Does stir frying really need a zillion prep bowls? 

Hey guys, a few notes: 1. Ultimately, I think making use of prep bowls (or a similar system) is good practice in a Western kitchen as well. The reason I think you don’t see a lot of people using prep bowls in the USA and the like, however, is that the cuisine - especially the modern incarnation - doesn’t inherently *demand* it. Like, if you’re making a hotdish or something, ultimately you’re just laying stuff into a casserole dish… prep bowls would be sort of superfluous. Stir frying obviously moves a lot faster than a lot of western dishes do, so these sorts of practices - approaches that might be associated more with restaurant cooking in the west - end up getting etched in your brain as a homecook, too. 2. In some ways, I do feel though that ‘dish dread’ (might have stolen that term from Internet Shaquille? Idk) is too much of a variable for a lot of people. Yeah, washing dishes isn’t as much fun as stir frying, or even slicing up aromatics. But it’s just part of the process. You try to minimize bowls/plates as best you can, of course, but ultimately a handful of little bowls is like… 60-90 seconds of washing? (Haven’t timed it, just a guess) It’s really not the end of the world. 3. I suppose most of y’all watching these videos are at least intermediate cooks though (generally what we aim for), so in some ways I might be preaching to the choir. Just in case there are some beginners though - something else that I do when washing dishes is have a little metric that I have in my head called ‘% paranoia required’. So like, a prep bowl that just had some big chunks of aromatics in it requires very little dish-washing-paranoia - like, you could probably even get away with a quick rinse (but give a quick scrub anyway). Things that contained saucy things or raw meat require a lot more ‘washing paranoia’. And at the very top are oily things, which really require a hefty scrub. 4. Another dish washing related question for y’all - I’m sure there’s some people here in the comments that use the ‘soapy basin’ dishwashing method. This is the method that my parents use, and something that always drove me crazy about it is that it seems like you need to do everything all at once (in my house growing up, all after dinner). Certainly, there’s a way to use the basin method but still wash-as-you-go? 5. Re Cadence, a quick note that his restaurant is actually a Dongbei-Western fusion sort of deal - I know that with the way that I cut it it seemed to imply that his restaurant was a ‘standard’ Chinese restaurant (he swears like a sailor lol… I’m still not happy with the ‘bleep’ we have so I cut around it). If you’re in Shenzhen, definitely check it out - link’s in the description. His RU-vid channel is here: www.youtube.com/@cadencegao His schtick is teaching western food to a Chinese audience usually, but recently he’s been thinking of expanding into teaching Dongbei food to a western audience (which’s way less represented online in English) Anyway, that’s all I can think of for now - I’m sure we might have some more in a bit. Proper recipe video coming next week :)

speaking as someone in the little bowl business, everyone needs to have ten thousand of them at home

Cheap stackable metal bowls are the ideal. You can whack them against the wok to empty them and no worries of breakage. I like to line them up with the ingredients in order of cooking. That way I have a visual aid as to the "flow" of a preparation.

This is a great video! Please don't shy away from making practical videos like this, sometimes they're a bit of a barrier to entry for people who are intimidated by new cooking techniques. I know when I look for answers online I inevitably end up in a reddit/youtube rabbit hole where everyone swears you NEED 500 metal bowls, or spend a MINIMUM of $70 on a knife or $200 on a set of whetstones. Or the 20 different methods that different people swear is the ONLY correct method to season a wok, and anything else is actually damaging the wok in some way. Whereas practically, for my purposes, I just use small tupperware or takeout containers instead of metal bowls because I have them already, and $30 knife that I spend $10 to get professionally sharpened every 6 months or so. I think every intermediate home cook does the cutting board method you described at some point, so I think it's useful for beginners to see that it's okay to not be an obnoxious snob about feeding yourself.

As a lazy dishwasher user I stick ingredients in mugs or drinking glasses as I can fit more cups in the dishwasher than bowls. It also helps when prepping ahead and keeping things in the fridge as they take up a smaller footprint than wide bowls. Also, shotglasses of spice mixes

Chris, youre not a random white dude, youre a brave soul tackling the hundreds if not thousands of years of chinese cooking tradition and bringing the lessons learned to a western audience. The videos on this channel have helped elevate my chinese and american cooking techniques. Thank you so much for your hard work.

