EPISODE INDEX: VOLUME 1
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Season 1
The first ever episode of Chopped aired on January 13, 2009. It featured four chefs representing New York City, NY – the home of the Chopped Kitchen Studio at Food Network’s headquarters. In fact, over three-quarters of season one chef contestants were representing New York City. Another 20% of contestants came from nearby New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. One lone contestant traveled across the country to represent Los Angeles, CA on episode nine but sadly was eliminated after the entree round.
Season one also introduced many of the infamous Chopped judges, with the first three episodes all judged by a team of Aarón Sánchez, Alex Guarnaschelli, and Marc Murphy. In various combinations, the remaining episodes introduced Amanda Freitag, Chris Santos, Geoffrey Zakarain, and Scott Conant. As the fledgling series found its wings, they experimented with varying the number of basket ingredients between three and five.
Season 2
Season two of Chopped began airing just five months after season one. The first nine episodes were typical competitions, where again, 75% of the regular episode chef contestants represented New York City, NY. The remaining 25% came from nearby states: New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania.
The final four episodes of Chopped season two were the first-ever “Chopped Champions” tournament event featuring slates of contestants who had all participated in – and won – at least one game before. This tournament was structured in a knockout-style competition. The winner of the first champions event episode, Chef James Briscione, got the opportunity to participate in the second event episode, facing off against another group of champions. Chef Briscione was eliminated in the dessert round, allowing Chef Einat Admony to advance to the third champions event episode. However, Chef Admony was then eliminated after the entree, propelling Chef Cody Utzman into the fourth and final champions competition. When Chef Utzman was eliminated after the appetizer, Chef Darius Peacock became the winner of the final competition and the first-ever “Chopped Champions” tournament event winner.
Image from Pixabay.
Image from Pixabay.
Season 3
Just four months after season two began (and only ten months after season one!), season three of Chopped kicked off with its first episode airing on October 13, 2009. Airing of the season stretched into May 2010, with a long winter break where no new episodes aired for several months. As with the prior seasons, 75% of the chef contestants represented New York City, NY, and the remaining 25% came from upstate New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.
Season three of Chopped featured multiple firsts: the first holiday-themed episode, “Season’s Choppings” (with the chefs utilizing basket ingredients like eggnog, turkey, and cranberries), the first redemption episode, “Sweet Redemption” (with four losing chefs from season one getting a second chance to compete), and the first episode (36th overall), “In a Pinch,” where two female chefs faced off in the dessert round. While each of the seven primary judges participated in at least one episode, this season also featured guest judges in five episodes, including Sue Torres (3.7 & 3.9) and an appearance by Mark Bittman (3.12).
Season 4
As season four of Chopped kicked off with its first episode airing on April 6, 2010, some aspects of the show began to settle into place. Four mystery ingredients in every basket became the standard. There were only two guest judges – Jody Williams reappearing from previous seasons in two episodes, and Marcus Samuelsson making his first appearance (although he would not become a regular judge for several more seasons). Over three-quarters of the chef contestants represented the New York City metro area, and most of the remaining contestants came from greater New York state, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. A lone contestant who traveled from South Florida to compete in episode five made it to the dessert round but did not win.
In other ways, the series continued to experiment with new ideas. Episode seven, “Fired Up!”, was the series' first grilling-themed episode, held indoors in the Chopped Kitchen. The stovetops were fitted with grill sheets, and the ovens were off-limits to the chef contestants. Episode eight, "Quahog Quandaries and Pickle Puzzles", was the first to feature an all-female judges panel consisting of Alex Guarnaschelli, Amanda Freitag, and Jody Williams.
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Season 5
Season five saw many prior chef contestants returning to the Chopped kitchen and the beginnings of many Chopped traditions. The first episode of the season, aired July 20, 2010, was a redemption competition featuring prior losing contestants from seasons two and three getting another shot at a win. The “Chopped Champions $50,000 Tournament” launched in episodes four through eight, defining the five-part tournament format – and the $50K prize – that the show has used many times since. In this tournament style, each of the first four rounds featured a fresh slate of chef competitors, with the winners of those episodes battling it out in the fifth and final game. The “$50,000 Tournament: Grand Finale” featured chefs from seasons two, four, and five. Chef Madison Cowan took the honors as the first-ever “Chopped Grand Champion.”
Episode 5.3 was the first to feature an all-female slate of chef competitors, won by Chef Rebecca Newell, who also returned to compete in the $50,000 Tournament. If that wasn’t enough, the final three episodes of the season were themed episodes centered around the fall and winter holidays: 5.11 “Fright Bites” the first-ever Halloween-themed competition, 5.12 “Cornuchopia” the first Thanksgiving-themed game, and 5.13 “Yes, Virginia, There Is a Chopping Block” the second annual holiday-themed episode.
Season 6
January 4, 2011, the first episode of season six of Chopped aired. The early kickoff of this season contributed to the overlapping airing of FIVE different seasons of Chopped during the 2011 calendar year. This crop of regular competition contestants was the first to have more than 40% representing locales widespread beyond New York City. The visiting chefs included three from Boston, MA, two from Atlanta, GA, two chefs from Washington, D.C., one chef from Baltimore, MD, one chef from Chicago, IL, plus two from New Jersey and one from upstate New York.
In addition to the typical episodes, season six featured a five-part $50,000 tournament for charity, the first-ever “All-Stars” edition. The tournament brought celebrity competitors from various backgrounds into four different preliminary games: four competitors from The Next Food Network Star in 6.6, personalities from other Food Network shows in 6.7, notable chefs in 6.8, and Chopped judges Maneet, Amanda, Geoffrey, and Aarón in 6.9. The fifth and final episode saw Chef Nate Appleman from game three beat Judge Chef Aarón Sanchez in the dessert round to win $50k for the Kawasaki Disease Foundation.
But speaking of Chopped judge Maneet Chauhan, season six marked her first two appearances as a judge in 6.2 and 6.11, in addition to her competing as representative for the judges in the tournament. Marcus Samuelsson also appeared as a judge for all but one of the All-Stars tournament episodes.
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Season 7
The inaugural episode of Chopped season seven aired on May 3, 2011. For the first time, an entire season ran a new episode weekly and ended on July 5, 2011. All were regular-style competitions, including one grilling-themed game. Appearances were made by all of the main judges, except Scott Conant and Marcus Samuelsson, neither of whom appeared in any season seven or season eight episodes. Additionally, one guest judge, Ken Oringer, stepped in for episode 7.4.
As the popularity of Chopped grew, so did its reach for chef contestants willing to travel to the Big Apple for the opportunity to compete in the Chopped Kitchen. Philadelphia, PA, and Boston, MA supplied four contestants and one winner each. Connecticut, New Jersey, and Atlanta, GA sent two chef contestants each, with only the latter having a winner; rounded out by one chef from Chicago, IL, and one from New York state. This greater variety in the pool of contestants led to a greater variety in the winners, with the ten-episode season ending in a 50/50 split of those based in New York City and those not.
Season 8
Season eight of Chopped began airing on July 12, 2011 and completed its run by the end of the year. Only episode 8.2 utilized a guest judge, Zakary Pelaccio. The rest of the episodes featured appearances by all of the main judges, except Scott Conant and Marcus Samuelsson, neither of whom appeared in any season seven or season eight episodes. All nine episodes of the season were typical competitions. Still, episode 8.1 featured four British chefs from London, episode 8.3 was a redemption episode featuring prior contestants, and the final three airing episodes of the season were the (now yearly) Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Holiday-themed games.
For the first time ever, in season eight a majority of contestants and winners were not chefs from New York City. In addition to those who traveled all the way from London to compete, chefs came from Boston, MA; greater New York state; Atlanta, GA; Washington D.C.-Baltimore, MD; Chicago, IL; Philadelphia, PA; Newark, NJ; and New Haven, CT. The away team also took a roughly 60/40 split on the bragging rights, as chefs from the U.K., Massachusetts, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey all bagged wins.
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Image by WikimediaImages from Pixabay.
Season 9
As season nine of Chopped kicked off on August 30, 2011, the show returned 16 previous contestants to the kitchen for the second “Chopped Champions $50,000 Tournament”. The championship grand finale featured chefs from seasons five, six, and seven. Chef Danielle Saunders took the honors as the first female and second-ever “Chopped Grand Champion.”
The remaining episodes of the season, which wrapped its run by the end of the year, were typical style competitions with no special themes. However, episode 9.11 did feature a contestant slate of school cafeteria workers and a special guest judge, White House Chef Sam Kass, who also worked as a nutrition policy advisor under the Obama administration. While all nine of the primary judges participated in at least one episode, this season also featured multiple guest judges in addition to Chef Kass, including Susan Feniger (9.3), Seamus Mullen (9.8), and Zakary Pelaccio (9.13).
Many of the Chopped contestants in season nine represented locations in the northeast and mid-Atlantic U.S. This included Connecticut; greater New York State; New Jersey; Portland, ME; Philadelphia, PA; and Washington, D.C. Plus the usual sourcing of chefs from close to the Chopped kitchen in New York City, NY. Rounding out the contestants were visiting chefs from Miami, FL, and San Francisco/Napa Valley, CA. Although most contestants were not chefs based in New York City, the NYC crew still took home 50% of the wins.
Season 10
December 20, 2011, the first episode of season 10 of Chopped aired, contributing to the calendar year when five different seasons were on air in overlapping schedules. Season ten, which mostly aired in January and April of 2012, included an exciting mix of regular competitions, a redemption episode, and the second “All-Stars Tournament.” Episode 10.7 also served up the first-ever “Viewer’s Choice” competition, where contestants were required to use processed cheese spread in a jar in the entree round and pork rinds in dessert.
Outside of the tournament episodes, the season featured five contestants from Miami, who also took over 40% of the wins. Other visiting contestants traveled from Washington, D.C.; San Francisco, CA; New Jersey; upstate New York; and northern Mississippi. New York City was also strongly represented with slightly over 50% of the contestants and wins.
The five-part “All-Stars Tournament” brought celebrity chef competitors with their own kitchen credentials to Chopped to compete for $50,000 for their favorite charity. The preliminary games featured Iron Chefs from Iron Chef America in 10.8, hosts of other Food Network cooking shows in 10.9, competitors from season seven of The Next Food Network Star in 10.10, and Chopped judges Chris, Marc, Alex, and Marcus in 10.11. The fifth and final episode saw Judge Chef Marcus Samuelsson from game four beat Food Network host Jeffrey Saad in the dessert round to win $50k for C-CAP (the Careers through Culinary Arts Program).
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Image from Pixabay.
Season 11
The first episode of season 11 of Chopped aired on February 7, 2012, with most episodes following weekly through May 2012. The final three episodes were the yearly Halloween, Thanksgiving, and holiday-themed shows, held to air in the fall of that year. The games were all standard-style professional competitions, except episode 11.6, which featured amateur chefs from the New York City Fire Department (FDNY).
Chefs representing New York City continued their resurgence in the Chopped kitchen, providing half of the entrants but a whopping two-thirds of the winners! Other highly represented places this season included four chefs each from Miami, FL (one winner), the Washington D.C. metro area, San Francisco/Napa Valley, CA, and New Jersey (one winner). Maine (one winner) and Connecticut (one winner) each supplied three additional chefs.
All nine regular Chopped judges participated at least twice each throughout the season, alongside a healthy helping of guest judges. Returning guest judges Seamus Mullen and Zakary Pelaccio participated in two episodes each (11.1 & 11.9 and 11.3 & 11.7, respectively). Episode 11.9 also marked the first time guests outnumbered regulars on the judge's panel: Seamus Mullen and Missy Robbins sat in, with Amanda Freitag at the head of the table.
Season 12
Season 12 of Chopped began airing on June 5, 2012, and the remaining episodes aired for the next six months. Except for Scott Conant, all the regular judges participated, plus two guest judges: Elizabeth Karmel (returning from season 10) in episode 12.5 and Claudia Fleming in episode 12.7. All thirteen episodes of the season were typical-style competitions, but heavy on special themes. Features included “Candy” episode 12.1, “Chocolate” 12.3, “New Orleans” 12.4 (featuring four contestants from the Crescent City), “All-American/4th of July” 12.5, and “Easter” 12.11 (which aired in September 2012).
Speaking of New Orleans, LA, the Pelican State supplied over 30% each of the contestants and Chopped champions, making its food scene the big winner of season 12. Other heavily represented foodie destinations included Las Vegas, NV (25% of contestants and 15% of winners) and Atlanta, GA (20% of contestants and 30% of winners). Rounding out the slate of competitors were home-team chefs from metro New York City, NY, and one chef from Los Angeles, CA.
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Season 12 Stars
Season 13
The first episode of season 13 of Chopped aired on September 4, 2012, with the remaining episodes following regularly into February 2013. This season, two episodes featured teens and amateurs (episodes 13.3 and 13.12, respectively), and two competitions featured school cafeteria workers and food bank commercial kitchen workers (13.2 and 13.5). Additionally, episode 13.11 was a redemption episode featuring prior contestants from seasons one, three, five, and seven. If that wasn’t enough, there were two special themed competitions, “Nose-to-tail” episode 13.4 and “Latin” episode 13.10.
