Buyers guides
Honest picks for the kit that matters in an Asian kitchen, from woks and rice cookers to steamers. We tell you what to look for and what to skip.
39 guides
Buyers guideSsamjang: What It Is, Best Brands and Where to Buy in the UK
Ssamjang is a thick, savoury Korean dipping sauce made from doenjang and gochujang, used for wrapping grilled meat...
Buyers guideBest Rendang Paste and Where to Buy It in the UK
Tean's Gourmet or Ayam are the rendang pastes most UK shoppers can find, and a reliable shortcut given...
Buyers guideLaksa Paste in the UK: Which Style to Buy and Where to Find It
Laksa paste is a spiced base made from chilli, lemongrass, galangal and shrimp paste. You stir it into...
Buyers guideBlack Bean Sauce in the UK: Which Jar to Buy and Where
Black bean sauce is made from fermented black soybeans, salted and savoury, with garlic and a little sugar....
Buyers guideSriracha in the UK: Which Bottle to Buy and Where to Find It
Sriracha is a Thai style chilli and garlic sauce. It is smooth, slightly sweet and spicy, and it...
Buyers guidePanko Breadcrumbs: Why They’re Different and the Best UK Brands to Buy
Panko is why katsu stays crunchy long after ordinary breadcrumbs have gone soft. The difference is in how...
Buyers guideXO Sauce in the UK: What to Buy and Where to Find It
XO sauce is a rich Chinese condiment made from dried scallops and dried shrimp, slowly cooked with chilli,...
Buyers guideShaoxing Wine in the UK: Where to Buy It and How to Use It
Shaoxing wine is a Chinese rice wine used in cooking. It is not a drink to sip. Cooks...
Buyers guideRice Vinegar in the UK: Plain or Seasoned, and Where to Buy It
Rice vinegar is milder and rounder than most Western vinegars. It is used in sushi rice, dressings, pickles...
Buyers guideSesame Oil in the UK: Toasted or Plain, and Where to Buy It
Sesame oil turns up in two different parts of the shop, and the bottles can look alike. Using...
Buyers guideBest Sushi Rice Brands in the UK: What Actually Makes Good Sushi Rice
For sushi at home, buy a short-grain Japanese rice labelled "sushi rice" such as Yutaka, Nishiki, or Clearspring....
Buyers guideBest Rice Cooker for Sushi Rice: What to Look For
The best rice cooker for sushi rice has a dedicated sushi or fuzzy logic setting, a thick non-stick...
Buyers guideBest curry paste: which jar to buy
The jar you buy decides whether your curry tastes like Thailand or like a supermarket ready meal. Read...
Buyers guideBest Sushi Making Kits: What Is Worth Buying and What to Skip
The best sushi making kit for most people is a simple bamboo set: two rolling mats, a rice...
Buyers guideBest chilli oil: which style to buy
Chilli oil ranges from plain heat to a jar of crunchy, savoury bits you will eat with a...
Buyers guideBest wok in the UK
A wok is one of the cheapest pans you will ever buy and one of the few that...
Buyers guideBest bamboo steamer
Cheap, stackable and the only way to do dumplings properly at home. The one thing people get wrong...
Buyers guideBest commercial rice cooker for a takeaway
A home cooker in a commercial kitchen lasts about six months. Sizing and holding temperature are what actually...
Buyers guideMasala Dabba: How to Choose an Indian Spice Tin in the UK
What a masala dabba is, how to pick the right size, material and lid, which spices to put...
Buyers guideBest Basmati Rice to Buy in the UK: Brands Compared
The best basmati rice is not simply the priciest bag: basmati varies more between brands than most people...
Buyers guideBest Coconut Milk to Buy in the UK: Brands Compared
Two tins of coconut milk, same shelf, same price. One makes a rich curry and one makes thin...
Buyers guideKikkoman Soy Sauce Review: Is It Worth Buying?
Kikkoman naturally brewed soy sauce is the most widely sold soy sauce in UK supermarkets. It is the...
Buyers guideLee Kum Kee Premium Oyster Sauce Review
Lee Kum Kee Premium Oyster Sauce is one of the most widely stocked Asian sauces in the UK....
