12 Basic Kitchen Essentials for Everyday Filipino Cooking
I’m definitely not someone who thinks you need every new kitchen gadget that comes out.
Honestly, give me a good pot, a good pan, a sharp knife, and a few basic tools and I can cook a lot of things with them.
Over the years, though, there are certain things in my kitchen that I find myself reaching for again and again. Some I use almost every day, while others make certain cooking jobs so much easier that I’m really glad I have them.
And when you cook a lot of Filipino food, you start realizing what actually works for you.
So if you’re putting together your own basic kitchen essentials list, these are 12 types of kitchen tools I personally use for everyday cooking.
Some are very basic. Some make cooking faster. And some have found their own unexpected purpose in my kitchen.
My Dutch oven, for example, cooks a lot of rice. 😂
Here are the 12 kitchen essentials that have earned their place in my kitchen.
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My 12 Kitchen Essentials at a Glance
| Kitchen essential | Best for |
|---|---|
| Dutch oven | Rice, adobo, soups and stews |
| Nonstick pans | Giniling, eggs, frying and sautéing |
| Self-sharpening knife set | Everyday chopping and food preparation |
| Instant Pot | Tender meats, soups and faster meals |
| Deep wok | Pancit, stir-fries and large portions |
| Food processor | Preparing garlic and onions in bulk |
| Mixer | Lumpia filling and baking |
| Three cutting boards | Separating meat and vegetables |
| Kitchen tongs | Frying lumpia and turning meat |
| Strainer | Draining noodles and rinsing ingredients |
| Wooden or silicone spatulas | Protecting nonstick cookware |
| Cooling rack | Keeping lumpia and fried foods crispy |
If You’re Starting With Only Five
If I were setting up a kitchen from scratch, I would begin with:
- A Dutch oven
- A dependable nonstick pan
- A sharp knife set
- A set of cutting boards
- Wooden or silicone cooking utensils
These five cooking supplies can handle most everyday preparation, sautéing, frying, simmering and one-pot meals. I would add the deep wok, Instant Pot and other time-saving tools based on the dishes I cook most often.
Looking for something to cook first? Browse my Filipino Recipes for dishes like adobo, giniling, pancit, lumpia, munggo, and more.
1. Dutch Oven
This might be one of my favorite things in the kitchen because I use it for so many different dishes.
Of course, a Dutch oven is great for soups, stews, adobo, and anything that needs to simmer for a while.
But I also use mine for cooking rice.
Yes, rice.
I really like cooking rice in my Dutch oven because the pot is thick and holds heat so well. I find that the bottom of my rice doesn’t burn as quickly as it can when I use a thinner pot, and once the rice is cooked, it stays warm for quite a while even after I turn off the heat.
Sometimes there’s a big Dutch oven sitting on my stove and there’s nothing fancy inside it at all.
Just rice.
And honestly, I love that.
I prefer kitchen things that can do more than one job, and my Dutch oven definitely does.
What I use it for: rice, adobo, soups, stews, braised meats, and other one-pot meals.
What to look for: Choose a sturdy Dutch oven with a secure lid, comfortable handles, and enough capacity for the number of people you normally cook for.
→ Shop the Dutch Oven on Amazon
2. Nonstick Pans
These are probably some of the hardest-working things in my kitchen.
Eggs in the morning? Nonstick pan.
Giniling? Nonstick pan.
Need to sauté garlic and onions?
You already know.
So much Filipino cooking starts with a little oil, garlic, and onion in a pan that having a good everyday pan just makes cooking easier.
I also use my nonstick pans for frying, reheating leftovers, and all those little cooking jobs that happen throughout the day.
Nothing fancy here.
They just get used—a lot.
What I use them for: sautéing, eggs, giniling, frying, reheating food, and everyday cooking.
What to look for: Choose nonstick pans with comfortable, sturdy handles and practical sizes for the meals you cook most often. A set with more than one size is especially useful for handling both quick breakfasts and larger family meals.
→ Shop the nonstick pans on Amazon
3. Henckels Self-Sharpening Knife Set
Trying to chop anything with a dull knife is one of those little kitchen frustrations I would rather avoid.
Especially when you have garlic, onions, vegetables, and meat waiting for you.
And Filipino cooking can involve a LOT of chopping.
I use a Henckels self-sharpening knife set with a block, and I really like having the different knives together and ready when I need them.
The self-sharpening block is also convenient because it helps keep the knives maintained while they’re stored.
And considering the amount of garlic that goes through my kitchen, these knives definitely get their workout.
