The WORST episodes of Top Chef: Masters
Every episode of Top Chef: Masters ever, ranked from worst to best by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The worst episodes of Top Chef: Masters!
Bravo’s Top Chef Masters returns for a fifth season with 13 new award-winning chefs ready to compete for bragging rights, the title of ‘Top Chef Master’ and $100,000 for their charity. In a new twist this season, each Master will have his or her sous chef compete in an online competition, “Battle of the Sous Chefs,” hosted by Hugh Acheson. The results of each online episode directly impacts the Masters, awarding them advantages, such as immunity (the winner of each battle earns the Top Chef Master immunity), and sometimes, disadvantages, depending on their sous chef’s performance (the chefs who perform the worst always earn obstacles for their Top Chef Master). Every episode of “Battle of the Sous Chefs” leads up to the next episode of Top Chef Masters, and explores the uniquely interdependent relationship between a Master chef and his or her sous chef. Celebrity chef Curtis Stone is back as series host alongside new head critic Gail Simmons, with returning judges James Oseland, Ruth Reichl, and Francis Lam, and new judge, food and dining editor Lesley Suter. The chefs face off in some of the most difficult and unique challenges seen thus far -- and they’re serving up food for some top entertainers and celebrity guest judges including: Busy Philipps, Kathie Lee Gifford, Lindsay Price, the cast of Days Of our Lives, Ali Larter, the cast of Yo Gabba Gabba, LA Cult Favorites Lucha Va Voom among others. To date, Top Chef Masters has given over 1 million dollars to charities with this season increasing that total to over 1.25 million dollars. The series pits 13 world-renowned chefs against each other to see how well they fare in fierce culinary competition. Each week will whittle down the chefs until the finale where one winner is crowned “Top Chef Master” and receives the grand prize of $100,000 for their charity.
#1 - Lucha Vavoom
Season 5 - Episode 8 - Aired 9/11/2013
The winner of this week’s Battle of the Sous Chefs challenge, along with their Top Chef Master, get to create today’s Quickfire. Then, the chefs face a culinary body slam, as they create dishes with a Mexican flair for the wrestlers of Lucha Vavoom. Que sabroso!
#2 - Finale: Top Chef Master
Season 1 - Episode 10 - Aired 8/19/2009
#4 - Dietary Restrictions
Season 1 - Episode 8 - Aired 8/5/2009
The five remaining chefs engage in a battle of burgers; guests actress Zooey Deschanel and filmmaker Morgan Spurlock.
#5 - Champions Round Begins
Season 1 - Episode 7 - Aired 7/29/2009
The top six chefs get a surprise as they prepare to cook their signature dishes.
#6 - Trick in a Box
Season 1 - Episode 6 - Aired 7/22/2009
The chefs are challenged to create a dish using items found in only one aisle of the grocery store, Whole Foods, with each chef drawing knives to determine their aisle. However, they only have a budget of $20. The diners for this challenge are workers at Whole Foods. Then, the chefs are challenged to make a meal using ingredients one of their fellow chefs have chosen for them with each chef drawing knives to see who they get paired with.
Watch Now:Apple TV
#7 - Miniaturize Me
Season 1 - Episode 5 - Aired 7/15/2009
The chefs are challenged to turn classic junk food items into fine-dining cuisine. The cast of Flipping Out are the diners for this challenge. Then, the chefs are challenged to create a mini 3-course "meal" for 100 people, without any help whatsoever. The meal must be based on an appetizer, an entree, and a dessert.
Watch Now:Apple TV
#8 - Magic Chef
Season 1 - Episode 4 - Aired 7/8/2009
In the Quickfire, the four chefs take a page from season three's special "4 Star All Stars" when they find themselves manually challenged when they must cook an egg with one hand tied behind their backs- literally! Then it's on to a magically themed Elimination with Neil Patrick Harris as guest judge.
#9 - Offal Tasty
Season 1 - Episode 3 - Aired 6/24/2009
Tonight's quickfire challenge for the next group of four chefs comes from season four's "Seven", asking them to make a dish using color. Then they must sell upmarket street food using offal as the base ingredients.
#10 - Holly Madison's Pool Party
Season 4 - Episode 5 - Aired 8/22/2012
In this week’s Quickfire challenge the Chefs must make a dynamic duo dish for a couple of dynamic musicians – The Indigo Girls. For the elimination challenge, the Chefs are tasked with making a whimsical all-you-can-eat - bottomless bloodys & mimosas brunch at an upscale sexy pool party, hosted by Ms. Vegas, Holly Madison. Bikini-clad servers will serve the chefs’ creations to Holly’s friends lounging poolside. Special guest judges include The Indigo Girls and Holly Madison.
