Masterchef featuring Gordon Ramsay and a panel of three judges, is a show about home cooks or amateurs competing in challenges to win $250,000 and the Masterchef Trophy.  Beginning with about 20 cooks, they compete in mystery box challenges and team challenges leading up to elimination challenges.

 I have watched about five seasons and each season varies a little in how they run certain challenges. The show has about 12 episodes, usually two of which are the finale. This show is perfect for people who like to binge watch shows. While I watched on Hulu, viewers could also watch it on Fox when it airs live. 

Masterchef keeps viewers interested because of the real and funny challenges as well as the interactions between contestants and host Gordon Ramsay. Ramsay has a very passionate personality and the accentuated personalities of the contestants creates pure competitive, chaotic entertainment.

 What I think could really attract viewers is that hosts and contestants don’t use specific cooking language, making the show easy for everyone to enjoy regardless of their cooking expertise.  I think the show does a good job of focusing on the chefs and food while adding in enough drama and fun factors through team challenges and celebrity guests.

I really enjoyed getting to know all the competitors and rooting for them throughout the season. There was scheming, tricks, and advantages, so I never felt bored. I think the judges are well-qualified and add to the show’s personality and character.

Where I think Masterchef could lose some audience members, especially loyal viewers with a culinary background, is through possible judge bias when they become aware of a chef’s backstory and personal life. The show has the tendency to sometimes pick a “sob story” as the winner or choose a less-talented chef as the winner due to backstory rather than their dish. Not very often have I seen this happen, and judging is opinion-based, but at the same time everyone knows that’s how producers increase airtime and viewerships.

Another aspect I don’t exactly like is the newer season’s format. The older seasons were set up with Mystery Box first, then an elimination challenge, and finally a Team Challenge and elimination challenge. The contestants cooked a large quantity of food, and while there probably was more waste, it was way more entertaining than the newer episodes where they no longer have to cook again for elimination but they are just eliminated off of the first challenge. I’m not sure why the producers stopped featuring two cooking challenges per episode, but it’s a change I don’t like. Off of that I would recommend viewers start watching from the earlier and mid seasons.

I think this show would be great for people who like cooking shows like Chopped and other challenges, but it’s more entertaining and fun because these aren’t professional chefs, they are all at-home cooks. 

Masterchef is by far the best cooking show I have watched, and I think anyone can find an aspect they like watching, whether its the competition or cooking itself, everyone could sit and watch at least a couple episodes and be satisfied. I think it’s an underrated show with way more potential as people’s favorite show if they tried watching it.