What I use them for: chopping garlic and onions, cutting meat, preparing vegetables, slicing, and basically all of my everyday food prep.
What to look for: Choose a knife set with comfortable handles, the knife sizes you’ll actually use, and a sturdy storage block. A self-sharpening block can also make regular knife maintenance easier.
→ Shop the self-sharpening knife set on Amazon
4. Instant Pot
My Instant Pot is one of those things I really appreciate when I don’t want to wait forever for something to become tender.
I still love cooking on the stove. There’s something about having a pot simmering away that I enjoy, especially with Filipino food.
But some days, I just want dinner done.
That’s when the Instant Pot comes in.
It’s especially useful for meat that normally needs a longer cooking time. Pressure cooking can get it tender much faster, which makes this really convenient on busy days.
I don’t think you need to cook everything in an Instant Pot just because you have one. I certainly don’t.
But when I need it, I’m glad it’s there.
What I use it for: pressure cooking, tenderizing meat, soups, stews, and dishes that would normally take much longer on the stove.
What to look for: Choose a size that fits your household and the portions you normally prepare. Also consider which cooking functions you’ll genuinely use and whether the inner pot and removable parts are easy to clean.
→ Shop the Instant Pot on Amazon
5. Deep Wok
If you’ve ever made a big batch of pancit, you’ll understand this one immediately.
Pancit starts looking very manageable…
Then you add the noodles.
Then the meat.
Then the vegetables.
And suddenly you have enough pancit to feed everybody you know.
That’s why I really like using a deep wok.
The high sides give me enough room to actually toss and mix everything together without noodles and vegetables constantly trying to escape onto my stove.
It just makes mixing pancit so much easier.
What I use it for: pancit, stir-fries, sautéing, frying, and anything that needs plenty of room for mixing.
What to look for: Choose a wok that is deep and spacious enough for the portions you usually prepare. Sturdy, comfortable handles are also helpful when you need to move a wok filled with noodles, meat, and vegetables.
Love pancit? See how I put mine to work in my Pancit Bihon Recipe.
6. Food Processor
I love garlic and onions.
Standing there mincing a mountain of them?
Maybe not quite as much.
When I’m cooking in bigger batches and need a lot of garlic or onion at once, I use my food processor.
It saves me so much prep time.
Instead of standing at the cutting board mincing everything little by little, I can put a larger amount into the food processor and get it done much faster.
And if you cook Filipino food regularly, you already know why this is useful.
Garlic and onion show up everywhere!
What I use it for: bulk mincing garlic and onions and other bigger food-prep jobs.
What to look for: Choose a food processor with enough capacity for the amount of food you typically prepare. Removable parts that are easy to clean and useful blades or attachments can also make it more practical for everyday cooking.
→ Shop the food processor on Amazon
7. Mixer
This one might surprise you.
I use my mixer for Lumpiang Shanghai filling.
When I’m making a big batch of lumpia, there can be quite a lot of filling to mix together. Instead of doing all of that by hand, I use my mixer to help combine everything.
It makes the job so much easier, especially when I’m preparing a lot of lumpia at once.
And of course, the mixer isn’t just sitting there waiting for lumpia day.
I can use it for baking and other kitchen jobs too.
What I use it for: mixing big batches of Lumpiang Shanghai filling, baking, and other mixing jobs.
What to look for: Choose a mixer with enough bowl capacity for the batches you normally prepare. Also consider the available speed settings, included attachments, and whether the bowl and accessories are easy to clean.
8. Set of 3 Cutting Boards
Cutting boards might be one of the least exciting things on this list, but I use them constantly.
I like having a set of three instead of just one.
When I’m preparing a meal, especially one with meat and vegetables, I don’t necessarily want everything going onto the same cutting board.
Having several also means I’m not constantly stopping what I’m doing just to wash one board so I can use it again.
Simple? Absolutely.
Useful? Very.
What I use them for: meat, vegetables, fruits, garlic, onions, and everyday food prep.
What to look for: Choose cutting boards that are sturdy, easy to clean, and large enough for your usual food preparation. Non-slip edges are helpful, and having multiple boards makes it easier to keep raw meat separate from produce and ready-to-eat foods.
→ Shop the cutting board set on Amazon
Make Filipino Dinner Planning Easier
Not sure what to cook with your new kitchen essentials?
Get my free Filipino Dinner Starter Kit, featuring five beginner-friendly Filipino recipes, a five-day meal plan, a one-trip grocery list, and a Filipino pantry guide.
9. Kitchen Tongs
Another very simple kitchen tool that I grab all the time.
I use tongs for turning meat, tossing food, grabbing something hot, and especially when I’m frying.
