Most people would sum up a chef’s job by saying that they cook food. End of story. But it’s nowhere near that straightforward. And there are so many types of chefs and so many types of food service establishments — restaurants, cafeterias, banquet halls, hotels, cruise ships, resorts — that describing a day in the life of a typical chef is practically impossible. Instead, we can cover some of the fundamental aspects of a chef’s job and then you can figure out which culinary careers and settings spur you towards further investigation.

In a big nutshell, chefs measure, mix, and cook ingredients to prepare food according to recipes. In the process, they use a variety of pots, pans, cutlery, and other equipment, including ovens, broilers, grills, slicers, grinders, and blenders. During life as a chef, some chefs are responsible for managing other kitchen workers (including teaching them new techniques), planning menus, estimating food requirements, handling food budgets, and ordering food supplies. That’s a lot more than just cooking!

While smaller restaurants may consist of one chef and only a couple of assistants, larger restaurants tend to have much bigger menus and staffs that include several chefs and cooks, as well as assistant or apprentice chefs and cooks, in addition to other kitchen workers (busboys, dishwashers, etc.).

Executive chefs and sous-chefs coordinate the work of the rest of the kitchen staff, who are often assigned specific jobs and tasks — for instance, sauces or pastries or garde manger.  The title “chef” and “cook” are often used interchangeably, but chefs tend to be more highly skilled and professionally trained than cooks.

Keep in mind, though, that many positions are often used as stepping stones in a culinary career; you might make your way from pantry cook to line cook to sous-chef over the course of time, depending on your goals, aspirations, and work environment.

All told, being a chef is a tough job. It’s more than just cooking — it’s also planning and managing, accommodating the needs of co-workers and patrons, and making the best of things when your pantry contains only a stick of butter, two sausages, three carrots, and a tub of lard. But it’s also an immensely rewarding career, filled with challenges and opportunities that you won’t find elsewhere. Now get out there and start cooking and enjoy your life as a chef.

Related posts:

1. Culinary Jobs – Chef
2. Culinary Jobs – Owner / Executive Chef
3. Culinary Jobs – Pastry Chef
4. Culinary Jobs – Sous Chef
5. The Chef’s Academy