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Test Kitchen Chef Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Tiny Spoon Chef, Inc

Full-time Personal Chef

Westport, CT · On-site

$26 - $28/hr

Opportunities to grow beyond the kitchen into events, education, and leadership Why Work With Us ... Interview Process 15-min fit call - Video interview - Bench Test, cook a meal (Reimbursement ...

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$10

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$44

How much do test kitchen chef jobs pay per hour?

As of Jul 14, 2026, the average hourly pay for test kitchen chef in the United States is $24.63, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $16.83 and $31.01 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

How to work at Bon Appetit test kitchen?

To work as a Test Kitchen Chef at Bon Appétit, candidates typically need culinary experience, strong cooking skills, and familiarity with recipe development and testing. Applying through the company's careers page or industry job boards is common, and relevant certifications or culinary education can enhance prospects. The role involves working in a collaborative environment, often with flexible hours to test and refine recipes.

What is a Test Kitchen Chef?

A Test Kitchen Chef is a culinary professional who develops, tests, and refines recipes in a controlled kitchen environment, often for food companies, magazines, or restaurants. Their primary role is to ensure that recipes are accurate, reproducible, and meet specific standards of taste, appearance, and safety. Test Kitchen Chefs may also evaluate new ingredients, cooking techniques, or kitchen equipment, and provide feedback or recommendations. They often collaborate with food scientists, nutritionists, and editors to perfect recipes before they are published or used commercially.

What is the difference between Test Kitchen Chef vs Line Cook?

AspectTest Kitchen ChefLine Cook
CredentialsCooking certifications, culinary degree often preferredHigh school diploma or equivalent, culinary training
Work EnvironmentTest kitchens, culinary labs, product testing facilitiesRestaurant kitchen, fast-paced food service
Employer & IndustryFood companies, culinary media, product testing firmsRestaurants, hotels, catering services
Primary FocusRecipe development, product testing, quality controlFood preparation, plating, and service

The Test Kitchen Chef specializes in recipe development and product testing within culinary labs or food companies, focusing on quality control and innovation. In contrast, a Line Cook works in restaurant kitchens, preparing and cooking dishes for service. While both roles require culinary skills and certifications, their work environments and primary responsibilities differ significantly.

How to become a test kitchen chef?

To become a test kitchen chef, candidates typically need culinary training or experience in professional kitchens, strong cooking skills, and knowledge of recipe development and food science. Experience with food testing, attention to detail, and familiarity with kitchen equipment are also important. Some roles may require a culinary degree or certification, along with the ability to work in a fast-paced environment.

How does a Test Kitchen Chef typically collaborate with product development and marketing teams?

Test Kitchen Chefs play a vital role in bridging culinary creativity with business objectives. They regularly work alongside product development teams to create, refine, and test new recipes or food products, ensuring consistency, scalability, and quality. Collaboration extends to marketing teams, as Test Kitchen Chefs often provide insights on food trends, participate in promotional content creation, and help translate technical recipes into consumer-friendly formats. This cross-functional teamwork is both rewarding and essential to bringing successful products to market.

What is the highest paid chef job?

The highest paid chef roles are executive chefs, head chefs, or culinary directors in high-end restaurants, luxury hotels, or private estates, often earning six-figure salaries. These positions typically require extensive experience, leadership skills, and culinary expertise, along with management responsibilities and sometimes advanced certifications.

How much do America's test kitchen hosts make?

Test Kitchen hosts at America's Test Kitchen typically earn between $50,000 and $80,000 annually, depending on experience and role responsibilities. They often have culinary backgrounds, strong communication skills, and may work in a studio or test kitchen environment.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Test Kitchen Chef, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Test Kitchen Chef, you need strong culinary expertise, recipe development skills, and often a degree or certification in culinary arts. Familiarity with kitchen equipment, recipe management software, and food safety standards is typically required. Creativity, attention to detail, and effective communication help you innovate and clearly convey recipe instructions. These skills are crucial for developing reliable, appealing recipes that can be reproduced consistently in various food industry settings.
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Test Kitchen Chef jobs near you
Infographic showing various Test Kitchen Chef job openings in the United States as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 77% Full Time, 22% Part Time, and 1% Temporary. Highlights an 99% Physical, and 1% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $51,225 per year, or $24.6 per hour.
Full-time Personal Chef - Madison, WI

Full-time Personal Chef - Madison, WI

Tiny Spoon Chef, Inc

Madison, WI

$25 - $28/hr

Other

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 13 days ago

Job description

Description

Are you a culinary professional looking for more work-life balance and career growth than a typical sous chef or line cook position can offer? This full-time personal chef position is Monday through Friday, 8am-6pm, giving you evenings and weekends FREE.

In this role, you'll work as a personal chef for 8-9 clients per week-handling weekly grocery shopping, meal planning, cooking, and kitchen clean-up. You'll have the chance to showcase your creativity in a variety of cuisines while building relationships with clients who appreciate your culinary expertise.


Beyond weekly meal prep, our chefs also:

  1. Host intimate private dining events and dinner parties
  2. Teach cooking classes as a culinary instructor
  3. Lead corporate team-building cooking workshops
  4. Support special projects such as menu design and event catering

What Makes This Role Different from Restaurant Kitchen Jobs?

Unlike traditional restaurant sous chef or line cook jobs, this position offers:

  1. Consistent, predictable Monday-Friday hours (no REGULAR late nights or weekends)
  2. Direct client interaction and creative menu freedom
  3. Opportunities to grow beyond the kitchen into events, education, and leadership

Why Work With Us?

We invest in our chefs through hands-on training, mentorship, and career development programs. If you're someone who enjoys taking initiative, building relationships, and driving growth, this role offers virtually unlimited potential.

At our company, we reward hard work, creativity, and dedication. You'll be more than just a line cook or sous chef-you'll have the opportunity to grow into a private chef, event chef, or culinary leader.


Pay: $25-28 per hou


Benefits:

  • Retirement Plan, 401k and 401k Matching
  • Health, Dental and Vision Insurance
  • Short & Long Term Disability
  • Life Insurance
  • Accident & Critical Illness Insurance
  • Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
  • Dependent Care Account (DCA)
  • Paid Time Off
  • Profit Sharing


Qualified applicants should have a minimum of four years of line experience, a sense of urgency, people skills, attention to detail, ServSafe Manager certification and state-specific Allergen, and have a reliable vehicle.

Previous experience/familiarity with computer/email/Google Workspaces/social media is preferred. All applicants offered a position will be subject to a background check.


Please note that we use E-Verify to electronically confirm Form I-9 information to verify employee's identity and employment eligibility.


Travel may be required during training. (TSC compensates for travel.)

A cover letter is highly encouraged.


Interview Process

15-min fit call - Video interview - Bench Test, cook a meal (Reimbursement) - Full Day Stage (Paid)


Supplemental pay types:

  • Bonus pay
  • Unlimited referral bonuses
  • Paid training

Schedule:

  • 8-hour shift
  • 10-hour shift
  • Day shift
  • Monday to Friday

Requirements

  • Culinary Experience: 1 year (Required)
  • Cooking: 4 years (Required)

Apply