There’s lots of benefits to shopping at a kitchen supply store that focuses on selling mainly to chefs and restaurants. For one, you’re almost promised a selection of high-quality kitchen tools and gadgets. Most trained chefs have pretty high standards when it comes to the equipment that they work with, so in order to attract their business, kitchen supply companies have a good incentive to carry good, quality products.

They’ll also have a larger variety of products and brands for you to choose from, and will likely have a lot of brands that you aren’t familiar with. They aren’t going to carry the same types of products you’d find in a department store because their focus is going to be much more narrow and niche.

So what can you expect when shopping at a commercial kitchen supply store?

New Products That Aren’t Widely Available

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Many times, kitchen supply stores that cater to commercial kitchens will have products that aren’t yet available in more consumer retail stores like Williams Sonoma or Bed, Bath, and Beyond. Even better is that many times if a product is very new, the manufacturers will run specials with the kitchen supply store to get it tried out by chefs and home cooks. This means great deals on new, interesting cooking tools and equipment.

Good, Affordable Utensils

If you want a solid set of standby utensils (we’re not talking the ones you break out for dinner guests), you can purchase a few sets at a kitchen supply store for pretty cheap. You’ll have plenty of backups for when they mysteriously go missing in the dishwasher, and you won’t have to worry about running out of basic utensils if you forgot to wash the previous night’s dinner dishes.

You can also get great deals on basic cooking utensils like spatulas, whisks, a chef’s knife – all of the basics that you need to be able to throw together a meal.

Hard-to-Find Products

Maybe you’re looking for a perforated spoodle or maybe you need a special bamboo skimmer. Whatever it is, you’ll almost definitely find it at a kitchen supply store. And really, one of the most pleasant aspects of shopping at a kitchen supply store that caters to restaurants is to walk around and leisurely browse all of the unique and oddball products that you wouldn’t find in a normal kitchen and home store.

In short, a commercial kitchen supply store will almost always have good deals on kitchen supplies, utensils, and equipment. And if nothing else, it’s a great way to enjoy an afternoon of laidback shopping and exploring new products.

Do you have a local kitchen supply store that’s your go-to for stocking your home kitchen? Tell us about it in the comments!