The WORST episodes of Cooks vs. Cons

Every episode of Cooks vs. Cons ever, ranked from worst to best by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The worst episodes of Cooks vs. Cons!

Professional chefs and home cooks compete to impress a rotating panel of judges, who make their decisions based solely on taste and presentation. And it's only after a winner is declared that the contestants reveal their true identities.

Last Updated: 8/9/2024Network: Food NetworkStatus: Ended
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star
6.00
18 votes

#1 - Fish and Chip Championship

Season 2 - Episode 12 - Aired 9/25/2016

Cooks fry up their interpretations of the British staple of fish and chips; Thanksgiving leftovers are used to create a winning dish.

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star
6.69
16 votes

#2 - Meatball Madness

Season 5 - Episode 4 - Aired 7/26/2017

In the first round, meatball subs sound easy enough, but it takes some pro moves to make them with unusual buns; in round two, the cooks and cons incorporate pomegranates; judges Aarti Sequeira and Justin Warner decide who wins.

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star
6.86
14 votes

#3 - Biscuits and Gravy

Season 5 - Episode 2 - Aired 7/12/2017

In round one, the cooks and cons must incorporate berries into their biscuit and gravy dishes; in round two, the cooks and cons try to play nice in a battle of licorice.

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star
6.92
13 votes

#4 - Spice and Ice

Season 5 - Episode 10 - Aired 9/6/2017

Incorporating flavored ice pops into curry; in round two, the remaining contestants hit the gas using beans in their dishes as host Geoffrey Zakarian and judges Amanda Freitag and Alex Guarnaschelli suss out the pros and amateurs.

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star
7.07
15 votes

#5 - Macho Nachos

Season 3 - Episode 13 - Aired 2/15/2017

Nachos with canned soup for round one; in round two, cake must be used in a savory dish; Sunny Anderson and Daphne Oz judge.

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star
7.09
11 votes

#6 - Pizza Party

Season 5 - Episode 13 - Aired 9/20/2017

In round one, the cooks and cons incorporate ranch into their pizza dishes; in round two, host Geoffrey Zakarian has the remaining contestants cook their best avocado-infused dish.

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star
7.09
11 votes

#7 - Endless Pastabilities

Season 5 - Episode 12 - Aired 9/20/2017

Chip-infused ravioli dishes in round one; in the second round, the contestants must make peace with the surprise ingredient and incorporate chickpeas into their dishes.

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star
7.09
11 votes

#8 - A Lotta Empanada

Season 5 - Episode 9 - Aired 8/30/2017

Empanadas with hazelnuts; in round two, host Geoffrey Zakarian and judges Josh Capon and Aarti Sequeira are in despair trying to separate the remaining contestants into cooks and cons while they prepare masterpieces with pears.

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star
7.10
10 votes

#9 - Iron Chef Shake-Up

Season 5 - Episode 8 - Aired 8/23/2017

Iron Chefs Jose Garces and Alex Guarnaschelli judge round one as the cooks and cons make stuffed mushrooms that incorporate vanilla; in round two, the contestants make un-fig-ettable masterpieces with figs.

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star
7.10
10 votes

#10 - Taco Tug-O-War

Season 4 - Episode 12 - Aired 6/7/2017

The cooks and cons all vie to reel in the win while making fish tacos; judges Daphne Oz and Gail Simmons have a hard time sussing out the pros and amateurs in Round 2, and decide who made the best dish incorporating sausage.

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star
7.14
22 votes

#11 - A Lotta Frittata

Season 3 - Episode 5 - Aired 12/21/2016

The contestants must include olives in their creamy egg cakes; judges Daphne Oz and Justin Warner choose the best rice dish.

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star
7.18
39 votes

#12 - Doughnut Derby

Season 2 - Episode 1 - Aired 7/10/2016

Heavyweight chefs battle it out with amateur cooks for a big cash prize as judges Scott Conant and Daphne Oz attempt to separate the cooks from the cons! The lasagna challenge is layered with twists, as contestants must incorporate the surprise ingredient: condiments. Then, round two keeps rolling as the surprise ingredient doughnuts has the remaining cooks colliding between sweet and savory.

