A professional chef cooking in a home kitchen – even a very nice home kitchen – is like NASCAR ace Jimmie Johnson piloting a Prius.
When the chef-owner of Telluride’s acclaimed Cosmopolitan Restaurant purchased a home tucked amid the aspens in the nearby Ski Ranches subdivision, “That ’70s Kitchen” didn’t quite meet his standards. So Chad Scothorn undertook a total kitchen makeover suited for a professional foodie.
Scothorn zeroed in on his requirements while catering dinners in private homes in Telluride and before that in Beaver Creek, where he was top toque at Beano’s Cabin and Chadwick’s.
“There was never enough counter space,” the chef says.
“Homeowners often build (specialty) kitchens not to cook in, but so they can bring a chef in to do the cooking. They have no experience in their own kitchens.”
Scothorn knew what he wanted and what didn’t for his own new kitchen:
Scothorn and architect Jim Hardy conspired to take a conventional 8½-by-11-foot, U-shaped kitchen stuck behind a spiral staircase and double its size to make it infinitely more functional. They moved the access to the loft above, extended the kitchen into the former dining area and chose a galley layout, much like a commercial kitchen, with a mixture of high-end residential and commercial appliances.
“I like to plate a couple of courses in advance, and in other people’s homes, there was hardly ever enough (counter) space, even in big, expensive kitchens,” Scothorn says.
The chef wanted a place to set up a substantial buffet for large groups, but he also wanted his own space to work in while not being isolated from guests. Hence, a maple butcher-block island separates the open kitchen from the dining area. Guests perch there to watch him cook without getting in his way.
“With Chad, everything has a place and a reason,” architect Hardy says of Scothorn’s kitchen design. The combination of beefy appliances and durable, easy-to-maintain stainless steel countertops makes for even higher functionality.
Clean-line custom maple cabinets and that large maple island between the kitchen and living/dining areas add a touch of residential elegance. Programmable lighting can range from intense and bright for serious food preparation, to dim and atmospheric for intimate entertaining. By day, abundant natural light floods the home.
The range is the centerpiece of most home kitchens. Scothorn selected a high- end Jade residential model. The six burners include one griddle and one high-BTU burner. The range is flanked by two deep sinks. One is equipped with a six-setting spray that swings over the burners to function as a pot filler. A stainless steel shelf above the range holds pots and pans. Most important, an oversized, commercial hood canopies the range.
“When I cook in other people’s kitchens, I set off the smoke alarm 75 percent of the time,” Scothorn says. “That big hood traps lots of smoke. Regular residential range hoods are undersized, so the smoke escapes (and) the alarm goes off.”
He started with a commercial Hobart under-counter dishwasher. Its appeals were a two-minute wash-and-dry cycle and automatic detergent dispenser, but it proved noisier than he liked when he had people over. So Scothorn opted for an ASKO for everyday use and moved the Hobart elsewhere in the house. Another change along the way to kitchen bliss: Scothorn started with a GE Profile side-by-side refrigerator but had his eye on a Sub-Zero with a freezer on the bottom.
The result? A kitchen that is elegantly simple and totally functional – even for a very particular homeowner.
Chef Select
Telluride chef and restaurateur Chad Scothorn filled the kitchen of his mountain home with grand, commercial-grade appliances. But some of his favorites are the little guys – small, helpful appliances that help elevate pedestrian cooking to art. Here are five small appliances that the top toque cannot live without:
Fifteen-quart mixer: “Yeast doughs are hard on mixers,” Scothorn says. “If you fill a small mixer more than half full, you blow the engine.” His gets a lot of use, because he bakes bread and also likes make-your-own-pizza dinner parties in which he prepares the dough and guests choose their own toppings.
Russell Hobbs panini toaster: Great for sandwiches and quesadillas, Scothorn says.
Trager pellet smoker: This resides on the chef’s patio. “It’s digital and easy to use, and makes the most amazing smoked duck, meats and seafood.”
Heavy-duty, high-capacity food processor: This cuts down prep time and doesn’t need emptying as often as other models.
Commercial three-burner coffee maker: By Wilbur Curtis, this is directly connected to the home water supply.