#11 - Masters Get Schooled
Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 6/10/2009
In the premiere episode of "Top Chef Masters," Hubert Keller (Fleur de Lys), Christopher Lee (Aureole), Michael Schlow (Radius Restaurant), and Tim Love (The Lonesome Dove Western Bistro) are the first four chefs to draw knives and kick off a whole new level of culinary competition. The Master chefs are tasked with cooking dessert for a tough crowd of judges, Girl Scouts, and in the elimination challenge the acclaimed chefs must cook a three course meal in a college dorm room.
Watch Now:Apple TV
#13 - Finale
Season 4 - Episode 10 - Aired 9/26/2012
#14 - I'm With the Band
Season 3 - Episode 6 - Aired 5/11/2011
The tables are turned in this week’s Quickfire when the cheftestants become the judges and have to critique their fellow chefs. Then in the Elimination Challenge, the remaining contestants are in for a double dose of surprises. Pop Rock group Maroon 5 drops by and challenges the chefs to create a feast fit for a rock star, but it's not that easy. Once again the tables are turned and the chefs are taken out of kitchen and brought to a surprise location to prepare their meals.
#15 - Catch of the Day
Season 5 - Episode 7 - Aired 9/4/2013
Special guest judge actress Ali Larter challenges the chefs to elevate nachos for their Quickfire. Then the chefs get totally tubular as they cook up the catch of the day for Malibu locals. Divided in to pairs, they have to create a dish with a hot and cold preparation of the same fish, and hope that the critics’ response is better than lukewarm.
#16 - Culinary Knock Out
Season 4 - Episode 7 - Aired 9/5/2012
This week the chefs will battle it out -- facing off in a boxing ring to serve our critics and boxing champ, Sugar Ray Leonard. The winner of the first match will compete against the winner from the second match in a third match for the win and $10,000. The losers from the first and second match will face off one last time to determine who will be sent packing. Special guest judge is Sugar Ray Leonard.
#17 - Grand Canyon Cookout
Season 4 - Episode 4 - Aired 8/15/2012
This week, the Chefs are tasked with taking ordinary salad bar ingredients and making them “pop” for music legends, the B-52’s. Then the Chefs will take a trip to the Grand Canyon for a cookout like never before. The Chefs will be paired up to cook for the Hualapai tribe, using ingredients from the tribe’s sacred land.
Watch Now:Apple TV
#18 - What Would Brian Boitano Eat?
Season 4 - Episode 3 - Aired 8/8/2012
They can cook, but can they put on a show? The Chefs will be split into teams of 3 and have their skills put on full view as they cook up a 3-course meal to serve VIP guests at the most challenging of chef’s tables, a Teppanyaki. With only 30 minutes to put on a delicious and dazzling show, they’ll be serving some of our favorite Top Chef Masters along with our critics. Special guest judges include: Olympic gold medalist Brian Boitano and acclaimed chefs May Sue Milliken, Susan Feniger, Rick Moonen, Jonathan Waxman.
#19 - You May Now Feed The Bride
Season 4 - Episode 2 - Aired 8/1/2012
The meal mavens prepare cuisine for a wedding.
#21 - Everything Old is New Again
Season 3 - Episode 2 - Aired 4/13/2011
The masters are in for a treat this week when two high-profile celebrities visit the top chef kitchen. Pop Star and trained chef, Kelis, drops by to judge a very meaty quickfire challenge and then Mad Men actress, Christina Hendricks and her husband, actor Geoffry Arend, enlist the help of the cheftestants in a special '60s-themed Elimination Challenge.
#22 - Restaurant Wars
Season 3 - Episode 1 - Aired 4/6/2011
Top Chef Masters is back with a brand new host, new judge and a new format -- so why not start the competition off with something familiar, the most notorious of all Top Chef challenges, Restaurant Wars? These master chefs have opened their share of award-winning restaurants, but nothing could have prepared them for the pressure that’s on now. With their egos on the line, the knives come out right out of the gate.
#23 - Improv
Season 2 - Episode 9 - Aired 6/2/2010
Taking inspiration from Top Chef Chicago's season four, the remaining chefs must use unusual pairings from Los Angeles' The Groundlings improv troupe to create dishes.
#24 - Would You Like Fries With That?
Season 3 - Episode 5 - Aired 5/4/2011
Master chefs know how to work under pressure, but how well can they do fast food? This week’s Elimination Challenge puts the cheftestants to the test in a traditional Southern California eatery, the drive-through. The cheftestants will have to operate a fast food drive-through, from the grill to serving up their best meals and all in less than two minutes.
#25 - Blinded Me With Science
Season 3 - Episode 8 - Aired 6/1/2011
The ace culinarians delve into science and technology by utilizing modern-day kitchen gadgetry to whip up breakfast. Later, they tap into old-school chemistry at a science fair to render culinary creations.