I like it when Maangchi breaks out the metal pizza plate to put her ingredients on. It’s kind of like the idea of the separate cutting board but presumably you can easily toss that into the dishwasher after…and it’s lighter.

I usually do a mix of Chris & Steph's approach using a board to put the ingredients and using prep bowls for wet ingredients, or if there are no space left on the board. Separating ingredients based on cooking time is also very practical.

Great video/explanation! Although I would say the concept of "mise en place" is hardly unique to Chinese cuisine, and is essential in any professional kitchen. But in my experience, I am more diligent in applying this method at home when cooking Asian food vs most other cuisines because the cooking process itself is usually so quick (stir-frying specifically), that you rarely have the time to prep other ingredients while the current ingredients cook (time to prep whilst cooking is more common in Western cooking methods which are generally much slower/lower heat). Beyond that, as you mention it is great for keeping your order of operations clear in front of you as you work quickly with high heat without time to reconsult a recipe book for even 30 seconds lest you overdo something. I do tend to group ingredients into one bowl based on the timing of entry to the dish (such as ginger/garlic/chili together) to save on washing up at home & because of prep space, but I definitely get the most "joy" out of cooking when I have all the ingredients and bowls lined up and not worry about the washing up! As someone who enjoys prep but not tending a stove constantly (risotto is the worst!), stir fry cuisine marries my love of chopping, orderly process & fast cooking into one brilliant tornado of kitchen excitement. And we all know, if you cook your spouse has to clean ;)

This is a great video about Mise en place and how different cooks view it. I don't think there's a wrong answer here as long as you get to the same place

So nice hearing Steph speak Cantonese! Adding some of the words to my vocab list 🤩 I often have mine like Steph - a few ingredients in a bowl that have almost the same cooking times. Or categorized in a similar fashion!

I've always just placed my ingredients on a big plate in a sort of pie-chart arrangement so i can scrape an ingredient off without getting any (or just a little) of any other ingredients

Guys, huge long time supporter. We have rewritten a lot of our favourite recipes of yours to ‘consolidate’ ingredients that go into the wok at the same time. I have found this cuts down the washing significantly and makes the cook easier too.

Gotta agree w/ Steph. Just seems organized and I'm a sucker for it.

WOW !! Of all the times I've watched your show, this is the first time I saw Chris" face. Having said that, I can point out his hands in a police line-up. This episode demonstrates the consideration you have applied to teach, guide, instruct and share what you know and how you do it. Thank you RMa !

I've never commented on a video before, but I really liked this video. It makes a lot of sense that there is a balance between filming and kitchen, and this explanation is a clear story. Keep doing what yall do, and I'll keep enjoying having my bowls (buts mostly making my "messy" cutting board piles

I really love your meta videos because I find your process and thinking really interesting. The combination of your unique perspectives are what makes this channel special.

Some people see this video as a video about prep bowls in Chinese cuisine, I see this video in a philosophical way; the right tools for the right job. Thank you for creating this content and best of luck to your channel in the future.

I've been watching over the years and glad you guys have made great content this entire time.

For me, this is not only a question of being organised and having the different ingredients ready when needed, but also it has become some kind of ritual in my cooking routine. It gives me confidence, peace of mind and makes cooking a more joyful, non-stressful experience. Up to now I never used more than six bowls for my asian dishes and honestly think that is not excessive. By the way, I love your channel ! Keep up with the great content.

I love the idea of this video. Was super interesting to see the thoughts behind it. I also use a somewhat between method. Everything in one step in one bowl.

Just like your normal cooking videos, I like how well you demystify this topic. As someone who is learning cooking from the internet, it can be hard to trust your own instincts over what you see. These style of "behind the scenes" videos help me build that confidence to take the training wheels off.

Hi from Las Vegas, as a novice beginner cook trying to follow all the steps to cooking, it is visually much easier to learn seeing all the separate ingredients being added. Once, I learn the steps then I will combine / simplify the process. Cleaning 6 bowls versus a chopping board or large plate is easier. Thanks !

