What's the difference between a cook and a chef?

Answer 1

chef is more like the leader of the kitchen, he has to do the administration, cost control, designing the menu, make the standard recipes and other things.

cook.., well he/she just a worker in the kitchen as the chef assistant

Answer 2

Ok, it is sort of a ranking system, the chef is in charge. The executive chef is over the chef, the chef is over the sous chef, the sous chef is over the cook, and assistants. Generally when starting out you begin as a cook, and slowly work your way through the ranks. Some never make it past cook, they either don't have the passion or talent to become a chef, but almost all chefs were cooks at one point. It works just like any business. You start at the bottom and work your way up. And not all chefs went to culinary school, the chef I worked for never went to culinary school. He trained under paul prudhomme, he was with him for 18 years, he started out a dishwasher and worked his way up. Paul never went to culinary school either. Both believe as I do, on the job experience is far better than anything you can learn at an institute. Chef literaly means "cheif". The chef is responsible for everything from the front door to the back. Not only does he have to cook( a minor part of being a chef), he has to manage food cost, keep up with orders, develop the menue, and basicly orchestrate everything that goes on in the back of the house as well as the front of the house

Answer 3

A cook you can just throw into a kitchen, tell him how to make certain things, how some of the equipment works, and that's it.

A chef goes to school to learn his craft, and also has to be trained in sanitation procedures.

Another difference is that there is a lot more put into presentation with a chef than as opposed to just being a cook.

Answer 4

Basically, anyone who cooks food is a cook. Professionally, cooks work in a kitchen under the chief cook-the chef. Training, and experience is what makes a chef a chef. An example, on cable, the "Food" channel, on competition's of the "Iron Chef", the chef is the main cook, and he/she have assistant cooks to assist them in the preparation and cooking of the meals/dishes. The White House in D.C. has a chef, with cooks assisting, hotels, restaurants, etc. have chef's with cooks to assist. Sometimes all a cook does to assist, is salad preparations, etc. Other times, it's more involved cooking. Take care.

Answer 5

A cook can be anybody like me a housewife who cook everyday for the family but a chef is a highly recognized cook that passed a lot of tests and recognition by a higher authority. A chef is definitely a cook but a cook might not be a chef.

Answer 6

With the exception of lesser titles like sous chef and the likes, a chef is usually the lead in the kitchen. A cook is basically anyone that cooks.

Answer 7

A chef is someone who has had formal training and has lots of experience. A cook is just someone who picks up some ingredients and makes a meal out of them. If a person can cook, they can be a cook.

Answer 8

A cook may not have the degree as a chef but 9 times out of 10 they will prepare you the best meal you have ever had.. with out all of the frills of garnish and crazy spices that really do not taste good. Also much larger portions!

Answer 9

A cook is like a low level officer in the military (a 1st leftanent maybe) a chef is more like a General or Admiral....

If you have to ask.. yer a cook... and a low level cook at that what can I say?

Answer 10

A cook turns the stove on and makes something that you can eat.

A chef uses ingredients that you have never heard of and charges (a well deserved) premium.