I’m Alton Brown and This Is How I Work
Alton Brown is a chef, television personality, storyteller and writer, as well as a witty interpreter of the basics of cooking. He is the embodiment of Lifehacker’s culinary aspirations, and it’s no surprise that we post his work regularly.
You probably know him best from his longtime show Good Eats on the Food Network, where he studied the science and methodology of cooking and the equipment needed to do it. But he has done much more, from his bestselling books to hosting myriad TV shows, his ever-attracting podcasts and touring America with his live performances . Currently, you can watch him as the host of Cutthroat Kitchen . Alton even appears on YouTube from time to time (which we talk about a lot here) and maintains an active conversation on Twitter . How could he even do all this? We spoke with Alton to find out a little about how he works.
Location: Los Angeles, currently Current Concert: Writer / Producer / Television Host / Cameo Theater Narrator. One word that best describes how you work: Chaotic current mobile device: iPhone 6 Current computer (and what OS does it run on?): A beat up MacBook Air running Yosemite.
What apps, software or tools can’t you live without?
- Pencils : I like to write with lead
- Stickers : leave myself a lot of notes
- Afterlight : I edit a lot of photos
- Spotify : I Listen to Lots of Music
- ForeFlight : I fly planes
- Thermapens : I cook a lot
- Silk, knitted ties : best for hiding microphones.
- Cut Brooklyn knives : I cut a lot
How is your workplace arranged?
I like working while standing, so kitchen counters work best – any counter will do. I’m not a big fan of sitting when I work.
What’s your best time-saver or life hack?
Email is answered twice a day. I went back to this thing called the “telephone” for most of my communication. Quite effective.
What’s your favorite to-do list manager?
What device, besides a phone and a computer, can you not live without and why?
Swiss army knife because this is still the physical world and your phone cannot open a bottle of wine.
What are some of the things you do best in everyday life? What’s your secret?
I make a great martini. The secret is to keep everything (except olives) in the freezer, including glasses.
What do you listen to while you work?
I usually work with jazz from the late 50s to mid 60s.
What are you reading now?
“Rainbow of Gravity” , the James Bond novels and ” Soul of the Octopus” by Cy Montgomery.
How do you replenish?
A very large Mophie .
What is your sleep routine?
No matter when I go to bed, I get up early. I work best for 6 to 7 hours, but laziness at night usually gets in the way.
Fill in the blank: I would like _________ to answer these same questions. Adam Savage.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
“Never take from a partner what you can borrow from a bank.”
What else would you like to add that might be of interest to readers and fans?
Until it is proven that you are wrong, consider that you are the weak link in any system.