Star Kitchen: Jose Garces

You might expect an Iron Chef to own every culinary gadget and gizmo imaginable, but Jose Garces' home kitchen is so stark, it looks as if no cooking goes on at all. Call him a neat freak: The chef actually cooks here every day, in addition to running seven restaurants in Philadelphia, plus another in Chicago.

The chef wanted a clean, open layout so family and friends could easily grab a snack from the kitchen, then head to the living room or outdoor patio.

Jose doesn't use a fancy coffeemaker: He brews his joe in a Braun drip machine. The secret to good coffee is all in the beans, he says. Lucky for him, he has his own line of coffee roasted just for his restaurants.

The Iron Chef is used to cooking in front of an audience, so it's no surprise that he has a bar looking into his workspace at home. He'll often set up a taco-bar dinner here for guests or put out charcuterie, hummus and cheese for parties.

You won't find unnecessary gear and appliances in Jose's meticulously organized kitchen. "When I cook, I just grab whatever I have and make it happen," he says. "My tools are pretty straightforward: tongs, spatulas, rolling pins."