Cook deliciously while saving time. Kitchen tools for creating a lively, enjoyable table.

For families with children during summer vacation, lunchtime becomes livelier than in any other season. Summer is also a time when people gather often, so there may be occasions to serve guests as well. While relying on delivery can be convenient at such times, if it continues for several days, thoughts naturally turn to health and saving money.

With so many events happening in summer, meal planning can often become a source of worry. For times like these, and especially for those busy with both housework and their jobs, we recommend a healthier lifestyle supported by tools that make cooking simple, convenient, and delicious. This time, we're introducing a collection of time-saving cooking goods that will help you become a better cook.

◆It's still hot out there. Save time and eat well this summer.

In the hot summer, fatigue builds up before you know it, and even the will to cook can disappear. At times like this, there's no need to push yourself—simply cutting out one step in cooking can make things feel much easier. What we're introducing here are tools that eliminate one extra step, letting you save time while still making genuinely delicious food.

▼Save both time and money with "waterless cooking."

Musui-Nabe (Waterless Pot) / Musui

This pot boasts excellent heat conduction, allowing food to cook in a short amount of time. Its signature "waterless cooking" method—which doesn't rely on added water—condenses the natural flavors of ingredients into deeply satisfying dishes using minimal seasoning, cooking everything evenly and quickly. It's a versatile all-rounder that proves useful for every kind of cooking, making it a great addition to any household. It's especially handy for frying, since it requires less oil, saving on both gas and oil costs. Interestingly, even the lid can double as a frying pan. Truly a pot that serves every purpose in one, offering excellent value for money.

● Can waterless cooking really save time?

This cooking method is especially recommended for those who've heard of it but never tried it, as well as fans of pressure cookers. Its best qualities are, above all, saving time while producing delicious food, and cutting down on cleanup afterward.

A waterless cooking pot is designed with an ingenious lid mechanism that allows the pot to be sealed tightly. Because it keeps moisture from escaping, cooking can be done using only the water naturally contained in the ingredients. With its excellent sealing and heat retention, food cooks through quickly, saving both time and gas. Even dishes that would normally require added oil can be cooked using the oils naturally present in the ingredients, making this a great option for those watching their calorie or cholesterol intake.

Given its high performance, you might worry about upkeep, but since the Musui-Nabe has no small or intricate parts, it actually requires no special maintenance. It's a pot that lets you easily enjoy more delicious meals.

Roast Donabe (Earthenware Pot) / Hasegaen

Another item worth recommending in the realm of waterless cooking is this donabe (earthenware pot). Made from Iga clay, it retains heat exceptionally well, and its far-infrared effect thoroughly warms ingredients right to their core. Thanks to its heat retention, it can even finish dishes beautifully using residual heat after the flame is turned off. It can also be used for dry-roasting and long cooking times, and comes with a built-in grill rack, making it possible to prepare elaborate dishes like grilled and seared foods at home. This pot is recommended for anyone who wants to take their cooking up a notch.

▼Fewer dishes to wash, less hassle

Shallow Pot 24cm / PETARI

This pot can go straight from the stove to the table as a serving dish, cutting down on the number of dishes to wash. Once you've prepped your ingredients and put them in the pot, you can use the cooking time to finish up other housework, or simply relax with a cup of tea.

The Shallow Pot has earned a strong reputation as "a pot that doubles as a serving dish." Its key features are that it saves you the trouble of washing extra dishes and plating food separately—since you can bring it straight from the stove to the table—all while looking stylish. On top of its excellent heat retention and ability to cook with residual heat, it's also versatile enough to be used in the microwave and oven.

On tiring days, even simple tasks like chopping ingredients or washing dishes can feel like a burden. That's why having a stylish piece that works as both a serving dish and a pot—something you can rely on with the microwave when needed—turns out to make a surprisingly big difference.

▼For days when even washing a knife and cutting board feels like too much

Kitchen Scissors / Banshu Hamono

On busy or exhausting days, cutting ingredients with kitchen scissors instead of a knife means one less thing to wash. Crafted with skilled craftsmanship for an excellent cutting edge, these kitchen scissors let you cut vegetables, meat, and other ingredients safely, with little risk of cutting yourself. This pair from Banshu Hamono features a distinctive, gently curving shape that fits comfortably in the hand—a pair built to last a lifetime. It's a versatile tool that also works as a bottle opener, a nutcracker, and even for opening screw-top lids. Kitchen scissors tend to get less attention than kitchen knives, so many households end up buying a cheap pair and using it for years without giving it much thought. But owning one versatile, easy-to-use pair backed by aftercare service brings its own quiet joy as you continue using it for years to come.

To help customers use their blades for the long term, we offer a paid re-sharpening service as part of our aftercare. In fact, in Ono City, where these scissors are made, it's said that scissors are cherished for years, passing back and forth repeatedly between craftsman and user for sharpening and care.

