What Chef John Kung swears by in the kitchen (2026)

When I ask Influencer chef John Kong announced the purchase they regret most, without any deliberation. “In my early 20s, I bought a used SMEG refrigerator,” the 42-year-old Chinese-American TikTok creator told me. “It’s got this giant British flag, which I still have. I’ve stuck Sex Pistols, Ozzy Osbourne and Spice Girls posters on the sides to try and spruce it up a bit.”

It became a conversation piece at dinner parties Kong hosted at home. Every holiday season, Kong prepares their own Chinese food feast; It’s a collection of seven dishes that map their upbringing in Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Toronto and Detroit — mapo tofu, pumpkin, curried lotus root, signature wonton noodle soup, crab rangoon, Balinese crab fried rice, mushroom lo mein, and, in the grand finale, Cantonese roast duck with cherry duck sauce. Obviously dessert.

It’s exactly this classy taste for third culture that has made Kong one of the most compelling food figures of his generation, with more than 2 million followers online. (They also published a cookbook, Kung foodwith more than 100 recipes.) Whether they’re demystifying global ingredients for a Western audience or sharing meal-prep tips, Kong’s perspective remains the same: good food should feel like home.

I caught up with John Kong over Zoom to talk about their favorite cooking techniques and kitchen gadgets.

Wash the rice

Zojirushi

Pressure rice cooker and heater

When I asked Kong what they wish they had that didn’t already exist, they didn’t hesitate: “A rice cooker that also washes rice.”

“It’s very important to wash the rice, especially if you’re making Asian rice. Italians don’t wash their rice because they need the starch to make risotto, but in almost any other culture, you have to wash the rice. Also, I don’t think people know that there are insect eggs in the rice. They’re called rice weevils, and unless you’re buying this expensive washed rice, there are a lot of insects in the rice.”

For now, you’ll need to wash the rice by hand, but if you need a rice cooker, King likes the same Japanese rice cookers that the WIRED reviews team swears by: “Zojirushi rice cookers are great, specifically the ones with pressure options, because they keep rice fresh for a long time.”

Drip coffee done right

“I alternate between drip coffee and Americano when I make my own,” says Kong. “I used to do casting from Chemex, but I recently switched to the super automatic Terra Kaffe machine. It’s kind of cool.” (Our reviewers also really like Terra Kaffe.)

Skip the mixed pans

“Combination pans—those that are a combination of stainless steel and nonstick—are ultimately just garbage versions of both functions,” says Kong. “I would rather people have one ceramic nonstick skillet and one stainless steel skillet.”