I will say that since I started following your channel I have added a lot of small, cat-themed bowls to my kitchen. This has helped a lot with my prep work and my joy when working in the kitchen. I get to break down the prep work of some of these ambitious recipes into manageable units AND i get to look at cute cat designs at the same time. It's been an overall positive influence in the kitchen. I've learned from your channel so many amazing skills that I hopefully won't fall into the trap of thinking that your particular solution to a problem is the only way to manage my problems in the kitchen. Smalls bowls are great, but they aren't the secret to good cooking.

Thank you! You differentiated from the different styles of cooking from home to restaurant, but I had never considered from an instructional video... anyway, what the French call Mise en Place (putting in place, everything in it's place, prep work) is so important for making the job, successful and enjoyable. It's so cool to hear it from another cultural/culinary perspective, especially one that uses many quick-cooking techniques to keep food fresh and vibrant. Love y'all's videos... it's opened/unlocked a whole new world for me.

I really enjoyed this "non-recipe" video as much as I enjoy the recipe ones. It's as informative and valid as your videos about burners, knife technique etc.

It's amazing how such a "harmless" question can be made into such an informative video. Thank you!

Excellent idea!! Thanks for the video.

I LOVE this format! It would be great to see similar videos on different technique points, showing the opinions of a range of cooks like this 😊

This was helpful and answered questions I’d always wondered about, if people who stirfry every day actually sort things this way. My method is in Camp Steph, and I also use plates when I’m combining smaller amounts of ingredients that cook at the same time. I’d love to see more videos like this where you cover things that might seem obvious to someone doing this every day. 😌💜

Very helpful and unique video. Interesting topic. Keep up the good work!

How lovely to see your face as well as hear your voice! I mostly use the cutting board method. I have wooden trays that I use for prep as well as serving. Unless things are oily or meats the cleaning is very easy.

I loved this video!!!! great job yall!

Steph father is a gem, i can listen to him all day. I remember an face to face conversation about Cantonese food between Steph and him a while ago

I’ve learned so much from this channel over the years. I’m a baker and chef by trade. I do both depending on the recipe. At work I use bowls because of the large portions. At home it’s a cutting board.

This was an extremely cool video, one of your best.

Man your subtitle was awesome. Just love the channel

Can I say, I did appreciate this video - never mind that I already knew the answer at the beginning, having watched a lot of cooking shows as a kid and realizing everyone I watched cook growing up didn’t do this exactly! I find it’s making sense of your flow and adjusting altogether. I have really little counter space so having all these bowls don’t work for me, but I’m sure my dishes aren’t still bad. 😂

Loved this one! More practical videos like this would be awesome!

This is perfect for the specific things I find a bit intimidating about the recipes you're teaching

Very good video, good insight to the different approaches to your "mise en place." Especially when that prep work is so central to chinese cooking. Thank you

I love cooking to relax and remove stress. The biggest thing I've learned over the years is that cleaning dishes is a core skill of cooking. I wish more cooking videos approached this topic. I can generally clean, dry and put away a dish faster than I can find a place in my dish washer, if it's getting full. That's because I always know where things are supposed to go and I've set up my work flow so that I can mentally switch off and just do what needs to get done. When I first started cooking, there were lots of times where I would stand and stare at a pot or frying pan. But if something is cooking for 30 seconds, I can be cleaning a bowl. I think leaving all the dishes to the end is the biggest mistake that beginners make. Granted, you will burn a lot of things until you get the feel for 30 seconds internally 🙂 I live in Japan and often go to small individually run restaurants (or those run by just a husband and wife). Often they have open kitchens. Watching them work is really instructive. If you have a small container of soapy water and a sponge next to the sink, you can just take a dirty dish, rinse it out quickly, give it a quick swipe with the sponge, rinse it again and dry it. I also always have a towel on my person (often over my left shoulder... which is a bit of a bad habit because it can fall, but...) If you have an apron with a tie that ties in front, you can hang the towel from that and you can dry things instantly. Then bang into the drawer. I think if you have carbon steel knives, too, it's best to get into a habit of quickly washing it and wiping it off after every use. Then put it in a knife holder. I have a typical Japanese kitchen and my knife hold is actually in a drawer, but my knife *never* sits on the counter. I'm constantly opening and closing that drawer. It takes 2 seconds and it means that you can move quickly and freely in the kitchen without worrying that you'll accidentally knock a knife onto the floor (possibly passing through your feet in the way). The fact that the knife never has a chance to rust is a good by product. I can understand a lot of people not wanting to get to that level, but cooking is such a joy when you can move freely and easily in the kitchen. When you finish cooking and *nothing* needs cleaning because you already cleaned it subconsciously, it's amazing. It's one of those things where you might feel like you are taking 1 step back to take 2 steps forward, but those forward steps are really worth it, IMHO.

