Sushi making is not only a way to prepare food in Japan but it’s also an art form. An itamae, or sushi chef, spends years learning to perfect their craft. They must master every aspect of sushi preparation including rice making, grating wasabi, and of course, slicing fish.
Thankfully to make sushi at home, you won’t need to spend years learning how. In this post, we share our tips on how to choose the best sushi making kit.
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Our top 3 picks for the best sushi making kits:
- Original AYA Bazooka Kit – complete kit with video tutorial making it perfect for beginners
- Bestreey 11 Piece Sushi Making Kit for Beginners – high-quality construction, includes everything you need, perfect for beginners and sushi experts
- IOOLEEM 15 Pieces Sushi Making Kit – elegant design and easy-to-use recipe card included.
The Best Sushi Making Kits
Having visited Japan nearly a dozen times, we LOVE sushi. Watching a highly trained Japanese sushi chef work their magic is something to be seen. After our first trip to Japan knew that we had to learn how to make sushi at home.
We include detailed sushi making kit reviews below, but if you are short on time, feel free to use the table below to see our best picks. We recommend using Amazon for making your purchase.
First, we find Amazon to have the best at-home culinary kits in terms of price and quality. Second, we try to recommend products that are part of Amazon Prime, which provides purchasers with free and often super-fast delivery. (Get 30 days of Prime free here.)
What Is A Sushi Roller Kit
If you are interested in learning how to make sushi rolls, you could move to Japan and train as an itamae or purchase a DIY sushi making kit. Making sushi rolls without one of these kits can be frustrating.
To make sushi at home, you’ll have to purchase all the sushi making tools separately. With a sushi starter kit, all the tools are provided. Here is a look at what’s included in a sushi-making set.
Bamboo Rolling Mat
In Japanese, it’s called a makisu. This is the mat used to make makizushi sushi as well as other dishes including omelets. Thin strips of bamboo are lined side-by-side and tied together using cotton string. A standard makisu used to make sushi measures 9.5 inches by 9 inches.
Rice Paddle
Used to mix vinegar into sushi rice, a shamoji or rice paddle is an important tool in any sushi making kit. Traditionally made of wood or bamboo, today most rice paddles are made of plastic. To help prevent the rice from sticking the shamoji is continuously dipped in water
Rice Spreader
Trying to spread rice with your hands can be an adventure. A bamboo rice spreader can more evenly spread rice without sticking.
Sushi Knife
Trying to cut sushi with an ordinary kitchen knife won’t work. The sticky nature of sushi rice has led to the development of special sushi knives. The shape and form are designed to slice sushi more effectively and efficiently. It may sound unnecessary, but owning a proper Japanese knife for sushi is a worthwhile investment.
Heading to Japan? Check out our Best Japanese Snacks Guide.
Why Buy A Make Your Own Sushi Kit
If you have ever wanted to know how to make sushi at home, picking up a sushi-making kit is the right choice. Each kit contains detailed step-by-step instructions, making sushi easier. Most importantly, a good kit will include all the sushi making equipment you’ll need to get started.
Check out our tips on How To Eat Sushi When Traveling In Japan.
The Best Sushi Making Kit Reviews
Sushi Making Kit – Original AYA Bazooka Kit
Begin your journey to master the art of sushi making with the Sushi Making Kit – Original AYA Bazooka Kit. Everything you need to make delicious sushi at home for friends and family is included.
The centerpiece of the AYA Bazooka Sushi Kit is the premium-grade sushi knife. Its extra-sharp, non-stick blade makes slicing sushi a breeze. The rest of the kit includes 100% natural bamboo rolling mats, a rice spoon, and a spreader, as well as five sets of chopsticks.
The kit also comes equipped with an AYA Bazooka and nigiri sushi maker. Both are made from BPA-free plastic and are dishwasher safe. Free step-by-step video tutorials are included to walk you through the sushi making process.
11 Piece Sushi Making Kit for Beginners
The Bestreey 11 Piece Sushi Making Kit for Beginners is a great way to learn to make sushi at home. With easy-to-follow instructions, even the most novice home cook can make delicious sushi.
The set comes complete with a non-stick sushi knife, rice spoon, and spreader, as well as four different sushi molds. Each piece is made from BPA-free plastic and is dishwasher safe. It’s one of the best sushi making kits for beginners.
Sushi and Maki Making Kit from Grow Your Pantry
Impress your friends and family with a homemade sushi dinner using the Sushi and Maki Making Kit from Grow Your Pantry. From one of the leading names in kitchenware, this set comes complete to make sushi rolls and nigiri sushi at home.
Made using 100% natural bamboo, the kit includes two rolling mats, a rice spoon and spreader, sushi molds, and four sets of chopsticks. An easy-to-follow instruction and recipe book will guide you through the sushi-making process. In no time you’ll be surviving up mouthwatering sushi.
Each Grow Your Pantry kit is backed by a 100% no-questions-asked, money-back guarantee.
ISSEVE Sushi Making Kit
From kitchen professionals to first-time cooks, the ISSEVE At Home Sushi Making Kit will turn you into a sushi master in no time.
Made using only the highest quality natural bamboo, the kit comes fully equipped to make sushi rolls, sushi bowls, and nigiri sushi. Inside each kit, you’ll find two rolling mats, four chopsticks, a rice spoon, and a rice spreader.
At the heart of the kit are the professional-grade sushi knife and sushi bazooka. The knife is extra sharp to provide maximum ease when slicing sushi. Its non-stick surface is designed to cut sushi more effectively than an ordinary knife. The sushi bazooka is made from food-grade plastic to ensure safety and cleans up easily.
