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 imagePart of my K-Quick Recipe Series — quick, bold Korean dishes from my newest cookbook!

Who needs a bamboo sushi mat when you’ve got this trick up your sleeve?

Folded Kimbap = all the flavor, none of the fuss. It’s the ultimate rice roll remix and your new favorite lunch hack. 

I’m loading mine up with a melty slice of sharp cheddar, a few savory layers of ham (or go real with Spam! @spambrand), and a gooey, runny egg for that perfect yolky drip. 

Your ultimate breakfast sandwich got a seaweed-wrapped makeover—and yes, it’s as crave-worthy as it sounds.

Once you fold, you won’t roll back. 
Swipe for the fold, save it for lunch prep — no rolling mat required 😉

💡: @samsunguk 
🛒: @koreafoodsuk 
📚: K-Quick — From my latest cookbook, K-Quick — link in bio if you want the full collection!

Ingredients
For the rice:
• 200g (1 cup) steamed short-grain white rice
• 1 tbsp roasted sesame oil
• 1 tsp roasted sesame seeds
• Sea or kosher salt, to taste
For the filling:
• 4–6 slices of Spam (5mm thick)
• 2 large eggs
• 75g (¼ cup) chopped cabbage kimchi
• 2 perilla (kkaennip) leaves (optional)
To assemble:
• 2 roasted seaweed (gim) sheets (approx. 19 x 22cm / 7½ x 8½in)

Method
1. Mix rice with sesame oil, sesame seeds, and salt. Set aside.
2. Fry Spam until golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towel.
3. In the same pan, fry each egg, breaking the yolk and shaping into a square (~3 x 3 in).
4. Fold a seaweed sheet into quarters and unfold. Cut one slit to the center along a fold line.
5. Fill each quadrant:
 - Bottom right: rice
 - Top left: Spam
 - Top right: egg
 - Bottom left: perilla + kimchi (if using)
6. Fold the quadrants up clockwise to create a layered wrap.
7. Repeat with second sheet and remaining ingredients.

@quartobooksuk @quartobooksus @whitelionpublishing
#JudyJoo #JudyJooChef #KQuick #KoreanRecipes #KoreanSoulFood #SamsungUK #SamsungKitchen #KoreanCooking #Korea #Seoulplaza #FoldedKimbap #Saga Kimbap #KoreanLunchbox #EasyKoreanRecipes #KoreanFoodTok #QuickRecipes #Seoulplaza10 hours ago via Instagram
@judyjoochef Instagram profile imageBack at it with another internet-breaking bite from K-Viral Kitchen 💥✨

Meet Dubai Chocolate Hotteok — Korea’s classic stuffed pancake with a luxury twist.

Golden and crispy on the outside, oozing with melty chocolate and pistachio cream on the inside, plus buttery kataifi crunch in every bite. 💚🍫

This one’s close to my heart. As a kid in Seoul, I’d wait (impatiently!) in the winter cold for that molten sugar filling to cool down — torture in the moment, pure joy in the first bite.

I recreated that same nostalgic dough — soft, chewy, and golden — for my first cookbook, and it was featured in @nytimes. It’s the perfect base for this viral upgrade. 📰👩🏻‍🍳

Even BTS has been spotted snacking on hotteok — so yes, it’s officially a K-pop-approved treat. 💜

It’s sweet, nutty, melty magic — and totally deserves its viral crown. 👑

📍 Ingredients via @koreafoodsuk 
💄 Glam by @jonesroadbeauty & @justbobbidotcom 

👩🏻‍🍳 Pro tip: Chill your filling so it is easier to stuff in the dough.

Save this for your next dessert drop — or better yet, make a batch now.

DM me for the recipe!

@nytcooking 
#KviralKitchen #JudyJoo #JudyJooChef #Hotteok #GlowUp #DubaiChocolate #StuffedPancakes #KoreanDessert #ViralRecipe #EasyKoreanFood #SweetToothCravings #DessertTok #ChocolateLoversClub #AsianDesserts #TikTokMadeMeTryIt #FoodTrendAlert #ChefsOfInstagram #StreetFoodLovers #PistachioEverything #HexClad #KRecipeReel #SeoulBites #SnackAttack #WomenInFood #NYTFeatured #HotteokRecipe #StreetFood #GlobalFlavors #BTS #BTSApproved3 days ago via Instagram
@judyjoochef Instagram profile imageI had the absolute best time cooking (and chatting!) at the National Geographic Traveller (UK) Food Festival last weekend. 

It was such a treat talking about my latest cookbook K-Quick — thank you to everyone who stopped by to chat and share your love for Korean food. 💛📚

Huge thanks to everyone who came to the Main Stage and stopped by the Speakers’ Corner — it was such a joy sharing the bold, punchy flavors of Korean cuisine with you all. 🇰🇷🔥

There’s nothing better than connecting through food — and this weekend was packed with global bites, good vibes, and so many fellow food lovers. I also loved wandering around and stopping by some of the incredible booths — so much inspiration in one place 🌍🍴

Special thanks to @faridazeynalova for such a fun conversation on stage — loved every minute!

And a big thank you to @natgeotraveluk for having me — what a line-up, what a crowd, what a festival. 

Until next time!

@natgeo @quartobooksuk @quartobooksus @whitelionpublishing 
#NGTFoodFestival #JudyJoo #JudyJooChef #kquick #KoreanSoulFood #TasteOfKorea #WomenInFood #FoodFestivalVibes #GlobalFlavours #FoodDemo #KoreanCooking6 days ago via Instagram
@judyjoochef Instagram profile imageMark your calendars! 🗓️ AUG 24

I’ll be at @thebigfeastival on Sunday, August 24th cooking up bold Korean flavors and festival-ready bites.

Come hungry — and come say hi! 🇰🇷🔥

#BigFeastival #JudyJoo #JudyJooChef #KoreanRecipes #KoreanSoulFood #KoreanCooking #Korea #KoreanComfortFood #FestivalFood #WomenInFood #TasteOfKorea1 week ago via Instagram
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