19 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Chopped

1. It takes about 12 hours to film one full episode.

2. Even after 200 episodes, Ted Allen still practices his lift to make sure he gets it just right.

3. Culinary producer Sara Hormi chooses theingredients for each challenge.

She purposely creates each basket with a problem in mind, such as a protein that might not cook in time, a strong ingredient that could overpower the others, or maybe one that is unfamiliar.

4. Ted Allen has a cubby designed specifically for his drinks. It’s labeled “TED ALLEN DRINKS ONLY.”

5. The judges use actual scorecards to assess the contestants.

6. Once a contestant is chopped, they are forced to walk down the notorious orange-lined hallway.

7. There is a specific room the contestants go in to get interviewed once they get chopped or become the Chopped champion. It is usually equipped with a box of tissues.

8. Competitors are allowed no more than seven knives.

9. Pots will already be filled with boiling water by the time the competition starts.

10. The least used objects in the kitchen are the sous vide machine and the immersion circulator.

11. Producers ask the contestants the same questions over and over again in front of the camera.

12. Comments by the judges after each round take about 90 minutes, while on screen we’re only shown about 30 seconds worth.

13. The judges preview the food before they eat and judge, and make their decision based on that first impression.

14. The ingredients in the basket are a surprise to the judges, too.

15. Producers make Ted ask the contestants questions while they’re cooking.

16. Sometimes Ted and the judges eat at the contestant’s restaurants, regardless of whether they won or not.

17. The food is almost always cold by the time it gets presented to the judges.

18. Judge Geoffrey Zakarian will save Ted a bite of food if he feels it’s really good.

19. Anne Burrell once told Ted to take a hike when he tried to talk to her while cooking.