What Cookware Do Professional Chefs Use?
As a home cook if you take your meal preparation seriously then you are probably interested in getting the best cookware you possibly can. With this in mind, let’s step into the world of the professional chef and find out what they use.
We started by scouring the net to look for actual chefs to see what specific brands they use and/or recommend. We wanted to get a mix of both chefs that actually work in the industry as well as celebrity chefs.
However, be aware that in many cases celebrity chefs are paid to endorse products plus many have their own brand of cookware and of course will recommend that almost exclusively.
Brands that Professional Chefs Use
Note that although we have included cookware brands that each chef uses, it does not mean that they use that brand exclusively. It is quite likely that they use a mix of different brands. These are just those that they have been seen using or have recommended in the past.
| Chef | Job Title | Cookware Brands |
|---|---|---|
| Laurent Tourondel | Executive Chef at Brasserie Ruhlmann in Manhattan | Zwilling, Staub |
| Brad Farmerie | Executive chef of Saxon + Parole in New York | De Buyer |
| Ashton Keefe | Chef and culinary stylist. | Le Creuset, Lodge Logic, Ruffoni Copper |
| Nic Caicedo | Executive Chef of The Williamsburg Hotel rooftop lounge | Le Creuset |
| Gordon Ramsay | Michelin star chef and celebrity chef | Scanpan |
| Jamie Oliver | Celebrity chef | Jamie Oliver Cookware* |
| Alton Brown | Celebrity chef – Host of Good Eats | Viking, Lodge, All-Clad, Calphalon |
| Justin Iso | Head pastry chef at chefiso.com | Mauviel, Borgeat, Du Buyer, Lodge |
| Bobby Flay | Executive chef of multiple restaurants and celebrity chef | Zwilling, All-Clad |
| Guy Fieri | Celebrity chef | Demeyere |
| Rachael Ray | Celebrity chef | Rachael Ray Cookware* |
| Buddy Valastro | Celebrity chef | Cake Boss Bakeware* |
| Wolfgang Puck | Chef and restauranter | Wolfgang Puck Cookware* |
| Ming Tsai | Restauranter and celebrity chef | All-Clad, Kyocera |
| Marcus Wareing | Michelin star chef and celebrity chef | Le Creuset |
| Nigella Lawson | Celebrity chef | Iittala, Le Creuset, Alessi, Mauviel |
| Ayesha Curry | Celebrity chef | Ayesha Curry Cookware* |
| Brad Leone | Celebrity chef | Zwilling, HexClad |
| Kelsey Nixon | Celebrity chef | GreenPan |
| Geoffrey Zakarian | Executive chef of multiple restaurants and celebrity chef | Le Creuset |
| Justin Woodward | Executive chef of Castagna in Portland Oregan | Lodge |
| Irv Miller | Founding executive chef of Jacksons Steakhouse | Le Creuset, Lodge, |
| Frank Taylor | Executive chef of Global Grill, Pensacola | Le Creuset |
| Gus Silivos | Executive chef of Nancy’s Haute Affairs | All-Clad |
| Jim Shirley | Executive chef of multiple restaurants | Falk Culinair |
| Heston Blumenthal | Executive chef of multiple restaurants and celebrity chef | Staub |
*Indicated as their own brand of cookware.
So what are the most commonly used brands of cookware that chefs use?
From the table above, we can see that there are a number of brands that are consistently used by professional chefs. These include:
- All-Clad
- Le Creuset
- Zwilling
- Mauviel
- Du Buyer
- Lodge
- Staub
Many chefs swear by All-Clad Stainless Steel cookware. This cookware is made in the USA by a company that has been around since 1971. It uses a layered design that is made from top-quality stainless steel.
Mauviel is a French cookware company that makes cooking utensils favored by many professional chefs. The company has been around since 1830 and mostly specializes in premium quality copper cookware.
Sitram is another French company that we didn’t see too much during our research but it is a company that has been making cookware since 1963. They specialize in stainless steel cookware that is popular with professional chefs in Europe. They tend to be less popular amongst home chefs, however.
