Jayson Pickett

I worked restaurant kitchens for about ten years before I started writing for Culinary Standard, mostly on the line. Most of the equipment I review is gear I used through actual service, so when I say something held up, I mean it held up to that.

I generally recommend the simpler version of things. Mechanical dials over digital controls, because dials don't fail when your hands are wet. Carbon steel over stainless for most cooking. Inexpensive hand tools when the inexpensive ones work, which is more often than people expect. The reviews end up pretty direct as a result. There usually isn't much to qualify.