‘Chopped’: Contestants Believe the Cooking Competition Has Gotten Easier Over the Years
Chopped is Food Network’s crown jewel. The show has been around for over a decade and has consistently generated impressive ratings for the network. The show gained ground due to its intense drama-filled format involving chefs running around trying to beat the clock and deliver Chopped-worthy meals for a chance to win the grand prize.
While the series has its own behind-the-scenes secrets, former contestants believe the cooking competition has gotten easier over the years.
An earlier version of ‘Chopped’ was so wacky that it never made it to TV
Chopped debuted in 2009 and follows four contestants who participate in three rounds where they try to add unusual combinations of ingredients into meals that three judges later evaluate. In the beginning, the contestants are given a mystery box containing four mystery ingredients.
The chefs are expected to come up with dishes that use all the ingredients in the basket in some way. While it’s acceptable for a chef to fail to use an ingredient, it plays a huge part in the judges’ final decision.
Chopped contestants usually have unlimited access to stocked pantries and refrigerators containing several ingredients, and each contestant has their own workstation for preparing the food. The kitchen also has top-of-the-line cooking equipment and tools, including a blast chiller, deep fryer, and ice cream machine.
Every round has a time limit the chefs are supposed to adhere to; otherwise, they face disqualification from the show. The winner takes home $10,000, but sometimes the prize is larger depending on the type of competition.
Chopped has been a rating juggernaut for the 52 seasons it has been on the air, but according to Vice, the show had an entirely different format when it began. The outlet reports that the pilot episode featured the contestants arriving in limos at a mansion where the show was filmed.
The mansion had a butler, and there was a pet Chihuahua who ate the loser’s dish. Food Network reportedly thought the idea was so wacky that they didn’t even air it.
‘Chopped’ contestants feel the show has gotten easier
Chopped became a fan favorite due to its intense contests involving chefs running up and down trying to beat the clock and even fighting for the ice cream machine. This sports-like atmosphere resonated well with fans for the years the show has been on the air.
However, by some contestants’ accounts, the show has gotten easier recently. Michael Vignola, who appeared in the show’s third and all-star seasons, spoke to Tasting Table about his experience and some behind-the-scenes secrets.
He revealed that some aspects of the Network show are easier today than they used to be. He said, “They always do walk-throughs of the pantry for contestants before the competition, so they know where the ingredients are.”
Vignola said that during his time on the show, the producers intentionally removed some items or moved them around to confuse the contestants. He also said the producers would ration the ingredients and make the chefs fight for them, but now, according to Insider, the producers boil the contestants’ water and preheat their ovens ahead of time.
More behind-the-scenes secrets of Chopped’
According to Insider, much thought goes into the mystery baskets the contestants receive at the beginning of each episode. Ted Allen told Food Republic in 2015 that the producers usually plan the mystery baskets for an entire season, and all the baskets always contain riddles.
Additionally, the show has one ice cream machine to create “a level of semi chaos” among the chefs, with Allen noting that he doesn’t think the show will get another machine. Also, Allen isn’t allowed to sit down during filming and has to canvas each station to report on them. The contestants can shoo him away if he bothers them.
