Your sushi kit has 10 to 22 pieces and you need exactly 4 of them
By Clare FarnellUpdated 14 May 20268 min read
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You have opened your sushi kit and there are 15 pieces inside. Maybe 22. There is a bamboo mat, a rice paddle, chopsticks, a knife, some mold you do not recognise, and several tools with no obvious purpose. I know the feeling because my first kit had 20 pieces and I used 4 of them.
This page tells you which pieces to pick up first, which to ignore until later, and how to go from sealed box to finished sushi rolls in a single session. If you do not own a kit yet, our best sushi making kits guide covers 6 tested options across three price tiers.
Which pieces from the kit do you actually use first?
Four pieces handle your entire first session: the bamboo rolling mat, the rice paddle, a sharp knife, and chopsticks for eating. Everything else is optional.
| Piece | Use it now? | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Bamboo rolling mat | Yes | Shapes and tightens maki rolls |
| Rice paddle | Yes | Folds vinegar seasoning into hot rice |
| Knife (if included) | Yes | Cuts finished rolls into pieces |
| Chopsticks | Yes | Eating, picking up sashimi |
| Nigiri mold | Later | Press shapes rice for nigiri |
| Temaki cone holder | Later | Holds hand roll cones upright |
| Spreader/spatula | Skip | Your hands spread rice better |
| Sauce dishes | Optional | Nice for serving, not essential |
| Training chopsticks | Skip | Regular chopsticks work fine |
| Avocado slicer | Skip | A knife does this in 30 seconds |
The preparation technique for your first session does not require specialist tools. A mat, a paddle, a knife, and your hands cover every step from rice to finished roll.
How do you set up the kit for your first roll?
Wash all pieces in warm soapy water before first use. Lay the mat on a cutting board with slats parallel to you. Place the paddle, knife, and a bowl of water within reach.
Before you touch the kit
Your sushi rice must be cooked, seasoned, and cooled to body temperature. Your ingredients must be pre-cut into strips. Avocado sliced thin. Cucumber in matchsticks. Other vegetables like asparagus or sweet potato work too. Fish in 1 cm strips if using.
The kit does not include rice, nori, or fillings. These come from the supermarket. Our where to buy guide covers sourcing if you need help finding ingredients.
Assembling the rolling station
Place one sheet of nori seaweed on the mat, rough side up. Wet your hands. Take a fistful of rice (roughly 150 grams) and spread it across the nori using the rice paddle or your fingertips. Leave a 2 cm strip along the far edge for sealing.
Place 2 fillings in a line across the centre of the rice. Lift the near edge of the mat and wrap with a 45-degree rolling tuck, pressing firmly. Wet the seal strip. Press to close. Rest 30 seconds.
Wet the knife blade. Cut the roll in half, then each half into 3 to 4 pieces. Wipe the blade between cuts. Arrange pieces cut-side up. Serve with soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger.
That is the entire process. The kit's mat and paddle handle the two critical steps (rolling and seasoning). The knife handles cutting. Everything else in the box can wait.
What do the other kit pieces do?
The remaining pieces are specialist tools for specific sushi types. You do not need them for maki rolls.
Nigiri mold
A two-piece plastic form that shapes rice into oval mounds for nigiri. Fill the bottom, press the top, and uniform rice shapes pop out. Useful as a training tool for learning the correct portion size. Graduate to hand shaping once your technique is consistent.
Temaki cone holder
A stand that holds hand-rolled cones upright while you fill them. Temaki cones are meant to be assembled and eaten immediately. The holder is a convenience, not a necessity. Your other hand works as a holder.
Spreader or spatula
Designed to spread rice on nori. Your wet hands do this faster and with better control. Every sushi chef in the world uses hands, not a spreader. Skip this piece.
Sauce dishes and plates
Small ceramic or plastic dishes for soy sauce, wasabi, and ginger. Nice for a proper serving setup but any small bowl works.
What mistakes do people make with sushi kits?
Three mistakes are specific to kit users.
Using every piece at once. The 22-piece kit is designed to sell, not to be used simultaneously. Pick 4 pieces for your first session. Add others as your technique expands.
Following the kit's included instructions. Most kit instruction sheets are brief, vague, and skip the rice preparation entirely. Use our how to make sushi guide instead. The rice method alone is worth more than the entire kit instruction card.
Blaming the kit when rolls fail. Loose rolls and bland rice are technique problems, not kit problems. A $15 kit and correct technique produces better sushi than a $30 kit with wrong technique. Our common mistakes guide covers every fixable error.
For a complete first-session walkthrough including shopping list, timeline, and the 5 mistakes you will probably make, read the sushi for beginners guide.
What comes in a sushi making kit?
Typically a bamboo rolling mat, rice paddle, chopsticks, and sometimes a knife, nigiri mold, temaki holder, sauce dishes, and a spreader. Kit size ranges from 10 to 22 pieces. You need 4 pieces for your first session: mat, paddle, knife, and chopsticks.
Do I need a sushi kit or can I buy pieces separately?
For beginners, a kit is the most cost-effective option at $12 to $30. It bundles the essentials in one purchase. For experienced makers, buying individual quality items like a Tojiro knife and Hasegawa mat produces better results than any kit.
What ingredients do I need besides the kit?
Short-grain Japanese rice, rice vinegar, sugar, salt, nori sheets, and fillings like avocado and cucumber. Smoked salmon is the easiest protein. A complete first session costs $15 to $25 in ingredients from any supermarket.
Which sushi making kit is best for beginners?
The Delamu 20-in-1 at $16 offers the best balance of included pieces and quality. Our best sushi making kits guide compares 6 options across three price tiers with hands-on testing data.
Why did my first roll fall apart?
Most likely the rice was wrong (use short-grain Japanese rice), the roll was not tight enough (press firmly during the tuck), or the seal strip was dry (wet the 2 cm nori strip before closing). These are technique issues, not kit issues.
Clare Farnell has been making sushi at home since 2021 and writes about Japanese home cooking, sushi tools, and kitchen equipment at sushi-planet.com.
Last updated: 14 May 2026.