Culinary expert Andrew Orphanidis unpacks all the details, offering a professional chef’s perspective on this infographic.
A kitchen in a professional setting is not a place for play. It is a place for the sorts of adult activities that make it possible for people to enjoy not only a meal but also the kinds of revelries that come with tasty, well-prepared food. And as is true with any adult undertaking, a kitchen in a professional setting is not a democracy. There are uniforms, tools, hierarchies, and paychecks. This infographic lays it all out.
The Uniform: Function Meets Tradition
It’s not enough to simply look like a chef. You have to really be one, and that takes far more than donning a jacket and a silly hat. The jacket has a purpose: Every double-breasted jacket in a kitchen world serves two functions. It does its best to protect a chef from the heat and the multitude of things a chef can spill. If one side gets dirty, the chef can flip the jacket and carry on, as befits life in a kitchen. And the hat? A chef’s hat says cleanliness and order. It also says, “I’m in charge!” At least that’s the signal I got every time one of my instructors donned a hat and called for attention.
The Tools: A Chef’s Arsenal
A chef is only as good as their tools. The chef’s knife is the most important weapon in your arsenal, and seen as an extension of your hand. You need to master it. Then you have your paring knife for precision work, a serrated knife for bread, and a boning knife for breaking down meat.
Aside from knives, there are thermometers (because temperature estimation is for amateurs), mandolins for inch-thick slicing (don’t you dare use a knife; you really want to find and use the proper tool for the proper job), and tweezers (yes, tweezers) for precision plating. Every tool has a purpose. If you don’t know how to use them or know what they are used for, you really shouldn’t be in a professional kitchen.
The Kitchen Hierarchy: A Well-Oiled Machine
A high-performing kitchen operates with military precision. It’s not a free-for-all where anyone does whatever they like. The Executive Chef leads the team, directing the menu, operations, and quality. The Sous Chef is second-in-command and makes sure everything runs smoothly on the line. Below them, you have the station chefs (Chefs de Partie) handling specific tasks, such as sauces, grilling, pastries, and more.
This organization exists for one reason: efficiency. Every individual has to know their part and perform it perfectly. There’s not an ounce of space for egos, nor a second to lose in going from thought to action. One slip, one error in judgment, and you might as well have a fire alarm go off in a retirement home.
The Cooking Stations: Precision and Teamwork
Everything depends on timing. Each dish has to be prepared and arranged with no foot-dragging, no room for error. The whole unit has to behave like one well-oiled machine, with each member of the brigade doing what has to be done, when it has to be done, and without any apparent trouble to the audience.
The Mindset: Excellence or Nothing
The ingredients, the tools, the flavors, and the food must concern a top chef even when he or she is not directly dealing with them. Being a top chef requires more than just a dedication to the crafts of cooking and baking or the art of food presentation. It requires an almost obsessive resilience in the face of adversity and a perfectionist attitude that demands the nearly impossible: that the chef and the comidas are inseparable.
This infographic portrays what is required to reach the pinnacle of success. If being the best is your goal, then whole-hearted dedication is a must. There are no pop-up paths, no turboboost shortcuts. Just as the airflow dynamics in an airplane wing produce lift, the physics of hard work, discipline, and a relentless pursuit of excellence propel you to the top. Now, get in the kitchen and make it occur.
