Equipment for Making Sushi at Home

In order to get started making sushi at home, you'll need a few different tools. I've broken this guide down into two sections - the bare necessities and nice-to-have additions. If you're just starting out, the bare necessities will be enough to get you going. If you enjoy the hobby and plan to make sushi at home regularly, investing in some nice-to-have items will help improve your results!

The Bare Necessities

These are the basic items you'll need to get started making sushi at home. You likely already have most of these around if you're someone who cooks at home regularly.

Sharp chef's knife

• One of the most important tools for making sushi at home is a sharp knife. Using a dull knife will make it very difficult to slice both fish and completed sushi rolls. If you already have a sharp chef's knife at home that will be perfect to use. If not, get your knife sharpened or consider picking up a new knife.
• The knife doesn't need to be expensive, just sharp! If you're looking to pick up a new knife this option is perfect and not too pricey. I recommend keeping it in the sheath and only using it when you make sushi, so the blade remains sharp.
• If you want to pick up a more specialized sushi knife, check out the sushi knife section below.

Large nonmetallic bowl

• You'll need a large bowl for mixing together the sushi rice, vinegar, sugar, and salt. Vinegar can react with metal bowls to produce an off taste, so it's recommended that you use a plastic mixing bowl instead. The traditional bowl for this process is a wooden hangiri, which I have more details on in the section below.
• If you don't already have an appropriate bowl, I recommend picking up a set of inexpensive plastic mixing bowls rather than purchasing a hangiri. The mixing bowls will be much more versatile in your kitchen and the large bowl will produce the same results as a hangiri and is easier to clean.

Cutting board

• You'll need at least one cutting board for slicing fish and veggies for your sushi. I recommend using a plastic cutting board like this one for slicing fish, as it's more sanitary than slicing fish on a wooden cutting board.

Measuring cups and spoons

• You'll need to measure out various ingredients, so make sure you have measuring cups and spoons like these, as well as liquid measuring cups like these!

Sushi rolling mat

• Assuming you plan to make sushi rolls, you'll need to pick up a rolling mat. These are very inexpensive and can be found either online or at an Asian grocery store.
• Here's a simple rolling mat you can pick up from Amazon. At the time I'm posting this, the mat is listed for $4.

Sushi rice spatula

• A rice spatula will be used for mixing the rice, as well as applying it to your nori when making rolls (if you follow my method). Technically, you could get away with using a non-stick silicon spatula, but it will be more difficult to work with.
• Here's a rice spatula you can pick up from Amazon. At the time I'm posting this, the spatula is listed for $4.

Cling wrap

• You'll need clear plastic cling wrap for wrapping up your sushi rolling mat. I also recommend covering sushi rolls that are topped with fish or avocado in cling wrap when slicing them (to help them hold their shape).
• You probably already have some in your kitchen, if not you can easily pick this up at your local grocery store or online (link).

Serving items

• If chopsticks aren't already a part of your silverware drawer, you'll want to pick some up to use when eating your sushi! You can pick up a set like this, or check out the options at your local Asian grocery store.
• Most sushi is best enjoyed with a side of soy sauce and wasabi for dipping, so make sure you have a small dish to serve it in. You could use a shallow side plate, set of small ramekins, or pick up some soy sauce serving dishes.

Nice-to-Have Additions

Sushi knife

• A traditional sushi knife (called a yanagiba knife) has a very long, straight blade, which is ideal for slicing off pieces of fish in one stroke. Unlike standard American knives, yanagiba knives are beveled on only one edge, meaning there are right-handed and left-handed versions. These knives can range in price from ~$20 to thousands of dollars. I haven't personally purchased or used a very expensive sushi knife at this point, so I can't make any recommendations for them.
• My cheapest recommendation is to pick up the sushi knife I mentioned in the previous section (this one). This knife is not a yanagiba, it's beveled on both edges so it will be more familiar to work with than a single edge knife. (This knife is listed for $20 at the time of writing this guide)
• For an entry level yanagiba knife I recommend this brand, in the right-handed or left-handed configuration. (This knife is listed for $29 at the time of writing this guide)
• For a slightly nicer entry level yanagiba knife I recommend this knife, which is only available in the right-handed configuration.

Sushi serving dishes

• One of my favorite things to do with my home cooking is to serve it in restaurant-style serving dishes. I think it really completes the experience and makes it that much more fun. After my first few batches of homemade sushi, I knew I was hooked and decided to spring for a sushi boat (the one you see photos of all over this site). I figured it was a silly purchase, but I was saving quite a bit of money by making sushi at home, so why not treat myself a little? I was so delighted to see how my creations looked on the boat, it was 100% worth it and has made me even more excited to make each batch!
• There are many options for plating your sushi to look like it does at a restaurant, one of the most straight forward is picking up a few long skinny platters. I have a few different options and ideas saved to this list if you are interested in upping your presentation!

Silicone basting brush

• One of my favorite ways to season sushi fish, especially nigiri, is to lightly brush it with a flavored oil such as toasted sesame oil or lemon infused olive oil. This adds a small amount of flavor to the fish without overwhelming it. The easiest way to apply this oil is with a silicone basting brush, so I recommend picking one up if you don't have one in your kitchen.

Kitchen Scale

• It's not 100% necessary, but a kitchen scale will help you precisely measure the weights of your sushi fish while you're slicing. This will ensure you're using the proper amounts called for in recipes for things like spicy tuna.
• Kitchen scales are pretty cheap and a super handy tool to have in your kitchen! I have one similar to this one, it works great and takes up very little space!

Hangiri (wooden rice bowl)

• Hangiri are the iconic large wooden bowls used for preparing sushi rice. I have a hangiri (this one), but I didn't purchase until I had made ~20 or so batches of sushi. You really don't need one as long as you have a large plastic mixing bowl as described in the previous section. Now that I have one, I don't even use it regularly because it's more difficult to clean than a mixing bowl, so I only use it when I'm making extra large batches of rice.
• A hangiri could be a fun item to pick up if you start making sushi a lot, but I would suggest springing for a fun serving dish and a dedicated sushi knife before investing in a hangiri.