Some celebrity chefs stick to their cookbooks and TV shows, some simply lend their name, and others go the full route to producing a product line. But like many sports figures who actually make far more money from their endorsements than from their sport, many cooks seem to have hit the nail on the head with their own personal line of gadgets, kitchen gadgets, and condiment lines. The list seems endless, but here’s who tops the hit list:
Miguel Chiarello – this Italian food chef seems happy with his family’s vineyard, award-winning Napa restaurant, and cookbooks, all of which keep him busy.
fiery boy – Wild and vivacious restaurant owner and Food Network star, he sells a simple line of cookware, cutlery and t-shirts on his website.
Rachel Ray – better known for her bubbly, giggly personality than her cooking, she showcases a line of cookware, cookware, and bakeware, which is ironic since she’s the first to tell you she doesn’t bake.
george foreman – likeable ex-boxer who followed Ron Popeil’s lead and sells his own incredibly successful countertop grills.
Martha Stewart – a mega industry unto itself, with videos, cookbooks, linens, and even its own magazine.
Giada de Laurentis – taking a cue from Martha Stewart, it is a true corporation with its own cookware, gadgets, cookbooks and has recently ventured into the restaurant business.
paul deen – The southern cook sells an extensive line of gadgets, cookware, and utensils, plus baked goods, and of course, her famous restaurant Savannah (a large butter dish is strangely missing from her line).
Bobby Flay – prefers the cookbook and restaurant route, but sells a simple line of discount grilling gear that includes (no surprise here) stainless steel BBQ sauce pots with a built-in silicone brush.
In a garden – focuses on cookbooks (and her husband Jeffrey), but could definitely benefit from a giant salt shaker.
Gordon Ramsay – so incredibly busy with his TV shows, cookbooks and restaurants, he endorses a simple and elegant line of crockery for British porcelain giant Royal Doulton, along with cutlery.
Jamie Oliver – Quiet, unassuming British man who sells an extensive line of cookware.
Nigella Lawson – The popular British food writer and cooking hostess has her own line of crockery, cookware and utensils.
emeril lagasse – Beloved New Orleans-style chef, popular cooking show host, and restaurant owner, offers an extensive line of sauces and condiments, as well as high-quality flatware.
Paul Prudhomme – New Orleans’ top chef who virtually invented Cajun and Creole cuisine, understandably made his mark as not only a successful chef and restaurateur, but also created an extensive line of spices and marinades.
wolfgang puck – does it all, with restaurants, food products, and cookware (his frozen food line was bombed a few years ago, he can’t win them all).
Thomas Keller – world-class chef and restaurateur, sells an expensive cookware set through Williams Sonoma called TK (clearly not for those on a budget).
Paul Bocus – The French chef considered the “father of culinary art” runs the gamut with cookware, restaurants, food products, and even a double oven cooker for serious, professional chefs only (or those who can afford to pretend they do). are).
Jack LaLanne – America’s most recognized early TV exercise guru, he revolutionized the juicing industry and still has his name on a top line of juicers.
And no one can count enthusiastic President Thomas Jefferson, who missed the boat by nearly two centuries with the first French ice cream parlor, which he discovered in France and brought to the United States in the early 1800s.
Unfortunately, several of the professionals mentioned above are no longer with us, but their legacy lives on in their product lines.
So the big question remains: do these chefs really design and test their products, just lend their name, or are they micro-managers of production and marketing? Nobody is talking. Are the expensive ones better than the cheap ones, or are consumers just paying for a high-priced name? It is an unknown. But in this author’s humble opinion, she would surely want to “try before you buy” and then maybe stick with a good kitchen knife, a little effort, and the pots and pans her mother used.