Japanese design is just so quintessentially functional, thoughtful, and pretty-looking too! I have a soft spot for Japanese product designs as they always manage to be – simple, sophisticated, and high-value. I love incorporating Japanese products in my home space, they have such a soothing effect and can add an elegant touch to any home. I also enjoy using Japanese kitchen appliances and tools. Not only are they adorable to look at and gentle to use, but they’re also high on functionality and very rarely give you any trouble. They’re foolproof designs that you can depend on to tackle your cooking prep and other kitchen tasks, and we’ve curated some top-notch Japanese kitchen tools for you!
1. Mitsubishi Bread Oven
Mitsubishi’s Bread Oven is created to serve you the perfect toast! Looking like an adorable waffle maker, the toaster features a veneer brown look that seems to be straight out of the ’80s. It has a sealed thermal-insulated structure and can toast your bread without releasing any moisture, preparing a soft and fluffy toast for you!
Why is it noteworthy?
The Bread Oven is equipped with two plates that can go up to temperatures as high as even 500 degrees Fahrenheit. These nifty plates seal the piece of bread, transferring heat to it, and creating a slice of toast that is anything but dry.
What we like
- It has four cooking settings – Toast, Frozen Toast, Topping, and French Toast
- Sleek good looks, making it a great fit for your dining table
What we dislike
- You can only toast one slice of bread at a time, which can be inconvenient
- It takes longer to toast bread with low sugar content
2. Slim Fold Dish Rack
Named the Slim Fold Dish Rack, this innovative dish rack has a portable design, allowing you to carry it anywhere with you. It features a patent-pending spring mechanism, that lets you adjust and shrink the rack from 14″ to 1.2″ in no time. The rack can be easily deployed, making it quick to set up and use.
Why is it noteworthy?
The Slim Fold Dish Rack has a minimalist yet durable design, perfectly capturing the highlights of Japanese design. It ensures adequate ventilation and offers plenty of space for cookware, utensils, and plates of any shape and size. Since it has a convenient portable form, it is great for camping outdoors too.
What we like
- Collapsible and flexible form that ensures clean and dry utensils in the nick of time
- Portable design that is easy to clean and dishwasher friendly
What we dislike
- Since the rack has slim wires, it’s not the best option to hold heavy utensils like pots and plans
3. Black Kitchen Knives
These Black Kitchen Knives are fashionable and sophisticated featuring a sleek black blade that makes them stand out from other typical knives. The black sheen offers the knives a refined look, adding a touch of Japanese class to your kitchen and cooking process. They’re the upgrade you need from your mundane knives.
Why is it noteworthy?
The Black Kitchen Knives feature a clean and sleek form, with only a subtle “i” logo, ensuring there are no loud distractions on its body. The knives remind you of a ninja in the shadows, which goes straight for the kill, cutting your ingredients with stealth, grace, and deadly precision.
What we like
- The knives are crafted from molybdenum vanadium steel, making them quite durable and sharp
- They’ve been coated with titanium to provide increased wear resistance
What we dislike
- The knives are only available in black, with one uniform design, so there aren’t a lot of colors to choose from to match our kitchen
4. Rassen Chopsticks
Designed by Nendo for Hashikura Matsukan, the Rassen (spiral chopsticks), perfectly marry fun and functionality, to create a product that is quintessentially Japanese. The pair of chopsticks can be attached together to form one convenient single unit, and they can be separated whenever you need to use them.
Why is it noteworthy?
Bringing the chopsticks together and then separating them feels like you’re playing with a jigsaw puzzle. Using the chopsticks becomes a fun and interactive experience, bringing joy to your daily meal. And since you can easily combine the pair, you never have to live in fear of losing one!
What we like
- The perfect culmination of fun and functionality
- Handmade by artisans
What we dislike
- May not be preferred by those who like traditional chopsticks, and could take a while for them to get used to the product’s unique form
5. Iron Frying Plate
If I had to pick one kitchen product that truly captures the sensible yet interesting Japanese design philosophy – I would pick the Iron Frying Plate. This unique kitchen design doubles as a serving plate and a frying pan, all thanks to its innovative removable handle, which allows the product to change forms.
Why is it noteworthy?
The Iron Frying Plate marries both a frying pan and a serving plate to create a functional and unique kitchen tool. Made using durable materials, the plate cooks and serves, while facilitating direct-from-the-pan serving. It introduces an ingenious and novel new way of cooking and serving.