Let’s go through a few of these chefs in more detail…
Gordon Ramsay
Gordon Ramsay heavily promotes Scanpan most likely due to his association with Masterchef but he also had his own line of cookware by Royal Doulton!!? Who would have thought that Royal Doulton made cookware – no one obviously since they no longer make it, but that’s another story.
However, I personally doubt he actually uses ScanPan in his restaurants. Now there is nothing wrong with ScanPan – it’s actually quite good cookware for the home cook but I suspect as a professional chef he may be using other things.
You can view the ScanPan range on Amazon here.
He has been seen using other cookware in his videos which is more likely what he actually uses. For example, in the video below, he is using what looks like either a Du Buyer pan or Bourgeat non-stick pan or it could even be Mauviel.
Watch the video below to see what Gordon Ramsay actually uses…
Is it Bourgeat or is it Du Buyer or maybe something else? You decide. You will be able to tell by the handle of the frypan.
Alton Brown
Alton Brown, star of Good Eats, is a little different to most celebrity chefs in that he doesn’t really endorse anything in particular nor does he have his own line of cookware.
However, he has used a variety of products on the show including All-Clad, Viking, Calphalon, and Lodge.
He also really likes this Carbon Steel Wok by Blanc Creatives as seen on his Instagram page.
Jamie Oliver
In the early days, Jamie Oliver would sometimes use what looked like very rustic looking cookware. It looked like the old aluminum cookware of the day that my mother would use. It would bend and dent easily.
These days he has his own line of cookware which is manufactured by Tefal. You can view one of his cookware sets on Amazon here.
It is hard anodized cookware that uses T-Fal red spot technology. We have both used his cookware in the past and really loved it so we would definitely recommend it.
Nigella Lawson
Nigella Lawson would have to be my favorite celebrity chef. She makes the types of recipes I love plus she is more of a home cook than a chef since she was never professionally trained.
In an interview with the NY Post she disclosed a few of the kitchen tools that she can’t live without. One of these was the cookware she uses which is not one we have heard of. It is a Finnish brand known as Iittala. You can see one of the pots on Amazon here.
Another favorite for her is Le Creuset:
“I have a particular fondness for Le Creuset enameled cast-iron cookware. It’s certainly heavy, and I keep mine on open shelves at easily reachable level.” NY Post
We also managed to find a response post on her website detailing even more cookware brands she uses:
- Alessi Mami frying pan – you can view an Alessi pan on Amazon here
- Mauviel copper tart tatin pan – view on Amazon
Why do chefs use the cookware they use?
Let’s start by taking a look at the type of material that chefs prefer in their cookware. In this case, most professional chefs will use either:
- carbon steel
- copper
- cast iron
- stainless steel
Why?
Even heat distribution is a must-have for chefs. Ensuring that the heat is spread evenly over the pot or pan is one of the most important aspects of cooking. If the heat is evenly spread, you won’t get those nasty hotspots and ultimately your food cooks more evenly.
With this in mind, let’s take a look at each of these metals in more detail to see why chefs use and recommend them.
Carbon Steel
Carbon steel has characteristics very similar to cast iron but it is generally more robust and is much easier to clean when properly seasoned and maintained. It is a popular material for cookware in Europe and in commercial kitchens but is not yet widely used in the US. It tends to be used for frying pans, heavy pots, and similar items.
Many compare carbon steel to cast iron. They both require seasoning but the carbon steel pans are lighter in weight, heat up much faster and cook more evenly than cast iron. It is also fairly cheap to manufacture which makes it a cost-effective choice for chefs.
It has natural non-stick properties which also makes it a good alternative to non-stick pans with Teflon and similar coatings. It can also tolerate higher temperatures than a Teflon coated pan.
Because food is less likely to stick to the pan, lower quantities of butter and oil can be used compared to a cast iron, copper, or stainless steel pan.
Stainless Steel
The majority of cookware available today is made from stainless steel as it resists corrosion and is easy to clean and sanitize. Both chefs and home cooks use stainless steel more than any other type of cookware.
As the name implies the alloy that stainless steel is made up of has a high resistance to staining which makes it much easier to keep clean than other cookware types. Many chefs who are employed to cook meals in large quantities prefer stainless steel cookware due to the reduced maintenance and fast turnover during cleaning.