In the remaining competitions between restaurant-based professionals, Las Vegas, NV supplied eight contestants but only one winner. New Orleans, LA did slightly better with five contestants and two winners. Atlanta, GA, Philadelphia, PA, and Washington, D.C. were also represented, along with a dozen New York City-based chefs who notched 50% of the game wins.
Except for Maneet Chauhan, the regular Chopped judges appeared throughout the season alongside a supersized portion of guest judges, such as nutrition policy advisor Sam Kass returning from season nine to judge the school cafeteria workers competition. Additional guests included Marco Canora (episode 13.6), Lee Anne Wong (13.7), and Jet Tila (13.9).
Season 14
Season 14 of Chopped served up not one, but two, tournament events. The first kicked off shortly after the season began airing on January 6, 2013. Sixteen previous contestants from seasons 8-12 went to the kitchen for the third “Chopped Champions $50,000 Tournament”. The championship grand finale featured chefs from seasons eight, nine, and eleven. Chef Jun Tanaka took the “Chopped Grand Champion” honors and the $50k back across the Atlantic to London, England.
After sprinkling in a “Leftovers” themed episode, a redemption game, and just one regular episode, the season wrapped in May 2013 with the third “All-Stars Tournament”. The preliminary games featured chefs from Food Network and the Cooking Channel in 14.9, mega-celebrity chefs in 14.10, Chopped judges Marc, Alex, Amanda, and Scott in 14.11, and celebrity amateurs in 14.12. The fifth and final episode saw Judge Chef Scott Conant from game three beat mega-celebrity Chef Gavin Kaysen in the dessert round to win $50k for Keep Memory Alive.
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Image by Manfred Guttenberger from Pixabay.
Season 15
The first episode of season 15 of Chopped aired on April 2, 2013, with the remaining episodes following regularly through July 2013. The regular judges all participated, plus two guest judges: John Li in episode 15.3 and Elizabeth Karmel (in her third guest appearance) in episode 15.10. All thirteen episodes of the season were typical-style competitions, but heavily utilized special themes and contestant identities. Features included: “Viewers Choice” episode 15.2, “Australian” 15.3, amateur cooks episodes 15.5 and 15.6, “Breakfast-lunch-dinner” 15.7, food professionals/veterans 15.8, food professionals/significant weight losers “Cooking Light” 15.9, and plant-based chefs “Vegan/Vegetarian” 15.12.
Speaking of light, plant-based food, Los Angeles, CA supplied almost 40% of the contestants and over 60% of the Chopped champions, making its food scene the big winner of season 15. New York City and Austin, TX supplied 25% and 5% respectively of competitors. Unfortunately, of those two cities, only NYC-based chefs notched wins. The other quarter of the contestants came from around the country including New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New York state, Virginia, North Carolina, and Nevada.
Season 16
Season 16 of Chopped began airing on June 2, 2013, and episodes ran weekly into August 2013. Then, the final two episodes of the season were the Halloween and Thanksgiving holiday-themed games reserved to air in October and November 2013. Besides Elizabeth Karmel’s fourth and fifth guest judging appearances in episodes 16.2 and 16.4, there were no guest judges, and all the main judges participated.
All 13 episodes of the season were typical-style competitions. Still, there were several special competitions and themes peppered throughout. Episode 16.6 featured four amateur teens ages 14 and 17. Episode 16.11 featured two sets of brothers who had previously competed together on Iron Chef America going head-to-head, with the win going to Chef Kevin Rathbun and the $10k prize going to the Atlanta Community Food Bank. Two additional episodes featured special themes: episode 16.1 “Fried” and 16.7 “Sweets”.
Continuing the California love from season 15, Los Angeles, CA once again supplied almost 40% of the contestants, but this time only 25% of the Chopped champions. Other chefs came from Austin, TX, New Jersey, and New York state and took home two wins. The remaining chefs represented the New York City and metro area home team and bagged 55% of the wins.
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Season 17
On August 13, 2013, Chopped season 17 began, with all episodes airing before the end of 2013. The main judges all participated, plus two guest judges: Cheryl Barbara in episode 17.4 and Ron Ben-Israel in 17.9. For the third consecutive season, chefs hailing from Los Angeles, CA, and Austin, TX represented well, making up 40% of the contestants and 50% of the wins, combined. Other chefs came from New Jersey, New York state, Connecticut, and Philadelphia, PA with two going home as Chopped champions. That left just 30% of the wins to the chefs representing New York City, even though they made up over 40% of the competitors.
