The Cook's Warehouse Is Here For You

Wednesday, September 14, 2022

All photos thanks to Monica Farber/Hello Fancy Media

The Cook's Warehouse is a haven for those of us who love to cook. One step inside the Midtown shop and you'll see cookware galore, the best selection of knives, pantry ingredients from around the world, a cooking class area, and the friendly faces of employees who can help you with just about anything cooking-related. We talked to Chef Nealey Thompson, the Cooking School Manager and Executive Chef at The Cook's Warehouse, about all that the shop offers–and we got a some of her recommendations for kitchen-related gifts, which are always a great idea! Having kitchen tools that work well can be the key to enjoying the process of making dinner.

Picking up your G&G orders each week from The Cook's Warehouse is the perfect excuse to stop in. As one of our pick up locations, you can pick up your orders from the shop each week on Mondays from 4 to 6pm. Send us an email if you have any questions about picking up!

Say hi to Nealey if you see her in the shop!

Can you give us a rundown of all that The Cook’s Warehouse offers? How do you describe the shop? 

The Cook’s Warehouse is a locally-owned and operated gourmet cookware store and recreational cooking school located in the heart of Midtown. Our store offers cookware, knives, coffee makers, blenders, ovens, gadgets, grills, and everything in between. Our cooking school hosts public classes and private events seven days a week!

When did The Cook’s Warehouse first open and how did it get started? 

The Cook’s Warehouse was founded by Atlanta native Mary S. Moore in 1995 after a visit to a cookware store in New York City left her inspired to bring something similar to our city. We have been in business 27 years, which is absolutely incredible. In addition to our Midtown store, we have a robust online business shipping nationwide.

What are some of your cooking classes coming up soon? How can we book them? 

Autumn is our favorite time of year for the cooking school because it means the holidays are coming. We have lots of baking classes—French macarons, Croissants, Eclairs, Doughnuts—featuring delicious fall flavors! We offer plenty of date night options showcasing delicious French and Italian fare. We are also booking holiday parties and private events. You can find out more about our classes and private experiences on our class homepage.  

What’s your favorite class that you’ve personally taught? 

I recently launched a monthly series with Chef Paul Zang titled Culinary Explorations. Each class is designed to deep dive into the history and ingredients that are particular to a singular area or region. This series has been a dream of mine for years, and it is so satisfying to see it come to life. Our first class in August featured Rome, and last week we covered Oaxaca. (The students even ground their own fresh masa!) Up next is Persia. We do a lot of historical research when we create the menu, and we work hard to source heirloom ingredients for the class. It’s a lot of work, but it is an incredible way for me to grow as a chef and pass along that knowledge to my students.

What’s your personal go-to knife? 

Let me start by admitting that I have a knife problem. So. Many. Knives—My Miyabi Birchwood Nakiri is my treasure. I would save it in a fire!

Do you have any knife recommendations for beginners? 

All Miyabi knives are fantastic, but I always recommend starting with an 8-inch Chef’s Knife and building from there. Plan on spending about $150 for a good one, and buy a honing steel to keep it sharp after every use. Even more importantly, have it professionally sharpened often, and it will last you a lifetime. (We offer knife sharpening at the store.)

What’s the one tool that everyone should have in their kitchen? 

Impossible question! After a very sharp knife, I’d say a good cutting board (I swear by Epicurean Boards). The three things I probably use daily are my Wusthof Kitchen shears, Chef’n Lemon juicer and my Microplane zester.

What kind of kitchen tools or cookware would you suggest as gifts for home cooks? It’s always nice to have some ideas in your back pocket!

I don’t think you have to have fancy cookware to make great food, but I definitely believe that investing in excellent cookware can improve the experience. Hestan Nanobond stainless steel cookware has been a game changer in my kitchen. I was never really sold on stainless cookware until I started using it, and now I am an evangelist. If I could only have one pot or pan on a dessert island, it would be the 5 quart essential pan. It’s utterly perfect. If I could have a second, it would be the 5 quart sauté. Seriously, I wouldn’t need anything else!

For something more budget friendly, our Olivelle olive oils and vinegars make a great gift. (You can never have too much delicious olive oil!) We have an amazing selection of gourmet foods, such as Momofuko Chili Crisp, Hayden Mills Flours, Jacobsen Salts, Spicewalla spices, etc that make great hostess presents. I love to gift Kuhn Rikon ratchet grinders with Cole & Mason coarse salt and peppercorns.

And for the person that literally has everything, gift cards for cooking classes are a great way to give the gift of time! We have a class for every skill level and interest.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with us?

If you have any questions about cookware, cooking, coffee, etc, just come see us! We live to talk about our favorite recipes, techniques, and cookware brands, and if we are anything, we are honest! We value our Atlanta community and believe that nothing will ever replace high quality customer service.

Follow The Cook's Warehouse on Instagram to stay up to date with cooking classes and new products!