---
title: "Mise en place: what it means in cooking — Tiny Plates"
description: "Mise en place means having every ingredient measured, cut and ready, and every tool at hand, before you start cooking, so nothing burns while you chop."
url: "https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/mise-en-place"
---

# Mise en place

Mise en place means having every ingredient measured, cut and ready, and every tool at hand, before you start cooking, so nothing burns while you chop.

_Mise en place_ is French for "putting in place". It means getting all your ingredients and equipment ready before you start to cook: everything washed, measured, chopped and set out within reach. Cooks often shorten it to "mise".

## How to do it

1. Read the whole recipe before you start, including the method.
2. Take out every ingredient and check you have enough.
3. Get out the tools you need: pans, bowls, knives, spoons, a thermometer.
4. Wash, peel and cut everything as the recipe says: dice the onion, mince the garlic, chop the herbs.
5. Measure liquids, spices and other small amounts into small bowls or [ramekins](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/ramekin).
6. Group items that go into the pan at the same time. Spices added together can share one bowl.
7. Arrange everything in the order you will use it, near the stove.
8. Preheat the oven and pans if the recipe needs it.

## Why it works

Many dishes move fast once the heat is on. Stir-fries, sautés and sauces can go from raw to burnt in the minute it takes to chop an onion. With everything ready, you can give all your attention to the pan. You also find out before you start if something is missing. Professional kitchens rely on it: every station sets up its mise before service so dishes can be cooked [à la minute](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/a-la-minute).

## Common mistakes

* Starting to cook and prepping as you go, then burning the garlic while you look for the cumin.
* Not reading the recipe to the end and missing a step such as "marinate overnight".
* Using so many little bowls that doing the dishes takes longer than cooking. Group ingredients that go in together.
* Prepping delicate ingredients such as basil or avocado too early. They brown. Cut them last.

## In recipes

Recipes often build mise en place into the ingredient list: "1 onion, finely diced" means the dicing is part of your prep, not the method. Keep your station tidy as you go, too. See [clean as you go](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/clean-as-you-go).

## Related terms

* [Clean as you goClean as you go is the habit of washing, wiping and putting things away during cooking instead of at the end, so the kitchen stays safe, clear and calm.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/clean-as-you-go)
* [À la minuteÀ la minute means cooked to order, right before serving, rather than made ahead and held warm. It is how restaurants keep fast dishes at their best.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/a-la-minute)
* [Brigade systemThe brigade system is the classic way a professional kitchen is organized, with a head chef, a sous-chef and station cooks who each own one task.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/brigade-system)
* [RamekinA ramekin is a small, round, ovenproof dish for baking and serving single portions, such as crème brûlée, soufflé and baked eggs. Here is how to use one.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/ramekin)
* [Meal prepMeal prep is planning and preparing meals or ingredients ahead, often on one day a week, so weekday cooking takes minutes and you eat to a plan.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/meal-prep)

[More in kitchen workflow](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/category/kitchen-workflow)[Every term from A to Z](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary)