Salt might seem like the most standard of pantry staples. Whether it’s in individual packets, added to a shaker and placed alongside black pepper, or sold in a 3-pound bucket, it’s all just the same ol’ crystals of sodium chloride, right?

Not so fast. The style and brand of salt you use can make all the difference between a dish that falls flat, one that sings and is full of flavor, or one that is so salty, it’s inedible. (Also, when you add salt during cooking also matters!)

To help us smartly stock up and season like the pros, we asked chefs from coast to coast to reveal their favorite salt brand as well as the ways (both classic and unexpected) they like to use it.

Our Panel of Salt-Savvy Chefs 

• Jeanette Donnarumma, a recipe developer and Emmy Award-winning producer in Ridgewood, New Jersey
• Lauren Grant-Vose, recipe developer and founder of Zestful Kitchen in Minneapolis, Minnesota
• George Guzman, chef at Carta Wine Bar in New York City
• Sammy Mila, recipe developer, food stylist, and owner of Crème Bakery in Des Moines, Iowa
• Mary Payne Moran, chef-owner of The Silver Lake Kitchen cooking school in Los Angeles and the author of “The Vita Gang Mysteries: Who Stole Vita D?”

Allrecipes