My Top 5 Must-Have Tools for Filipino Cooking

Essential kitchen companions to bring soul, flavour, and heritage into every dish.

Earl Briones
May 08, 2025

Filipino cooking is an act of love. It’s slow-simmered Sundays, sizzling memories from street corners, and the sacred dance of sour, salty, sweet, and spice. Whether you grew up eating adobo straight from a rice cooker or you’re just discovering pancit canton for the first time, the right kitchen tools can help unlock the true spirit of these dishes.

Over the years — through countless meals and a few scorched skillets — I’ve built a kitchen that supports the kind of cooking I do most: rich in history, steeped in culture, and full of heart. Here are five of my essential tools for making Filipino dishes sing.

🥘 1. Carbon Steel Wok (Kawali)

The ultimate kitchen multitasker. A carbon steel wok is your go-to for high-heat stir-frying, deep-frying, braising, and even steaming. Filipino kitchens often use a flat-bottomed kawali for everything from ginisang munggo to crispy pata.

But beyond utility, this wok becomes a character in your kitchen story. The more you use it, the better it performs — developing a natural non-stick coating and rich seasoning that’s like a flavour map of every dish you’ve cooked.

Why I love it: It’s fast-heating, responsive, and ages beautifully. Plus, it brings that perfect sear that makes garlic rice extra toasty and stir-fried vegetables still crisp.

🔗 My top pick:
👉 Pre-Seasoned Carbon Steel Wok, 14" Rust-Resistant Flat Bottom

Flat-bottomed for electric, gas, or induction cooktops
Rust-resistant and pre-seasoned for easy start-up
Roomy 14" size — perfect for big batches and boodle fight prep

🧄 2. Mortar and Pestle (Almires)

In Filipino kitchens, the mortar and pestle—known as almires—is indispensable for grinding spices, making sawsawan (dipping sauces), or pounding garlic and peppercorns for dishes like adobo or bistek Tagalog. Using a mortar and pestle allows for better control over the texture and consistency of ingredients, enhancing the flavors of traditional recipes.

Why I love it: Manually grinding ingredients connects you to the cooking process, releasing essential oils and aromas that elevate the dish's flavor profile.

🔗 Suggested tool: Velaze Granite Mortar and Pestle Set, 6.5 inch

Made from natural, unpolished granite for optimal grinding.
6.5-inch diameter provides ample space for various ingredients.
Sturdy and durable, suitable for daily use in preparing Filipino dishes.

🍲 3. Fine Mesh Skimmer (Sandok na Butas)

If you’ve ever made bulalo or sinigang, you know the value of a good, clean broth. This humble tool is used to skim off impurities and fat from the surface while your soup simmers.

It’s also perfect for lifting fried items like turon or ukoy out of hot oil without splatter. And trust me — in a Filipino kitchen, you’ll be deep-frying a lot more than you think.

Why I love it: It keeps dishes clean and crisp — whether you’re clarifying broth or catching golden bites straight from the fryer.

🔗 Suggested tool: Swify Stainless Steel Fine Mesh Skimmer

Heat-resistant stainless steel construction
Lightweight and easy to handle
Fine mesh perfect for both soup clarification and deep frying

🍚 4. Rice Cooker (or Clay Pot, if You’re Feeling Traditional)

In Filipino cuisine, rice isn't just a side dish—it's the heart of the meal. A reliable rice cooker ensures perfectly cooked rice every time, freeing you to focus on preparing accompanying dishes like adobo, sinigang, or kare-kare.

Why I love it: A dependable rice cooker simplifies meal preparation, especially for dishes that pair best with fluffy, well-cooked rice.

Features "fuzzy logic" technology for precise cooking.
Multiple cooking functions, including white rice, brown rice, and cake settings.
Automatic keep-warm and extended keep-warm functions.

🌿 5. Bamboo Steamer (Palayok-style Steaming without the Fuss)

In Filipino cooking, steaming is more than just a method—it’s a tradition. From puto and kutsinta to siopao and sticky rice desserts, a bamboo steamer offers gentle, even heat while preserving moisture and texture. It’s also a beautiful way to present food at the table.

Why I love it: A bamboo steamer brings both function and flair. It elevates the authenticity of Filipino dishes while being eco-friendly and versatile enough for everyday use.

Great for dumplings, vegetables, buns, and rice cakes.
All-natural bamboo construction with no metal or plastic parts.
Adds a warm, earthy aroma to your food during cooking.

Bonus Mentions:

A reliable knife for all that chopping, slicing, mincing, smashing
Tongs for flipping daing na bangus or turning lechon kawali
A deep kaserola for long braises and hearty stews

Final Thoughts

Filipino food is a living archive — every dish tells a story. These tools help me tell those stories with more ease, intention, and flavour. Whether you’re honouring old family recipes or trying your first kare-kare, I hope these essentials become part of your journey, too.

If you're just getting started, start with one tool. Cook one dish. Smell the garlic hit the oil. That’s the beginning of something beautiful.

Got your own must-haves? Let me know in the comments — I’m always looking for new kitchen favourites.

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