Five Bits of Kit Under £30 That Actually Deserve the Cupboard Space

We've all done it. Bought a spiralizer, a avocado slicer, a fancy electric grinder that's now living in the loft. So when I say there are five pieces of Chinese kitchen kit worth owning, I say it with the shame of a man who once bought a toastie maker shaped like a dog.

The good news? Everything on this list costs thirty quid or less, most of it under a tenner, and none of it needs a plug.

The Bamboo Steamer (£8–£15 for a two-tier set)

If you buy one thing from this list, make it this. A bamboo steamer turns any wok or saucepan into a dim sum station: dumplings, bao, sea bass with ginger and spring onion, even Sunday leftover dumplings revived from the freezer.

Why not a metal steamer? Bamboo absorbs condensation, so you don't get water dripping onto your dumplings and ruining the skins. It also smells wonderful after a few uses — like a teahouse in your cupboard.

Where to buy: Chinatown (Manchester's is brilliant, London's Gerrard Street obviously) or online. Don't pay more than £15 for two tiers and a lid. Skip the £30 'premium' ones — they're the same bamboo.

Verdict: Essential. Buy two tiers minimum, you'll want them.

The Spider Strainer (£6–£10)

Looks like a badminton racket made of wire. Does three jobs brilliantly: fishing dumplings out of boiling water, blanching greens, and — the big one — straining bits out of hot oil after deep-frying salt and chilli chips.

A slotted spoon can't do the oil job properly, and tongs will splash you. The bamboo handle also stays cool, which sounds like a small thing until you've fished noodles out of a rolling boil for ten minutes.

Where to buy: Any Chinese supermarket or Amazon. The £6 versions last years if you dry them properly.

Verdict: The most under-appreciated tool in Asian cooking. Buy it, thank me later.

A Chinese Cleaver (£15–£28)

I know, I know — it looks like it should come with a warning label. But a cleaver is not a weapon, it's the most versatile knife you'll own. It crushes garlic with the flat of the blade, scoops chopped veg straight into the pan, and the broad face is perfect for smashing cucumbers for that smashed cucumber salad everyone asks the recipe for.

You don't need a fancy one. A carbon steel cleaver from a Chinatown hardware shop for £20 will outlive most of your relationship. Avoid the £8 stainless supermarket ones — they go blunt and rusty in a month.

Verdict: Buy once, cry never.

A Clay Pot / Sand Clay Casserole (£15–£25)

Clay pot rice is one of the great comfort foods — crispy rice at the bottom, lap cheong and soy drizzled over the top — and you genuinely cannot make it properly in a metal pan. The clay holds heat like a storage heater and gives the rice that toasty, almost-burnt bottom layer that's the whole point.

Bonus: it doubles as a serving dish and looks gorgeous on the table. Just soak it before first use and never put a hot pot on a cold surface unless you enjoy shrapnel.

Where to buy: Chinese supermarkets stock them; online ones are fine too.

Verdict: A luxury, but an affordable one. Worth it if you cook rice more than twice a week.

A Ricer / Potato Ricer (£10–£12, any brand)

Plot twist — this one's from Lakeland, not Chinatown. But a ricer is the secret to proper fish ball paste and silky dumpling fillings. It removes excess water from grated veg like cabbage and courgette, which is the difference between dumplings that hold together and dumplings that weep everywhere.

Verdict: Cheap, unglamorous, indispensable.

What to Skip

• Electric dumpling makers. Your hands are faster.
• Novelty wok sets with the spatula included. The spatula is always rubbish.
• Anything 'non-stick' in a wok. You're seasoning carbon steel, remember.
• Expensive bamboo steamer lids. They all warp eventually.

Total damage for the full set: about £60, or £15 a month over four months. Less than one Deliveroo order, and it'll still be working long after that pad thai has been forgotten.