The Store-Bought Condiments Celebrity Chefs Swear By

When you spend as much time in the kitchen as a professional chef, you learn a little something about when to cut corners. A great chef can make any classic condiment from scratch, but they also know when they don't have to. Preparing everything by hand in their restaurants is one thing, but when at home, there are plenty of pre-packaged goods that meet their high standards.

Culinary professionals are known for their techniques and sophisticated creations, but they also enjoy old favorites. Every chef has a "must" in their kitchen, and thankfully for us, they can be purchased. Whether an imported European mustard or artisanal maple syrup, these condiments are the secret to some of the most respected culinary creations. It's not just about knocking some hours off prep time, but sometimes others simply do it best. We don't always have the highest quality ingredients within reach, and there's no shame in sourcing from those that do.

It didn't take long for Carla Hall to become a crowd favorite in season 5 of "Top Chef," for both her impressive cooking skills and zany quips. From there, she went on to host a number of culinary shows, write cookbooks, and even land the Grande Dame Award. As someone who is constantly testing recipes, Hall knows when to start from scratch and when to take a shortcut. She appreciates homemade tomato sauce and chowchow pickle, but is happy to stock her fridge with Hellmann's mayonnaise, Trader Joe's sauerkraut, Koeze peanut butter, and a very special treat — Amaro-soaked cherries. "I don't drink, but I eat my alcohol," Hall told Business Insider when referring to her secret ingredient. She relies on St. Agrestis Amaro-soaked cherries for both snacking and recipe creations, making them a prized jar in the fridge.

When it comes to snacking, she's big on oatmeal, but not without the appropriate toppings. She swirls the St. Agrestis cherries into her morning bowl, offering an unexpected burst of flavor. Her Nashville roots remain, with a love for salty, spicy dishes, but desserts are her one true love. She's a sucker for ice cream and pies, which she of course whips up herself. Her magic trick for perfectly tart fruit pies is these fabulous Amaro-soaked cherries, which help liven up frozen berries.

With Jean-Georges Vongerichten's elite culinary CV, you'd think his chosen condiment would be something fancy like his château-chalon sauce or an intricate truffle butter, but his favorites are as simple as it gets. He's a big fan of peanut butter, which he eats by the spoonful, but maple syrup plays a bigger role in his dishes.

The restaurateur oversees 60 kitchens stretched across the globe, so he knows a thing or two about efficiency in the kitchen. There are plenty of basic condiments that are a breeze to make (for professional chefs, that is), but maple syrup is not one of them. Vongerichten's fridge is never without a good quality maple syrup, preferably Crown Maple syrup from the Hudson Valley. While French-born, Vongerichten is a certified New Yorker these days and happily keeps his ingredients local.

He uses the tasty syrup on the standard vessel — pancakes — but he also uses it to dazzle up plain yogurt. Vongerichten doesn't limit maple syrup to his home kitchen either. He utilizes the caramel-like sweetness in dozens of his restaurant's dishes, like maple syrup-drizzled dosas and squash toast. When it's not the star of the snack, maple syrup can appear in unexpected ways, working to tenderize fatty meats or balance out spicy dishes.

Andrew Zimmern will taste just about anything, but he'd prefer it with a few shakes of hot sauce — ideally by the industry-made brand Hot Sloth. With limited releases, Zimmern's favorite hot sauce is just as hard to come by as some of the exotic eats he endured in his days hosting "Bizarre Foods" on the Travel Channel. Between the rarity and hefty $36 price tag, the unique bottle doesn't come easy or cheap, but Zimmern swears by the flavor, claiming it as his "all-time favorite" in a TikTok taste test.

Hot Sloth hot sauce is crafted by Michelin star-holding chef Mike Bagale and former Eater L.A. editor Kat Odell, two pros who know something about adding heat in the kitchen. The hot sauce pulls you in with its bright magenta hue thanks to the unexpected ingredient: dragon fruit. The fruity hot sauce focuses more on flavor than overwhelming spice, creating just enough heat to upgrade a dish while also serving as an excellent ketchup replacement for fries. It's not only flavorful but also relaxing. The surprising ingredients don't quit — a bottle of Hot Sloth contains 300 milligrams of CBD, which ends up being 15 milligrams per teaspoon.

Home chefs adore Ina Garten and her upscale approach to home cooking, but her signature catchphrase, "Store-bought is fine," is what brings viewers comfort in the kitchen. Before becoming a successful cookbook author and TV personality, Garten ran a small specialty food market in the East Hamptons called "The Barefoot Contessa," her now iconic nickname. Spending so much time around gourmet jarred sauces and spreads has made her a trusted expert, and she can't live without mustard.

She'll never miss an opportunity to praise mustard for its tangy flavor and versatility, declaring it as one of her top ingredients. And, as expected, pre-made is A-okay. Actually, it's more than okay in Garten's eyes — it's her preference. When she wants a textural strong mustard, she reaches for Maille Whole Grain, but when she wants a vinegary smooth mustard, it's none other than Grey Poupon Dijon Mustard. Mustard is Garten's answer to everything. As she told Bon Appetit, "It's kind of that Provencal thing of mustard, and garlic, and thyme." It's what gives her vinaigrettes and sauces a much-needed tang. 

