Chopped

What you have to know is this - the producers have little ear mics in the judges ears and tell them to say negative things, to "Critique" the dishes. So that no dish gets all positive. Also, the judges discuss the dishes for a very long time before determining who is sent home. Due to TV, they can not show all of the discussions and sometime arguements. Second, these judges have developed palettes to taste every spice, every ingredient, after all that is their job on the show and in their own business. For those who don't like a judge (Chris Santos, Jeffery Zakarian, etc) not all they say is their own words, again, the producers have great input and make these guys the fall guys. I know for a fact Chris Santos is a teddy bear. As for all the remarks on racism, get a life. Just because the "Black, Latino, Asian, guy/girl doesn't win, doesn't make it about race. Puleeze!!!! If one person is ethnic and other 3 are caucasion, that person has 25% chance to win - get over it. Many ethnic races win. As for women, this is a man dominated occupation, so if you want to hang with the big boys you better bring it. I am a woman, I would like to see all women win, but only if they deserve it. Nuff Said

I love Chopped It is fun to watch and interesting to see what the contestants can make out of such wierd ingredients. Lets have more Chopped episodes and less diner and dives shows. Its getting tiring.

I could never come up with the cooking ideas these cooks come up with. I just want to say that if a person could come on this show and get kicked off in the first round, they are still doing more then what I could do. Cheers to you people..



I think it would be fare if someone cuts themselves then they should get a 5 minute cleanup time to correct the problem. It seems really unlucky that a potential winner looses a chance at winning because they are bleeding.

First off, I would like to say this is one of my favorite shows. Right now as I am writing this, I am watching your Halloween Episode. What I would love to see would be everyday wives/husbands doing these challenges. There are lots of us out there that are good cooks and are just as creative using the basket ingredients. (I am not saying this for me, because I could not maneuver around the kitchen that fast anymore, am disabled). Also, why is it when a cook gets into a bind they always seem to turn to arugula? I think unless you have arugula in the basket it should not be able to be used.Keep the show showing.... it has given me some great ideas for cooking with. One idea is that I had a mystery ingredient given to me. A three pound container of mango puree. Not wanting to let it go to waste I finally decided to make a jam with it. Then when in the frig realized I had a large bowl of fresh jalapenos from my garden. So with the taste testing done by my husband (you can't make it hot enough for him) I made a hot jalapeno mango jam. The mango puree mainly acting as a base. Needless to say, I have a jam that I can use for cooking with also. Heat from your food needs to be balanced. Watching your show and listening to my husband, I have learned how to use cracked red pepper, not so much to add heat, but to strenghten the taste that is already there.

Best best best episodes on chopped ! The real cooking heroes ! We need more !

I love chopped. It is always exciting and different.

I do kinda agree about not asking each chef what they'd do with the winnings. I know the judges are very fair, but sometimes it seems like they favor some of the sob stories from the contestant chefs. Ask the winner instead. I hope chopped never ends. I have it set to automatically record all the new shows. Food Network is probably the most watched tv channel for me. I never cook a recipe I have seen, but I do enjoy watching others cook. I rarely cook anything because I am disabled and cannot stand very long at one time. FNC keep up the great shows.

Why are chefs on this show always full of theirselves. but love the show.

Chopped is a show about four chefs who compete for 10,000 dollars. Three judges critique on there work each round. As each round passes, a chef is eliminated until there is only one left standing. I like how they use the term: "Chopped" to be rid of the losing chefs. Ted Allen is a good host for this show, they chose a nice one for it. I'm already a Food Network fan, so I happen to watch the channel a lot. I like this show alot, and the judges, can be a tinsy bit too strict at times, but that's what judges are for, right? :D "Chopped" Is a good show, and it's a nice little period of time you should definatly watch when you get the chance.

I can't stand it when the chef's are asked why they're on the show and they break down crying and say it's in memory of their dying parent, sick kid, poor childhood-who cares----it's as if they're begging for sympathy-just cook! The show is great-no need for sad sob stories.

Just got into Chopped within the last year and I can definitely say I am hooked. It's given me so many ideas for cooking and I just can't get enough!

Love the show; it amazes me how anybody can create an edible dish with the bizarre combinations of ingredients they get. Some advice to the contestants: do not attempt to cook rice--it won't cook in time and you will be CHOPPED! A substitute, if available--orzo pasta. Also, do NOT use Truffle oil, I think every contestant who has used it gets CHOPPED! I also suggest if contestants know who the judges are ahead of time that they research their likes and dislikes. I think the Jeoffrey guy hates green peppers, black pepper, and someone--maybe still him--hates red onions. Seems like when he's a judge, if those items get into the dishes, the chef who prepared it gets CHOPPED! Additionally, the round that is beginning to bore me is the dessert round. I am tired of bread pudding. Contestants--please plan ahead and have an adaptable dessert idea if you make it to the final round that doesn't utilize bread. Like, how about a parfait, a mousse, a crunch, or poached fruit? I also think it would be cool if the show would eventually, even just once a year, have a fan competition and allow fans who are not chefs, caterers, or cooks compete. Maybe a celebrity competition, too.