Season 17 was chock full of themes and special contestants; only two episodes had no unique qualifier. Food themes included: “Food waste” episode 17.1, “Leftovers” 17.5, “Chicken” 17.6, “Brunch” 17.8, “Circus” 17.9, and “Italian” 17.10. Food truck owners and chefs who worked at charitable organizations were featured in episodes 17.2 and 17.4, respectively. Episode 17.3 contestants were sports stars Tiki Barber, Chuck Zito, Natalie Coughlin, and Danica Patrick. Ms. Patrick took home the win and the $10k prize for her charity the COPD Foundation. The second celebrity challenge episode of the season, 17.13, was holiday food-themed and brought actors Antonio Sabato, Jr., Dawn Wells, Anthony Anderson, and Teri Hatcher into the Chopped kitchen. The $10k charity prize went to support juvenile arthritis on behalf of Ms. Hatcher. Finally, for those whose preferred theme is revenge, episode 17.11 was a redemption episode featuring returning contestants from seasons 11 and 12.
Season 18
The first episode of Chopped season 18 aired on November 26, 2013; the remaining episodes aired sporadically into May 2014. Guest judges and special themes were the centerpiece, often pairing experts with specific foods or contestants. For example, episode 18.2 featured guest Chef Joseph Brown from The Art Institutes judging teen contestants competing for culinary school scholarships. Additional pairings included Chef Michelle Bernstein and “Tapas” in episode 18.3, Chef Hooni Kim and “Food scraps” in 18.4, Chef Bruno DiFabio and “Pizza” in 18.7, Chef Spike Mendelsohn and “Burgers” in 18.8, Chef Christina Tosi and “Chocolate” in 18.9, Chef Adam Sobel and “Bacon” in 18.10, and Chef Greg Koch and “Beer” in 18.11. Remaining guest judges Alex Stupak (18.6) and Silvena Rowe (18.13) appeared and judged competitions with no special food theme. Rounding out the Chopped season 18 party platter, episode 18.5 was a typical style competition featuring firefighters who are also amateur chefs.
For the fourth season in a row, the left coast proved themselves the best coast in the Chopped kitchen. Southern California and the Los Angeles metro area provided 50% of the chef contestants, who bagged a meaty 64% of the wins. New York City and its metro area contributed 34% of the competitors and 27% of the winners. Chopped also saw its fifth-ever international contestant, a chef who traveled almost 7,000 miles from Ibaraki, Japan to compete (but unfortunately was chopped in the dessert round). The remaining players came from Nashville, TN–one winner, New York state, New Jersey, and Washington D.C.
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Season 19
Season 19 of Chopped served up a grazing board of amateur cooks and famous-outside-the-kitchen stars through its weekly-ish run that began February 4, 2014 and ended in June 2014. The preliminary games of the “Chopped Tournament of Stars” featured sports stars in episode 19.4, stars who had previously appeared on Food Network’s Rachel vs. Guy in 19.5, comedians in 19.6, and actors in 19.7. The fifth and final episode saw actor Michael Imperioli beat soccer player Brandi Chastain in the dessert round to win $50k for The Pureland Project.
After snacking on several amateurs episodes, an “Alcoholic Beverages” themed episode, a redemption game, and three regular professionals-only competitions, the season wrapped in June 2014 with a “Father’s Day” episode featuring home cooks who are fathers.
Season 20
On March 18, 2014, Chopped season 20 began, with all episodes airing before the end of 2014. The primary judges all participated, except Marcus Samuelsson, plus two guest judges: John Li in episode 20.3 and Edi Frauneder in 20.7. Three cities - Los Angeles, CA; Nashville, TN; and New York City, NY - evenly split three-quarters of the contestants and winners. The remaining quarter of competitors came from around the country: Philadelphia, PA (two Chopped champions); Cincinnati, OH (one winner); St. Louis, MO; Dallas, TX; Baltimore, MD; Delaware, New Jersey, and New York state’s Hudson River Valley.
All 13 episodes of the season were typical-style competitions, kicked off by three special themed episodes: 20.1 “Three Daily Meals,” 20.2 “Leftovers,” and 20.3 “Australia & Moonshine.” The final themed competition of the season, episode 20.8, “Stadium Foods,” featured four Executive Chefs, each of whom managed culinary operations in different U.S. Major League Baseball ballparks.
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