Friday, September 24, 2010

Why Chefs Should Wear a Coat

There are actually a lot of reasons why one should wear a chef jacket or a chef coats. The chef jacket has indeed gone through a tremendous evolution in terms of its functionality, durability and comfort. It is this combination of characteristics that makes it the uniform of choice for professional chefs around the world, not to mention the fact that it looks really cool.

Functionality - One of the main and most important function of the chef coat is to safeguard the chef from the extreme heat produced from the stove or oven,and also from any accidental spills of hot liquids. It is able to perform this function through the help of the double layer of cotton. In addition, aside from this protective function of the chef jacket, it also is able to protect the wearer, or the chef for this matter, from any splashes and stains that are associated in the preparation of food.

You might wonder why persons with such a tendency to get their uniform stained and splattered would wear white. This practice originally started in the mid 1800's by a chef named Chef Marie - Antoine Careme, who started the practice of wearing white and letting her cooks also wear white as it symbolizes cleanliness.

The double breasted style of the Chef Coat, also came into favor at this time (also due to Careme).  Chef jackets are always expected to become stained after cooking because its main function is to protect the chef from stains and spills. Aside from food preparation, the chefs also will need to leave the kitchen to talk with guests, and for this, the chef can easily reverse the jacket to reveal the cleaner side.

Durability - Because the black chef coat is made out of two layers of cotton fabric, the jacket is highly durable. One very important quality of the chef jacket is that it should be able to withstand the frequent extreme activities that are done in the kitchen, and also, it has to be able to stand up despite frequent washings. Not only is the jacket itself highly durable, but the buttons are also constructed of knotted cloth, making them just as durable.

Comfort - One may think that the double breasted jacket is not a very smart thing to wear in areas like the kitchen. But then, the unique construction of the double- breasted jacket shows its distinctive versatility. Cotton is a very breathable and comfortable fabric, which makes it a superior choice in hot environments.

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