Chefs' Grocery Store Picks
Most of the products in this story are available in grocery stores nationwide. If you can't find these items, look for them in specialty stores or online.
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Ree Drummond — The Pioneer Woman
"I am so snobby about Hellman's mayonnaise. It has that pure flavor and none of the off-putting vinegary-ness."
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Alex Garcia — A.G. Kitchen, New York City
"For many sauces, there is room for innovation. But when it comes to ketchup, Heinz is a classic that I just wouldn't want to mess with."
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Ben Pollinger — Oceana, New York City
"I love La Baleine sea salt so much, I use it at home and in the restaurant. It has a great texture that makes it easy to sprinkle consistently out of your hand."
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Jet Tila — Oceana, New York City
"What Thai chefs prize in coconut milk is the cream (aka coconut oil). Chaokoh coconut milk is the richest and creamiest."
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Mary Sue Milliken — Border Grill, Los Angeles
"My go-to for a weeknight supper when I have no time to shop are Angelo Parodi Portuguese sardines. They're great in pasta, on a sandwich or in a salad."
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Susan Feniger — Border Grill, Los Angeles
"I love to eat Kettle Brand potato chips with mashed California avocados, extra-virgin olive oil, fresh lemon from my tree and sea salt."
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Josh Capon — Lure Fishbar, New York City
"Temp Tee whipped cream cheese is just so light, fluffy and delicious."
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Alton Brown — Cutthroat Kitchen
"I'm crazy about Georgia Olive Farms olive oil because it's green, bright, fruity and from my home state."
georgiaolivefarms.com
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Sunny Anderson — The Kitchen
"The Rolls-Royce of cornbread mixes is Jiffy corn muffin mix."
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Jenn Louis — Lincoln Restaurant, Portland, OR
"Muir Glen organic tomatoes are some of the best tomatoes you can buy in a can. They come diced, whole and crushed. My favorite are the fire roasted; they're an easy way to add flavor to whatever you're cooking."
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David Myers — Hinoki & The Bird, Los Angeles
"The creamiest and fullest-flavor boutique creamery butter that you can buy in a grocery store is Vermont Creamery butter."
murrayscheese.com
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Josiah Citrin — Mélisse, Santa Monica
"When I was growing up, Claussen pickles were always in our fridge, and I still find myself buying them today."
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Willie Degel — Restaurant Stakeout
"I love JENNIE-O ground turkey because it is all natural."
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Fabio Trabocchi — Fiola, Washington, D.C.
"My wife and I like Goya garbanzo beans slightly warmed with fresh tomatoes, cured sardines, onions and sometimes a hard-boiled egg. It's a good quick salad in the summer."
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Victor Scargle — Lucy Restaurant & Bar, Yountville, CA
"At home we throw Trader Joe's almond butter into smoothies for extra protein, and my son loves it on toast or in PB&Js."
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Doug Psaltis — RPM Italian, Chicago
"The Rondolino family takes every painstaking step to produce Acquerello rice — you can make the best risotto with it."
williams-sonoma.com
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Lee Schrager — Director, Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival
"I'm loyal to Illy. It's a great cup of coffee."
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Andrew Zimmerman — Sepia, Chicago
"Black Diamond cheddar is consistent, has great flavor and is perfect for a snack, on a burger or in fancy mac and cheese."
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Alex Guarnaschelli — Iron Chef America
"I love to eat Bonne Maman preserves throughout the year according to the season: I put a small dollop of the wild blueberry in my summer blueberry pies. I eat the four-fruits flavor on toast in spring. In fall, I go for the marmalade, cherry or fig."
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Rick Bayless — Red O Restaurant, Newport Beach, CA
"Tamazula hot sauce — reliable, affordable, easy to find, delicious."
amazon.com
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Mike Lata — The Ordinary, Charleston, SC
"I grew up eating Bush's baked beans, so it's a product-loyalty thing. All other brands are grossly inferior."
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Gayle Pirie — Foreign Cinema, San Francisco
"The only kind of ketchup I can tolerate is Sir Kensington's spiced ketchup — perfect on grilled burgers and french-cut fries."
sirkensingtons.com
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Melissa d'Arabian — Ten Dollar Dinners
"I have at least one package of Pepperidge Farm puff pastry in the freezer at all times. It has the best 'puff.'"
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Laurent Tourondel — Arlington Club, New York City
"The zero-percent-fat variety of Fage Greek yogurt is much creamier, thicker and smoother than other brands."