●Using kitchen scissors and knives for different purposes

When it comes to cutting ingredients, the knife is the go-to tool, but aside from knives chosen specifically for their sharpness, most knives struggle with soft or small items. Chicken skin is a commonly cited example of something that's hard to cut. It's precisely when you're dealing with these tricky-to-cut ingredients that kitchen scissors come into their own. Scissors adjusted by craftsmen down to the millimeter glide smoothly through ingredients like chicken, reaching exactly where a knife can't. We'd especially like to recommend these to those who don't cook much, or who think of themselves as being all thumbs in the kitchen.

When choosing kitchen scissors, the material is also worth paying attention to. With both knives and scissors, the more parts a tool has, the more moisture can collect and cause rust, so if you want to minimize maintenance, stainless steel is the way to go.

▼Cook everything at once, and save time

Baurú Sandwich Toaster, Single

A hot sandwich is simply two slices of bread with your favorite filling in between. This sandwich toaster is a reliable friend on busy mornings when there's no time to spare, or when you want to add more of the meals kids love to your repertoire. Just place your filling between two slices of bread, press them firmly together with the sandwich toaster, and cook over low heat on a gas stove so they don't burn. The ease of making a crisp, delicious hot sandwich makes this especially handy during summer vacation.

▼A great help in summer, when small dishes multiply

BON Tray／TEORI

Somen and tsukemen noodles are summer staples, and what they have in common is the need for individual dipping dishes. In households where the kitchen and dining table are some distance apart, this can mean going back and forth to set out dishes, but a tray eliminates that hassle—with the added bonus of looking neat and thoughtfully presented. TEORI's tray has an arched cutout that fits your hand, making it especially easy to carry. Because it doesn't stick to the table, you can carry it smoothly and confidently, which makes it wonderfully handy when serving tea, too. The beautiful grain of the bamboo, and the sturdy feel you sense the moment you touch it, make this a tray you'll want to choose for years of everyday use.

▼A reliable helper for any occasion: dishes safe for the microwave, oven, and dishwasher

AO Bowl and Large Bowl Set／TOJIKITONYA

With stylish tableware, you sometimes find yourself wondering whether it can actually go in the microwave. Microwave cooking is so convenient and time-saving that some households only stock dishes that are microwave-safe—and this piece fits the bill. What's more, it can also go in the oven and dishwasher, making it a beautiful piece of tableware that many people love using in their daily lives precisely because it's so easy to handle.

◆Get the basics right, and turn them into time savers

Beyond cooking tools that cut out an extra step, it's also worth going back to basics and taking a look at your knife. A knife you've used for a long time is one you've grown accustomed to, so you may not even notice, but its sharpness has been gradually dulling. A dull knife not only takes longer to cut with, but can also give you a scare when it fails to cut where you intended. With just a little maintenance, let's bring your knife back into shape so it works smoothly for you every day.

Basic Whetstone Set／Hocho Koubou Tadafusa

The Basic Whetstone Set includes a whetstone for regular maintenance along with a whetstone stand. Using a whetstone stand lets you sharpen your knife with more stability, which is why this set is recommended for maintenance. Depending on how often you use your knife, sharpening it once every two to three months is a good rule of thumb.

All-Purpose Knife 170mm (Santoku)／ Hocho Koubou Tadafusa

A truly good everyday item is one you can recognize as such the moment you pick it up. The knives from Hocho Koubou Tadafusa are simple, yet they fit seamlessly into the user's daily life, crafted to be used for a long time. The "blade," which is the heart of any knife, is said to be best made of hagane (carbon steel), but hagane is tricky to handle and will rust quickly if maintenance is neglected even slightly. To address this, Hocho Koubou Tadafusa's knives use stainless steel on the surface and SLD steel on the reverse side, achieving both rust resistance and excellent sharpness. The 170mm All-Purpose Knife (Santoku) is called a "santoku," meaning "three virtues," because it can be used for meat, fish, and vegetables. With its pointed tip, it has a wide range of uses and is the knife most commonly used in households, so if you're looking to get a single knife for everyday use, this is the one we'd recommend.

◆Making fried food easier

Summer is exactly when you crave something hearty and fried, but between the heat and the hassle of cleanup, you might find yourself frying at home less often. Even so, nothing beats the deliciousness of freshly fried food, crisp right out of the oil, over something store-bought. Let's rely on tools that make cleanup even a little easier, so we can fully enjoy freshly fried food.

Oil Pot／Noda Horo

This large-capacity oil pot lets you filter used frying oil all in one go. Since the strainer itself holds a generous 800ml, you can pour it all in at once, then use the straining time to do the dishes or wipe down the kitchen, making the most of your time. What's more, it's made of horo (enamel), a material that's both durable and easy to clean without absorbing odors, so maintenance when it's not in use is very simple too.

