What Culinary Training Do You Need for a Professional Cooking Career?

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Cooking professionally is less about having the “right” degree or going to the “right” school, and more about having the “right” knowledge and skills.

Some cooks and chefs choose to gain those skills on the job. But for many, culinary school is a faster, more organized way to get a solid foundation without the trial and error of learning on the fly.

So what kind of training do you need? And how do you decide which path is right for you?

On-the-Job Training vs. Culinary School: What’s the Difference?

There’s no single path into a professional cooking career. Some cooks build their skills entirely through kitchen experience, while others choose formal culinary training to get there faster or more broadly. Both can work — and for many working cooks, the two go hand in hand.

Neither path guarantees a successful culinary career; results vary based on individual effort, opportunity, and goals. But understanding the difference can help you decide which approach fits where you are right now.

Here’s how they generally compare:

**Financial aid is available for those who apply and qualify. Consider your situation and resources to determine what is affordable, for you.

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The Culinary Training You Need To Be a Professional Cook

Not all careers as a professional cook or chef require the same skills. A personal chef working alone, for example, won’t need the same delegation and leadership skills as an executive chef who runs a large kitchen. And a pastry chef will need in-depth baking and dessert knowledge that a line cook may not need.

But here are some of the skills most chefs must be well-trained in if they’re going to have a chance at cooking professionally.

Good Hygiene, Safety, and Sanitation Standards

Without solid training in food safety and sanitation, no aspiring chef will get far. A clean kitchen and workstation are important for efficiency, but they are also crucial for keeping your food safe to eat.

Effective safety training can include:

• Hot and cold holding times for different foods
• Safe storage temperatures and proper walk-in organization
• Cook temperatures for different proteins (poultry, beef, fish, and pork each have different requirements)
• Cross-contamination prevention — Storing raw poultry on the bottom shelf, for example, so its drippings don’t contaminate other proteins that require lower cooking temperatures.

Some states and organizations require that cooks be ServSafe certified to prove they have this training. Even where it’s not required, it’s a good credential to have! Check your local laws to see which other food handler cards or certifications are required in your state.

Proper storage, labeling, and dating are essential habits in any professional kitchen.

Safe and Efficient Knife Skills

Before the cooking comes the cutting. Breaking down the large cuts of meat. The chiffonades, juliennes, and the dices.

Prep is a huge part of cooking professionally, and that means a cook must be well-trained in the right way to hold a knife, when to use different knives, the various types of cuts, and the right way to get uniform pieces of protein, herbs, aromatics, and proteins.

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“From day one, learning how to hold my knife correctly was a major game changer.”*

Jeanette Rideau

online Plant-Based Culinary Arts graduate

Essential Equipment and Appliance Skills

A commercial kitchen has many of the same tools as a home kitchen . . . but on a much larger scale. Instead of a simple cooktop with four burners, there could be six or even eight. Instead of a countertop stand mixer, there could be a 40-quart or even an 80-quart floor mixer. Then there’s the equipment you usually won’t find at home, like a flattop or a deep fryer.

A professional cook usually knows how to use all of these. As they progress through their careers, they may even learn how to do some basic maintenance on them. And they’ll certainly get familiar with cleaning them.

This kind of training often happens on the job, although it can also begin in an on-campus culinary school program or a hands-on industry externship.

Professional kitchens run on commercial-grade equipment that cooks learn to operate and maintain.

Cooking Fundamentals

How do you create a perfect sear on the outside of a steak, while keeping the inside juicy and tender? How can you roast an entire chicken so its irregular shape cooks evenly? When is the best time of year to use fresh tomatoes, and how do you go about preparing an artichoke?

These questions get into the core of how to cook—not just following a recipe, but understanding what heat, time, and technique are doing to your ingredients.

In a strong culinary fundamentals course, students may start to build skills like:

• Understanding dry-heat vs. moist-heat cooking methods (sautéing, roasting, braising, poaching) and when to use each.
• Controlling heat in the pan to get a deep sear on meats without overcooking the center.
• Roasting whole birds and larger cuts so they cook evenly, rest properly, and stay moist.
• Working with vegetables from artichokes to root vegetables, including trimming, blanching, and roasting for the best flavor and texture.
• Building flavor with stocks, sauces, and aromatics like mirepoix, plus techniques such as reducing liquids to concentrate taste.
• Practicing mise en place so ingredients are washed, cut, and organized before you ever turn on the stove.

And according to those who’ve been through formal training, that foundation takes time and repetition to build.

“It wasn’t until I had the technique down to a point where it was second nature that I really could understand what I was doing when I was playing with flavors to make that thing happen,” says Mason Snyder, Escoffier graduate and “The Cowboy Chef.”*

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The Principles of Flavor

Every dish is a balancing act. The right blend of rich umami and vegetal bitterness. A bit of acidity to brighten up the flavor and make the dish come alive. A hint of unexpected sweetness that lingers on the tongue.

