The Surprising Way You Can Lose Points On Chopped
The show "Chopped" has been wildly successful and continues to make a splash on television today. The series has also featured several respected names from the food industry including Alex Guarnaschelli, Marcus Samuelsson and Ted Allen. Part of its popularity might be due to how hard the show is to win and how well-planned every element is, according to PopSugar.
Take the mystery baskets that are full of surprising ingredients, for example. "Chopped" host Ted Allen once revealed, "They plan the baskets for a whole season, so that's three baskets a day, times four ingredients, times 39 episodes; and all the baskets have a riddle inside them. It's hard work" (via Food Republic). Also, if you're a contestant, you need to be super attentive throughout the competition and avoid common mistakes that can cost you precious points on the show. It's important to remember that it's not just about the delicious dishes you create.
You need to be careful or you'll get points deducted
A former contestant from "Chopped," Josh Lewis, spoke to the A.V. Club at length about his experiences as a participant on the show. For Lewis, one of the best things about the show is that it really does challenge its participants to prepare delicious food and focuses on that. He explained, "'Chopped' is really about cooking, about what sets a good chef apart from a bad one. I liked that it's kind of a heat-of-the-moment thing."
As far as the judging process is concerned, Lewis said that there are several things to consider. For example, he said that the judges do give contestants the opportunity to talk and speak for themselves if something isn't quite right with their dish. Also, the one thing that the "Chopped" judges take into account is how clean and organized the contestants are. Everything plays a role in helping the judges make their decision. Lewis added, "They make sure we flipped the cutting board if we used it after having raw meat on it, that kind of thing ... all that can play into their decision, along with your explanation. "