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The Best Sushi Makers of 2024
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Millions of people around the world enjoy eating sushi every day, but only a fraction of them can make their own sushi. There are hundreds of different kinds of sushi, all requiring different ingredients and different tools to make it correctly. For beginners, the quality and design of your sushi maker can dictate how well your sushi comes out. The easiest sushi rolls to make are the California, Vegetable, and Spicy Tuna rolls. We've researched the best sushi makers, and the Delamu Bamboo Sushi Making Kit is beginner-friendly, made from high-quality bamboo, and comes with an e-book called "Beginner's Guide to Homemade Sushi."
Our Top Picks For Sushi Makers
View all ContentsThe Best Sushi Makers
Best Overall
Our first recommendation is a simple but fully functional sushi-making set from Delamu. It is one of the most popular sets on amazon with over eight thousand five-star reviews and an Amazon’s Choice badge. The reason behind this popularity is its simplicity and self sufficiency. It has everything you need to roll sushi in a very traditional way without extra frills. There are no fancy sushi molds or tight-fitting plastic pieces. All this set contains is two rolling bamboo mats, one rice paddle, one spreader, and five pairs of chopsticks.
Its simplicity is just one part of the equation. The other major contributor to this sushi-making kit’s appeal is its quality. For just $15, you get tools that are made from natural, high-quality bamboo. The only thing that isn’t authentic bamboo in this kit is the string tying the mats, but even that is made from natural materials and is tied with a knot instead of glue.
Pros
- Quality bamboo construction
- Ideal for beginner sushi makers
- Comes with a sushi-making Ebook
- Easy to hold chopsticks
Cons
- The string on the mats gets loose over time
Best Design
The first option on our list is all about upholding the traditional method of rolling and making sushi, at least getting as close as possible. However, this kit maker from Yuhe is on the complete opposite end of the spectrum. It brings modern engineering and molding techniques to the world of sushi. It is just a plastic rolled sushi mold with a plastic spreader, but you can use it to make sushi rolls that come out amazingly and look perfect.
The magic of this maker lies in its ingenious design. You put the nori in the lower part of this mold, fill it with the ingredients and rice, wrap it, and then press down with the upper part of the mold. This compresses the ingredients and makes teh nori stick properly. Then there are the grooves in the bottom piece, allowing you to cut exact slices before taking the sushi out and serving it.
Pros
- Extremely simple and easy sushi making
- Made from durable plastic
- Perfect for folks who want to make sushi quickly
Cons
- The spreader is very flimsy
Most Professional Kit
Let’s say you’re no novice at sushi-making but rather an expert who knows how to make all kinds of sushi with the right tools. Your previous set got retired, and now it’s time to buy a new one. Well, you’re in luck as the Delamu 22-in-1 sushi making kit has everything an expert like you needs. This kit includes basic tools such as bamboo mats, rice paddles, rice spreaders, and chopsticks. Then there are the different sushi molds like the bazooka roller, nigiri sushi maker, triangle sushi maker, and gunkan sushi mold. Lastly, there are tools that assist in the sushi-making process, like a sharp knife, an avocado knife, and an oil brush for final seasoning.
Every item in this kit is built with a quality-focused mentality and should last a long time. Even little things like the oil brush are made from sturdy plastics that do not wear out easily. So whether you’re a sushi-making expert or someone just graduating to the next step, this set is perfect for you.
Pros
- Has everything necessary for making sushi
- Everything is sturdily constructed
Cons
- Not beginner-friendly
Most Durable
Lastly, we have the crown jewel of our list; a sushi-making kit good enough for professionals in a restaurant. This set is also made by Delamu, but unlike the other option focused on completionism, this one focuses on quality. Everything in this kit is designed to be used repeatedly while retaining consistency and reliability.
This high-quality comes at a price, this is the most expensive sushi-making kit on our list with a price just shy of $28. The craftsmanship though, combined with the sheer number of useful items, makes it completely worth your hard-earned money. And just because it’s tailored for professional use doesn’t make it exclusive to that setting. You can still purchase this kit for home use and craft sushi like never before.
Pros
- Very high-quality construction
- Includes everything needed for making sushi
- The sauce dishes are gorgeous
Cons
- The bazooka roller is slightly sub-par
Best for Beginners
Next in line is the ultimate mold-style sushi maker you can buy on Amazon. Sure, you can find other options with a lot more shapes and mold sizes; but they tend to be prohibitively expensive. This generic kit costs just under $19 and includes every mold that you could possibly need. This set includes molds for rolled, heart-shaped, rectangular, and large rectangular sushi. But, it also comes with other sushi-making equipment as well, namely a rice paddle, a spreader, and a sushi knife that perfectly fits the molds.
