A Thai or Vietnamese kitchen is built around high-heat wok cooking, large stock pots for broth, rice cookers, and lots of fresh herbs and prepped vegetables kept cold. For a pho shop, the stock pot range is the most important piece of equipment. For a Thai menu, it is the wok range. Both need refrigerated prep, stainless tables and the standard sinks.
Shop the equipment in this article: stock pot ranges, woks and Asian cookware, rice cookers and refrigerated prep tables. Freight is included on every order.
Broth and noodles
- Stock pot range: pho broth simmers for hours in large pots, and a low stock pot range keeps heavy pots at a safe working height. Browse stock pot ranges and see our stock pot size guide.
- Noodle cooker or pasta cooker for blanching rice noodles to order.
- A soup kettle or holding station for broth during service. Browse soup kettles and warmers.
Wok cooking
- Wok range with high-output burners for stir-fries like pad thai and pad see ew. A wok range needs a hood and fire suppression.
- A wok faucet over the range for fast rinsing between orders. See our TWF-12 wok faucet.
- Carbon steel woks, ladles and spiders. Browse Asian cookware.
Rice
Commercial rice cookers and warmers sized to your busiest hour, with a backup unit for sticky rice if it is on the menu. Browse rice cookers and warmers.
Cold prep and storage
- Refrigerated prep tables hold herbs, bean sprouts, sliced meats and sauces at 41 F or below for fast plating. Browse refrigerated prep tables.
- Reach-in refrigerators for herbs and produce, which spoil fast. See the reach-in refrigerator buying guide.
- A meat slicer for thin-sliced beef for pho.
Prep and sinks
- Stainless work tables with overshelves for sauces and garnish.
- A prep sink for washing large volumes of herbs and vegetables. See one compartment sinks.
- A hand sink by the line and a 3 compartment sink for woks and pots.
- A grease trap where your sewer authority requires one. See the grease trap buying guide.
Common mistakes
- Putting heavy stock pots on a standard range top, which puts them at an unsafe height.
- Too little cold space for fresh herbs and sprouts.
- Underestimating hood size for wok ranges.
What to buy
Build the kitchen around a stock pot range for broth or a wok range for stir-fry, then add rice cookers, refrigerated prep tables, stainless work tables and your sinks. Freight is included to the 48 contiguous states and DC.