How much should I expect to pay for a private chef?

[Anonymous]

I definitely know people that have a nanny that does this if the kids are older and don’t need much supervision, even an afternoon nanny/driver. My friends ask the nanny to do a recipe, nothing elaborate - typical home cooking like a taco salad or pork tenderloin with rice. The nanny at least gets everything prepped and ready to go and sometimes fully cooked before she leaves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A lot cheaper to just get married to the right woman.

Is that you, JD?

[Anonymous]

A real chef who is your FTE and responsible for all meals, planning, shopping, etc., is going to be at least $150k/year.

But there are lots of less expensive ways to do it, like have someone come once or twice a week and make things that can be reheated. Or meal delivery services.

[Anonymous]

You all seem to be looking for an Alice on the Brady Bunch. Someone who makes a full-time salary working 11am-7pm, doing laundry, dusting, vacuuming, cooking dinner, and cleaning up after. Finding someone to just cook dinner seems like it would be difficult and/or crazy expensive because it’s quite specialized work tied to one spot for only a few hours daily. Talented & in-demand people really don’t work for just $40k/year nowadays, especially a job that they’d have to show up for daily. A chef share, like a nanny share, among neighbors could be interesting but still sort of unrealistic with the logistics involved.

I “cook” the next day’s dinner right before I go to bed when all’s quiet in the house (which is the key). Takes ~20 minutes to set up a tray with meat/chicken/fish to thaw, chopped veggies/salad/etc., and measured out ingredients that I slide into the fridge. Then I write up a cheat sheet wrt cook times so that everything finishes at 6pm on the dot. I also prep a grab-n-go breakfast and the kids’ bento lunchboxes then as well, plus hardboil a dozen eggs every couple days to keep in the fridge. When dinner time comes, it’s a quick mix and slide into the oven or a toss into a pan, while sides warm on the stovetop. Soooo easy and peaceful, while the kitchen smells so good as the kids are doing their homework.

Prep is where all the time and effort is. Buying meat/chicken in massive bulk at Costco, breaking it down into exact portions for each dinner, and then freezing is a huge time-saver. If you’re really into red meat, consider buying a quarter or half a beef. The best trick I learned in Asia is to save and freeze your leftover cooked rice…when you accumulate a full Tupperware of rice, add veggies, meat, and eggs for a super-easy stir fry. Also making a dozen pans of lasagna/casserole/chilis/soups at once and then freezing is how you pre-cheat on days you don’t feel like cooking. A chest freezer is essential. And then there’s thousands of crockpot recipes that simply require planning ahead.

Gonna let my wife know that my hour of kitchen work daily is worth $50k-100k/year to some of you, and then ask for a raise!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You all seem to be looking for an Alice on the Brady Bunch. Someone who makes a full-time salary working 11am-7pm, doing laundry, dusting, vacuuming, cooking dinner, and cleaning up after. Finding someone to just cook dinner seems like it would be difficult and/or crazy expensive because it’s quite specialized work tied to one spot for only a few hours daily. Talented & in-demand people really don’t work for just $40k/year nowadays, especially a job that they’d have to show up for daily. A chef share, like a nanny share, among neighbors could be interesting but still sort of unrealistic with the logistics involved.

I “cook” the next day’s dinner right before I go to bed when all’s quiet in the house (which is the key). Takes ~20 minutes to set up a tray with meat/chicken/fish to thaw, chopped veggies/salad/etc., and measured out ingredients that I slide into the fridge. Then I write up a cheat sheet wrt cook times so that everything finishes at 6pm on the dot. I also prep a grab-n-go breakfast and the kids’ bento lunchboxes then as well, plus hardboil a dozen eggs every couple days to keep in the fridge. When dinner time comes, it’s a quick mix and slide into the oven or a toss into a pan, while sides warm on the stovetop. Soooo easy and peaceful, while the kitchen smells so good as the kids are doing their homework.

Prep is where all the time and effort is. Buying meat/chicken in massive bulk at Costco, breaking it down into exact portions for each dinner, and then freezing is a huge time-saver. If you’re really into red meat, consider buying a quarter or half a beef. The best trick I learned in Asia is to save and freeze your leftover cooked rice…when you accumulate a full Tupperware of rice, add veggies, meat, and eggs for a super-easy stir fry. Also making a dozen pans of lasagna/casserole/chilis/soups at once and then freezing is how you pre-cheat on days you don’t feel like cooking. A chest freezer is essential. And then there’s thousands of crockpot recipes that simply require planning ahead.

