Chef Ellen Marie Bennett Brings Tools of the Trade to Home Kitchens
After attending culinary school in Mexico, half-Mexican Glendale native Ellen Marie Bennett got her start in the restaurant world in 2012, working at two-Michelin-starred Providence and Bäco Mercat.'They were so neurotic about quality,' says Bennett, who founded Hedley & Bennett 12 years ago at age 24 — selling aprons and cookware to restaurants and chefs, including Nancy Silverton, Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo, with these perfectionist principles in mind. Now, she's diving into the world of home cooking. 'It was a lot of conversations with chefs, asking people to literally dump out their cabinets on the counter and show us, 'What do you love? What do you need? What do you hate?''Her new line of 11 kitchen tools (which come in three colors) includes these top chef-approved staples, which the chef discusses below.
LADLE'People were like, 'The ladle's too big. It's too small. It's too obnoxiously wide,'' says Bennett, who made one with paper-thin sides, allowing users to scoop from the side of the bowl as if it were a spatula. $25
SPOONULAWhen seeking feedback from chefs, Evan Funke said he looks for precision in a tool: 'It should be something you can go in and dissect with.' Her tools, like this spoon-spatula hybrid, are shorter as a result. $25
UTILITY SPOONBennett's utility spoon is a multipurpose tool with a stainless steel component. It does much more than a wooden or plastic spoon can, and has a silicone handle that prevents burns. $29
SPATULAThe flat top on this spatula makes it more ergonomic, and thin edges allow it to easily wrap around any bowl. 'We wanted to upgrade people's drawers — make them look and function better,' she says. $25
TONGSBennett's tongs are perfect for indoors in the kitchen or outdoors on the grill. They have an easy-to-use pull release and are perfectly pressurized, with an added splash of color for some personality. $29
TURNER'My husband, who is not a professional chef by any means, uses it day in and day out to make pancakes for our 3-year-old,' says Bennett of the turner, which is wide enough for flipping and has angled edges. $29_
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