I’ve been pondering kitchenware. If I could only have one item, what would it be?

The answer’s obvious: a rice cooker! Back in my tiny rental, I didn’t even have a proper kitchen. Yet, I cooked everything with it. I’d cook rice, and steam Chinese sausage, veggies, and potatoes in a basket above. The sausage drippings flavored the rice. The veggies might’ve yellowed a bit, but a dash of seafood soy sauce fixed that.

The rice cooker reigns supreme because it’s so versatile. Steaming, boiling, stewing – it handles all water-based cooking without creating a greasy mess. And, as a Southerner, rice is my staple.

If I could add a second item? A wok, hands down. Given that kitchen-less rental, it’d need a small, flat bottom for gas and induction stoves. For versatility, the wok’s a champ, beating even the rice cooker. It excels at oil-based cooking: stir-frying, braising, and pan-frying, rounding out the essential techniques.

The third item? Things get interesting. I’d choose a clay pot, the kind you use directly on the flame. It expands what I can do. Neither the rice cooker nor the wok is ideal for stewing, where the clay pot shines. Plus, it’s about using both burners. While stir-frying and cooking rice, I can have something stewing. Why stewing? It takes the longest but needs the least attention, minimizing fuss.

Four items? A microwave. It’s not just for reheating; it’s great for steaming. I use it for fish and eggplant. Its real strength, though, is speed. Microwaves are fast by design. Adding a last-minute dish is a snap.

Fifth: a stockpot. For soup, the rice cooker, wok, or clay pot could work, but the first two are often in use, and the clay pot’s slow. I often just want a quick veggie soup, spiced up, not a long-simmered stew. A metal stockpot’s perfect; it might even see more use than the clay pot.

Number six: an electric steamer, mainly for the timer. It’s my breakfast staple. I prep the night before, set the timer, and wake up to warm sweet potatoes, taro, and eggs. Why not the rice cooker? It has a timer, but it’s small, and steaming isn’t its strong suit. Food gets soggy if left too long.

Seventh: an oven. Baking’s unique. But it’s not an everyday thing, and given its size, I haven’t gotten one yet.

After that, it’s a free-for-all. Electric hot pot, electric clay pot, frying pan, instant noodle pot… you could say you can’t cook without them, right?

The order isn’t key; the decision process is. Most people follow similar logic: start with essentials. Then, choose versatile items for maximum coverage. It’s good to have options, even if you don’t use them all. Only then do you specialize, adding tools for specific tasks. Finally, you address niche, less frequent needs.

Consider my grandparents' cooking. No gadgets. Rice in a pressure cooker, with that translucent plastic paddle. Everything else, a single wok. No outlets, so no rice cooker, let alone an oven or blender.

Society’s progress gives us choices, refining cooking. The move from all-in-one to specialized tools happens everywhere; it’s the same logic. It’s how people choose, so it’s timeless. This, in turn, becomes a yardstick for an industry’s maturity.

The world changes, but some things endure. Finding these constants can unlock many answers.