Chefs Without Restaurants
Not every chef works in a restaurant, and there are plenty of ways to build a career in the food industry.
On Chefs Without Restaurants, host Chris Spear talks with chefs, food entrepreneurs and other people doing interesting things in the food world. Guests include personal chefs, caterers, cookbook authors, food truck owners, farmers, research chefs and others who’ve taken different paths in their careers.
With more than 30 years of experience in the food industry and his own personal chef business, Perfect Little Bites, Chris brings firsthand experience and curiosity to these conversations.
They talk about how they got started, what they’re working on, the challenges they’ve faced and what they’ve learned along the way. Some conversations focus on running a business, while others get into food, creativity, career changes and the experiences that have shaped their lives.
Whether you work in the food industry, are thinking about doing something different with your career or just enjoy hearing the stories of the people behind the food, this podcast is for you.
This week on Chefs Without Restaurants, Chris Spear talks with inventor Scott Heimendinger, founder of Seattle Ultrasonics and co-founder of Sansaire. If you've ever cooked sous vide at home or followed Modernist Cuisine, there's a good chance you've used, or been influenced by, Scott's work. His latest project is the world's first ultrasonic chef's knife designed specifically for home cooks.
Chris and Scott discuss Scott's journey from Microsoft to the food world, what inspired him to spend six years developing an entirely new kind of chef's knife, and why he believes better kitchen tools aren't just about performance… they're about giving people more confidence to cook. They also dive into the realities of inventing hardware, bringing new technology to market, and what's next for ultrasonic kitchen tools.
Topics discussed:
- Scott's path from software engineer to food inventor
- The inspiration behind Seattle Ultrasonics
- How ultrasonic knives actually work
- Why reducing friction matters as much as sharpness
- Designing products that build confidence in home cooks
- Hardware development, firmware updates, and future innovations
- Advice for aspiring inventors and makers
SCOTT HEIMENDINGER
Scott's Instagram
Buy the Ultrasonic 8' Chef's Knife
CHEFS WITHOUT RESTAURANTS
If you enjoy the show and would like to support it financially, please check out our Sponsorship page (we get a commission when you use our links).
Get the Chefs Without Restaurants Newsletter
Chefs Without Restaurants Instagram, Threads and YouTube
The Chefs Without Restaurants Private Facebook Group
Chris Spear's personal chef business Perfect Little Bites
