Kitchen Set Rental for Film, TV and Video: Common Questions, Answered

Whether you're producing a cooking show, a food commercial or a batch of recipe videos, the kitchen you shoot in affects everything from how you light the space to how quickly your team can reset between takes, so it's worth understanding what a good kitchen set offers before you book one. We've answered the questions producers ask most often about renting a kitchen set and planning a food shoot, using Studio C, the working kitchen set at MCM Creative Studios in Chelsea, as an example along the way.

Choosing a kitchen set

What is a kitchen set rental?

A kitchen set rental is a production studio built to look and work like a real kitchen, which gives you a believable home or professional cooking environment along with the sound control, power and rigging space of a soundstage. At MCM, Studio C is our dedicated kitchen set, and it's built for cooking shows, food commercials, cookbook content and branded food and kitchenware videos.

Why rent a kitchen set instead of shooting in a real home or restaurant kitchen?

Real kitchens weren't designed with cameras in mind, so crews often end up working around low ceilings, street noise, humming refrigerators, tight angles and a homeowner's or restaurant's schedule. A kitchen set removes most of those variables, since the space is booked for production and built to accommodate lights, cameras and crew. Studio C, for example, is soundproof and climate-controlled with 10 feet of ceiling clearance, which gives your team room to rig overhead shots and light the counters properly.

What features should I look for in a kitchen set?

The most important question is whether the appliances actually work, since a stove that's only for show will limit what your talent can cook on camera. Beyond that, look for a separate prep area, easy access to water, reliable Wi-Fi if you plan to stream, and enough space around the island for camera movement. Studio C covers each of these with a working gas stove, hot water, an electric double wall oven, a refrigerator and a full-service prep kitchen just off set.

Can the look of a kitchen set be customized?

That depends on the studio, but a set that can change its finishes is a big advantage if you're shooting multiple episodes, clients or campaigns in the same space. Our kitchen set uses interchangeable magnetic countertops and cabinets, so you can switch between butcher block or white Corian countertops and white or gray panel drawers, and we can add custom set dressing, including seasonal and holiday looks, to match your brand.

What kinds of productions use kitchen sets?

Cooking shows and recipe series are the most common, although kitchen sets are also popular for food and beverage commercials, kitchenware and appliance demos, cookbook promotion, celebrity food content and even beauty and lifestyle shoots that need a warm, lived-in backdrop. Studio C has hosted work for Rachael Ray, PBS's Cooking with Lidia Bastianich, Hot Dish with Franco for Food Network and Max, Hot Ones, Uber Eats, OXO x Baked by Melissa, McCormick's Red Cap campaign with Doug E. Fresh and One Course with JB Smoove, and you can watch several of these on the MCM Stages kitchen set page.

Planning and booking your shoot

How much prep space does a food shoot need?

More than most people expect, since food stylists usually prepare several versions of each dish, including hero plates for close-ups and swaps for each step of a recipe, and all of that work has to happen off camera without cluttering the set. A separate prep kitchen with its own sink makes a big difference, which is why Studio C pairs the main set with a full-service prep kitchen upstairs.

How do you get clean audio when filming in a kitchen?

Kitchens are noisy by nature, so the space itself matters a lot. Refrigerators, vent hoods and HVAC systems can all hum under dialogue, and a studio that isn't soundproofed will also pick up traffic and neighbors. Shooting in a soundproof set like Studio C gives your sound mixer a quiet baseline, and it's still a good habit to plan quick pauses for appliances between takes.

Can you livestream a cooking show from a kitchen set?

Yes, as long as the studio has a strong internet connection and good sound isolation, since a dropped stream or a siren in the background is hard to recover from live. Studio C has high-speed Wi-Fi that works well for live cooking demos, product launches and social streams.

Do I need to bring my own camera, lighting and crew?

Not always, since many studios offer equipment packages and some can staff the whole shoot. MCM offers camera, grip and lighting packages with Studio C, and because we're a full-service production company, we can also provide producers, directors, DPs, camera operators, gaffers and PAs, then take your footage through editing, color, sound mixing and sound design in-house.

What should talent and clients expect on a shoot day?

A comfortable shoot day usually means a dedicated hair and makeup area, a private space for talent and somewhere for clients and agency teams to watch without crowding the set. Studio C has an HMU station, a private talent green room and a client and guest lounge, and we can arrange crafty, catering or a coffee bar, with an MCM stage manager on site to keep things running smoothly.

How long should I book a kitchen set for?

Plan for more than your cooking time, since load-in, pre-lighting, food prep, resets between takes and cleanup all take up studio hours. If you're shooting several recipes or episodes, blocking out a full day usually works better than squeezing everything into a short booking, and the team at your studio can help you map out a realistic schedule.

What affects the cost of renting a kitchen set?

The biggest factors are the length of your booking, whether you need equipment and crew, any custom set dressing or props, and whether your day is likely to run into overtime. It helps to share your shot list and schedule when you ask for a quote, so the studio can price everything up front. At MCM, we build each Studio C quote around your specific production.

Where is MCM's kitchen set, and how do I book it?

Studio C is at 253 West 28th Street in Chelsea, Manhattan, in the same building as our green screen stage, white cyc stage and home studio set, so productions that need more than one look can move between sets without a company move. To check availability or request a quote, reach out through our contact page or call (917) 740-7612 with your dates, the look you're going for and whether you'll need gear or crew.

The right kitchen set makes a food shoot easier at every stage, from prep and lighting to sound and resets, so it pays to look for working appliances, real prep space and a team that knows how to make food look great on camera. If you're planning a shoot in New York, Studio C brings all of that together under one roof in Chelsea. Get in touch to check availability and start planning your shoot.