Equipment

My ultimate kitchen necessities. Korean cooking has never been easier!

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Blender

Blender

Blenders are not essential; however, a handheld blender can be useful when making marinades, mashing mung beans for pancakes, and for blitzing soy beans for soups.

Cast Iron Pot

Cast Iron Pot

A cast iron pot is great for braising as it locks in moisture and retains heat evenly. It’s the perfect tool for making Korean hot pots, stews and soups. Keep it on a low heat to prevent food from catching.

Ceramic Bowl (Ttukbaegi)

Ceramic Bowl (Ttukbaegi)

These Korean earthenware bowls are designed for cooking and/or serving stews and soups as they are excellent heat retainers. Traditionally, Ttukbaegi arrives at the table bubbling and steaming.

Chopsticks

Chopsticks

Chopsticks are great utensils for eating with, and for cooking. Cooking chopsticks are longer and usually made from a material low in temperature conduction, such as bamboo. Of course, they are not vital when cooking Korean food, but chopsticks can be useful when dealing with items that need precise turning, such as dumplings.

Colander

colander

A large colander or strainer is useful for rinsing and washing large portions of vegetables, including cabbage leaves when making Kimchi; and straining noodles.

Food Processor

Food Processor

This is a fundamental item in any Korean kitchen because it saves so much time! Korean cooking involves a lot of chopping, grating, slicing and mincing, and so a decent quality food processor is a valuable piece of kit, and great for making kimchi paste.

Gloves

Gloves

Korean cooking is very hands on. To create this soul food, one is required to get their hands dirty and connect with the ingredients. Sense of touch is just as important as smelling, seeing and tasting when preparing food in Korea. Gloves are not mandatory, but come in handy when dealing with chillies, raw meats and fish, and making kimchi.

Griddle Pan

Griddle Pan

While not essential, griddle pans are sometimes fun to use as they leave meats, fish and vegetables with beautifully charred lines and a smoky aroma. They are also a great alternative to gas or charcoal grills when preparing a Korean style barbecue.

Hotteok Press

Hotteok Press

Hottoek is a sweet donut-like pancake that is usually filled with sugar and cinnamon. This crispy delicacy is a sought-after Korean street-food snack. Because they are so popular and widely made at home, Koreans have a special tool to help create the perfect shaped pancake.

Large Cast Iron Pan

Large Cast Iron Pan

Cast iron pans are preferable than non-stick pans because they last longer, are not easily scratched, and overall sturdier. They are also excellent heat retainers and so work well for stir-fries.

Mandolin Slicer

Mandolin Slicer

Having a mandolin slicer is always convenient. There are many dishes in Korean cuisine that require thinly sliced vegetables for salads and pickling. A mandolin slicer will win the battle of consistency over a knife any day.

Measuring Spoons

Measuring Spoons

Measuring spoons allow for accuracy. They are useful when following Korean recipes due to the large number of different ingredients spices used.

Microplane

Microplane

Microplane is a brand, and any grater is better than no grater! Microplanes tend to have extremely sharp blades, and so are superior. It is useful to have a Microplane to mince garlic, grate ginger, and zest limes.

Mixing Bowls

Mixing Bowls

Mixing bowls are imperative in any cuisine, but especially in Korean cuisine due to the large volume and array of ingredients used. Having an assortment of various sizes will always be useful.

Onggi

Onggi

Onggi is a Korean earthenware widely used to store fermented foods including kimchi, gochujang and doenjang. Its microporous clay walls draw in oxygen and push out impurities, aiding the fermentation process.

Peelers

Peelers

Having a good vegetable peeler makes life a lot easier. Peelers are great kitchen utensils and are used a lot in Korean cooking, whether for peeling daikon or carrots, or Asian pears, you will use a good sharp peeler often.

Rice bowls

Rice bowls

Koreans like to serve rice in bowls with lids to keep the rice warm. They are the perfect size to cradle a portion of freshly steamed rice.

Rice Cooker

Rice Cooker

Rice is a staple in Korea and so every household will have a rice cooker to guarantee perfectly plump and fluffy rice every time. Nowadays, rice cookers are also pressure cookers that can make juk (congee) and various other dishes too. They are worth the investment.

Rice rolling mats

Rice rolling mats

These bamboo mats are an essential tool to make easy and quick kimbap rice rolls. They can also be used for shaping other soft foods such as omelettes.

Scale

Scale

A kitchen scale eliminates the need for a clutter of various measuring cups. Top tip: milligrams (ml) are equal to grams (g) when measuring certain liquids like water. So, 250 ml of water can be measured as 250g on a scale.

Scallion cutter

Scallion cutter

This simple yet swanky tool is used for shredding scallions/spring onions. It is inexpensive, and allows home cooks to easily produce restaurant quality scallion wisps for salads and garnishes.

Scissors

Scissors

A sharp pair of scissors is of course essential. Koreans use them to cut just about everything, from meat and fish to Kimchi and vegetables.

Sharp Knives

Sharp Knives

A blunt, cheap knife is not only difficult to work with, but can also be seriously dangerous. Investing in a good set of knives will turn chopping from a chore to a joy.

