Season pulse
Episodes
16 episodes
18 Chefs Compete
This season's contestants head to Las Vegas where they participate in the signature dish challenge; the winners of the challenge ride on the world's tallest Ferris wheel while the losers peel 50lbs of shrimp and 1,000lbs of potatoes.
17 Chefs Compete
The teams have 20 minutes to see which team can produce the most shrimp dumplings; rapper The Game attends the dinner service.
16 Chefs Compete
The contestants are faced with a communications challenge; the winning team goes on a relaxing retreat while the losers prepare for dinner service, which involves gutting 100 pounds of sea bass. VIP guests include astronaut Buzz Aldrin.
15 Chefs Compete
A rubber-duck hunt determines which ingredients the contestants will use with duck in a team challenge; the winning team spends the day on a yacht while the losers prepare a duck appetizer. Guests for dinner service include Kris Jenner and Dita Von Teese.
14 Chefs Compete
The contestants pair up and prepare three main dishes, each with one of the following holiday themes: July 4th, Mardi Gras and Cinco de Mayo; challenge winners are flown to Santa Inez Valley, where they blend their own wine.
12 Chefs Compete
The blue team gains a new member; the team that wins a grocery spelling challenge spends the day flying in a stunt plane, while the losing team makes sangria for dinner service; VIP dinner guests include Thomas Ian Nichols and Omar Benson Miller.
11 Chefs Compete
The teams must create six unique dishes for former sous chef Andi; while the challenge winners spend the night in Las Vegas, the losing team makes a mountain of macaroons; dinner service has the contestants cooking for Andi's wedding reception.
10 Chefs Compete
Grammy-winning guitarist Steve Vai performs; the contestants must create unique dishes with a limited number of ingredients; the winning team plays a game of paintball while the losing team is faced with delivery day at the kitchen.
10 Chefs Again
The contestants compete in a Bison-dish challenge that test their archery and cooking skills; cowboy-steak night with news commentator Stacey Dash and Olympic gold medalist Phil Dalhausser.
9 Chefs Compete
The nine remaining chefs take part in a breakfast challenge, during which their team must make a vegetarian, meat, seafood and sweet dish for surprise judges Suzanne Tracht and David LeFebve. While the winners ride all-terrain vehicles in Palm Springs, the losers prepare fresh-squeezed Orange Juice for a special brunch service featuring celebrity diners Flo Rida and Jeff Dunham.
8 Chefs Compete
The teams can only have one chef in the kitchen at a time as they prepare three entrees, each with a different protein; actress Lainie Kazan and comedian Bill Engvali are guests at dinner service.
7 Chefs Compete
The chefs must identify ice cream flavors in a blind test challenge; actress Meredith Baxter and Olympic swimmer Haley Anderson are guests at dinner service.
6 Chefs Compete
The remaining six chefs must rely on their loved ones to complete Chef Ramsay's Branzino dish; the winning team will be awarded a day at a luxurious spa while the losers have to clean the entire dormitory.