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The Institute of Culinary Education (ICE) is one of the nation’s most highly regarded, dynamic and innovative culinary and hospitality schools, with campuses in the culinary capitals of America: New York City and Los Angeles, and robust online programs.
Founded in 1975, the school offers award-winning eight- to 16-month career training programs in Culinary Arts, Pastry & Baking Arts, Plant-Based Culinary Arts, Restaurant & Culinary Management, and Tourism, Travel & Hospitality Management. Students can earn a diploma or an Associate’s Degree, and take courses in person at either campus or online. ICE also offers certificate programs in The Art of Cake Decorating, Artisan Bread Baking, and Intensive Sommelier Training. With comprehensive curricula and consistent hands-on training, ICE prepares students to achieve their culinary dreams in as little as eight months.
Featuring a global curriculum, expert chef-instructors, an eye toward entrepreneurship and excellent job placement, the Institute of Culinary Education is recognized by top chefs and industry experts as a leader in culinary and hospitality education.
In 2016, ICE was named “The Best Culinary School in America” by The Daily Meal, a major food and lifestyle website, and earned the title Culinary School of the Year from the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) four times since 2003. What’s more, the school’s chef-instructors, staff and alumni have consistently been recognized with top industry awards, including James Beard Awards, IACP Awards, Food & Wine’s “Best New Chefs,” and Dessert Professional Magazine’s “Top 10 Pastry Chefs.”
The Institute of Culinary Education’s mission is to help students find their culinary voice. Whether a bakery, restaurant, hotel, food media or a food startup, ICE aims to help each individual find the creative light within.
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With physical campuses in New York City and Los Angeles, ICE students have unparalleled access to the culinary world. Industry leaders, renowned chefs, cookbook authors, culinary entrepreneurs and food media stars can be seen on campus demonstrating signature techniques, sharing career advice, and offering insights on how to succeed in the industry. Past speakers have included icons like Aarón Sanchez, Stephanie Izard, Eric Ripert, Nancy Silverton, Gail Simmons, and Shenarri Freeman. These events offer inspiration, facilitate networking opportunities and showcase the various career paths a culinary education can create. Students also benefit from access and volunteer opportunities at industry events in both cities.
ICE’s New York City campus features a 74,000-square-foot facility that extends over a single floor flooded with natural light and offering sweeping views of the Hudson River. Designed for creativity and community, the school has 12 high-tech teaching kitchens, the nation’s first education-focused bean-to-bar chocolate lab, a hydroponic garden, a culinary technology lab, a demonstration kitchen and dedicated facilities for wine and mixology training.
In 2018, ICE opened a second campus in Los Angeles — an oasis for food and restaurant lovers in one of the most exciting food cities in America. ICE Los Angeles has over 38,000 square feet of modern, spacious teaching facilities with seven professionally equipped teaching kitchens and dedicated academic classrooms. Industry leaders were thrilled to welcome ICE to the West Coast. According to prolific chef and restaurateur Wolfgang Puck, “Los Angeles is a hub of culinary innovation and having a culinary school of ICE’s caliber in this market will only enhance the city’s standing as a major culinary center in the United States.”
In 2021, ICE launched online programs offering aspiring culinary and hospitality professionals the opportunity to access comprehensive training from their own homes. Online programs include Culinary Arts & Food Operations, Plant-Based Culinary Arts & Food Operations, Baking and Pastry Arts & Food Operations, Restaurant & Culinary Management, and Tourism, Travel & Hospitality Management. Derived from ICE’s award-winning on-campus programs, these courses emphasize culinary theory, technique, and science in addition to hands-on cooking. Online students enjoy the flexibility to cook and study at their own pace, and still benefit from personalized one-on-one feedback from instructors. The hands-on culinary, plant-based and pastry online programs include restaurant management modules, and can also be combined with applied general education courses for students who would like to earn an Associate of Occupational Studies degree.
Click here for information or to schedule a tour of the Institute of Culinary Education.
