The Chef’s Press™ was born out of true necessity in the tiny kitchen of Bix Restaurant down a secret alley in San Francisco, where Chef Bruce Hill was at the helm of the stoves. In a small kitchen like that, every second counts. The old cast iron bacon presses used by his cooks trapped steam and were too heavy for many dishes. In 2004, Chef Hill created The Chef’s Press™ – a weight-adjustable tool that allows food to cook 20-30% faster and is vented to release moisture, yielding better results with greater ease.
In 2017, Chef Hill began producing The Chef's Press™ Professional line in Oakland California. The new version is made from USA-forged steel and sourced from Mid-American Stainless in Cleveland, OH. The steel is stamped into The Chef's Press™ by Rago & Son in Oakland, using a 100-ton press, just the way Rago has stamped steel since 1945. The custom tooling was designed and built by Precision Metal Tooling, Inc. in Oakland. The presses are then de-burred by DougCo in Oakland. The de-burring removes most of the rough edges caused by the stamping process. Lastly, Chef Hill drives the presses to his workshop in San Francisco, where each press is personally inspected by Chef Hill.
The Chef’s Press is perfect for:
Pan-seared, roasted, or grilled steaks, chops, chicken breasts, and burgers
Sautéed salmon, sea bass and halibut
Crispy skin duck breast
Toasted sandwiches or paninis
Grilled asparagus, eggplant, and cauliflower
Grilled country bread for bruschetta
Dishwasher Safe
We strongly recommend that first-time users purchase more than one press. If you choose to order just one, the 13 oz press is particularly great for grilled cheese sandwiches and burgers.
We are proud to use US stainless steel, handcrafted in Oakland, CA. Chef Hill inspects each press to ensure quality.
Presses can be stacked or staggered to conform to the food. The press can act as a weight to keep food in place.
The Chef’s Press cooks food 20-30% faster by making better contact with the cooking surface.
The Chef’s Press is vented to release moisture and steam, achieving the perfect finish.