Super helpful thank you! It made me realise I've been doing this with whatever bowls and plates and surfaces I can find and prep bowls would actually be helpful... 🤦🏼‍♂️ I'd just add that bowls are easier than chopping board piles if you have a dishwasher or a tiny sink.

Thanks for this video 🙂 !

this was actually really helpful. i typically use a bunch of small plates that fit in the dishwasher, but have been looking for metal bowls as well.

Love these practical videos. I'm definitely team bowl, consolidating ingredients that go in together into one bowl is definitely the way to go

this is full of great advice! yes and yes

i like these sorts of practical videos. Important for how to work in the kitchen but no one ever really covers these kinds of things

Loving y'all's insight on this, I definitely use prep bowls when I can, sometimes I'm limited or lazy 😅 I do also sometimes draw from "school of wok" and use a large plate+ "wok clock" ingredients in piles or pie slices around the plate. For me, I often also judge a dish by whether I will wash it by hand or in the dishwasher, so our tableware gets a lot of use in my prep, as I don't like putting my stainless bowls through the dishwasher heat cycles, mostly just porcelain wares.

I am new to this channel. The host (guy) explained or described things very well. Thank you.

This was one of the best cooking videos I've seen on RU-vid period. I love learning about recipes and techniques, but the actual realities have to set things up and go about the kitchen is something that I find frustratingly ignored in most cooking channels and cookbooks. And that shit matters because this is a rookie mistake that a lot of home cooks never actually grow out of (I never really figured out "mis en place" as it's called until my uncle taught it to me and it was so alien to one of my former roommates she flat out accused me of making the kitchen messier!)

I started using some cheap stainless steel prep bowls a couple of years ago. Not only because of your videos, but because of the ubiquity in many cooking videos. And I think it really improved my cooking skills, especially when cooking more than one meal at a time. I don't wanna miss them anymore. You don't always need them as a home cook, but when you have then handy it's a brilliant thing for a neat and tidy mise en place, which really helps when doing bigger meals. On that note, another thing that I don't want to miss anymore is a huge chopping board alongside a bench scraper, like you see Kenji J. Lopez-Alt using all the time! Alongside with some prep bowls it makes preparing food for cooking sooooo much easier!

About leaving the food on the cutting board: ideally cut the ingredients and transfer them to a container ASAP. The wood absorbs the smells, oils, and moisture from the ingredients. So chop and transfer, then wash and dry the cutting board ASAP to keep it in better (and sanitary) condition. Also, don’t drag the sharp end of the knife across the board. It unnecessarily dulls the knife. Use the opposite (square) side to push and transfer ingredients with the knife.

Bowls giving you a better intuitive understanding of quantity is something I never thought about. That's something I'm actually not great at and as you guessed it I'm on the just leave stuff on the chopping board/plate train. Now for a home cook I don't think some inconsistency is the worst problem but it is definitely something I'll keep in mind going forward.

I really like the School of Wok channel's "Wok Clock" technique, where they arrange all the reasonably dry ingredients on a platter clockwise by the order they're added to the wok.

Great video. Love the practical advice. Would encourage mixing in more like these. Love the channel!

Honestly, I think this this was my favorite video of yours, ever. Breaking that fourth wall multiple times made it much more personal.

I would love more videos with Steph’s dad! Maybe a Q&A - he seems very knowledgeable and opinionated, it’d be super cool to bounce a bunch of questions off him

9:22 *Luke Nguyen* Had by far one of the best early cooking shows in existence. Going out onto the land, talking with the locals, bring bare bones equipment, harvesting everything fresh from nature and making the most amazing meals no matter where he was. Thrilled to see him represented here.

fantastic found the topic both interesting and informative

Beautiful recipe that tastes delicious😊🌸

Really fun getting the four takes - perspective is everything!