Find your culinary voice
To complement kitchen and classroom training, ICE includes externships as an essential part of its curriculum. This enables students to gain real-world experience working in restaurants and food businesses and opportunities for networking. Students work with a dedicated Career Services advisor to identify externship sites that match their individual career goals. With strong connections to top employers in southern California and New York City, ICE has placed students in the kitchens of Tom Colicchio, Daniel Boulud, Missy Robbins, Marcus Samuelsson, Christina Tosi, Jean-Georges Vongerichten and more. Externship experiences often result in a job offer upon graduation. Top chefs and restaurants actively recruit from ICE, who has already helped nearly 20,000 alumni find their path in the industry.
Culinary Arts at ICE (on campus or online) — ICE’s award-winning Culinary Arts program caters to aspiring chefs and creative food professionals. With training focused on foundational culinary theory, students practice an array of professional-level culinary skills that are the basis for fine cooking. Grounded in classical French technique, the program also explores techniques, ingredients and flavors of international cuisines including Italy, Greece, North Africa, Thailand and India. Graduates have gone on to pursue opportunities in restaurants, private dining, catering, food media, startups, public relations, marketing, cookbooks, publishing and more.
Pastry & Baking Arts at ICE (on campus or online) — Providing a solid foundation in the principles of pastry, students explore the delicate balance of technique and creativity that makes the world of pastry, baking and desserts unique. Lessons dive into fruit-based desserts, sugar cookery, cake decorating, chocolate confections, frozen desserts and essential dough. While some students go on to become pastry chefs, others have worked in hotels, bakeries, and chocolate shops.
Plant-Based Culinary Arts at ICE (on campus or online) — For health-conscious individuals who believe plant-based cooking is healthier for the body, soul and planet, ICE provides a comprehensive training program focused on nutrition, wellness and healing. The curriculum covers the seven principles of food sourcing, preparing raw and plant-based foods, exploring plant-based pastry and desserts, and the potential for food as healing – all with a foundation in culinary theory and technique.
Restaurant & Culinary Management at ICE (on campus or online) – This program is for individuals who aspire to create, grow, or own a culinary business – think: restaurants, cafes, bars, food trucks, bakeries etc. The program teaches the strategic and operational aspects of running a profitable culinary business. Aspiring entrepreneurs study concept development, menu design, staff management, marketing, finance and much more. The course includes guest lectures from leading restaurateurs and specialty food retailers, as well as field trips that take advantage of ICE’s unique locations and connections in New York City and Los Angeles.
Tourism, Travel & Hospitality at ICE (on campus or online) — Want a career in hospitality, tourism or travel? Gain comprehensive strategic, operational and financial training in a business management program spanning these interrelated industries. This course can be the launchpad for careers in luxury hotels, event planning, event management, cruises, airlines, theme parks and much more. Students have access to a variety of industry experts through guest lectures and dive deep into guest service, food and beverage management, staffing and event planning.
Artisan Bread Baking at ICE (New York City and Los Angeles) — Explore the history and craft of bread baking on a global scale — from traditional European loaves to specialty breads like pita and naan, as well as viennoiserie and even bread show pieces. In ICE’s bread baking program, students examine the science of bread and learn the core skills required to craft creative adaptations of traditional recipes. ICE’s professional bread baking course is developed and led by Chef Sim Cass, the founding baker of New York City’s acclaimed Balthazar Bakery and one of the pioneers of the modern bread baking movement.
The Art of Cake Decorating at ICE (New York City) — Learn to craft award-winning cakes with the Institute of Culinary Education’s cake decorating program. Courses cover basic techniques such as buttercream piping and sugar flowers, and explore the history and celebrated traditions of cake design around the world. Students train in various methods of contemporary cake decorating, from advanced sugar work and hand sculpting to airbrushing, hand painting and novelty cakes.
Intensive Sommelier Training at ICE (New York City and Los Angeles) — One of the nation’s leading wine education programs, students taste over 300 wines from around the world using the Court of Master Sommelier’s Deductive Tasting Method. The course explores grape growing, winemaking, tasting, and professional service techniques, and upon graduating, students sit the CMS Introductory and Certified Sommelier exams onsite. The world of wine offers a range of career opportunities, including sommelier, beverage director, brand ambassador, retailer and more.
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