Gonna let my wife know that my hour of kitchen work daily is worth $50k-100k/year to some of you, and then ask for a raise!

Who on earth said they'd pay $100k for this? Feels like you're replying to a straw man just to give yourself a reason to brag.

But yeah, I'd be very happy if my spouse did what you do. But he doesn't, and I don't want to either, so yeah I would throw money at this problem pretty happily. You're right that it's hard to find someone willing to do such a small job, which is why we're all in this thread whining to each other. Feel free to skip it next time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A lot cheaper to just get married to the right woman.

Is that you, JD?

I sincerely doubt Usha the law partner cooks dinner every night (or every night).

He spouts regressive views but he doesn’t seem to hold them personally, otherwise she would have had to quit long ago.

[Anonymous]

+1 to PPs who said you need a nanny/housekeeper. In fact, I am shocked that you have made it all the way to 7 figures and just now are thinking about prioritizing healthy food for your children. I mean literally, what could be more important for growing bodies?! I bet you do Lunchables/school lunch too!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You all seem to be looking for an Alice on the Brady Bunch. Someone who makes a full-time salary working 11am-7pm, doing laundry, dusting, vacuuming, cooking dinner, and cleaning up after. Finding someone to just cook dinner seems like it would be difficult and/or crazy expensive because it’s quite specialized work tied to one spot for only a few hours daily. Talented & in-demand people really don’t work for just $40k/year nowadays, especially a job that they’d have to show up for daily. A chef share, like a nanny share, among neighbors could be interesting but still sort of unrealistic with the logistics involved.

I “cook” the next day’s dinner right before I go to bed when all’s quiet in the house (which is the key). Takes ~20 minutes to set up a tray with meat/chicken/fish to thaw, chopped veggies/salad/etc., and measured out ingredients that I slide into the fridge. Then I write up a cheat sheet wrt cook times so that everything finishes at 6pm on the dot. I also prep a grab-n-go breakfast and the kids’ bento lunchboxes then as well, plus hardboil a dozen eggs every couple days to keep in the fridge. When dinner time comes, it’s a quick mix and slide into the oven or a toss into a pan, while sides warm on the stovetop. Soooo easy and peaceful, while the kitchen smells so good as the kids are doing their homework.

Prep is where all the time and effort is. Buying meat/chicken in massive bulk at Costco, breaking it down into exact portions for each dinner, and then freezing is a huge time-saver. If you’re really into red meat, consider buying a quarter or half a beef. The best trick I learned in Asia is to save and freeze your leftover cooked rice…when you accumulate a full Tupperware of rice, add veggies, meat, and eggs for a super-easy stir fry. Also making a dozen pans of lasagna/casserole/chilis/soups at once and then freezing is how you pre-cheat on days you don’t feel like cooking. A chest freezer is essential. And then there’s thousands of crockpot recipes that simply require planning ahead.

Gonna let my wife know that my hour of kitchen work daily is worth $50k-100k/year to some of you, and then ask for a raise!

Who on earth said they'd pay $100k for this? Feels like you're replying to a straw man just to give yourself a reason to brag.

But yeah, I'd be very happy if my spouse did what you do. But he doesn't, and I don't want to either, so yeah I would throw money at this problem pretty happily. You're right that it's hard to find someone willing to do such a small job, which is why we're all in this thread whining to each other. Feel free to skip it next time.

My family has a cooked dinner on the table every night, and it’s not a burden in our house. If you instead paid a personal chef $100k/yr to get it done daily, you end up with the same result. And I doubt the personal chef touches the dirty dishes. Problems are solved with money or effort. Doing nothing does nothing. Since few can actually afford a full-time personal chef, the halfway solution offered a few times in the thread of was to pay a chef to prep meals for reheating, but hiring a chef to do all that is total overkill. Food is fun! Meal prepping is fun too. There’s lots of smart people in here complaining about failing very simple life tasks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A lot cheaper to just get married to the right woman.

No it’s not!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You all seem to be looking for an Alice on the Brady Bunch. Someone who makes a full-time salary working 11am-7pm, doing laundry, dusting, vacuuming, cooking dinner, and cleaning up after. Finding someone to just cook dinner seems like it would be difficult and/or crazy expensive because it’s quite specialized work tied to one spot for only a few hours daily. Talented & in-demand people really don’t work for just $40k/year nowadays, especially a job that they’d have to show up for daily. A chef share, like a nanny share, among neighbors could be interesting but still sort of unrealistic with the logistics involved.