Straining Oil Pot／conte

An oil pot designed with a focus on excellent oil drainage. From straining and storing oil to pouring and washing, every step can be done without stress, making it easy to try your hand at deep-frying. Its standout feature is that when pouring oil, you can press down on the lid with your thumb, allowing you to pour with just one hand—a thoughtful design that keeps oil from dripping and making the container or your hands sticky.

◆Save Time on Cleanup

Wazarashi Roll with Holder／Sasasa

Wazarashi (traditional Japanese bleached cotton cloth) that's ready to use at a moment's notice. Used as the fabric for tenugui hand towels, wazarashi is an all-purpose cloth that can quickly be put to use for "wiping, wringing, wrapping, laying down, polishing, brewing, straining, steaming, and draining"—serving equally well as a cooking cloth or a cleaning cloth. Disposable items like paper towels and plastic wrap aren't cheap when you use them freely and often, and there may be moments when you hesitate to use them for something so minor. A cooking cloth that can be washed and reused again and again, free of such worries and concerns, is an excellent substitute for various consumable goods and can even change the way you think about cleanup. It's a product that feels good to use, and one you'll grow fond of over time.

●What Is Wazarashi?

Put simply, it's an all-purpose cloth for everyday use. Made from plain-woven cotton, wazarashi has an appearance that showcases the material itself, but what truly characterizes it is the enormous amount of time and effort that goes into making it. The raw material, natural cotton, contains oils, impurities, pigments, and odors. After the cotton is first woven into cloth, it undergoes a gentle, painstaking process over many, many days to carefully remove these impurities without putting stress on the threads—and only then is "wazarashi" finally complete.

Because it's a clean cloth with few impurities, it's safe to let it touch food directly. You can use it with confidence to strain ingredients or drain excess moisture. How you use the cloth is up to you—it's naturally suited for cooking, but it also works wonderfully as a cleaning cloth. This particular wazarashi roll has perforations that make it easy to tear off sheets, so you can use it as casually as you would a paper towel.

Draining Basket／Kobo Aizawa

A sleek, good-looking stainless steel draining basket. It won't rust, warp, or break, and quietly does its job in the kitchen. With a sliding drip tray attached, you don't need to lift the basket every time water collects, making the otherwise tedious task of draining water simple. The tray has a sturdy stopper to keep it from sliding too far back—a subtle touch of thoughtfulness that reflects its Japanese craftsmanship. Another point worth noting is the underside: the base has feet about 1cm tall fitted with rubber to prevent slipping. This kind of feature, designed with slippery wet areas in mind, is a hallmark of Kobo Aizawa, a maker that always keeps both stylish design and functionality in mind.

◆Meals Shared Around the Table with a Crowd

Finally, let's introduce some cookware that comes in handy when a large group gathers together. These tools can be used year-round and help create a warm, inviting table from the appetite-filled autumn season through winter.

Yakiyakisan (Tabletop Grill)

This tabletop grill is designed to maintain a temperature just below the point where smoke starts to form, even during continuous heating, making it a low-smoke option. That means you can enjoy yakiniku indoors without worrying about smoke, or hold a BBQ in a residential neighborhood with peace of mind. Even while keeping the temperature just below the smoke point, it uses far-infrared heat over medium heat to slowly and thoroughly cook food all the way to the center, resulting in a plump, juicy finish reminiscent of charcoal grilling.

14-Hole Takoyaki Pan (with Wooden Handle)

Cooking directly over an open flame gives the outside a nice crispness, and this takoyaki pan lets you cook a batch quickly. It's a frying pan that makes takoyaki everyone will enjoy at a home party. Hot plates are electrical appliances that eventually wear out and stop working, but since this is a frying pan, you can treat it with care and keep using it for many years to come—a happy feature for a takoyaki maker.

Sukiyaki Pot with Nambu Handle, 26cm／Iwachu

With its high heat retention, once this pot is heated the temperature won't drop much even when you add more ingredients, allowing flavors to soak in thoroughly—making it ideal for hot pot dishes. Its heat-retaining properties also make it great for simmered hamburg steak, crispy-fried gyoza enjoyed together as a family around the pot, or even hotcakes for a snack. Its moderate depth allows it to shine in a wide range of dishes. It's also compatible with IH stovetops, making it a convenient piece of cookware you can use as freely as a hot plate.

Enamel Stock Pot

Made of enamel, this pot draws out the flavor of ingredients in a short amount of time. Its deep shape makes it well-suited for simmered dishes like curry and stew, as well as for using plenty of water to boil pasta or make dashi stock. Because it features a triple-coated enamel finish thicker than usual, it's sturdy and resistant to chipping, so you can use it not only as kitchenware at home but also as camping gear.

Summer, when fresh, vibrant vegetables taste their best. May these cooking tools help you save time and create a little more room to cool off and relax.