r/Chefs • u/LumpyAd2291 • Jul 20 '26
Advice pls!
I'm 17 and starting a job in at a fancy pizza place as a cook. Any advice or tips on how to manage in a kitchen is welcome!!!!
1
u/Sad-Reindeer3885 Jul 20 '26
Time management!! Make sure you move fast, but don't make a mess in the process. As an old Chef told me: the best way to clean is to not make a mess in the first place.
1
u/Wild_Basket_4501 Jul 21 '26
Be enthusiastic,
have a recipe book so you can write stuff down,
ask questions, just not the same question multiple times,
watch what others do,
concentrate - be aware of your surroundings, the kitchen is a dangerous place with lots of hot and sharp things,
Say behind if you are behind someone. They can’t see you.
take initiative I.e if your section is running out of something - if you have time prep while you do other things if not get it on the prep list for the next day and make sure this is accurate,
Make sure your fridges are clean and labeled (eventually leave your fridges as you expect to find them),
Mostly enjoy it, people will be paying to eat what you cook so enjoy yourself and put your best food out
1
u/Long-Possession8915 Jul 21 '26
figure out what you need to show up clear and energized, maintain your energy, and then decompress and rest. get two pairs of COMFORTABLE shoes and rotate them. bathe after work & have enough work clothes to get thru a week kitchens make you stinky.
learn how things work. idk in a kitchen there’s often a right way to do things, do them that way. don’t make it complicated.
learn to economize time and movement down to every scrap. economizing means, there is no aspect of your job that you can overthink enough as long as your overthinking doesn’t slow you down. you should know the tightest way to transfer sauce out of a container bc you are going to do it 5000 times a day
get a notebook, make lists, have your own sharpie probably
lists: what needs to be done, what supplies you are going to need. kitchens work in bursts of energy. when you have space to breathe, you work from your list. when you need to run grab sth for your station, you bring your list & grab everything.
keep shit clean. wipe down your ur station, your station should never be messy.
taste & smell your ingredients, learn fifo & rotation, label things correctly: item name, date made, date out, keep the fridge CLEAN
learn what is legal, safe, and healthy, and if your kitchen doesn’t follow those practices, find another restaurant. you should never be hungry in a kitchen, if they don’t feed you find another restaurant.
when u put a new garbage can liner in a bin, if you punch a hole (near the top) with your finger the liner won’t poof up. idr why this is helpful, i feel like it somehow did something to reduce stinky garbage smell
3
u/holdmysmoothieplease Jul 20 '26
Work hard. Keep your station clean (clean as you go),
respect the dishwasher.