzo, this style of pasta is similar to spaghetti but is square-edged rather than rounded.
22. Æbleskiver pan, Denmark
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Translating into English as ‘apple slices’, due to the fact that they were once filled with pieces of the fruit, æbleskiver are popular sweet treats that are eaten across Denmark at Christmas. These sphere-shaped balls are made with a pancake-style batter, and they’re usually served warm, with a spoonful of jam and a dusting of icing sugar. They’re made in a specially crafted cast-iron æbleskiver pan featuring hemispherical indents. Once cooked on one side, they’re flipped over with a skewer to create that globe-like shape.
21. Spätzle maker, Central Europe
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Carby and comforting, a bowl brimming with spätzle – poached, fried dumplings made with flour, eggs, salt and water – is one of the most delicious meals you’ll come across in Central Europe. To make this traditional dish at home, it’s worth investing in a spätzle maker. You can get a few different versions of the tool but, most commonly, it’s a metal gadget with holes and a sliding attachment, which you move to push the dough straight into a pan of boiling water.
20. Cezve, Türkiye
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Different from your typical barista-made cup, Turkish coffee uses finely ground coffee beans, which are brewed in a cezve: a slim, long-handled metal pot with a pouring spout. Typically made from copper, cezves are traditionally placed on hot sand that’s been heated over an open flame, allowing the coffee to simmer until it begins to foam. These days, though, they’re more commonly used on the stove. Cezves have been around since the days of the Ottoman Empire, and similar instruments can be found in other countries, including Cyprus and Greece.
19. Flessenlikker, Norway and the Netherlands
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Always struggle to get the last remaining dribbles of sauce from a bottle? Fear not, as there’s a very handy kitchen tool for that. The flessenlikker, which literally means ‘bottle licker’ in Dutch, is essentially a bottle scraper, designed to reach into the bottom of a long, tapered container thanks to its curved head. Though it’s believed to have been invented in Norway, it’s the Netherlands where this utensil took off in the mid-20th century. Today, you won’t find a Dutch home without one.
18. Chamba pot, Colombia
Offering a unique method of slow cooking, chamba pots can be found in most home kitchens across Colombia. These pots are made with clay that’s usually left unglazed, and they’re used on stoves or in the oven. They’ve been a part of Colombian cooking for centuries and are designed to make traditional dishes such as hearty stews, braised meats and beans.
17. Pelmennitsa mould, Russia
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While historians are unsure where pelmeni originated, these juicy, meat-filled dumplings have been a part of Russian culinary culture for generations, and they’re still eaten with gusto today. Pelmeni are often consumed in large quantities, so making them can be a little time-consuming, but it’s all made easier thanks to the pelmennitsa mould. Similar to a ravioli mould, it’s a metal tool that features hexagon-shaped holes, perfect for bonding two sheets of dumpling dough around a filling in the blink of an eye.
16. Huad, Thailand
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While you’ll see many variations on (and cooking methods for) sticky rice across Southeast Asia and China, it’s Thailand where you’ll find this incredibly useful kitchen tool. Known as a huad, it’s essentially a bamboo steamer that’s designed specifically for making glutinous rice. Placed over a pan of boiling water, the basket’s conical shape enables steam to circulate easily, giving rice that distinctively chewy, glue-like consistency.
15. Raclette grill, Switzerland
Often served with potatoes, cold meats, pickles and vegetables, raclette is traditionally cooked over an open fire, allowing the cheese (a Swiss cows’ milk variety) to go gooey and delicious. Although it’s believed to have been eaten since the 13th century, the comforting meal grew in popularity in the 1970s, thanks to the introduction of the raclette grill. Designed to be placed in the centre of the table, this contraption features a bottom grill (for the cheese) and a top grill (for the other ingredients).
14. Tea strainer, UK
While tea is believed to have been consumed in China since 2700 BC, we have the British to thank for the creation of this old-school gadget. Tea strainers have been used in the UK since the 19th century and were traditionally only owned by the wealthy. Tea bags and teapots with built-in strainers have become more popular in recent years, but people who enjoy a cup of loose-leaf tea (or those hosting an at-home afternoon tea experience) will often have one of these on hand.
13. Tawa, various locations
Want to whip up fluffy parathas or crispy dosas at home? A tawa – also known as a tava, tawah, thawah or thavah – is the key to making these delicious dishes. Used across South Asia, including in India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, this metal pan (usually made from cast iron or aluminium) is traditionally completely flat, but it may have a slight curve to it. Unusually, you can use both sides of the pan; one is best for flatbreads like chapatis, while the other can be used to cook up dishes such as pav bhaji (spiced mashed vegetables).
12. Dolsot, Korea
Dolsot bibimbap, a mixed rice dish packed with vegetables and meat that’s often topped with a fried egg, is a delicious Korean meal that’s gaining popularity across the globe. To make it the traditional way, however, you’ll need to invest in a dolsot. Once your bibimbap ingredients have been heated up on the stove or in the oven in the dolsot bowl (which is made from stone), you can take the whole thing to the table, where the dish will stay warm for hours. Dolsots are also used to make spicy, brothy stews known as jjigae.
