Here are some essential tools required for Chinese cooking. You can start out with a few necessities and fill up your gadget drawer as you become more experienced. These tools come in many styles, sizes and materials, and it is a matter of personal preference so you should buy those you feel comfortable using. Those I prefer are listed below, but do some of your own research; go to a store and see, feel and pick them up, and determine what works best for you. They are usually available at many Asian food markets, or you can order from Internet retailers such as The Wok Shop, which also has a store in San Francisco's Chinatown. This site contains a lot of good information on the types of woks available, and what types you should buy if you are cooking on a gas stove versus an electric stove. Stand-alone electric woks are not recommended because they cannot provide enough heat to give food that distinctive wok stir fried flavor.

Essential:
• Wok - 14" carbon steel with one long wooden handle, one wood helper handle
• Wok Lid - aluminum, dome or round shaped, with handle
• Wok Ring - for stability using a round bottom wok if cooking on a gas stove
• Spatula - 14" long flat stainless steel wok spatula
• Ladle - 14" long stainless steel ladle
• Cleaver - 8" carbon steel blade with wooden handle
• Knives - assorted smaller knives for cutting and chopping
• Scissors - with large rubber handles for cutting through fat, skin and shells
• Peeler
• Chopping Block - 14" wood
• Small Cutting Board - for smaller cutting and chopping needs
• Colanders/Strainers - various sizes
• Chopsticks - bamboo, several pairs
• Measuring Cups/Spoons
• Pots - 1 Quart, 5 Quart,10 Quart, stainless steel, anolon or non-stick
• Rice cooker - National, Panasonic and Yojirushi are all good brands. They range in price from $20 USD to $300 USD depending on size (from 1-20 cups), and how high tech it is (electronic, fuzzy logic controlled or induction type). Get one that is a little bigger than what you would need to use for your average meal, for example, if you are cooking for a family of 4, you may cook two cups of dry rice, so a 5-cup cooker would be adequate. However, if you have guests over frequently, you may opt to get a 10-cup cooker for added capacity.
• Serving - Rice bowls, 6" plates, soy sauce holder, soupspoons, chopsticks, serving platters, tea pot, tea cups