Professional chefs don’t just guess when they add “a pinch of this”—they’re using a trained palate to balance the dish. Culinary school helps build this intuition by teaching you to taste spices and ingredients individually. Once you understand the history and profile of each component, you can start combining them with confidence.

“Taste everything you can; whether you like it or not, it doesn’t matter,” says Chef Pietro Vitelli, Culinary Arts Escoffier Chef Instructor. “The importance of that is, you can understand textures and flavors — things that you’ve never tasted, even things that you thought would never work.”*

Seasoning is one of the most fundamental ways a cook balances and refines the flavors in a dish.

What To Look for in a Culinary Training Program

Do you have to attend culinary training school to start cooking professionally?

No.

But for many cooks and chefs, including Nahika Hillery, Escoffier Austin Campus graduate and chef/owner of Kreyol Korner Caribbean Cuisine, formal training fills gaps that on-the-job experience alone doesn’t always cover.

“I needed more training in restaurant management, efficiency in the kitchen, cutting skills, and all other proficiencies that come with working in a professional kitchen,”* Nahika says.

For Nahika, culinary school didn’t just refine her technique, it gave her the business foundation to open her own restaurant.

When evaluating which program aligns with your needs, here are some of the most important factors to consider.

A Focus on the Fundamentals

Knife skills, safety and sanitation, and training in flavor profiles should be included as part of the curriculum in any culinary training program.

Most Escoffier programs begin with a Culinary Foundations course that can get students started with these skills, which are then built further throughout the more advanced courses.

Specialty Education To Meet Your Goals

Not all aspiring cooks or chefs have the same goals. For those who want to focus on sweets or breads, a specialized baking and pastry arts program is often the best fit.

Others may be passionate about vegan or vegetarian cooking. A program in plant-based culinary arts could help them explore exciting ways to turn fruits, grains, and vegetables into delicious and decadent dishes.

And for those who want to take a health-based approach to food, a degree or diploma in holistic nutrition and wellness could provide both the culinary training and the scientific knowledge they may need to get started.

Which Culinary Program Is Right for You?

Expert Chef Instructors

A school is only as good as its faculty. A quality culinary arts school should have top-of-the-field Chef Instructors with the credentials, education, and experience to guide future cooks.

Among Escoffier’s Chef Instructors, you’ll find Certified Executive Chefs®, entrepreneurs, chefs from Michelin-starred restaurants, cookbook authors, and more!

Business Education

Regardless of whether you want to own a business or work for one, some financial and operational knowledge can go a long way in a professional kitchen.

At Escoffier, the business curriculum can cover topics like managing food costs and inventory, leadership and professionalism, and creating a business plan. These skills may help boost profitability and keep the entire kitchen running smoothly.

An On-The-Job Component

Cooking theory only goes so far without practical experience. Hands-on industry externships offer a bridge between school and the industry, giving you the chance to work in a real-world environment.

By working in an actual kitchen, you get to apply your skills alongside seasoned professionals before you even

Accreditation

Not all culinary training offers the same level of academic rigor or a well-planned curriculum. A good way to ensure you’re getting a quality education is to look for accreditation.

When a culinary school is accredited, it means an outside agency has reviewed its programs against specific standards for teaching quality, student support, and continuous improvement. For students, that can bring benefits like:

• Added confidence that courses are up to date with current industry techniques and expectations
• A credential that may be more recognizable to employers who value formal training
• Potential access to financial aid for those who apply and qualify
• Programs that are regularly evaluated and refined

Escoffier is an accredited institution. The Austin campus is nationally accredited by the Council on Occupational Education (COE), and the Boulder campus, which includes online programs, is nationally accredited by the Accrediting Council for Continuing Education & Training (ACCET).

Flexible Programs

The right path to a culinary education often depends on your current schedule. Some students find that an in-person school works for their lifestyle, while others require the flexibility of a remote program.

Escoffier pioneered the field of online culinary education, and today offers a variety of online degrees and diplomas, all of which include at least one hands-on industry externship.

Online culinary students complete hands-on coursework from their own kitchens.

Culinary School Is Just the Beginning

A culinary education provides the foundation, but the learning doesn’t stop at graduation. Every new kitchen and every chef you work under offers a chance to pick up new skills. Even executive chefs continue to train as technology evolves and new techniques emerge.

If you have questions about where to start your training, reach out to our Admissions Department to explore your options and find a program that fits your career goals.

LEARN MORE ABOUT CAREERS IN CULINARY ARTS WITH THESE ARTICLES:

• The Difference Between a Cook and a Chef
• Associate Degree vs Diploma: What’s the Difference?
• How Online Culinary School Can Build Real Kitchen Skills

This article was originally published on September 12, 2022, and has since been updated.

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