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star
7.18
11 votes

#13 - High Steaks

Season 5 - Episode 3 - Aired 7/19/2017

In round one, the cooks and cons create chicken fried steak dishes with peas; in round two, host Geoffrey Zakarian and judges Beau MacMillan and Daphne Oz try to grind out the pros and cons after they are challenged with using pecans in their dishes.

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star
7.23
13 votes

#14 - Not Your Mama's Meatloaf

Season 5 - Episode 6 - Aired 8/9/2017

Creating spins on the American classic, meatloaf, by adding a little citrus to the mix; the heat is on in round two when the cooks and cons must infuse their dishes with jalapenos to impress judges Carla Hall and Daphne Oz and take home the win.

Watch Now:Amazon
star
7.25
12 votes

#15 - The Whole Enchilada

Season 5 - Episode 5 - Aired 8/2/2017

In round one, the cooks and cons must create their best enchilada dishes incorporating cereal; in the second round, the judges continue to stalk out the contestants' true identities when choosing who made the best dish using celery.

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star
7.29
17 votes

#16 - Lunchbox Bonanza

Season 3 - Episode 6 - Aired 12/28/2016

Daphne Oz and Scott Conant judge; the competitors must use kids' lunch snacks in a steak and egg meal; in round two, the chefs try to make use of mustard as the surprise ingredient.

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star
7.32
19 votes

#17 - Crantastic Quesadillas!

Season 3 - Episode 8 - Aired 1/11/2017

The contestants must use cranberries to create quesadillas; Scott Conant and Daphne Oz judge the waffles the pros and amateurs make in their attempt to win the big cash prize.

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star
7.32
62 votes

#18 - Mac 'n' Cheese Meltdown

Season 1 - Episode 2 - Aired 3/24/2016

The pros and home cooks serve their best mac and cheese dishes to judges Graham Elliot and Daphne Oz.

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star
7.33
15 votes

#19 - Tailgate Takedown

Season 3 - Episode 11 - Aired 2/1/2017

The cooks must incorporate tailgate snacks in their sliders; the pros and amateurs must make dishes out of pizza toppings; Eddie Jackson and Daphne Oz judge.

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star
7.38
13 votes

#20 - Egg Fight

Season 4 - Episode 6 - Aired 4/29/2017

In the first round, Judges Aarti Sequeira and Justin Warner fish for the cooks and cons while observing the contestants hook up tuna casserole with milk. The remaining contestants try not to crack under pressure when incorporating eggs in their round two masterpieces.

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star
7.39
18 votes

#21 - Juicy Resolutions

Season 3 - Episode 7 - Aired 1/4/2017

The cooks make stuffed peppers; judges Daphne Oz and Justin Warner judge the chefs' cheesy dishes.

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star
7.41
29 votes

#22 - Pancake Pandemonium

Season 2 - Episode 4 - Aired 7/31/2016

The playing field is flattened during the pancake challenge, as pros and amateurs alike must decide how to incorporate onions into their dishes. Judges Scott Conant and Alex Guarnaschelli are tasked with awarding the prize to the tastiest creation, despite the surprise ingredient of grapes that will leave one contestant feeling sweet and others sour.

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star
7.43
14 votes

#23 - Nacho Average Cook

Season 5 - Episode 11 - Aired 9/13/2017

Incorporating peppermint into a breakfast hash; in round two, the remaining contestants must melt the judges' hearts with their best dish using nachos.

Watch Now:Amazon
star
7.44
16 votes

#24 - Ballpark BBQ

Season 5 - Episode 1 - Aired 7/5/2017

In round one, the cooks and cons are tasked with fusing corn and hot dogs; after one contestant strikes out, the remaining contestants continue to round two in hopes of making their best dish, incorporating barbecue.

Watch Now:Amazon
star
7.44
86 votes

#25 - Burger Battle

Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 3/17/2016

Professional chefs and home cooks vie for cash in this series, which begins with a burger battle judged by Graham Elliot and Daphne Oz, who are kept in the dark as to who the pros and amateurs are when tasting their dishes. The competition moves on with a challenge involving tropical fruit.

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