What Alex Guarnaschelli Wishes You Knew About Chopped Equipment Skills
Since debuting in 2009, Food Network's hit program "Chopped" has become a must-watch for foodies, especially those with a competitive side. You may have even tuned in to the high-stakes cooking competition yourself, and regardless of whether you've done so religiously or have only caught a few episodes here and there, you may have noticed a few recurring mishaps throughout its mammoth 51 seasons. As Mashable points out, it's not uncommon to see a contestant forget one of the four mystery basket ingredients in their cooking or run out of time to fully plate their dish.
Another frequent issue "Chopped" viewers have seen is contestants having trouble using certain pieces of equipment, such as the ice cream machine or whipped cream canister. Being that each episode typically brings in four experienced chefs to compete, this has understandably raised a few eyebrows amongst the show's audience, and recently, one viewer took to Twitter to try to figure out why this is so common in the "Chopped" kitchen.
Tagging judge Alex Guarnaschelli, user @jillsmo wrote, "My husband thinks that the reason why people always fail with the ISI and the smoking gun is because the equipment isn't properly cleaned so it's gunked up with stuff. I say it's because the chef doesn't know how to use it properly. What do you think?"
The tweet did, in fact, reach the eyes of the Iron Chef, who shared her thoughts on the subject. Spoiler alert, neither of the fan's theories are correct.
There's a lot of pressure on the chefs competing in the 'Chopped' kitchen
It's not often that an episode of "Chopped" goes by without a hiccup. Some issues, like a traffic jam at the deep fryer, are inadvertently caused by the producers of the show. However, when it comes to contestants having problems using certain pieces of equipment in the "Chopped" kitchen, Alex Guarnaschelli wants viewers to understand that it's not the fault of the studio, nor is it due to the chef's inexperience with the appliances.
"All of the equipment is pristine. The chefs by and large know how to use," Guarnaschelli tweeted in response to Twitter user @jillsmo's inquiry about the recurring mishap — thus debunking both of their theories — before sharing her own explanation for the frequent equipment problems. "It's MUCH HARDER to DO ANYTHING under pressure in an unfamiliar kitchen," she said.
This is not the first time Guarnaschelli has tried to put into words how nerve-wracking it can be to compete in the "Chopped" kitchen, previously chalking up a common pastry mistake to pressure as well. Contestants have also confirmed how difficult it is to be in an unfamiliar cooking environment. "I think the stressful part is being thrown in a kitchen you don't know and then having to cook a dish in 30 minutes with mystery ingredients," Season 23 winner Silvia Baldini explained to Showbiz Cheat Sheet. "You have to stay focused the whole time and not panic," she added, which certainly seems to be easier said than done.