Buyers guideBest Soy Sauce to Buy in the UK: Light, Dark and What Each One Is For
There is no single best soy sauce, because light and dark soy sauce do different jobs. Light soy...
Buyers guideVietnamese Coffee and Phin Filters: What to Buy and Where in the UK
Trung Nguyen or Cafe Du Monde ground coffee, brewed through a simple stainless steel phin filter, is the...
Buyers guidePatis: What It Is, Best Brands and Where to Buy in the UK
Patis is the Filipino term for fish sauce, a salty, savoury liquid used as both a cooking ingredient...
Buyers guideYuzu Kosho: What It Is, Best Brands and Where to Buy in the UK
Yuzu kosho is a Japanese paste made from yuzu peel, chilli and salt, punchy, citrusy and hot even...
Buyers guideBest Chunjang and Where to Buy It in the UK
Sempio is the most widely available chunjang brand through Korean grocers and online, and a reliable jar for...
Buyers guideChinese Five Spice in the UK: What to Buy and Where
Chinese five spice is a blend of star anise, cloves, Chinese cinnamon, Sichuan pepper and fennel seed. It...
Buyers guideDoubanjiang in the UK: Where to Buy It and Which Style
Doubanjiang is a salty, savoury paste made from fermented broad beans and chilli. It is the heart of...
Buyers guideBest Chinese Cleaver: A Buying Guide for Home Cooks
The best Chinese cleaver for most home cooks is a mid-weight stainless steel blade, around 200 to 250g,...
Buyers guideBest Rice for Fried Rice: A Simple UK Guide
The best rice for fried rice is long grain rice, such as jasmine or basmati, cooked the day...
Buyers guideBest wok for an induction hob
Induction changes the rules. Half the woks sold in the UK will not even switch the hob on....
Buyers guideBest green tea: which type to buy and how to brew it
Most people who say they dislike green tea have only had it brewed with boiling water. That is...
Buyers guideBest matcha: how to buy it and what to avoid
Price tells you very little. Colour, origin and grade tell you almost everything. Which matcha should you buy?...
Buyers guideBest instant ramen: what to look for
Instant ramen covers everything from a 60p brick to a bag that costs more than a sandwich. What...
Buyers guideBest ramen bowl set
A cereal bowl holds about half what a bowl of ramen needs. That is why homemade ramen always...
Buyers guideIs a tofu press worth it?
A tin of beans on a plate does most of the job for nothing. Here is when the...
Buyers guideBest rice cooker in the UK
A rice cooker does one job and never gets it wrong. The hard part is working out which...
How our buying guides work
Our buying guides help you choose the right ingredient or piece of kit for an Asian kitchen in the UK. Each guide explains what to look for on the label, how the main types differ, and which to choose for the dishes you want to cook.
We focus on brands and products that are genuinely available in the UK, through supermarkets, Asian grocers or online. You can also use our kitchen tools, a set of free calculators and finders for rice, substitutes and measures.
Popular guides
Browse buying guides by type
Woks, steamers and cooking kit
- Best wok in the UK
- Best wok for an induction hob
- Best bamboo steamer
- Best Chinese cleaver
- Is a tofu press worth it?
- Asian kitchen tools worth buying
- Masala dabba (Indian spice tin)
- Best ramen bowl set
Rice cookers, rice and noodles
- Best rice cooker in the UK
- Best rice cooker for sushi rice
- Best commercial rice cooker for a takeaway
- Best sushi making kit
- Best sushi rice brands
- Best basmati rice
- Best rice for fried rice
- Best instant ramen
Sauces, pastes and seasonings
- Best soy sauce
- Kikkoman soy sauce review
- Lee Kum Kee oyster sauce review
- Best black bean sauce
- Best chilli oil
- Best chunjang
- Best doubanjiang
- Best ssamjang
- Best XO sauce
- Best yuzu kosho
- Best sriracha
- Best patis (Filipino fish sauce)
- Best Shaoxing wine
- Best rice vinegar
- Best sesame oil
- Best Chinese five spice
- Best curry paste
- Best laksa paste
- Best rendang paste
- Best coconut milk
- Best panko breadcrumbs