Iron Chef Gauntlet Explained

Genre:Reality television
Cooking show
Director:Eytan Keller
Starring:Alton Brown
Country:United States
Language:English
Num Seasons:2
Num Episodes:12
Executive Producer:Matt Berkowitz, Eytan Keller, Stephen Kroopnick, Stu Schreiberg
Producer:Jonathan Bourne
Editor:Jason Dame
Company:Triage Entertainment
Location:New York City
Runtime:60 minutes
Network:Food Network
Related:Iron Chef
Iron Chef America
The Next Iron Chef
Iron Chef Showdown

Iron Chef Gauntlet is a television series on Food Network that began airing on April 16, 2017.[1] [2] The series is a reboot of the Iron Chef and Iron Chef America series that gained popularity on Food Network and is hosted by Alton Brown, who also takes over as the series' Chairman.[3] Seven chefs from around the country battle each other in an elimination contest, with the last chef remaining then facing a "gauntlet" challenge of defeating three other Iron Chefs in order to earn the title of Iron Chef. In the first season, the Iron Chefs forming the Gauntlet were Bobby Flay, Masaharu Morimoto, and Michael Symon. The second season of Iron Chef Gauntlet began airing April 4, 2018 and was scheduled for six episodes.[4] [5] The Gauntlet Iron Chefs for the second season were Alex Guarnaschelli, Gauntlet season one winner Stephanie Izard, and Michael Symon.

Overview

Each regular episode consists of two challenges. The first is the Chairman's Challenge, with Brown announcing a theme in which all chefs must cook a dish for him to judge.[6] The loser of this round is entered into the second round; the winner is safe from elimination for the week and may nominate one other chef to compete in the second round.

The second round is the Secret Ingredient Showdown, in which the two chefs have one hour to prepare three dishes featuring a mystery ingredient. The dishes are evaluated by a panel of two judges, who can each award up to 20 points (10 for taste, five each for plating and originality). The chef with the lower total is eliminated, while the winner advances to the next episode.

During the next-to-last episode of the season, which features three chefs, the loser of the Chairman's Challenge is automatically eliminated and the remaining two chefs compete in the Secret Ingredient Showdown.

In the season finale, the last remaining chef competes in three Secret Ingredient Showdowns, one against each of the three Iron Chefs. If the chef's overall score is higher than the combined total of the three, he/she is awarded the title of Iron Chef. If the chef's overall score falls short, no new Iron Chef is named for the season.

Season 1: 2017

Contestants

Judges

Contestant progress

ContestantEpisode
123456
IzardWINININININ INSELWINWIN
GruenebergLOWWINWININWININ INININOUT
DadyINININININ IN WININOUT
NakajimaININLOWWINSELWINLOWOUT
GulottaININININLOWOUT
SawyerININSELOUT
ArringtonSELOUT

(IRON CHEF) The final chef survived the Gauntlet and became an Iron Chef.

(WINNER) This chef won the competition.

(IN) The chef was not selected as a top or bottom entry in the Chairman's Challenge or did not compete in the Secret Ingredient Showdown.

(LOW) The chef lost the Chairman's Challenge and must compete in the Secret Ingredient Showdown.

(SEL) The chef was selected to compete in the Secret Ingredient Showdown.

(WIN) The chef won the Chairman's Challenge or Secret Ingredient Showdown.

(OUT) The chef lost the Secret Ingredient Showdown and was eliminated.

Results

Episode 1: Into the Wild

Episode 2: Nose to Tail

Episode 3: Sweet and Savory

Episode 4: Classic Combos

Episode 5: Five Ingredients

Episode 6: The Gauntlet

Season 2: 2018

Contestants

Judges

Alton Brown was added as a third judge only for the third battle of the Gauntlet

Contestant progress

ContestantEpisode
123456
LeFevreININSELWINININSELWININLOST
GomesININ ININWININWINININOUT
BallooININININ ININININOUT
ThaimeeININWININLOWWINLOWOUT
TienSELWINININSELOUT
MacKayWININLOWOUT
RolandLOWOUT

(LOST) This chef lost the Gauntlet and did not become an Iron Chef.

(WINNER) This chef won the competition.

(IN) The chef was not selected as a top or bottom entry in the Chairman's Challenge or did not compete in the Secret Ingredient Showdown.

(LOW) The chef lost the Chairman's Challenge and must compete in the Secret Ingredient Showdown.

(SEL) The chef was selected to compete in the Secret Ingredient Showdown.

(WIN) The chef won the Chairman's Challenge or Secret Ingredient Showdown.

(OUT) The chef lost the Secret Ingredient Showdown and was eliminated.

Results

Episode 1: Resourcefulness

Episode 2: Innovation

Episode 3: Versatility

Episode 4: Ingenuity

Episode 5: Adaptabiliity

Episode 6: The Gauntlet Finale

Goat and chocolate are the options, and LeFevre chooses goat.

Bacon and sturgeon are the options, and LeFevre chooses sturgeon.

Eggplant and sea urchin are the options, and LeFevre chooses sea urchin. In addition, Alton Brown is added as a judge for this third battle.

Companion shows

The Legend of Iron Chef

The series was preceded by the special episode "The Legend of Iron Chef", an overview of Iron Chef, Iron Chef America and The Next Iron Chef on Food Network, with Alton Brown reviewing key aspects and highlights from the shows. It also previewed Iron Chef Gauntlet and Alton Brown's new role in the new show.[12]

Iron Chef Eats

A companion series, Iron Chef Eats, has been produced to go along with Iron Chef Gauntlet. In the show, various restaurants and foods are profiled which are places where Iron Chefs and Iron Chef competitors go to eat.[13]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Iron Chef America Returns To Food Network With Iron Chef Gauntlet On April 16, 2017. Miller. Bob. Chewboom.com. March 4, 2017. April 24, 2017.
  2. Web site: 'Iron Chef Gauntlet' premieres this month on Food Network. Kline. Jennifer. AOL. April 14, 2017. April 24, 2017.
  3. Web site: 'Iron Chef Gauntlet': 5 Things You Need to Know. Morabito. Greg. Eater.com. April 15, 2017. April 24, 2017.
  4. Web site: Campbell-Schmidt. Adam. Next Round of 'Iron Chef Gauntlet' to Premiere in April. Food & Wine. March 8, 2018. March 2, 2018.
  5. Iron Chef Gauntlet Returns. PR Newswire. March 8, 2018. March 1, 2018.
  6. Web site: How New Chairman Alton Brown Will Be Judging Iron Chef Gauntlet. Wu. Leslie. Forbes. April 15, 2017. April 24, 2017.
  7. Iron Chefs Dominate on Food Network This Spring. PR Newswire. March 2, 2017.
  8. [List of Iron Chef America episodes#Season 10: 2011-2012]
  9. [Iron Chef Showdown#Episodes]
  10. Web site: Meet the Challengers Competing on Iron Chef Gauntlet, Season 2. Food Network. March 8, 2018.
  11. [List of Iron Chef America episodes#Season 11: 2012-2013]
  12. April 16, 2017. Food Network. Iron Chef Gauntlet. The Legend of Iron Chef. Brown. Alton (host).
  13. News: Tavern and Table's Chef Katie Lorenzen on Iron Chef's Eats this Sunday . Kinsey Gidick . 28 April 2017 . Charleston City Paper .