PRODUCT CARE

• Before first use, steam the empty basket for about 10 minutes to sanitize and prepare the wood for cooking
• Before each use, briefly rinse the steamer base and lid with water — this helps prevent the wood from burning, warping, or cracking during use
• Wood steamers are not dishwasher safe; excessive detergent or soap can strip the wood's natural oils. A tawashi brush is the best tool for cleaning a steaming basket
• Avoid putting the steamer away wet — hand dry with a towel before storing
• Store in a dry, well-ventilated area, away from excessive heat, humidity, and direct sunlight
• These are handmade products, so slight variations in appearance and size are normal, including minor scratches that can occur during manufacturing

• Tawashi Brush— A traditional natural-fiber scrub brush, well-suited to cleaning bamboo and wood steamers without stripping the wood's natural oils. Its stiff bristles work into the ridges of a steaming basket to remove residue that a sponge or cloth can't reach, while remaining gentle enough for repeated use on wood surfaces.
• Yoshida Sarashi Gauze — A food-safe cotton gauze with a wide range of kitchen uses, including as a steamer cloth, for drying fruit and vegetables, pickling, straining broths and dashi, and working with cheese and yogurt. Sold in a large roll, so you can cut it to whatever length you need. Domestically grown, processed, and sewn in Osaka Prefecture, Yoshida Sarashi is a favorite among sushi chefs and home cooks alike.
• Cotton Steamer Cloth— Placed at the bottom of a steamer basket to keep food from sticking to the surface or to itself, particularly useful in a seiro. This makes cleanup easy and is especially handy for reheating rice, which can be lifted out while still hot with little mess.

• Rinse boards with water before first use
• Do not soak boards in water — prolonged soaking can cause warping
• Wash with hot water and a mild detergent; excessive soap can strip natural oils and dull the surface over time
• Hand dry with a towel, then finish air drying upright in the open
• Store away from direct sunlight and heat sources (stovetops, heating vents)

• Daily use:Rinse the board with water and wipe off excess before use. While cooking, wipe the work surface with a damp towel as needed to keep the wood from drying out. When finished, rinse with warm water and sanitize only if necessary. Hand dry and store upright in a well-ventilated area.
• Never put wood cutting boards in the dishwasher — the heat and detergent will strip the wood's natural oils and can warp or crack the board
• To get the most life out of your board, use less soap and detergent when possible, and reserve a mild bleach solution for when sanitizing is truly needed
• Hinoki wood naturally contains hinokitol, a compound with antibacterial properties, which contributes to hinoki's long-standing use as a hygienic material in Japanese kitchens and bathhouses
• Knife marks and light surface gouges are normal and expected with use
• For deeper gouges or discoloration, a cutting board scraper is recommended to restore a clean, even surface
• A push-cutting technique will minimize gouging and extend the life of the board's surface

• It's recommended to hand wash rubber cutting boards, as higher temperatures (such as in a dishwasher) can cause warping
• More resistant to knife marks and gouging than wood, but a scraper can still be used to clean and refresh the surface as needed
• Do not expose to extreme heat, which can warp or distort the rubber composite material

• Kato Sangyo Cutting Board Scraper— Works on both wood and synthetic rubber cutting boards. Features a coarse side and a polishing side, effective at removing stains, discoloration, and feathering from knife work. Test on a small area first, as the abrasives perform differently depending on the board material. Kato Sangyo is based in Sanjo City, Niigata Prefecture.
• Hasegawa Cutting Board Scraper— Designed for use with any Hasegawa synthetic cutting board, and effective for general maintenance across wood and rubber boards alike. Removes stains, grooves, and feathering from heavy use. Dual-sided: the rough side handles heavy scraping, the finish side softens the surface afterward. Hasegawa, based in Chiba Prefecture, has been operating since 1955 and supplies a wide range of products, including to Japanese professional kitchens.
• Yoshida Sarashi Kitchen Towel— A bleached cotton towel useful for wiping down cutting boards, keeping hinoki boards from drying out between uses. Sold at 33 feet long, so you can cut it to whatever length suits you. Domestically grown, processed, and sewn in Osaka Prefecture.
• Morikatsu Towel— A hybrid towel-sponge that's highly absorbent and reusable, ideal for applying moisture to a board's surface and quickly wiping away debris — especially useful for hinoki, which dries out quickly.

• Strops require very little maintenance, as they should rarely be exposed to water
• With proper use & care, the leather will last for years
• Basic motion:Hold the knife perpendicular to the strop and find your angle, then strop evenly and consistently along the entire length of the edge in one motion. Always use an "edge-trailing" stroke — the cutting edge should be moving away from the leather surface as you work the left and right sides, never pushing the primary edge into or toward the leather, as this will cut and damage it. Think of the motion as starting at the spine and moving down toward the edge. Choose an even number of strokes per side, then check the edge and repeat if needed — over-stropping can roll the primary edge and dull the knife
• Apply very little pressure when stropping. Often, the weight of the knife is sufficient pressure when stropping
• At about 45mm tall, the strop is roughly the same height and shape as a whetstone, so if you're used to sharpening with a stone, the stropping motion will feel familiar
• The non-slip base keeps the strop secure during use, allowing for comfortable stropping with one or two hands
• The English Bridle leather offers just the right amount of grip for fast, effective results without the need for compound

Click here for Turk's YouTube video with instructions for pan seasoning and daily maintenance

Prior to first using, this pan requires a three-step seasoning process.

• STEP 1- Wash
  Fill your sink with warm water and add dishwasher detergent- liquid or powder. Submerge the pan and let soak for about 10 minutes. Then, scrub the entire surface thoroughly with a dish brush. Rinse with clean water and dry completely before moving to the next step.
• STEP 2- Season With Potato Peels
  Cover the bottom of the pan with oil and heat slowly, starting on low and moving up to medium. Once the oil is hot, add a generous amount of potato peels and fry until golden brown, moving them so they come in contact with every part of the pan surface. The starch in the potato peels binds and draws out the factory olive oil coating and any production residue. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of salt toward of the end of this step.
• STEP 3- Final Scrub
  Sprinkle fresh salt into the pan and scrub firmly with a paper towel. Then, rinse under warm running water and scrub with a dish brush. Dry the pan thoroughly. Finnish by adding a small amount of oil, applying with a paper towel. be sure to cover the entire pan to prevent rusting.

After any type of wet cleaning (with or without soap) dry the pan thoroughly. Then, apply a thin coating of oil over the surface of the pan, wiping away any excess oil.

• Tawashi Brushes— For most cleaning and scrubbing on forged iron, cast iron, and nitrided iron pans, tawashi (palm fiber) brushes work very well. The coarse bristles remove stuck-on residue without needing soap. It's recommended to use two brushes — one dedicated to messy cleaning (oils, fats, burnt bits) and one kept clean for general scrubbing
• Tsubaki Oil — Also known as camellia oil, tsubaki oil prevents rusting, has a moderately high smoke point, is food safe, and won't dry out or turn rancid even in less-than-ideal storage conditions. This makes it the best option for coating iron pans, especially if they aren't used frequently