I “cook” the next day’s dinner right before I go to bed when all’s quiet in the house (which is the key). Takes ~20 minutes to set up a tray with meat/chicken/fish to thaw, chopped veggies/salad/etc., and measured out ingredients that I slide into the fridge. Then I write up a cheat sheet wrt cook times so that everything finishes at 6pm on the dot. I also prep a grab-n-go breakfast and the kids’ bento lunchboxes then as well, plus hardboil a dozen eggs every couple days to keep in the fridge. When dinner time comes, it’s a quick mix and slide into the oven or a toss into a pan, while sides warm on the stovetop. Soooo easy and peaceful, while the kitchen smells so good as the kids are doing their homework.

Prep is where all the time and effort is. Buying meat/chicken in massive bulk at Costco, breaking it down into exact portions for each dinner, and then freezing is a huge time-saver. If you’re really into red meat, consider buying a quarter or half a beef. The best trick I learned in Asia is to save and freeze your leftover cooked rice…when you accumulate a full Tupperware of rice, add veggies, meat, and eggs for a super-easy stir fry. Also making a dozen pans of lasagna/casserole/chilis/soups at once and then freezing is how you pre-cheat on days you don’t feel like cooking. A chest freezer is essential. And then there’s thousands of crockpot recipes that simply require planning ahead.

Gonna let my wife know that my hour of kitchen work daily is worth $50k-100k/year to some of you, and then ask for a raise!

Who on earth said they'd pay $100k for this? Feels like you're replying to a straw man just to give yourself a reason to brag.

But yeah, I'd be very happy if my spouse did what you do. But he doesn't, and I don't want to either, so yeah I would throw money at this problem pretty happily. You're right that it's hard to find someone willing to do such a small job, which is why we're all in this thread whining to each other. Feel free to skip it next time.

My family has a cooked dinner on the table every night, and it’s not a burden in our house. If you instead paid a personal chef $100k/yr to get it done daily, you end up with the same result. And I doubt the personal chef touches the dirty dishes. Problems are solved with money or effort. Doing nothing does nothing. Since few can actually afford a full-time personal chef, the halfway solution offered a few times in the thread of was to pay a chef to prep meals for reheating, but hiring a chef to do all that is total overkill. Food is fun! Meal prepping is fun too. There’s lots of smart people in here complaining about failing very simple life tasks.

Just because you think meal prepping is fun, doesn’t mean everyone agrees.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:+1 to PPs who said you need a nanny/housekeeper. In fact, I am shocked that you have made it all the way to 7 figures and just now are thinking about prioritizing healthy food for your children. I mean literally, what could be more important for growing bodies?! I bet you do Lunchables/school lunch too!

Usually pack them cheezits and Diet Coke for lunch, actually.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:+1 to PPs who said you need a nanny/housekeeper. In fact, I am shocked that you have made it all the way to 7 figures and just now are thinking about prioritizing healthy food for your children. I mean literally, what could be more important for growing bodies?! I bet you do Lunchables/school lunch too!

Usually pack them cheezits and Diet Coke for lunch, actually.

That's just terrible. Everyone knows you are supposed to pack goldfish crackers and Diet Coke. Fish have Omega 3's which are good for their brains.

OP hasn't said anything about not prioritizing healthy food. They are looking for an efficient way to provide healthy food. There's no evidence that they haven't been providing it in some way, they're just hoping to find another way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:+1 to PPs who said you need a nanny/housekeeper. In fact, I am shocked that you have made it all the way to 7 figures and just now are thinking about prioritizing healthy food for your children. I mean literally, what could be more important for growing bodies?! I bet you do Lunchables/school lunch too!

Usually pack them cheezits and Diet Coke for lunch, actually.

That's just terrible. Everyone knows you are supposed to pack goldfish crackers and Diet Coke. Fish have Omega 3's which are good for their brains.

OP hasn't said anything about not prioritizing healthy food. They are looking for an efficient way to provide healthy food. There's no evidence that they haven't been providing it in some way, they're just hoping to find another way.

OP said “It's fast food or mac and cheese or ham sandwiches or some other crap” and if they can’t even manage healthy dinners, I doubt they are doing any better for breakfast or lunch.

[Anonymous]

Check out your listserv. I’m not in dc but there are several chefs in my area that does meal prep type deliveries. We order meals for the week are delivered to our door on Mondays. 125 a week for 10 meals plus delivery.

[Anonymous]

^neighborhood listserv