Since you have to bring a great deal of equipment to the client, Does anyone have suggestions on high quality pots and pans that are not heavy? Also, what type of bag do you store all the equipment in? Is there a website that I can order from?
Every personal chef has worked out the easiest way to carry equipment & usually carries ONLY the heavy equipment necessary to do that day's menu. No need to carry equipment you'll not need.
I'm sure everyone of us keeps a small back-up kit in the car containing some minor extras... that, too, comes with experience.
As for carrying cases, some use rolling duffel bags, others use plastic storage bins, hard-side coolers or soft-side rolling coolers; tool boxes for utensils, whatever suits the job. Personally, I use a large carpenter's toolbox for utensils, two large canvas boat bags for pots & pans, a roller cooler & keep a spare cooler with ice & a storage bin for back-up extras, in the car.
As for equipment, I use restaurant-grade stainless steel with heavy bottoms. Others buy as the need arises from stores like Marshalls, TJ Max, restaurant supply houses & yard sales. Some of us may use the top-of-the-line All-Clad & similar, but I don't know who does.
Others buy the perfectly adequate Cuisinart every-day ware. Its what you can afford & want to use. As for website, perhaps the best is E-bay. Another is Caynes, a Canadian housewares stores. Hope this helps. lg
One of the tricks is to carry as little as possible. Of course, until you get going, you can't be sure what you'll need -- so buy as little as possible up front -- borrow from your own stuff at first. A bunch of us old-timers decided that we could hold a serious yard sale with all of the things that we rushed out and bought when we were first starting out, then stopped carrying after the first couple of months.
I will do an average cookdate with a regular saute, a non-stick saute (most of my clients want low-fat) an all purpose pot for rice/pasta/vegetable blanching/soup/stew, a 1 1/2 quart saucepan for butter melting and other small things -- that doubles as a bowl when needed. A rimmed baking sheet and that's it, unless I need to carry a pressure cooker. Why carry lids when you're already carrying aluminum foil?
All tools and cookware fits in a crate that's like two milk crates end to end. All pantry and other items -- towels, containers, some groceries, etc. fit in another crate.
I too, haunt the discount store racks for appropriate cookware -- I don't worry about brand -- but far more about versatile shapes and sizes and whether it's heavy enough to do the job without being too heavy to lug around.
I carry my equipment in two plastic laundry baskets. It's not pretty but it does the job. Occasionally I can fit everything in one basket but not often. I also use a collapsible cooler with a shoulder strap for the groceries.
I recently bought a set of relatively cheap Farberware for cookdates. It's heavy enough to do the job without being a real pain to carry.
My advice is use what you are comfortable with not what you think you "should" use.
My Food Processor minces onions either in huge chunks or so fine they burn when sauteing. I've tried quartering the onions first and all, but to no avail. I use the steel blade. Is there anything else to try? Thanks so much. Diane
A knife is the best tool for chopping onions & a knife skills course is your best investment at this point. BUT, if you want to put off learning to use a knife properly, a Zyliss spring-loaded hand chopper is better than a food processor.
Several websites have knife-skills videos to learn how to use various knives in preparing foods. do a google search. Hope this helps. Bests, lg
Thank you so much for your ideas. I had switched to a knife years ago - but still had hopes I could find a faster way. I will watch the knife videos again because I am just so slow.
I've tried quartering the onions first and all, but to no avail. I use the steel blade. Is there anything else to try?
Half an onion into 1/8"-1/4" dice takes about 30 seconds, including peeling.
