Can You Guess the Top Kitchen Gadget in Each Country Around the World?

You love international cuisine, but have you ever thought about how the most popular food around the world is made? No matter where you call home, chances are you want to cook smarter – which means the right tools are essential. From weird kitchen utensils that create one-of-a-kind dishes (here’s looking at you, spaetzle press) to time-saving tools for concocting delicious flavours, we’ve rounded up some of the most must-have gadgets found in kitchens across the globe.

stone dolsot bowl and white bowls filled with Korean food on wooden table

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Korea: Dolsot Bowl

Savoury, satisfying and uniquely delicious, bibimbap – a rice dish with meat and vegetables – is a Korean staple. One of the most popular ways to cook and serve bibimbap is with an oversized, stone dolsot bowl. How does it work? The components of the dish are cooked separately and then placed in the dolsot, which sits over a heat source, to complete the dish.

green herbs and mezzaluna knife on white background

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Italy: Mezzaluna

There’s nothing like garden-fresh herbs for perking up a dish, but chopping can be tedious. The popular solution in Italian kitchens? A mezzaluna. Designed with a curved blade and handles on each side, a mezzaluna rocks back and forth to make cutting up herbs for fresh pastas, salads and other dishes more efficient (and fun).

copper cezve and mug with coffee on stone wall

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Turkey: Cezve

Turkish coffee is dense, strong and delicious – and it requires a special pot (a cezve) to make the perfect cup. Made from copper, brass or other metal, a cezve is designed with a long handle and small pouring lip so you can easily serve the brew when it’s ready.

silver Spaetzle press on top of pot of water on stove

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Germany: Spaetzle Press

Made of eggs and flour, spaetzle is a traditional soft-dumpling-meets-pasta side dish that’s uber-popular Germany – but making it by hand is a cumbersome task. Luckily, most spaetzle-loving German kitchens are equipped with a spaetzle press to make things easier.

racelette grill with cheese and a white plate with potatoes, onion and pickle

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Switzerland: Raclette Set

Listen up, cheese lovers – it may be worth a trip to Switzerland to enjoy the ooey-gooey goodness of melty raclette cheese served on a raclette grill. Similar to fondue, a racelette set begs to be enjoyed communally as a group – with a grill melting the raclette cheese, which is then scraped onto plates and enjoyed with an array of add-ons like potatoes, pickles and bread.

Aebleskiver pan sprinkled with powdered sugar on wooden table

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Denmark: Aebleskiver Pan

You can’t make aebleskiver without an aebleskiver pan. Aebleskiver, a popular Danish dessert similar to spherical, pancake-like puffs of heaven, require a special pan to make them. Look to the shelves of most Danish kitchens to find this unique cast-iron pan, particularly around the holidays.

woman holding white immersion blender in silver pot on stove

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Spain: Immersion Blender

There’s more than one way to blend. Case in point? While North Americans tend to turn to a full-size, Vitamix-style blender, Spanish home cooks are more likely to reach for a handheld immersion (or stick) blender. From creating chilled gazpacho to blending up sauces and dips, an immersion blender is a simple, space-saving and low-mess tool.

bamboo steamer with vegetables, lemon and fish inside

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Thailand: Bamboo Steamer

Inexpensive, but highly effective, bamboo steamer baskets are a versatile tool for all kinds of Thai cooking. Place a steamer basket over water inside a wok and you’re ready to steam everything from fish to vegetables to even desserts.

stone Molcajete, wooden cutting board and assorted spices on a wooden table

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Mexico: Molcajete

Similar to a mortar and pestle, a molcajete is a Mexican tool used for grinding spices and other foods. Usually made from stone, molcajetes are particularly popular for creating sumptuous salsas.

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India: Masala Dabba

Serious about spicing things up? A staple of Indian kitchens, a masala dabba is a spice storage container that keeps the essentials organized and close at hand and easy to access. Usually made of stainless steel, a masala daba features six or seven containers and a tight lid.

black wok filled with meat and vegetables

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China: Wok

You’d be hard-pressed to find a Chinese kitchen without a wok and with good reason. These bowl-shaped cooking pans make creating Chinese-style meals easier by distributing heat evenly – making them versatile for cooking up stir fries, stews, soups and much more.

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Italy: Moka Pot

Coffee, anyone? Popular in much of Europe and Latin America, a moka pot is a stovetop coffee maker featuring an eight-sided shape that’s designed to diffuse heat and bring out the distinct aroma of your coffee – making for the perfect sip to help you wake up as you enjoy breakfast in your breakfast nook.

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Morocco: Tagine

If you want to make a must-try Moroccan dish, you’ll likely need to invest in a tagine. Ideal for preparing North African classics like meat or fish stews (known, sensibly, as “tagines”), a tagine is a cone-shaped pot made from clay or ceramics. These earthenware vessels make savoury dishes over low heat – with the conical top working to funnel steam back into the food.

Chasen whisk and green matcha powder on wooden surface

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Japan: Chasen Whisk

More than just a delicious drink, matcha – a Japanese beverage made from powdered green tea – is an art form that requires a special gadget. A chasen is a bamboo whisk that’s made specially for mixing matcha.

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South Africa: Braai Grill

When it comes to cooking, most South African love a good braai. Similar to a barbecue grill, a braai uses charcoal or wood (unlike barbecues, braais never use gas). Also similar to a barbecue, a braai is often more than just a grill – a braai is another word for a social gathering for family and friends.

silver samovar, bread, jam and apples on wooden table

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Russia: Samovar

Kettle, schmettle. In Russia, heating and boiling water for tea can be a more elegant affair with a samovar. Made from metal, a traditional samovar is typically ornately decorated, making it as beautiful as it is functional on your stylish coffee table.

small white kitchen with washing machine

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UK: Washing Machine

Admittedly, this one isn’t really about cooking, but it is a gadget that’s pretty much only found in the kitchen in the United Kingdom: the washing machine. While it may seem odd to Canadians (who are used to keeping their washing machines in a laundry room or a laundry cupboard), Brits typically put their washer in the kitchen, near the sink. Kitchen-based washing machines make sense in a lot of ways – working well in small spaces and taking advantage of the pre-existing plumbing and electrical.