All of these molds, although made from plastic, are high-quality and will last you a long time with proper care. The knife included is also sharp enough to cut the sushi without using any unnecessary pressure or squishing the ingredients. The heart-shaped mold, in particular, makes this perfect for households with kids; children often enjoy food that is shaped in interesting ways.
Pros
- Includes four different sushi molds
- Made from sturdy plastic
- Comes with a very sharp knife
Cons
- The rice paddle and spreader are a bit flimsy
The Best Sushi Maker Buying Guide
Sushi is something you can make with nothing but your hands and a knife, and a lot of sushi chefs do exactly that every single day. However, a large part of sushi’s appeal is its aesthetics. Trying to achieve that ideal form by hand isn’t really possible unless you have years of experience and consistent practice.
Luckily, you aren’t limited to using just your hands when making sushi, thanks to the modern sushi makers. These kits include all of the necessary tools required to make sushi from start to finish. They also make the process of crafting sushi accessible to almost everyone. The mold-style sushi makers, in particular, are great for beginners and folks who want to eat homemade sushi without committing hours making it.
However, not all sushi-making kits are created equally. Some are objectively better than others. These are the factors that distinguish merely okay sushi makers from truly great ones.
Quality
The first factor that determines how good a sushi maker is quality. It doesn’t matter if it’s a mold design or one with the traditional bamboo mats and bamboo spreaders; a high-quality maker will always perform better. Quality in this context means durability of construction materials, how precisely components fit together, and the consistency of final results.
Using the right material also matters. For example, using a wooden or bamboo rice paddle is almost always better than a flimsy plastic one. Conversely, the sushi mold performs so well precisely because it is made out of plastic, not something like wood or metal.
Variety
Variety simply refers to the different types of sushi you can produce with a particular sushi set. This mostly comes down to the types of molds and devices available. For example, sushi mats and bazooka rollers combine to make perfect rolled sushi. However, they cannot be used for triangular sushi, you need different tools for that. Ideally, you want as many options as possible, different variations and styles will keep sushi fresh in your mind and prevent repetitiveness.
Ease of use
Ease of use is extremely important for sushi makers since bypassing the experience and expertise necessary for traditional sushi-making is a large part of the appeal. If using a sushi maker was just as labor intensive as making it by hand, sushi makers would be effectively useless. Luckily, most modern sushi makers are pretty effective at streamlining the process. For example, all you have to do with a mold-style sushi maker is place the nori, fill it with ingredients, wrap it, and press the top part of the mold. Now slice the sushi through the built-in grooves, and voila, you have perfectly cut sushi.
End result
The end result of a sushi maker is the culmination of the above factors. The way your finished sushi looks depends on the type of sushi you made, how easy it was for you to make, and how well the maker functioned. Add into consideration the additional features some sushi makers offer, like fancy chopsticks, gorgeous sauce dishes, and adorable chopstick holders, and you’ve got yourself the truest indication of a sushi maker’s value.
Cost
Speaking of value, the price tag of sushi makers is extremely important. Sushi is already an expensive dish. Having to purchase costly equipment to make it can put it beyond many folks’ reach. Fortunately, you can get fairly complete sushi makers for as low as $15. Even high-quality kits, with over twenty parts, are below the $30 mark.
Sure, you can find expensive “luxury” sushi makers, but they are not worth your hard-earned money. A lot of the features touted by premium sushi makers can be found in any decent maker, and at a much lower price. In fact, some of the top-of-the-line makers are just normal quality sushi makers rebranded to look more expensive.
So, don’t waste your money on expensive or cheap sushi makers. Instead, get one that works as advertised and properly maintain it. It will likely last longer than you expect.
People Also Asked
Can I make all types of sushi with a sushi maker?
No. You can make many different types of sushi with basic mats and molds and a little bit of ingenuity. There are still hundreds of types of sushi requiring prior experience or a particular mold.
How do I clean my sushi maker?
It depends entirely on the type of maker you have. Almost all manufacturers will list whether their kit is dishwasher-safe. If it isn't listed anywhere on the product page, you should either contact the manufacturer or avoid cleaning the sushi maker in a dishwasher.
What is the best fish for making sushi?
Different types of sushi work best with different types of fish. That being said, the most popular types of fish for sushi include bluefin tuna, Japanese amberjack, salmon, and mackerel.