Man, mise an place is vital! It saves SO much effort when cooking! And I wash the bowls as I use them, depending on the preparation. Stir fry, of course, is different, as you don't have time for that, but it's not like it's a 100 bowls, it's less than 10. That's a few minutes of washing.

When I'm first learning to make an unfamiliar dish I tend to be more messy, so having different ingredients cleanly separated into different bowls usually help. When I'm more familiar with the flow of the specific dish, I often take shortcuts with preparation and the number of utensils, basically optimizing the process given my experience with the cooking process. I think one just needs as many bowls as they need, as long as they're comfortable with it, and the end result is satisfactory :)

Adam ragusea usually writes these prep efficient tactics into his videos. Rick Martinez uses a large sheet pan which is easier to move around and clean than a wood cutting board, I think this is the best approach. My system for mise en place: 1 plastic file bin with two small cutting boards, 1 bench scraper, 1 Chinese cleaver. Scraper and two boards are stored in the file bin. In use the plastic file bin is used as a scrap container. Place large kitchen towel to catch anything that comes off the boards and to prevent slipping. Set up near sink for easy washing between cuts. Prep cuts and organize onto sheet pan in neat rows, typically in the order they are put into the wok. If you were really lazy you could tear off parchment paper and cut into even squares for the sheet pan to lift right off and into the wok

Good video. I notice that when I cook for only myself I'll do either your chopping board method (or maybe put piles of ingredients on the same plate). But when I'm cooking for someone else or multiple people, I'll go the separate prep bowl route. This is my method for both Chinese and Western food cookery. 😉👍

I love my little metal prep bowls! Not only for wok cooking but other cuisines as well. I have also done the "little piles on the cutting board" method if there aren't many things.

Thank you for condoning my use of lots of tiny bowls!

Agree with this. In a filming/instructional context, having most things in separate bowls (or obviously separated on a plate) makes it easier to follow and if one is looking for certain parts of the instruction, the bowls and their contents help as bookmarks. For practical cooking, I personally use the stainless steel bowls as well. Things with similar cooking time usually get grouped together in one bowl - meats, dry with dry, wet with wet, aromatics.

Hey guys - Really loved this video. I use a lot of those metal bowls, too. Mixing when it goes into the wok at the same time. And sometimes - I use the chopping board but mostly for the stuff, that goes in first :-)

Great video. I've worked in restaurants, and metal bowls are the go-to standard.

I agree with Steph on the bowls helping you develop a sense for quantities in the kitchen. Using a cup or a bowl with a known size helps you understand and remember the recipe. I take this a bit further, and like to use metallic 100ml measuring cups with embossed measuring lines in them. These double as scoops for things like rice or frozen vegetables, and they make preparing a quick sauce very easy. I also agree on the point about combining ingredients. For example, if I am making a quick aglio e olio, I will just pour my 25ml of olive oil into the bowl, then add my thiny sliced garlic and a little bit of chili into that, and then dump that into a cold frying pan. I think that for a homecook, the bowls help in organization, which reduces the amount of errors, and makes the cooking process itself less chaotic and less daunting. And that's really important. It can reduce the anxiety of cooking, making it more fun, approachable, and accessible.

Yeah, the bowls help also while watching the video. When I cook a recipe I often have to rewind the video a few times and the clean visual cuts help finding the right spot.

Oh my God the "rough up the nonstick" annotation. Genuinely so funny, caught me off guard. Good video too, but you guys always put out quality so no surprise there

I'd actually really enjoy more meta/esoteric videos like this. It really helped crystallise the ways I'd been using larger prep bowls myself. I don't really do stir fries much because my reaction times just aren't quick enough to avoid overcooking or burning, but I regularly use larger bowls when making soups or stews. But sometimes I _will_ leave stuff on the chopping board and I always felt a little weird about that! Also kudos to the format. I know firsthand just how much work editing can be for even a seemingly simple end product, but I can safely say I did not get much of an impression of this being a struggle for you to put together! The quad-pane split-screen of the various videos was especially well-done I thought, also editing together the example clips of your voiceover with one bowl.