And if I’m making lumpia, I definitely want my tongs nearby.
They make it much easier to turn the lumpia while it fries and get each piece out of the oil when it’s beautifully golden and crispy.
What I use them for: frying lumpia, turning meat, tossing food, and everyday cooking.
What to look for: Choose kitchen tongs with a comfortable grip, sturdy construction, and a locking mechanism for easy storage. Silicone tips are especially useful when working with nonstick cookware.
→ Shop the kitchen tongs on Amazon
10. Strainer
A strainer is one of those things you don’t really think about until you need one.
Then suddenly you really need one.
I use mine for draining noodles, washing vegetables, rinsing ingredients, and all sorts of little kitchen jobs.
And if you cook pancit or other noodle dishes, having a good-sized strainer definitely comes in handy.
What I use it for: noodles, vegetables, rinsing ingredients, and draining.
What to look for: Choose a sturdy strainer with enough capacity for the amount of noodles or vegetables you normally prepare. Comfortable handles and fine mesh are also helpful for holding smaller ingredients securely.
→ Shop the kitchen strainer on Amazon
11. Wooden or Silicone Spatulas
If you’re going to have nonstick pans, you’ll also want utensils that aren’t going to scratch them up.
I usually reach for wooden or silicone spatulas.
They’re gentle on my pans, and I use them for almost everything—sautéing garlic and onions, stirring sauces, cooking giniling, scrambling eggs, and whatever else happens to be on the stove that day.
You really don’t need a drawer overflowing with twenty different utensils.
A few good ones that you actually use can go a long way.
What I use them for: sautéing, stirring, eggs, sauces, giniling, and everyday cooking.
What to look for: Choose sturdy utensils that feel comfortable in your hand and won’t scratch your cookware. If you prefer silicone, look for heat-resistant utensils that are easy to clean.
→ Browse wooden and silicone cooking utensils on Amazon
12. Cooling Rack
This one has become especially useful whenever I’m frying Lumpiang Shanghai.
After all that work wrapping and frying lumpia, the last thing I want is for those beautiful crispy wrappers to turn soggy.
I like putting freshly fried lumpia on a cooling rack instead of letting them sit in the oil they just came out of.
The excess oil can drip underneath, and air can circulate around the lumpia instead of the bottom sitting against a flat surface.
It’s such a simple thing, but when you’re making a big batch of lumpia, it really comes in handy.
And cooling racks aren’t only for lumpia, of course. I can use them for baked goods and other fried foods too.
But if there’s a mountain of Lumpiang Shanghai coming out of my kitchen, there’s probably a cooling rack nearby.
What I use it for: Lumpiang Shanghai, other fried foods, cooling baked goods, and anything I don’t want sitting in excess oil.
What to look for: Choose a sturdy, elevated cooling rack that allows air to circulate underneath the food. A rack that fits inside a sheet pan is especially convenient for catching crumbs and excess oil, and one that is easy to clean will be more practical for frequent use.
→ Shop the cooling racks on Amazon
Making lumpia? See how I make mine from the filling all the way to that crispy golden wrapper.
→ Get My Lumpiang Shanghai Recipe
So, What Do You Actually Need in a Kitchen?
Pinterest can sometimes make us feel like we need 47 different gadgets before we’re properly equipped to cook dinner.
You really don’t.
At least, I don’t think so.
When I look at the things I actually use in my kitchen, most of them are pretty basic.
A good pot.
A good pan.
Sharp knives.
Cutting boards.
A few utensils.
Then there are a handful of things—like my Instant Pot, food processor, mixer, and deep wok—that simply make certain jobs much easier.
And that’s really the point of this basic kitchen essentials list.
Your kitchen should work for the way you cook.
For me, that means having things that work for everyday meals but also make sense for the Filipino food I grew up eating and still cook for my family today.
Rice.
Adobo.
Giniling.
Pancit.
Lumpia.
Soups and stews.
And everything else in between.
I don’t need every kitchen gadget out there.
I just want the ones I’ll actually use.
Now Let’s Cook Something!
Having the right kitchen tools is nice.
But they’re much better when there’s adobo simmering in the Dutch oven, giniling cooking in the pan, pancit filling up the wok, or freshly fried lumpia sitting on that cooling rack.
That’s what these things are really here for.
So if this basic kitchen essentials list helped you get your kitchen ready, come see what we can make with it.
→ Explore All My Filipino Recipes
And if you’re like me and love knowing a little more about the food on the table—not just how to cook it:
→ Explore Filipino Food & Stories
Happy cooking! 💛
