About MasterChef ™
MasterChef â„¢ is an amateur American cooking reality television series derived from the British series of the same name. It features amateur and home cooks competing to win the title of 'MasterChef â„¢'.
At the time of writing, the judges are Gordon Ramsay, Joe Bastianich, and Aarón Sánchez.
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MasterChef is a derivative of the British BBC series , also called MasterChef. The competition is typically filmed in the MasterChef studio in Los Angeles, CA where there is a large professional kitchen with individual cooking stations overlooked by a balcony (where contestants are sometimes sent), a fully stocked pantry, a freezer/fridge area and a dining area occasionally used in challenges.
The following challenges are regularly featured on MasterChef â„¢:
Auditions Test: Whereas with other reality cooking shows the selection process is hidden from the public, on MasterChef â„¢ we witness the final rounds where the hopeful cooks compete for the coveted apron. We see the candidates cook a single dish and we hear the judgement of these dishes.
Themed Test: A theme (often a common cooking techniques or renowned cooking event), is chosen and the contestants perform against that theme. This type of test sometimes, but not always, involves an elimination.
Mystery Box: Cooks are given a box with a common ingredient and need to show their skills with those ingredients to create a dish within a set amount of time. The judges select three dishes by wandering around the kitchen area during the cooking, and they taste only the three selected. From these three, they select one winner who usually gains an advantage of some type.
Elimination Test: After the elimination challenge is explained, judges evaluate all dishes based on taste and visual appeal. The judges praise the best dishes, but also nominate the worst dishes for elimination and critique them before eliminating (typically) one contestant.
Team Challenge: The cooks are split into teams and carry out a task which typically happens outside of the MasterChef â„¢ kitchen. Judges or diners taste both meals and vote for their favorite. The winning team advances, while the losing team is penalized in some way, based on performance. Sometimes the team challenge is also an elimination challenge.
The final round sees two or three contestants competing against each other in a three-course cook-off. The winner of each season typically wins $250,000, a trophy, and the title of MasterChef â„¢.