I think this is a great video guys. You're helping us with the practical and the fundamentals. I don't think it is ever a waste to touch on them. What really jumped out for me was when Steph's dad talked about primary vs secondary, etc ingredients and then Steph showed the like cook time items in the same bowl. That was an eye opener for moving forward. I was wondering which is which though. Meat, veg, garlic/ginger/chili, which ones are the primary vs secondary. The order changes depending on the dish, doesn't it. 🤔 Do you guys have a vid about it or can you make a video talking about it. I love the idea of prepping by primary/secondary/seasoning etc and feel like it would really simplify but bring it all together a lot quicker, especially when that wok is hot and ready to go. 😁

I'm a huge fan of tiny bowls for cooking (and bigger bowl if you got a stack of larger veg chunks). No matter what style, it's just less stressful to have everything ready and prepped. I can concentrate on the cooking then rather than rushing to cut up stuff and then forgetting something or burning something

as a messy person without, the two chopping board system has given me enlightenment, it's a brave new world out there

Love the shade Steph's dad threw at Chris for his chopping board method 😆 In the decade+ I've been home cooking, I was a rapid convert to the little bowl method mainly because I learned how to cook by watching RU-vid (channels like these) and followed by example. Makes complete sense why in cooking videos, every ingredient has its own bowl because it makes for a cleaner sequence. I have a tiny apartment kitchen without a whole lot of cutting board real estate, so it's easier for me to put things away into bowls and they can be placed on another countertop whilst I continue with prep.

Good vid, personally I always felt like that last theory that it’s good for editing was what motivated the use of so many bowls in RU-vid cooking videos

i use those round plastic takeout containers, especially when making a recipe for the first time, when having everything lined up in order is really helpful

I have been doing the cutting board and plate pile technique with some small bowls for combined sauces but I have been looking for small metal bowls for all the reason discussed in the video, standard sizes, unbreakable, easy to clean, keeps you organized and they are faster and eaiser than scraping from a board or plate. Professional Chinese chefs on RU-vid, Wang Gang and DimSimLim, cook on wok rockets to get food out quickly so the bowls are essential for them. They also have prep cooks who cut and portion ingredients into bowls for them. Most of us don't have wok rockets or the time pressure of restaurant chefs but I like the organization and preplanning of small bowls and I have an automatic dishwasher.

I like these technique videos and have a stack of the small stainless bowls in our development kitchen. It works well when we're portioning out ingredients (but for my personal cooking, I do use the messy cook/Chris chopping board method). In our main kitchen, we would have hotel sixth pans filled with whatever ingredients we needed (of course, this is only because you need a lot of product for a production environment, you know: mise). If you are in need of these bowls, a great place to source them is your local restaurant store. You can get the small ones for a dollar or two each, and they last forever. I've also seen similar at local Asian markets. Definitely agree that these bowls are important for video production. They help to separate the ingredient and give a visual clue as to how much that "eighth of a teaspoon" really is, plus as a viewer, it's easier for me to jot down the ingredients to give it a go. Keep these kinds of videos coming and I'd be interested in a little more BTS type of videos showing how you guys put together your videos and the gear you use.

Small plates take up less space in the dishwasher than small bowls. Also, a cheap cookie sheet, the kind with only one edge bent up, is also great for piles of ingredients: lightweight, can push piles off any side and fits easily in the dishwasher.

Yep. Big plates and small bowls here, too! And a chopping board when not speedster stir-frying. When doing braises and stews wherein the veggies go at large enough time intervals, I have the liberty to just chop then add them directly as needed.

I found this very interesting. I cook mostly Indian foods but I do at least 90% of my prep into smaller bowls. I find it very helpful to cut all the onion tomatoes or garlic and chuck it into one bowl and use that to cook multiple dishes. I do use Stefs idea of serving in one of the bowls .

I tend to take a large plate and add my piles of food on that with things that go in the same time in the same little pile

Great video that sums up all angles... if I ever bother prepping things, I usually default to paper plates and then throw them away (don't tell anybody).