What we like
- The plate’s wooden handle can be attached and detached, allowing it to double up as a frying pan and serving platter
What we dislike
- It’s made from iron, making it quite a heavy pan in comparison to traditional frying pans. Hence it could be difficult to store and handle in small kitchens
6. Magemono Tumbler and Bread Tray
The Magemono Tumbler and Bread Tray are beautiful Japanese-style serving dishes. The tumbler features a Hasamiyaki porcelain inner vessel and a Magemono Japanese cedar wood sleeve on the outside. The bread tray is a thin tray crafted from a fir tree and is available in two sizes.
Why is it noteworthy?
The bread tray is perfect for serving those breakfast sandwiches, while the tumbler can hold a brewed cup of coffee. Both the dishes represent the serene and untouched perfection of Japanese craftsmanship, while also providing sustenance to the craftsmen and their families, and also allowing this art to be passed down to younger generations.
What we like
- Preserves and boasts Japanese craftsmanship
- The bread tray can even toast the bread for longer according to the designer
What we dislike
- Available in a single colorway only
7. Precision Chef Kitchen Scissors
Named the Precision Chef Kitchen Scissors, sleek black kitchen shears feature a curved serrated blade that slices through your food in a quick and easy manner. The precise scissors are excellent for cutting up some steak on the dining table, allowing you to showcase your meat-cutting skills.
Why is it noteworthy?
The Precision Chef Kitchen Scissors have an aura and image of power and style, owing to their jet-black shade. The position they’ll occupy in your kitchen will be impressive and intimidating, while skillfully chopping through veggies, pizza, steak, and more.
What we like
- The scissors are equipped with a curved serrated blade that cuts meat safely, effortlessly, and swiftly
- Makes cutting an easy and hassle-free step of the food prep process
What we dislike
- The scissors are only available in black, so there aren’t many color options to choose from and match with our kitchens
8. Playful Palm Grater
The Playful Palm Grater is what you need to add some Japanese functionality and whimsical fun to your kitchen or dining table. The little grater can fit perfectly into the palm of your hand, marrying fun and functionality to create a product that is lightweight, full of value, and transforms a simple cooking process into an interesting experience.
Why is it noteworthy?
The Playful Palm Grater is a charming and functional product that resembles a curled piece of paper. It is made from a single aluminum alloy plate and is available in different color options. You have a wide range of colors to pick from, allowing you to add a pop of color and sparkle to your boring old kitchen and dinner table.
What we like
- Has a unique and ergonomic form that offers a strong and sturdy grip
- Transforms the simple of act grating into a fun and playful experience, while also making it easier
What we dislike
- The Playful Palm Grater has a tiny size, which isn’t suitable for grating large amounts of food or larger food items
9. PARTAYAKI
The PARTAYAKI is an innovative tabletop grill designed to bring the flavors and experience of a Japanese Steakhouse to your kitchen table. It lets you be the chef, and cook up your own steaks for your friends and family. You don’t need to step out of your home to experience a Japanese Steakhouse.
Why is it noteworthy?
The PARTAYAKI is modeled after the same professional grills that you see in Japanese Steakhouses. It lets you prepare delicious meals and create a Japanese Steakhouse-like experience for your family and friends in the comfort of your own home and kitchen.
What we like
- Equipped with dipping sauce trays and one-quart hot pots to prepare traditional Chinese-style Hot Pots
- Features molded chopstick holders
What we dislike
- It is quite a space-consuming design, so you’ll need sufficient space in your kitchen
- It does seem a bit difficult to clean and maintain
10. Thanko Electric Bento Rice Cooker
Meet the Thanko Electric Bento rice cooker – a portable cooker that lets you prepare a bowl of warm rice wherever you are. This little cooker is designed to make rice an omnipresent food item no matter where you go. It is excellent for cooking single-serve rice in a short period of time. The LED light glows once the rice is ready!
Why is it noteworthy?
The Thanko Electric Bento rice cooker is great for those who travel or want fresh rice at the office instead of takeout or prepacked meals. The rice cooker can prepare 6 ounces of rice in one go. It even comes with a measuring cup for convenience!
What we like
- Depending on the ounces of rice, it will be cooked between 14-20 minutes
- Portable, easy-to-carry design
- Lets you eat rice straight from the container
What we dislike
- There doesn’t seem to be variety of choices in sizes and colors
