Burning Questions: Can I Buy at a Restaurant Supply Store If I'm Not a Chef? Part Two
Your pulse may quicken upon walking through the door.
To continue from yesterday, here’s some more great advice on how home cooks — and previously uninitiated pros — can make the best of restaurant supply stores:
- Rachel Lister Executive Editor at Busy Mommy Media is a home cook who frequently shops at a restaurant supply store because she says the products are extremely affordable and generally high-quality. “I buy all my knives from restaurant supply stores, and when I worked as a home daycare provider I purchased several sets of plastic plates and cups there as well,” she notes.
- Bruce Frankel, owner of SpitJack, a specialty retailer selling tools and appliances for men who cook, has this to say: “The average home cook might be a bit overwhelmed and confused by a restaurant supply store. While there are certainly items they might find useful or interesting, many items like oversized mixers and steam table pans might seem odd and even intimidating. Also, the store is not usually set up to appeal to the average consumer as a typical kitchen retail store would be. The space may seem very cluttered and unorganized; there are rarely any prices on the merchandise and no trained salesperson to dote on you.
“That being said,” he continues, “for certain items the restaurant supply store is essential and worth the extra effort, even for the home cook. From little items like heavy-duty stainless steel mixing bowls and sturdy mixing spoons to oversize stock pots, commercial quality small appliances like blenders or sandwich presses, you can usually find good value on things that you will not find at the mall. And, as a bonus, most restaurant supply stores have an extensive ‘used’ department where you can find great bargains and sometimes even negotiate the price.
“For the serious amateur cook, a restaurant supply center opens up a whole new world of tools and ideas of all sizes and a vicarious glimpse into the exciting world of a commercial kitchen.”
Now it’s your turn: Have you ever ventured into a restaurant supply store? What was your experience? Leave a comment below.
I actually started shopping from a restaurant supply catalog a few years ago, which seems to work pretty well. Their website is bare-bones, but their catalog is really useful for finding the ladles or ice-cream/batter/anything scoops that I just can’t find the same quality/price for anywhere else.