What Brand Of Cookware Do Professional Chefs Use?

Preparing a delicious meal depends not only on your skills or recipe but also on the type of cookware you use. Just like a home kitchen, the right cookware is indispensable in a professional kitchen.

Professional chefs use different skillets, frypans, saucepans, griddle pans, brazier pans, and sauté pans. All these types of cookware are made of various materials like stainless steel, carbon steel, cast iron, aluminum, and ceramic.

But what brand of cookware do professional chefs use to make delicious meals? Some chefs have personal cookware lines, while others swear to specific types of cookware. Read on to find out recommended cookware brands that professional chefs use.

Cookware Brands That Chefs Love Most

Professional chefs prepare food at high temperatures to meet the high demands. This means that not every cookware available can meet their needs. Some pots and pans are not designed to handle high temperatures. Let’s check some top cookware brands that every professional chef recommends.

1. Le Creuset:

This is a French manufacturer that produces beautiful cookware sets. Unlike other pans and pots, Le Creuset makes heavy-duty cookware with an enamel exterior. Therefore, it doesn’t chip regardless of the use. While cookware from these brands is expensive, their quality and cooking performance justify their price.

2. Lodge:

Lodge cookware sets are lighter than other brands. They are best suited for chefs who don’t like lifting heavy cookware.

The manufacturer is US-based, and they are well-known for making cast-iron pans and pots. Their cookware is mainly used for frying, braising, searing, and much more.

They have excellent heat conduction on all surfaces. After regular use, the surface becomes nonstick.

3. Zwilling:

The Zwilling cookware is great for any modern kitchen. They make nonstick cookware and stainless following high standards.

Their pans and pots are quality and innovatively designed to meet the needs of professional and home chefs. They make cookware with stay-cool handles, even heating, easy cleanup, and dripless pouring.

4. All-Clad:

All-Clad is a US manufacturer that produces quality cookware. Their pans and pots deliver better cooking outcomes even after heavy pressure. Their cookware is made of 304 stainless steel that provides durable use. They also have a nonstick coating that prevents food from sticking.

5.T-fal:

This is another French-based brand that provides quality cookware. In 2013, the company partnered with Jamie Oliver, and they launched top-grade stainless steel frying pans. Over the years, they have been providing elegant and stylish cookware that many professional chefs love.

6. Scanpan:

This is a family-owned business that started in Denmark. Many chefs recommend their cookware because they are environment-friendly. All their die-cast aluminum cookware is made from recycled aluminum mold through an eco-friendly process.

Their cookware is available in more than 50 countries. Their cookware is made of a PFOA-free nonstick finish which is safe for human use.

7.Viking:

Viking is an American company that produces cookware, refrigeration appliances, and ventilation, among others. The company has been producing kitchen items for the last 40 years, and professionals love their cookware. Their cookware has bold designs, and they deliver great performance.

8. Mauviel:

This is a French company that started making cookware in 1830. They make beautiful and premium-quality cookware for professional and home chefs. They make the best copper cookware that conducts heat better than other materials.

What Type Of Cookware Materials That Professional Chefs Use At Work?

Chefs in restaurants work fast to make quick meals. Therefore, they need cookware that can meet different requirements. They need durable cookware that can handle impacts. The following are some of the top cookware materials that professional chefs use.

Stainless Steel Cookware:

Almost every professional chef has stainless steel cookware in their collection. This material is popular because it doesn’t react with food.

Additionally, it is rust-resistant. Stainless steel cookware can handle high temperatures, and it is durable to meet the needs of professional chefs. The only downside of this cookware material is that it can cause hot spots because of uneven heat distribution.

To counter this problem, many stainless steel pans and pots have a layer of copper or aluminum between stainless steel layers to conduct heat evenly.

Nonstick Cookware:

Cookware with nonstick surfaces is common among many professional chefs because of the ease of cleaning. They also contribute to healthy cooking because you only need to use less oil. Nonstick cookware requires special care and handling to prevent the coating from getting scratches.

Metal utensils are not recommended on this cookware type. Instead, use wood, silicone, and hard nylon utensils. You should also avoid stacking your nonstick cookware because the metal bottoms can scratch the inner surfaces.

Cast Iron Cookware:

Cast iron cookware is durable, and it provides great heat distribution. It is heavier than stainless steel, and so it might not be easy to clean.

It is not dishwasher-friendly, and it is prone to breaking. Many chefs love this cookware type, but it doesn’t work well for all recipes. The cookware is also prone to rust, so many chefs prefer enameled cast iron cookware.

Copper Cookware:

Copper cookware is great because the material is the best when it comes to heat conduction. On top of that, it has a beautiful color when it is well-polished.

Many chefs have some copper pans and pots in their cookware collection because they provide precise temperature control.

The downside of copper cookware is its high price, hard to clean, and subject to corrosion and tarnishing.

Carbon Steel Cookware:

Carbon steel cookware is great when it comes to heat conduction. The cookware is durable but comes at a high price. If you season your carbon steel cookware properly, it develops a naturally nonstick surface, making it versatile.

This material is heavy and heats slow. It is also not a good option for cooking acidic food because it reacts with the food. Since they reach a higher temperature than other cookware, they are suitable for searing fish, stir fry, or blackening fish.

Aluminum:

Aluminum is great in heat conduction, and it comes at an affordable price. Copper and magnesium strengthen aluminum cookware, among other metals.

Because natural aluminum reacts with some acidic foods, the best aluminum cookware has stainless steel clad, nonstick coating, or goes through anodization. 

This makes them durable, easy to clean, and attractive. The material is lightweight hence great for making griddles, large water pots, and roasting pans. 

Types Of Commonly Used Cookware By Chefs

To prepare different meals, chefs use different types of cookware. The most common include:

Frying Pan:

Every kitchen requires a quality frying pan. This type of pan is designed with rounded edges and a flat bottom. Most frying pans are made of copper and cast iron because they offer good heat conduction. Frying pans are great for roasting meat, frying, or searing.

Skillet:

Many people confuse a skillet and a frying pan. A skillet is best suited for cooking large amounts of food. They are heavier, thicker and chefs recommend skillets made of carbon steel, not cast iron.

Sauté Pan:

A sauté pan is good for food that doesn’t need more oil. It works well for foods that you need to move around when frying. Sauté pans and deeper compared to frying pans. This makes them suitable for cooking veggies and tender meat. The best sauté pan recommended by chefs should be copper because it doesn’t produce hot spots when cooking. 

Sauce Pan:

A sauce pan is the most versatile in any kitchen. It is great for making soups, sauces, pasta, vegetables, and boiling eggs. Its versatility makes it suitable for professional chefs. Quality saucepans feature pure ceramic copper or any cookware with ceramic coating.

Brazier Pan:

This is another common pan for commercial kitchens. They are great for slow cooking in the oven or browning food. Brazier pans are made of aluminum or stainless steel.

Griddle Pan:

Griddle pans have nonstick surfaces, and they are perfect for professional chefs. Most of them have a square shape and include a handle. They are used for cooking hot dogs, pancakes, grilling chicken breast, eggs, hamburgers, and large volume cooking.

Conclusion

Any professional chef understands the importance of quality cookware. While most of their recommended cookware is expensive, they deliver a better job.

Since professional chefs don’t have the time to care for the cookware, they need durable and heavy-duty cookware.

So, if you would like to enjoy professional cooking at home, the above are the cookware materials and brands that professional chefs use.

Reference: Wellandgood, Masterclass