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Nadia G — Bitchin' Kitchen
"Open up a jar of your favorite tuna, add baby spinach and smother it all with creamy, tangy Cindy's Kitchen buttermilk ranch dressing."
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Shaun Hergatt — Juni, New York City
"Kewpie mayonnaise has a superior taste to others. It's the perfect thing on a soft roll with roast chicken and avocado."
amazon.com
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Tony Gemignani — Tony's Pizza Napoletana, San Francisco
"When I am trying to eat healthy, I pour Kikkoman rice vinegar over brown rice and chicken to add flavor."
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Gerard Craft — Pastaria, St. Louis
"Rustichella d'Abruzzo pasta is the top dried pasta available. I visited the operation in Abruzzo, Italy, and it is first class."
amazon.com
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John Currence — City Grocery, Oxford, MS
"Nothing besides French's yellow mustard will work on things like boudin or bologna sandwiches."
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Rick Moonen — RM Seafood, Las Vegas
"You need to seek them out in specialty-food stores, but Ortiz anchovies are the best!"
amazon.com
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Amanda Freitag — Chopped
"I buy HORIZON organic eggs because they are reliable."
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Anita Lo — Annisa, New York City
"Canada Dry seltzer seems to stay fizzy much longer than other seltzers."
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David Burke — David Burke Kitchen, Aspen, CO
"I like adding Bear Naked granola to my yogurt."
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Jose Garces — Iron Chef America
"To start the day, especially in the colder months, I think MCCANN'S steel-cut Irish oatmeal is good fuel. I really like the texture—other oats tend to get soft and mushy."
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Luke Venner — BLT Fish, New York City
"I use Red Jacket Orchards Fuji apple juice to create cocktails and elixirs. It is brighter in flavor and appearance than cider."
redjacketorchards.com
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Ralph Scamardella — Tao, Las Vegas
"Martin's potato rolls are the best for hamburgers and sandwiches—bar none!"
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Ford Fry — The Optimist, Atlanta
"I make Rotel Dip: I cut Velveeta into cubes, mix in Rotel tomatoes, microwave it and then dip with Fritos. It's the best."
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Chris Cosentino — Incanto, San Francisco
"There are hundreds of salts on the market, but Jacobsen sea salt is the top one for me. The texture is great."
jacobsensalt.com
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Tiffany MacIsaac — Birch & Barley, Washington, D.C.
"Sugar in the Raw turbinado sugar adds a crunchy but not overly sweet texture to the top of scones, pies and turnovers. And it's great in coffee."
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Ina Garten — Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics
"Why make your own marinara when RAO'S marinara sauce tastes homemade? It's simmered for hours with good tomatoes, basil, garlic and oregano. I use it as a base for pasta sauce or lasagna."
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Tim Love — Lonesome Dove Western Bistro, Fort Worth, TX
"The best ice cream on the planet is Blue Bell ice cream. My favorite flavor is Rocky Road."
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Thomas McNaughton — Flour + Water, San Francisco
"You can never have too many hot sauce options, but I always go back to Sriracha from Huy Fong Foods."
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Rick Tramonto — Restaurant R'evolution, New Orleans
"I use Orlando Greco giardiniera on sandwiches. Nothing beats it!"
amazon.com
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Kelsey Nixon — Kelsey's Essentials
"No other peanut butter besides SKIPPY has that rich, roasted nut flavor that's ever so salty. It's just how I like it!"
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Steve Martorano — Café Martorano, Las Vegas
"If Progresso Italian-style breadcrumbs were good enough for my mother to use in her recipes, they're good enough for me."
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Ken Oringer — Clio, Boston
"I don't care what anyone says: Kraft American cheese makes the best grilled cheese and cheeseburgers on earth. My kids love it, too."
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Tal Ronnen — Crossroads, Los Angeles
"I love Earth Balance spread as a [vegan] butter substitute to finish off sauces."
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Bradley Ogden — The Tavern at Lark Creek, Larkspur, CA
"I love Sparrow Lane vinegar and the small-batch varieties they offer. These vinegars are just perfect."
sparrowlane.com
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Tony Maws — Craigie On Main, Cambridge, MA
"For clean flavor and granules of consistent size, I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt."
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Ted Allen — Chopped
"Steve Sando sells heirloom varieties of his RANCHO GORDO beans that nobody else is cultivating. Prices are higher than mass-produced brands, but for a great pot o' beans, it's worth it."
ranchogordo.com