However, stainless steel on its own does not provide the type of heat distribution that a chef would appreciate (nor would a home cook for that matter). This is why you will most often see stainless steel cookware with a layer of aluminum or copper as both provide better heat distribution. This layer is generally sandwiched between two layers of stainless steel.
Copper
Copper is one of the most effective metals for conducting heat and it is often used in higher tier cookware as a result of this. Chefs in places such as France, with its rich culinary history, tend to favor cookware made nearly entirely from copper. Copper also has a beautiful look to it when it is properly polished, so it looks great hanging in the kitchen and is often used in restaurants where the kitchen and serving area have a more open design.
Copper’s advanced heat conduction properties are fairly well known, which is why it is often used in cookware. The downside to copper is that it is expensive, hard to clean, and subject to tarnishing and corrosion.
Even so, most chefs would have at least one or two pieces of copper cookware in their collection.
The ability of copper cookware to respond quickly to temperature changes makes it ideal for chefs who want precise control over their cooking.
Julia Child used copper cookware which is understandable since she lived in France for many years. You can view her collection at the National Museum of American History.
Cast Iron
Cast iron is a time-honored traditional type of cookware. People have been cooking with cast iron for thousands of years and its cookware properties are very well known.
Many chefs prefer it, but it is not suited for some types of cooking and has a few issues compared to newer types of cookware. It is subject to rust, is easy to break, and can be hard to clean when compared to stainless steel.
We have seen numerous chefs recommend the enameled version of cast iron. This includes Nigella Lawson, Ashton Keefe, Nic Caicedo, and Marcus Wareing.
The cast iron brands most recommended by chefs include Le Creuset and Lodge.
Why do professional chefs avoid non-stick cookware?
It can be tempting to use cookware with a non-stick surface, and for many home cooks, that type of cookware is perfectly fine. Most people don’t want to spend a lot of time cleaning their pots and pans after every cooking adventure, so cookware that is easy to clean is a good choice for busy people.
Most professional chefs, on the other hand, choose not to use non-stick cookware. Here are a few reasons why:
- The main problem with conventional Teflon coated non-stick pans is that you can’t get them as hot as you might like compared to a pan without a non-stick coating. This makes them unsuitable for cooking a wide range of meals that require high temperatures.
- They heat food more slowly and less evenly due to the insulation provided by the non-stick surface.
- Chefs generally have the expertise to avoid having food stick to the pan. By carefully monitoring the heat and the distribution of the food, along with careful use of butter and oils, they can ensure that the food doesn’t get any hotter than it needs to be. This makes non-stick pans redundant for them.
- Many chefs swear by the use of fond for use in gravies, pan sauces, and the like. Fond is the caked material that is left on the bottom of a pan that has been used for cooking at high temperatures. Because non-stick pans can’t be used at these high temperatures, you don’t get any fond from them.
- Non-stick tends to deteriorate much quicker than say stainless steel, cast iron or copper.
What types of cookware do professional chefs use?
While professional chefs have a lot of cookware available to them they tend to only use a few main types that they are familiar with for the most part.
It’s rare for a professional chef to buy a cookware set, instead, they will buy individual pieces as needed. Of course, if a recipe or cooking style calls for a special cookware item then they will obviously make use of it but most cooking can be done with a small set of cookware.
So here are some of the more commonly used items used by chefs:
- Frypan – This is the mainstay for any chef and once a good frypan is found they may treasure it for many years. Many opt for carbon steel whilst others will use a copper-based pan.
- Saute pan – Saute pans are somewhere between a frypan and a saucepan. The straight high sides make it suitable for cooking sauce-based dishes.
- Saucepans – Most chefs use a set of small, medium, and large pans. These cover a variety of cooking uses from sauces and gravy to stews, desserts, and other dishes.
- Wok – This will depend on the style of cooking but if the chef focuses on Asian cooking then a carbon steel wok is a must.
While it can be tempting for the home cook to buy cheaper cookware, a good professional chef knows that quality equipment costs less in the long run and does a much better job too. Cookware with heavier construction made from higher quality metals and with better-engineered fittings will outlast the average cheap cookware set by a long margin.
