Best Kitchen Tools for Meal Prep
Written by Team MUSUBI
Good kitchen tools can take the stress out of prep and bring ease to the whole cooking process, turning even the most routine meals into something worth looking forward to. We often focus on the plates and bowls we serve food in, but what happens before that deserves just as much attention.
When you use well-crafted cooking tools you love, getting started in the kitchen becomes smoother and honestly more enjoyable. Below are some of our favorites, many with a distinctly Japanese flair. Take a look and see which of these kitchen companions suits your style.
Table of contents
Stainless Steel Turner
A good turner is one of those kitchen essentials you’ll reach for all the time. Often used for flipping, it’s also incredibly helpful for stirring, scooping, and folding. This stainless steel turner from Kobo Aizawa keeps things simple but beautiful. The natural akebi fruit vine wrapped around the handle adds just enough character without being flashy. It fits comfortably in your grip, and the wrapping also keeps the handle from getting too hot while you cook. Over time, you’ll find yourself reaching for it again and again, not just out of habit, but because it feels good to use.
Copper Grater
The sharp teeth of this copper grater grip ingredients cleanly, letting you grate with ease without having to press too hard. The tin surface catches the light, while warm copper tones peek through between the blades, giving it a stylish look that feels right at home on the countertop.
Both the 9.1-inch and 7.2-inch versions offer a dual-sided design, giving you options for different ingredients or prep styles with coarse teeth on one side and fine on the other. Try it with daikon—the result is soft, almost creamy. Each tooth is carefully punched by hand, keeping the fibers intact and preserving the natural flavor, aroma, and nutrients of your ingredients. It’s the kind of sturdy tool that earns its place in your kitchen and becomes part of your routine.
Black Daikon Grater Plate
While the copper grater is perfect for prepping in the kitchen, this ceramic grater is the one you'll want to use at the table. Its sleek black glaze and simple boat-like shape give it a presence that makes it a part of the table setting, not just a kitchen tool. It's perfect when you want to freshly grate a bit of ginger or wasabi right before serving.
Four-Leaf Shaped Trivet
Trivets aren’t usually the stars of the kitchen. But when you’re juggling pots and pans, having a reliable one nearby makes a huge difference. It comes in handy when you're cooking multiple dishes at once and need to set a hot pan aside for a moment, or when you're brewing coffee or tea and want a place to rest a glass server or a tetsubin cast iron kettle while you take a break.
This cast iron trivet, made in Iwate Prefecture, is a little workhorse with charm. It comes from the centuries-old Nambu ironware tradition. Known for its durability and deep texture, Nambu ironware brings a special character to even the most practical tools. The four-leaf clover shape softens the look, so it feels at home even on a busy countertop. It’s the kind of piece that stays out because it’s as useful as it is well-made.
Kitchen Towel M (by Birdy.)
A dependable kitchen towel is one of those things you appreciate more as you cook. Between boiling, sautéing, and washing dishes, you need something that can keep up. Birdy.’s towel does the job with excellent absorbency and dries quickly, so you can wipe a pan dry and use it again almost immediately. It comes in soft shades of gray, blue, pink, and yellow. These colors bring a small moment of cheer to the kitchen.
After cooking, hang it to dry and reuse it for wiping dishes. Since it doesn’t stay damp for long, it’s always ready for the next task.
Colorful Handle Cooking Chopsticks
In many Japanese kitchens, cooking chopsticks, or saibashi, rest beside a simmering pot or a sizzling pan. Their presence speaks to just how long they’ve been an essential part of everyday cooking. These bamboo chopsticks from Yamachiku are light, smooth, and surprisingly precise. The tapered square shape at the tips helps grip food without slipping, and the round handle feels balanced and comfortable.
The design is simple, but the healing hues of orange, green, and light blue add a comforting accent to the table. They work beautifully as serving chopsticks when plating dishes. You can choose a favorite color and let it grow with use over time, or collect all three and pick one that suits the meal, or your mood, each day.
No matter what you cook or who you’re cooking for, having tools that look good and work well can give you that extra bit of motivation. They also make thoughtful gifts, whether it’s for a housewarming, a birthday, or someone just starting their cooking journey. All of these items feel personal and useful at the same time. Whether you love to cook or are still warming up to it, having the right tools nearby makes kitchen time feel more relaxed and rewarding.
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