11. Molcajete, Mexico
A kitchen tool that can be traced back to pre-Columbian times, the molcajete is a Mexican household staple. It’s traditionally used for grinding and mixing ingredients together, and it’s perfect for making fiery salsas and zippy guacamoles. Unlike a marble pestle and mortar, the molcajete is made from texturally carved volcanic rock, which enables the oils to be released from the ingredients within. It should be handled with care and cured before use, which often involves soaking it in water, then grinding rice grains into the basin to cover the cracks.
10. Cassole, France
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France may be known for its fine dining, but the country is also rich with traditional comfort recipes that have been around for centuries. One such meal is cassoulet, a rich, hearty slow-cooked stew packed with beans and chunks of meat. The wholesome dish is traditionally cooked in an earthenware pot known as a cassole: a deep terracotta-coloured bowl with a small spout and handles on each side.
9. Electric waffle iron, USA
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While many historians believe that waffles date as far back as ancient Greece, we have American inventor Cornelius Swarthout to thank for popularising the delicious dish further, patenting the stovetop waffle iron in 1869. In 1911, American electrical company General Electric released the world’s first electric waffle iron. Technology has developed since then, but the kitchen gadget’s ridged iron cooking plate (and the fact it works in minutes) continues to win over waffle fans across the US and beyond.
8. Bamboo steamer, China
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Used by professional chefs, street food vendors and home cooks across China, these steamers have been an integral part of Chinese culinary culture for thousands of years. Made from bamboo, the tools traditionally have two tiers and a lid, and they can be placed above a pan or wok of boiling water to create the perfect heated environment for steamed foods. They’re incredibly versatile, too; they can be used to cook everything from dim sum and vegetables to fish, meat and rice.
7. Tagine, North Africa
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A staple in many North African countries – including Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria – a tagine is a flat-rimmed dish with a tall, conical lid. The cooking vessel, made from clay or ceramic, is traditionally placed over hot coals to make stews packed with meat or fish, vegetables and fruit (though a low-temperature oven works just as well these days). Minimal liquid is required, as the lid traps in moisture, resulting in tender, buttery meat. This style of pot dates all the way back to the 9th century.
6. Tortilla press, Mexico
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Whether it’s used as a delicious base for meat-stuffed burritos, tacos or fajitas, nothing beats a warm, floury tortilla. Made with either maize harina or wheat flour, tortillas have featured heavily in Mexican cooking for centuries, and inventor Fausto Celorio Mendoza is credited for introducing the first automatic tortilla machine in the 1940s. Manual tortilla presses, however, are more commonly found in homes across Mexico. These heavy cast-iron gadgets are simple in design, featuring two flat surfaces that can be pressed together with a lever to flatten the dough.
5. Milk frother, Italy
For many, a morning coffee isn’t complete without warm, frothy milk. The dairy product has been added to the brew for centuries, but it wasn’t until the 20th century that frothed milk became the norm – and largely, it’s all thanks to the milk frother. The steam wand, now a regular feature on espresso machines, was developed in Italy to add a new level of luxury to regular coffee. Electric hand-held frothers with a rotating whisk have since followed, becoming a kitchen staple for those wanting to prepare barista-style drinks at home.
4. Paellera, Spain
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While delicious rice-based dish paella is believed to have roots in ancient times, its modern form dates to 19th century Albufera, a region in Valencia, Spain. Paella Valenciana usually includes chicken and rabbit, though the most famous version now features a mix of chicken and seafood. It’s traditionally cooked over an open flame in a wide, shallow pan with two handles, known as a paellera. Paelleras come in various sizes, from giant styles designed to feed huge crowds to smaller two-person versions that are perfect for home cooks.
3. Rice cooker, Japan
Can’t stand mushy, overcooked rice? Invest in a rice cooker, and you’ll never have to deal with it again. This helpful Japanese appliance is a game-changer, gently steaming rice for perfectly fluffy results every time. The rice cooker was invented by a Japanese housewife named Fumiko Minami, whose husband sold the idea for her gadget to electronics company Toshiba in 1955. Since then, the kitchen tool has become a staple in households across Japan and beyond.
2. Cheese slicer, Norway
The humble cheese slicer – a handy contraption designed to cut cheese perfectly – revolutionised Norwegian breakfast tables when it was introduced over a century ago. Fed up with how difficult it was to cut even slices of cheese, inventor Thor Bjørklund came up with this unique metal gadget with a slicing mechanism in 1925. Within two years, the product (known as an ostehøvel in Norwegian) had become commonplace in kitchens across Norway. It’s best used on semi-hard and hard cheeses.
1. Wok, China
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One of the most versatile tools you can have in your kitchen, the wok has been a part of Chinese cooking for thousands of years – and its longevity proves just how essential it is. This thin, bowl–shaped pan is traditionally round bottomed, though modern styles typically feature a flatter base. It usually has two handles, enabling cooks to mix ingredients without a utensil when stir-frying. It’s not just about stir-fries, though; woks can be used for boiling, braising, poaching and stewing, too.
Now discover the world’s best comfort food dishes
