Prep lists, station study, and the step up
- Kitchens
- 10 minutes
- 3 steps
- Free
A kitchen runs on lists and timing. AI is good at turning scribbled notes into a clean prep list and at helping you study a new station. It is not a food safety authority, and it does not know your kitchen.
You leave with
A prep list format, a way to study your kitchen's own recipes, and a clear ask for more responsibility.
Before you start: never put these into an AI tool
- Your restaurant's private recipes or prices, unless your chef says it is fine.
- Passwords, account numbers, or anything that unlocks something.
- Anything your employer says stays inside the company.
Safety: Food safety rules come from your local health code and your kitchen's procedures. Never use AI to decide cooking temperatures, holding times, thawing methods or allergen safety.
How to use the prompts
- Fill in the blanks under a prompt, then tap Copy prompt.
- Open Claude (opens in a new tab), or the AI tool your employer approves, and paste it into the message box.
- Send it, read the answer, and check it before you use it. Then come back here for the next step.
Words in this lesson
- Covers:
- the number of guests or plates a kitchen expects to serve.
Step 1 of 3Quick win
Turn notes into a prep list
Scribble what needs doing. AI groups it by station and order.
Prompt to copy
Turn my notes into a prep list for tomorrow, grouped by station, in the order things should get done. Use only what I give you. If something is missing, tell me what it is instead of guessing. Do not add any cooking, thawing or holding instructions. Notes: [your notes]
Fill in the blanks above, or replace each [bracket] yourself after pasting.
Worked example: spot the problem
Everything here is made up, for practice.
Their notes
2 pans onions diced. Chicken for 40 covers. Make ranch. Low on lemons, tell chef.
What the AI wrote
Prep: Dice 2 pans of onions. Thaw chicken for 40 covers at room temperature. Make ranch. Tell chef: low on lemons.
What did the AI add? Show the answerHide the answer
The problem: "At room temperature" was never in the notes, and it is not an approved way to thaw under common food codes. AI added a food safety instruction on its own.
Fixed, using only the notes
Prep: Dice 2 pans of onions. Chicken for 40 covers. Make ranch. Tell chef: low on lemons.
Step 2 of 3
Study a new station from your kitchen's own guide
Use your kitchen's recipe or station guide only if your chef allows it to be shared. Quantities and temperatures come from the guide, never from the AI.
Prompt to copy
Below is a recipe or station guide from my kitchen. Turn it into a short checklist I can study. Keep every quantity, temperature and allergen note exactly as written, and do not add anything. Then quiz me on it, one question at a time. [the guide]
Fill in the blanks above, or replace each [bracket] yourself after pasting.
Step 3 of 3
Ask for more responsibility
Want to learn grill, run a station, or train for sous? Ask clearly.
Prompt to copy
Help me write a short message to my chef asking to [learn a station / take on more / talk about moving up]. What I already do: [your real duties]. Respectful, under 80 words. Do not add skills or experience I did not list.
Fill in the blanks above, or replace each [bracket] yourself after pasting.
Check before you use it
- No temperature, time or allergen instruction came from the AI.
- The prep list matches your notes, nothing more.
On your resume, only if you actually did this at work
Ran [station] for [covers or shifts], [result you saw].
Use only numbers you actually know.
Record what you did, freeSource of You is not affiliated with Anthropic. Claude is a trademark of Anthropic. Print this page for a one-sheet version.