About Us

Meet Chef Marín

I started in a professional kitchen at 16. Twenty-four years later, I'm still there — and I wouldn't have it any other way.

As Executive Chef and Corporate Chef for some of Spain's most recognized hotel groups — Barceló, Iberostar, Meliá, Princesa Yaiza, Hotel Botánico, and others — I've opened restaurants from scratch, managed teams of 80 people, standardized operations across 25+ properties, and designed menus served to thousands of guests every single day.

I've worked in 5-star resorts across the Canary Islands, mainland Spain, Cuba, and the Caribbean. I've cooked for VIP events, led kitchen brigades through high-pressure openings, and spent years perfecting the systems that make a professional kitchen run smoothly.

But when I walk through my front door and my two daughters run up to say hello — I'm just Dad. And like any parent who's spent all day in a kitchen, the last thing I want at home is complicated.

Why I created Smart Cook by Chef Marín

After 24 years cooking professionally, I know something most home cooks don't: the difference between a frustrating kitchen and an enjoyable one usually comes down to a few key tools.

I've seen every kind of kitchen equipment — the overpriced stuff that doesn't perform, and the affordable tools that genuinely work. I created this store to cut through the noise and share what I actually know: which tools deliver real results, which ones are worth your money, and which ones you can skip.

Every product here has been selected with one question in mind: Would I recommend this to someone who wants to cook well at home, at a fair price? Something that makes your time in the kitchen easier, better, and more enjoyable. If the answer is yes, it's here. If not, it's not.

And if you need proof it works — my wife would tell you herself. She went from avoiding the kitchen to genuinely enjoying it, and she'd be the first to say that having the right tools made all the difference. That's exactly the kind of result I had in mind when I built this store.

What you get when you shop here

• Products hand-picked by a Chef with 24 years of professional experience — not a marketing team
• Honest, straight-talking descriptions — no exaggerated claims, just what each tool does and how to get the best out of it
• Real quality at prices that make sense for everyday home cooking
• Free shipping on every order, with easy returns if something's not right

You don't need a professional kitchen to cook like one. You just need the right tools — and someone who knows the difference.

— Chef Marín, Executive Chef & Corporate Chef
Barceló · Iberostar · Meliá · Princesa Yaiza · Hotel Botánico · and others