• Prepping Food

A cook helper is primarily responsible for peeling, cutting, and shredding fruits and vegetables, butchering and seasoning meat, and measuring and mixing ingredients. This prep work cuts down the chef’s cook time.

• Testing Food

Cook helpers smell, pierce, and taste food to check its doneness and quality. This is an important part of the cook helper’s job because it prevents undercooked or subpar food from being served to customers.

• Managing Inventory

The cook helper keeps the kitchen well stocked, ensuring all necessary items are on hand by making note when stock is low and ordering food and supplies as needed.

• Maintaining Work Area and Equipment

Commercial kitchens are held to specific standards of cleanliness with regards to both the work area itself and the equipment that is stored and used within it. A cook helper assists in ensuring compliance with these regulatory requirements is met.

• Collecting and Storing Leftovers

Any food that is left over must be properly labeled and stored. This task performed by the cook’s helper is important because improper labeling or storage may result in serving errors and possibly spoilage and customer illness.