Love, love, LOVE Chopped! The fact that the Chopped Kitchen has become the proving ground that sends even Iron Chefs running for cover is really cool. It was also amazing to see a Chopped Challenge on Next Food Network Stars; the respect for the show is obvious. Is there an archive of the recipes that the judges really like? One critique would be the inclusion of overly emotional stories from contestants. Like to hear their backgrounds but I don't need to hear the sad stories throughout the entire show - only about the food in the Chopped Kitchen. There are also too many chefs sliding through after leaving out an ingredient; should be zero tolerance on that. All in all one of my favorite shows!

I have not noticed the black contestants consistently being chopped. I've seen several of them win. Some of them are on my facebook page. I'm not sure where you got that idea. I love the show and I think the judges are fair.

I love this show! I continue to be amazed by the talent these chefs have. I must say the show is missing an important rule, once a chef cuts themselves they should be forced to walk over to a medic and be properly bandaged. How is it ok for these people who are dripping blood to prepare food for another person to eat? I'm sorry, the plastic glove isn't doing it for me. Aside from that it's a fantastic idea for a show and I watch it all the time.

I love this show.At the strangest times I find myself trying to think of 4 ingredients and what I would do with them.I know- crazy.I wish they would just have regular people competing sometimes.People who just love to cook and can whip up something that tastes great from everyday ingredients , even leftovers.

Love the show. Last nights female contender who claimed she was greatly disappointed that there were no female judges since her food was geared toward the "female pallet"....was glad to see this sexist idiot get chopped first. Wow!

i don't see how this show is misogynistic or racist. people of multiple ethnicities win all the time, women win just as often as men (when compared to the statistics of how many men there are vs women in the kitchen--which yes, is less.. sorry kids), and all the judges have incredibly successful restaurants. the show is produced almost entirely by women, including the people on the very top, with only one man listed as a producer. the story does get repetitive, yes, but that's a formula that works or else so many people wouldn't keep watching it. no need to bring your own racism, sexism, or other form of bias into it.

Judge Zakarian has no right to sit on the panel ! His obvious dislike of the English female chef on last night's show, was sickening to watch. His comments about her talking and messiness were completely unprofessional and made me very angry. A very small minded man . I hope he is replaced ! He wouldn't have like Julia Child !!!

I think it's awesome watching people compete on chopped. But some of the judges are unfair, it's like you can guess who is gonna go home & who is gonna win. But idc i like this show because people can get creative with their cooking & i like to cook :)

Chef Jeff, on the chopped where they needed to use 1. Baby Octopus 2. Green Plantains 3. Huckleberry just pissed me off the entire time he was on my television. What an arrogant asshole. He literally turned and churned my stomach. Gross. I could see the child in his face. 1st off, I can sympathize with him losing his father.. I lost my father in 3rd grade at age 9 and I grew up without a father. Chef Jeff disgusted me with his introduction, almost trying to draw sympathy by solely talking about his "hard week" and "losing his father" Throughout the show, he talks himself up by saying quite competative and honestly, bluntly RUDE things. At one point I believe I heard him say something to the tune of "I am the other chefs biggest competition" He is so full of himself. Then, he LEAVES the plantains in the blender.. And what does he say to the judges? He squeaks out as many little snide comments as possible. Things like "I would have done a few things differently" with a slight smile on his face.. Things like "Now I know how to make my next dish that much better" What? Dude, that honestly didn't even make sense in my personal opinion. Wow. He really dissapointed me with his dish as well. It was a glorified salad. He put octopus on a leaf, made a jelly sauce out of the berries, and forgot the plantain in the blender. Rookie. I grew so sick of hearing his arrogant comments I almost wanted to turn the channel due to him alone. The only point at which I thought OK.. this guys isn't a total and complete child. He wasn't AS immature a he seemed throughout the rest of the episode was while he was leaving. He simply said "it wasn't my 20 minutes" implying it wasn't his time to shine. Whatever. Bext time ur on telivision, try to not seem like your completely full of yourself. I'm sorry about your father jeff, but try to be more hunble with your cooking and don't expect things to be so easy next time. ;)

I've been watching Chopped on and off for well over a year now and it never fails to suck me in. Sometimes the eliminations make absolutely no sense and sometimes the person who should win actually wins. I always wonder, though, if a chef is able to get three completed plates and one plate without a particular ingredient (as in one of the re-run episodes I saw last night) WHY do they give the plate that's missing an ingredient to a judge?? That does not make sense to me at all. There were three completed plates and they used one of those to be wasted when they eliminated the chef? I think it is interesting that they will eliminate chefs for "professional issues," such as cross-contamination or running through the kitchen holding a knife. All in all, an entertaining show.