Julia Child was all about breaking down tricky cooking techniques, and mayonnaise was just another challenge she tackled with enthusiasm on her TV show, "The French Chef." The egg-based condiment can be whipped up in mere minutes, but the emulsification process can be a bit daunting. Child didn't necessarily make it look easy, but she did make it look possible, and that was revolutionary for the 1970s home chef.

As much as she adored making (and eating) fresh mayo, she was famously practical and found no shame in store-bought condiments. In fact, she was happy to endorse Hellmann's whenever she had the chance. Julia Child's famous tuna salad recipe is generous with the mayo, and Dorie Greenspan, Child's working partner in the mid-'90s, confirmed her most trusted brand was Hellman's.

Christina Tosi believes we should never lose our childhood innocence, and she professes that in the form of cookies, cakes, and milkshakes. Her unique creations at Milk Bar are riffs on nostalgic sweets we adored as kids, with flavors like cereal milk, birthday cake, and marshmallow cornflakes, but she'll always have a soft spot for Nutella. In Carrie Solomon and Adrian Moore's eye-opening book "Chefs' Fridges," Tosi fondly recalls being 13 in Northern Italy: "My favorite part of the day was at 3 p.m. We would get fresh rolls and we would smother them with Nutella."

When eating the chocolate hazelnut spread right from the spoon, Tosi probably never imagined her future would involve so much of the delicious condiment. She still celebrates the flavor today, whether snacking in her own kitchen, experimenting on an episode of "Master Chef," or in one of her Milk Bar creations.

Bobby Flay may be an intimidating competitor on his Food Network shows, but he's eager to share his cooking tips when winning isn't on the line. In a behind-the-scenes tour of his stocked pantry, Flay presented shelves lined with anchovies, Calabrian chiles, mustards, and dozens of other specialty tins. He may be the undeniable grill master, but Flay doesn't limit his flavors to any region. The chef has an entire shelf dedicated to South Asian flavors, and his favorite "pantry hack," as he told Misfits Market in an interview, is curry paste.  

Flay always has some red and green curry paste on hand, and in the interview, the celebrity chef can be seen with cans of Maesri on his pantry shelves. With some curry paste, coconut milk, and just 15 minutes or so, a beautiful curry can be thrown together. He recommends pouring it over some chicken or grilled salmon, but anything goes. It's a foolproof way to bring some life back into yesterday's veggies and rice.

As the only American to hold numerous three-star Michelin ratings, Thomas Keller is one of the most respected culinary figures out there. His list of honors could fill a book, with awards from the Culinary Institute of America, the James Beard Foundation, and even a cameo on FX's Emmy-winning TV show, "The Bear." Now, with his own restaurant group spearheading six award-winning establishments, Keller is constantly whipping up creative new dishes in the kitchen, and he's never hesitant to grab a jar of mustard. Keller shares Garten's love for the zesty condiment, but his go-to is Edmond Fallot's Dijon mustard. The deliciously creamy French mustard has apparently been a staple in the Bouchon kitchen, notably whisked into a dish of mussels.

The creamy texture makes it ideal for mixing into dishes, but the tangy bite makes it a special accouterment for salty cured meats and briney snacks. When creating a custom menu for Napa Valley's Kenzo Estates, Keller was sure to include Edmond Fallot's Dijon mustard on his reimagined charcuterie. The platter wasn't complete without a generous dollop of the exquisite Dijon, paired with pork sausage and assorted salamis. Josh Crain, chef de cuisine at The Venetian's Bouchon Bistro back in 2015, explained the restaurant's flawless mustard vinaigrette that featured none other than Edmond Fallot's Dijon. With just red wine vinegar and a little oil added, the mustard transforms into an effortless salad dressing that Keller vouges for.

After moving to the U.S. in 1991, José Andrés helped introduce tapas to the dining scene. He's now one of the most influential Spanish-American chefs to date, with almost 40 restaurants under his belt. Andrés deploys his passion through his restaurant group, ThinkFoodGroup, and his food relief non-profit, World Central Kitchen, but he never forgets his roots. Spanish food has plenty of signature flavors, but paprika (or pimentón) is one of the most recognizable and happens to be close to José's heart.

The D.C.-based restauranteur is always up for a conversation surrounding food, and lucky for us, he shares personal insights in his newsletter, Longer Tables. "I wanted to tell you all today about one of my absolute favorite ingredients in the kitchen ... pimentón," he shared in one entry. The smoky spice always has a place in his kitchen, used in traditional Spanish dishes like romesco sauce and pulpo a la gallega. The spice, which made its way from Mexico to the southwest region of Spain, Extremadura, is slightly sweet with just the right amount of heat to complement milder Spanish dishes. It was in Extremadura that the country's best peppers were eventually grown, specifically in the rural town of La Vera. While other brands of paprika will suffice, Jose stands by Pimentón de la Vera's superiority. The peppers are dried with smoke, a special technique unique to La Vera that ultimately led to Pimentón de la Vera being a PDO (protected designation of origin).