Ramen Setup Guide
Home ramen is a multi-component project: a base broth (chintan or paitan), a tare (seasoning concentrate), an aroma oil, and toppings assembled to order. The broth alone takes 6–18 hours depending on style — tonkotsu requires a full rolling boil to emulsify the collagen into a milky white liquid, while shio and shoyu prefer a gentle clear simmer. Assembling a bowl is then fast: tare to the bowl, hot broth ladled over, noodles added from a separate boiling pot, toppings arranged. This guide covers the equipment that makes this system work at home.
This page contains affiliate links — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. See our affiliate disclosure.
Essential Kit
- Large stockpot (10–14 litre, stainless) — the anchor
piece for tonkotsu and paitan broths. Pork or chicken bones need room
to move in the boiling liquid — a full rolling boil on a crowded pot
produces an inferior, greasy result. A heavy stainless base distributes
heat evenly without hot spots that scorch collagen.
Find large stockpots on Amazon.de → - Fine mesh strainer (24+ cm, conical) — for straining
tonkotsu. After a long boil, the broth is pressed through a fine strainer
to remove all bone fragments and connective tissue, leaving the smooth
milky emulsion. A conical strainer with a handle allows you to press
the solids efficiently with a ladle or rubber spatula.
Find conical strainers on Amazon.de → - Ramen bowls (800–1000 ml, wide-rimmed) — the correct
vessel makes a significant difference. Wide-rimmed ceramic bowls keep
the broth hot longer than shallow plates, and the depth accommodates a
full noodle portion plus toppings without spillage. Japanese gyokai or
donburi-style bowls work well; avoid European soup bowls, which are
too narrow.
Find ramen bowls on Amazon.de → - Tare jars (250 ml, glass) — for seasoning concentrates.
Tare is added to the bowl before broth — typically 30–50 ml per serving.
Shoyu tare (soy-based), shio tare (salt-based), and miso tare are each
made in batch and stored refrigerated for weeks. Small glass jars with
swing-top lids maintain freshness and allow precise pours.
Find glass jars on Amazon.de → - Bamboo or stainless ladle — for tare and broth
portioning. The tare goes in first — a precise 30–50 ml measure. Then
broth is ladled over at a controlled pour to not disturb the tare layer.
A ladle with a capacity marking or a small measuring ladle used for the
tare prevents over-seasoning.
Find bamboo ladles on Amazon.de → - Noodle strainer basket (long handle) — for blanching
and draining ramen noodles. Fresh or dry ramen noodles are cooked
in a separate pot from the broth to prevent starch from clouding the
broth. A wire basket on a long handle lets you pull a portion in
seconds and shake off excess water before dropping into the bowl.
Find noodle strainer baskets on Amazon.de →
Nice-to-Have Upgrades
- Sous vide circulator — for chashu pork and soft-boiled ramen eggs (ajitsuke tamago). Chashu pork belly cooked at 68 °C for 36 hours produces a consistently silky texture. Ramen eggs marinated in tare after a 63 °C sous vide give the jammy yolk and full marinade penetration that 6-minute boiled eggs cannot.
- Pressure cooker (6–8 litre) — for a 4-hour tonkotsu broth instead of 12 hours on the stovetop. The sealed environment reaches temperatures above 100 °C, accelerating collagen extraction significantly. Quality is near-identical for home use.
- Blowtorch — for chashu finishing and tare-glazed chicken (tori karaage toppings). A quick torch pass on chashu before plating caramelises the surface and adds smoky umami.
Where to Buy
Amazon.de covers the full kit. The stockpot is a commodity item — a basic stainless model in the 20–40 EUR range is perfectly adequate. The conical strainer is worth spending on: a 20–30 EUR fine mesh model outperforms cheap alternatives that let bone fragments through. Ramen bowls in authentic Japanese style are available in the 8–20 EUR range per bowl. Budget the bulk of your spend on two bowls and a good strainer.