I know this sounds crazy, but I think Food Network is really producing some great shows this season. Chopped is one of them. It is great because it is a fast-paced reality show that puts four chefs up against each other. They have to create three dishes. A chef is "chopped" or kicked off based on his or her performance. It ends up with one winner that wins $10, 000. It is also interesting because the ingredients these chefs have to use are pretty far out there, and most times the ingredients dont mesh well together. The chefs must come up with appetizing dishes with these odd ingredients to impress the judges. It is fabulously entertaining.

candyman2487 clearly did'nt watch or hear why his favorite contestant did'nt get to move on,

he made a taco with a raw tortilla, who in their right mind makes a taco and does'nt heat up

the tortilla, especially since he had plenty of time to do so. The judges job is hard enough as

it is to pic a dish that has used all of the ingredients, that is prepared correctly as possible

which includes needing to be edible, This is absolutely "not " racism, as suggested by

candyman2487, but lack of culinary skills in regards to preparing Mexican food for a dish

he was being judged on.

I think it's time candyman2487 finds somewhere else to grandstand. If he's only interested

in the show when African/americans get to move on up, or win. Maybe he should watch BET

on the July 19th episode of chopped, the contestant Sammy was a winner, but he didnt show humality to the loser/ It was not necessary for him to laugh at the other cook--and he could have kept the smart remarks to himself . its upsetting to some who watched the show- it was not appreciated that he pointed his finger and made faces at the losing cook--Otherwise I do enjoy the show and watch it all the time

Kris

They remind everyone that they must useall of the ingredients in the basket some way but when it comes time for elimination they ignore the rule and keep people thatleave the ingredients off. In one episode the man just did not like the item and so he did not use it. He was not eliminated! Ithink if you set rules the judges should have to abide by those rules or the show is not what it is suppose to be. Part of theexcitment of the show is to see how they will use EVERY item in a set time. Allowing them to leave it out is unacceptable! This should be addressed!!

I like the show overall, but my only quibble is the fact that the judges have to go back and re-evaluate the previous meals. The chefs where already critiqued with those meals. With the last challenge, they need to be evaluated with that solely without going back to their previous dishes. That will really make and break them.

the guys is the biggest ass.. just because you don't like red onions doesn't mean you can tear apart someone's dish, they are not your personal chef! props to the guy that used raw red onion twice in episode "in a pinch" > in yo face!

I don't know when this particular show aired . . . I watch Chopped in Kuwait and there are long spells when we don't get it and then suddenly we get the same show several times a day -- no matter, I enjoy it.



But someone should tell Judge Scott that he's NOT the be-all end-all authority when it comes to pasta. There are people who just might like things a little differently than the way he does, or even differently than what may be "correct" by his standards. In this particular show the chefs cooked pasta and some of it ended up in clumps that could have been avoided -- but -- my grandmother came from Italy as a teenager and undoubtedly made the best pasta in the world -- 2x a week she made it fresh. On Sundays after mass we would go to her house to collect a huge roaster of homemade spaghetti and meatballs and take it to our house for our lunch. My sisters and I used to pray that some of grandma's spaghetti would be in clumps and then we would fight for those clumps. We loved them. Grandma's sauce was also spectacular, always homemade, of course. When I eat spaghetti I still look for clumps and would fight anyone for them. Yea, maybe they don't look pretty, maybe they are raw (grandma's were always cooked) and maybe they're not what Judge Scott prefers -- but some of us don't mind clumps and if I were a judge I'd give points to any chef who produced some clumps. Scott is the most annoying of the judges in my opinion, though Alex runs a second to him. You could replace both of them and the show would be more enjoyable.



Also, perhaps someone could tell the judges that it's okay to "commend" chefs. Why do so many of them say, "I have to commend you for . . . " Why "have to"? Is it painful? Why not be pleased that someone pleased you! "I really want to commend you for . . . " Because you don't "have to" do anything. And if they earned it, why make it sound like you begrudge them the points?

Yankies do you not know that you must purge live crawfish in fresh water? I love the show but sometimes the judges have no clue as to how somethings are suppose to be pre-prepared. Maybe not so much the judges, as it could be the sole person throwing the ingreds. in the basket. Yeah, cooked crawfish that was not purged will be bad and full of mud unless all you use is the tails, But still will hold a mud farm raised flavor.

I love the show but get frustrated when a contestant is unable to complete their preferred dish because there are not enough basic ingredients or equipment. A few suggestions:

Have enough basic ingredients. In one show a contestant was unable to make the desert they wanted because there were no more eggs. No more eggs?A contestant shouldn't lose because there are not enough essential ingredients.

Have enough equipment - On one show both contestants wanted to make ice cream but there was only one machine so the contestant had to try something else. A contestant shouldn't lose becasue there aren't two ice cream machines. Let the best ice cream win.

Have better ovens and preheat them-On many shows contestants lost or had to put things on a pan because the oven wasn't hot enough. How about preheating the ovens to at least 350 or 400 before the show starts and get stoves that have a convection feature. The best food should win. Contestants shouldn't lose because the ovens aren't hot enough.

That's my two cents. I love the show and the time pressure which makes it fun. If you can give the contestants better tools to compete I think it would be even better. Thanks.