Skewers

Skewers

Many Korean street-food delicacies involve skewering. From meat to seafood to rice cakes, having a bag of skewers at home is always useful, especially when hosting a Korean barbeque.

Spatula

Spatula

Of course, a spatula is a must-have kitchen utensil. It especially comes in handy when flipping jeon (Korean pancakes) and Hottoek (Korean sweet pancakes).

Stock Strainer/Infusers

Stock Strainer/Infusers

Korean stock strainers look and work similar to tea strainers. They usually comprise a stainless-steel basket which clasps together to hold herbs, dried anchovies, kelp, and other ingredients needed to flavour stock. After the flavour has boiled out, the contents of the strainer will be bitter and so are discarded.

Steamers

Steamers

There are many types of steamers that one can use for Korean cooking. It boils down to personal preference. Bamboo and stainless-steel steamers are great for dumplings, buns and vegetables, although stainless-steel steamers are usually easier to clean.

Stone Bowl (Dolsot)

Stone Bowl (Dolsot)

A Korean Dolsot is a granite stone bowl used for serving an array of hot dishes, including bap (rice) bibimbap (Korean mixed rice) and various stews and soups. Dolsots are brilliant heat retainers and so dishes arrive at the table steaming and sizzling.

Food photo created by freepik - www.freepik.com

Social media

@judyjoochef Instagram profile imageAlways a great time cooking the H-Club at Tottenham Hotspurs Stadium @tottenhamhotspurstadium @spursofficial.  We served Korean bbq poussin,  bulgogi glazed beef tataki, bossam, burrata with perilla yuzu pesto, kimchi fried rice, and more! 
Thank you @regionallondonchef for having us.  Thank you @chefbencrocker @chef.edgars @chefandrewhales and for all of your hard work as always. 
#tottenham #chefs #cheflife #judyjoo #football @hm_son7 
#chefsofinstagram #korea #koreanfood #korean1 week ago via Instagram
@judyjoochef Instagram profile imageSuper interesting to visit the @kwangjuyo_center @kwangjuyo_official ceramics factory in Icheon. This town is about 1.5 hours outside of Seoul and known to be the ceramics capital of Korea. It is an area known for their superior terroir and spring water and the best rice is also grown in this region. Because of this unique topography, the earth here also yields exemplary clay for making pottery.  Kwangjuyo is one of the best artisan makers keeping alive a centuries old tradition. I love their organic, nature inspired designs incorporated into sleek and modern shapes. Under the direction of Luci Cho @sayluci , Kwangjuyo’s plates grace the tables of some of the finest Michelin starred restaurants around the world. After all, food does taste better when eaten off of gorgeous dishes! 
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@sayluci @kwangjuyo_official @icheon_city #chef #chefs #chefslife #chefstable #chefsofinstagram #ceramics #pottery #judyjoo #korea #korean #koreanstyle #koreanceramics #tablescape2 weeks ago via Instagram
@judyjoochef Instagram profile imageHidden behind a nondescript door in the new @mo_mayfair Mandarin Oriental Mayfair is a new high end Korean experience, Dosa (meaning “expert”), by the one and only @chefakiraback and @jihun_maxime. The room hosts an intimate 14 guests and is visually stunning, a mix of platinum silver tones and sleek lines. Upon seating, you embark upon an elaborate tasting menu, full of Akira’s famous touches accented beautifully with Korean influences. I loved the soy sauce cured Mazara red prawn kimbap (I love seafood, especially raw!)— a clever twist on the more traditional crab version.  I also swooned over the preserved tomato with goat labneh crowned with fresh Kentish cobnut slivers. This foodgasmic bite was full of moreish tomatoey umami, a touch of fresh funky yogurt tang, while delicately rounded out with nutty perilla oil.  It was a gastronomic adventure and so refreshing to see Korean food finally being elevated in London to this level. Akira is blending tradition and innovation… fermenting in time honored old onggi pots (you can see them lining the counter), and blending these ingredients with a sophisticated contemporary style. 
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Maxime Maiano @one_to_wine gracefully ushered us through an elaborate yet playfully intriguing wine pairing.  Everything was executed in style. And you leave feeling as if you’ve experienced something quite special… with a content belly and buzzing head. 
I ate and drank too much… again! 
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Thank you @chefakiraback @dosalondon @akacomms #korea #koreanfood #london #chef #cheflife #chefsofinstagram #korean #mandarinoriental #restaurant #finedining3 weeks ago via Instagram
@judyjoochef Instagram profile imageThank you Frieze Seoul @friezeofficial @frieze.seoul for showcasing my top picks from this year’s fair. I fell in love with so many amazing pieces. I wish I could buy all of them!  I love art and the collections were joyous, provocative, and impactful. 
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Thank you Patrick Lee heypatlee for having me. 
Check out www.frieze.com to read the full article. 
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@nanzukaunderground @nanzuka_official @dag.world @stationgalleryaustralia @alminerech #art #freizeseoul #freize #artistsoninstagram #judyjoo #chefslife #chefsofinstagram1 month ago via Instagram
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