Kitchn and Yahoo may earn commission from links in this article. Pricing and availability are subject to change.
Our fascination with chefs’ kitchens is well-trodden ground — from the TODAY show to Architectural Digest, people love peeking into the kitchens of famous people, and chefs are no exception. It’s like a glimpse into the creative minds that captivate us in their restaurants, their cooking videos, and the pages of their cookbooks.
Related: Christmas Sugar Cookies
While it’s fun to see how fancy (and clean) these kitchens are, for most of us the La Cornue stoves, Carrara marble countertops, and four wall ovens are the stuff of dreams. Instead of obsessing about all the things I can’t have, I zero in on the smaller details in these fabulous kitchens that are obtainable. Using this strategy, I’ve come away with some fabulous grocery finds, cookbooks, and tools.
Credit: Ivy Manning
How to Spot Chef-Approved Groceries (and Cookbooks) in Their Home Kitchens
I look for photos of chefs in their home kitchens in design magazines, newspapers, and magazines in the act of cooking. For example, I discovered Graza Drizzle Extra Virgin Olive Oil, my new favorite oil for finishing dishes from an article in The New York Times about restaurateurs Arjav Ezekiel and chef Tracy Malechek-Ezekiel. The Austin restaurateurs behind famed restaurant Birdie’s are pictured in their kitchen, where I spied a bottle of Graza Drizzle right next to their stove.
I was curious about this “drizzle” oil, but hadn’t tried it. When I saw it in their kitchen, I knew it was something they really used (not something a stylist or PR-agent staged), so I gave it a try and I’m so glad I did! I’m drizzling it on everything — vegetable dishes, pizzas, pasta, and even soup to add a bright, grassy flavor boost.
Other great hunting grounds for chefs’ secrets are hidden in plain sight in self-made Instagram reels, like the ones cookbook author and salad expert Jeanne Kelley regularly posts. I’ve discovered some amazing products like my new favorite Spanish sherry vinegar. From The Official Joy of Cooking, I learned about this punchy German mustard by Lowensenf, and my Caesar salad game has vastly improved after learning how good Ortiz anchovies in a jar are from a video tour of Alison Roman’s kitchen.
Credit: Ivy Manning
Another favorite place to find cooking inspo is to examine still shots of chefs’ cookbook shelves in their kitchens. I know from experience that food pros have a lot of cookbooks, but the best ones, the ones they really use, are kept on kitchen shelves where they’re easy to grab, not on a dusty book shelf in some other room.
That’s how I discovered British chef Yotam Ottolenghi’s eponymous first cookbook in 2008, well before he became famous in the United States. I spotted Dishoom on the end of a chef’s kitchen island, and it’s since become my all-time favorite Indian cookbook. Examining cookbook shelves is a sport for some, with the most dedicated food lovers even examining the cookbook collections of fictional chefs on TV shows like the Bear.
No matter where you find the images, snooping in food pros’ kitchens can yield some great discoveries if you’re willing to zoom in and use an eagle eye.
Did you learn about a favorite grocery from a chef? Tell us about it in the comments below.
Further Reading
I Tried Every Possible Way to Bake a Potato, and Found the Curveball Trick I’ll Now Follow Forever
I’ve Made Hundreds of Batches of Cookies — This Is Hands-Down the Best Recipe
Every Single Slow Cooker Recipe You Could Ever Need
Sign up for The Kitchn’s Daily newsletter to receive our best recipes, posts, and shopping tips in your inbox.
Dining and Cooking