As someone who grew up with a cuisine that's stew-centric, I just chop as I go (eg. chop aromatics and meat first, then chop the vegetables while the aromatics and meat are cooking, starting with the veg that needs to go first), so I don't have a lot of prep bowls. I also wash the dishes while waiting for the next step to avoid clutter. I'm also not super paranoid with the dishwashing process - as long as it doesn't feel greasy, I'm good (+ not skimping on what dish soap to use really helps in making the process easy).

I learned from another chef on youtube to use a "wok clock" which is just a plate and you put piles of your ingredients on in the order you want to add them in a clockwise manner, so just one by one dump your stuff in. I still keep scallions and other finishing herbs etc in separate bowls, as well as garlic and ginger. Meat still gets its own of course. Generally speaking though, I use lots of little bowls when cooking. I'm a big fan of mise en place, and it's better than having a disorganized mess or fumbling for the right ingredient while others are burning on the stove. Having a dishwasher also helps :D

I use all of the various plastic food storage containers I've accumulated over the years. The container for the main ingredients and lids for the herbs, garlic and such.

I'm Brazilian and I started prepping my ingredients before cooking because of the french cuisine and the mise en place. Those small bowls are easy to wash and helps a lot cooking with them

Amo a cozinha chinesa! Esses vídeos me ajudam a tentar reproduzir o que eu não encontro por aqui.

Great video. Let me add a curveball. I used to work in a Pizza restaurant in Australia. Individual ingredients were stored in rectangular metal bowls for ease of access, and bulk prepped materials kept in larger containers in the cool room.This allowed for the versatility of inter-selecting ingredients for pizza toppings on the fly with minimal mess, or thought. I have seen similar setups in China in many hole in the wall made to order small 3 burner (you should do a video explaining that kind of setup) restaurants. They are not bowls per se but square/rectangular containers that keep seasonings, spices, oil, and commonly used ingredients neat to the wok station. jm2cw

I love those little metal bowls, and all sorts of chinese type bowls of different sizes, it tells me i have my mise en place, it gets me interested in cooking and for serving, and clean up is a breeze, I cant have shit everywhere on a board, that end up on the floor or all around the stove because i cant hit the middle of the wok. Great episode i enjoyed it very much.

It occurs to me that there's one more reason for the "buncha lil' bowls" in a video that you didn't address. The viewer. Now, I'm what the older gentleman might call a "messy cook", and I freely admit that. I do try to keep ingredients separate as much as needed when I'm making something complicated, or semi complicated, or simple but with different things that need different-- oh, you know what I mean. And in general it works for me (I'm single, cooking for myself alone, no-one suffers but me when I screw up anyway), but that's when I'm doing the cooking. Now, when I'm watching a video of a recipe, I see all those lil' bowls, and I can see what each one has in it, and how they've been prepped, and all those fiddly details that likely wouldn't exist on my countertop-- and I'm damn grateful for it, because as the viewer I get a much more detailed impression of the cooking process and the ingredient quantities than I would were it just showing the more "realistic" home cook's messy countertop. At least as I'm familiar with. (Steph astounds and impresses me with actually doing the bowl thing regularly.) Those separate containers make the recipe and cooking process much more comprehensible, and much more enjoyable. I'm probably not going to be doing it, at least not to the extent you do, but I'm damn happy *YOU* do. Thank you for your precision-- and as always, for your wonderful programming.

I usually use a mix of small and big plate. I'll use small bowls for marinades, eggs, mix sauces, and aromatics that go in the wok at the same time. Big chopped items will stay on the cutting board in small stacks. Sometimes they go in a colander for ease of transfer. I have a half dozen of small bowls and they are very handy. (plus the dishwasher helps)

Really great vid!!!! Commenting for algorithmic purposes

I've always done the cutting board pile method but as I've done more wok cooking I've taken to School of Wok's "wok clock" method. A single plate where everything is ordered from first-in (12 o'clock position) to last in around the plate. It's easier to handle a plate than a cutting board when adding to the wok and leaves the only bowls needed for sauces. Since many sauces tend to be just a combination of thin liquids that are easy to pour you often only need a bowl if it's a sauce that requires a thickener or something more difficult to pour like oyster sauce.

For non-liquid ingredients I like to use miniature paper plates instead of bowls since you can just recycle or compost them afterward, plus they're flexible which means you can bend them into a taco shape to funnel your ingredients into the wok.