IOOLEEM 15 Pieces Sushi Making Kit
The folks over at IOOLEEM have fully packed their 15 Pieces At Home Sushi Making Kit. If you’ve never made sushi before and are an at-home sushi master, this kit has everything you need.
Inside you’ll find two bamboo rolling mats, three pairs of chopsticks, a rice spoon, and a rice spreader. To help make delicious rolls, including a California roll, the kit comes with a seven-inch cucumber and avocado slicer. Rounding off the kit is an eleven-inch plastic sushi bazooka.
To guide you through the sushi making process, IOOLEEM has included easy-to-follow instructions and a recipe card.
Sushi Making Kit by Yomo Sushi
Make perfect sushi rolls each and every time with the Sushi Making Kit by Yomo Sushi at home sushi rolling kit. Made in the U.S.A., Yomo Sushi is one of the leading brands in Japanese kitchenware. Their sushi rolling kit allows you to make a wide range of sushi rolls. Easy-to-follow instructions will have you making mouthwatering sushi in four easy steps. Made from food-grade materials, the rolling kit features a non-stick Teflon mat. An easy-to-use sushi cutter is also included.
Sushi Making Kit – All In One Sushi Bazooka Maker
This All In One Sushi Bazooka Maker kit comes packed with all you need to make a mouthwatering sushi dinner for friends or family.
Made using only premium bamboo and food-grade plastics, the kit is durable and easy to clean. Inside each kit are two bamboo rolling mats, two pairs of chopsticks, a rice spoon, and a rice spreader. A high-quality, non-stick sushi knife is also included to easily slice through your culinary creations. The eleven-inch sushi bazooka is easy to use and dishwasher-safe.
Easy-to-follow instructions will have you making delicious sushi in no time. The kit is backed by a 100% satisfaction guarantee.
How To Make Homemade Sushi
Making sushi, especially sushi rolls like tuna and cucumber involves several steps. This is somewhat surprising when you consider that other than sushi rice, no other ingredients are cooked. Here we are going to look at the main steps of how to roll sushi.
Rice
Rice is everything in Japan. While sushi fish like blue or yellowfin tuna get all the attention, the rice used to make sushi is the most important ingredient. The first thing an aspiring itamae must learn is how to prepare perfect sushi rice. Until this task is mastered, the itamae can’t learn anything else. That’s how important rice is for sushi making.
See our Review of The Best Japanese Rice Cookers
Nori
Nori is the Japanese word for edible seaweed. It is used in a wide range of Japanese dishes including sushi. Along with rice, nori is the foundation for making sushi rolls. Using a sushi rolling mat, the nori is placed first, the rough side facing up. Sushi rice is then layered on top of the nori.
Filling
Outside of Japan, it’s common to find sushi rolls with a variety of fillings. Some of the more popular fillings include crab, fish roe, and vegetables. Most Japanese prefer eating nigiri and sashimi-style sushi. Sushi rolls in Japan are limited to being filled with either cucumber, tuna, or negitoro maki (mixed tuna).
Regardless of which filling you choose to make your own sushi, it’s important to remember not to overfill. When adding the filling, you only want to fill the bottom third of your roll.
Roll, Squeeze, Cut
Once you’ve added your filling, it’s time to get rolling. But not all the way. At first, only roll the nori, rice, and filling combination once. Compress the bamboo rolling mat and remove it. From here, you’ll roll the rest of the way forming the sushi roll. Use the bamboo rolling mat to form the roll if needed. Cut the roll into even pieces and serve.
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FAQs Best Sushi Making Kits
100%, yes!! In fact, making sushi at home can be fun for the family. From making sushi rice to rolling the sushi, it’s a great family activity. Making sushi at home can also save money compared to ordering from a restaurant.
Made using fresh vegetables and fish, sushi rolls are a healthy dining option. Some sushi rolls do contain mayonnaise or fried ingredients, but for the most part, sushi is very healthy. The seaweed used to wrap rolls is high in iron and other minerals. Sushi fish like salmon contain Omega 3 fatty acids which help in maintaining good cholesterol levels.
There are several tools required to make sushi including bamboo mats, a rice paddle, and a sushi knife. Most sushi-making kits will include all of these tools. Otherwise, you will need to purchase them individually. A rice cooker is also required to produce rice with the right moisture and texture.
No. Like any new skill, it takes time and practice to learn how to make sushi at home. At first, it may seem like making a properly formed sushi roll is too difficult. But keep at it because with practice comes success.
Today, eating out is getting more and more expensive. But so are the ingredients we need to cook at home. Sushi, and Japanese food in general, has always been expensive. Making sushi at home can be cheaper compared to eating it in a restaurant. If you purchase ingredients like rice and soy sauce in “bulk” you can save money. Going directly to a fish market versus the grocery store, can also save money.
How We Review And Rate Products ⭐️
We only recommend brands we trust. We try to recommend kitchen products we’ve owned or used personally and we offer alternatives. We choose these alternative products based on recommendations from other food bloggers and chefs, sommeliers, and winemakers.
We conduct thorough research on the company, how the products are made, and whether they are a good value for home chefs. This allows us to offer competitive analysis, provide pros and cons of various products, and ensure you are purchasing quality products for your home.
- Some of the kitchen brands we love the most include 360 Cookware, UnoCasa, Calphalon, Ninja, and Instant Pot.
- For wine and drink products, we love Wine Enthusiast, VinGarde, and Danby.
- We often recommend purchasing products from Amazon because of the variety of kitchen and homeware brands they carry.
- Sometimes, we recommend buying a product directly from the manufacturer when we know it’s a brand we trust.
Learn more here.