Chef Charles Knight – Culinary Innovator, Educator & Television Personality
Charles R. Knight (Chef Charles Knight) Culinary Innovator, Educator & TV Personality
Charles Raymond Knight (born February 20, 1947) is an American chef, cookbook author, television personality, entrepreneur, and United States Naval Air veteran. He is best known as an infomercial pioneer and the founder of Health Craft Cookware, a company specializing in premium waterless and greaseless stainless-steel cookware. Over a career spanning more than five decades, Knight has become a prominent advocate for healthy home cooking, nutritional education, and American-made craftsmanship. He is recognized internationally as one of the leading authorities on the classical methods of waterless and greaseless cooking and an early innovator of televised culinary education.
Early Life and Education
Knight was born on February 20, 1947, in Rahway, New Jersey, to Clarence Raymond Knight, a truck driver, and Minnie Lucille Youngman, a waitress. Growing up in mid-century New Jersey, he was influenced by the region’s ethnically diverse food culture and diner traditions, which inspired his passion for accessible, home-based cooking.
He received his early culinary training under Chef William Christmas while still in high school, working in industrial kitchens and restaurants. Later in life he attended the Institute of Culinary Education (ICE) in New York City and earned credits in Nutritional Cuisine from the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, New York.
Knight also trained under television personality Chef Tell Erhardt, host of PM Magazine, whose charisma and technical precision influenced Knight’s approach to live and televised cooking demonstrations.
Career
Knight established the Health Craft Cookware Company on July 7, 1970, from a small office above Forum Tuxedo across from Stewart’s on St. George Avenue in Rahway, New Jersey. The company became known for its multi-ply stainless-steel cookware engineered for waterless and greaseless cooking, emphasizing nutrient retention, flavor preservation, and energy efficiency.
Through Health Craft, Knight introduced thousands of home cooks to the science of low-moisture cooking. His cookware innovations gained wide popularity for their unique features, performance and durability.
Knight gained national attention as a live cooking demonstrator, performing at home shows, fairs, and shopping centers across the United States. His presentations combined humor, nutritional education, and culinary science, effectively pioneering a new form of “edutainment” marketing in the cookware industry.
By the 1980s, Knight had become one of the first infomercial chefs in America, using television to teach cooking techniques and promote health-conscious eating. He appeared in more than 250 broadcasts nationwide, including Jack Can’t Cook with Jack Harris on WFLA/NBC and the Food Network and In the Kitchen with Chef Tell on the PAX Television Network.
His international television debut came on Tammy’s House Party in June 1987 with Tammy Faye Bakker on the PTL Network, marking the beginning of his long media career as a culinary educator and spokesperson for healthy cooking.
Authorship and Publications
Knight is the author of several instructional and educational cookbooks, including:
- The Better Health Cookbook
- A Guide to Waterless Cooking
- Healthy Meat and Potatoes
- Cooking for a Longer, Healthier Life
- In the Kitchen with Chef Tell
His books focus on practical, health-conscious methods using modern cookware technology and emphasize his belief that “better health begins in the kitchen.” Knight has also written extensively about the history and origin of American and European recipes, nutritional science, and home culinary innovation.
Military Service
Before launching his culinary career, Knight served honorably in the United States Navy Air with VP-8 Anti-Submarine Warfare Squadron. His time in the Navy reinforced discipline, precision, and leadership skills that later defined his entrepreneurial and teaching success.
Personal Life
Knight resides in Tampa, Florida, with his wife and business partner LeAnn Knight. Together, they have co-authored several recipe collections and hosted the live demonstration series Cooking for Two. In addition to his culinary work, Knight writes and speaks on topics related to faith, health, and cultural revival, integrating spiritual principles with his lifelong message of nutrition and wellness.
Legacy
As part of the first generation of television chefs, Charles Knight helped bridge the gap between the professional kitchen and the home cook—ushering in a new era where culinary education met mass media.
Chef Charles Knight is regarded worldwide as a trailblazer in cookware education and televised culinary performance. His innovations in waterless and greaseless cooking systems have influenced both professional chefs and home cooks.
Through Health Craft Cookware, Knight promoted the principles of nutritional preservation, American manufacturing, and healthy living through cooking. His educational programs and infomercial techniques became industry standards for health-oriented cookware marketing.
Knight’s career continues to inspire future generations of chefs, educators, and entrepreneurs to pursue wellness, craftsmanship, and creativity in the kitchen.
References
- Health Craft Cookware Official Website. Company History and Product Information. https://www.healthcraft.com
- Knight, Charles R. The Better Health Cookbook. Health Craft Publications, Tampa, FL.
- Knight, Charles R. Cooking for a Longer, Healthier Life. Health Craft Press.
- “Tammy’s House Party” (PTL Network, 1980s) – Episode archives and guest features.
- United States Navy Historical Archives – VP-8 Anti-Submarine Warfare Squadron Service Records.
- Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park – Alumni Continuing Education Records (Nutritional Cuisine Credits).
- Erhardt, Tell. In the Kitchen with Chef Tell. Syndicated television program, 1980s–1990s.
Charles R. Knight
{{Infobox person
| name = Charles R. Knight
| image = Charles_Knight_HealthCraft.jpg
| caption = Chef Charles Knight, founder of Health Craft Cookware
| birth_name = Charles Raymond Knight
| birth_date = February 20, 1947
| birth_place = Rahway, New Jersey, U.S.
| nationality = American
| occupation = Chef, author, entrepreneur, television personality
| years_active = 1970–present
| known_for = Founder of Health Craft Cookware; pioneer of waterless and greaseless cooking; infomercial television chef
| education = Institute of Culinary Education (New York City); Culinary Institute of America (Hyde Park)
| spouse = LeAnn Knight
| website = [https://www.healthcraft.com healthcraft.com]
| military_service = United States Navy Air Service, VP-8 Anti-Submarine Warfare Squadron
}}
Lede Summary
Charles Raymond Knight (born February 20, 1947) is an American chef, cookbook author, television personality, and entrepreneur. He is best known as an infomercial pioneer and the founder of Health Craft Cookware, an American company specializing in premium waterless and greaseless stainless-steel cookware. A United States Naval Air veteran, Knight has been a leading advocate for nutritional education, healthy home cooking, and American-made craftsmanship for more than five decades. He is widely regarded as a foremost authority on the classical methods of waterless and greaseless cooking and an early innovator of televised culinary education.