Read on to find everything we know so far about season 18, including when it premieres, where it filmed, and the unique way Top Chef alumni are being used.
When does Top Chef season 18 start in 2021?
Top Chef 18 premieres with a supersized episode on April 1, 2021 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Bravo.
Where did Top Chef 18 film?
Top Chef 18 filmed in Portland, Oregon, a first for the series.
How many contestants are on Top Chef 18?
This season has 15 “cheftestants.” Unlike last year’s all-star season, all of them are completely new to Top Chef.
Who are the contestants (cast) on Top Chef 18?
—Brittanny Anderson, Richmond, Va.
—Avishar Barua, Columbus, Ohio —Dawn Burrell, Houston —Gabe Erales, Austin, Texas —Nelson German, Oakland, Calif. —Byron Gomez, Aspen, Colo. —Sasha Grumman, Houston —Roscoe Hall, Birmingham, Ala. —Sara Hauman, Portland, Ore. —Kiki Louya, Detroit —Maria Mazon, Tucson, Ariz. —Shota Nakajima, Seattle —Gabriel Pascuzzi - Portland, Ore. —Jamie Tran - Las Vegas —Chris Viaud - Milford, N.H.
Who are the judges for Top Chef season 18?
Padma Lakshmi will return as host and judge. She will be joined by head judge Tom Colicchio, as well as Gail Simmons. In a first for the series, the show will include an “elite rotating judging and dining panel” made up of only Top Chef alumni.
What alumni will be involved in Top Chef season 18?
According to Bravo, the rotating guest judges for Top Chef 18 include: —Richard Blais (season 4 runner-up, season 8 winner, seasons 12-14 judge) —Carrie Baird (season 15 finalist, season 16 Last Chance Kitchen competitor) —Tiffany Derry (seasons 7, season 8 finalist) —Gregory Gourdet (season 12 runner-up, season 17 finalist) —Melissa King (season 12 finalist, season 17 winner) —Kristen Kish (season 10 winner) —Edward Lee (season 9) —Kwame Onwuachi (season 13, season 15 Last Chance Kitchen competitor) —Amar Santana (season 13 runner-up) —Dale Talde (seasons 4 & 8) —Brooke Williamson (season 10 runner-up, season 14 winner)
What famous chefs will make appearances in Top Chef season 18?
In addition to the alumni panel, Top Chef: Portland will feature a variety of pop-in appearances from famous chefs. That includes José Andrés, Massimo Bottura, Gabriel Rucker and Alice Waters. Additionally, Portlandia creators Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein will stop by in the Top Chef Kitchen for a Quickfire Challenge.
What types of challenges will happen in Top Chef season 18?
According to Bravo, “The chefs will be put to the test in a variety of new challenges this season, including celebrating PDX’s Pan-African cuisine, feeding hundreds of frontline workers, a surf and turf elimination challenge honoring the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, and crabbing on the Oregon Coast in a tribute to culinary icon and Oregonian James Beard. They will also visit some of Oregon’s most famous locations, including the Hood River Fruit Loop and Tillamook Creamery. This season’s Restaurant Wars will be unlike any other as the teams must execute a micro-restaurant concept with a cohesive seven-course tasting menu.”
What does the Top Chef winner get?
The winner of Top Chef season 18 will receive $250,000 furnished by S.Pellegrino Sparkling Natural Mineral Water, a feature in Food & Wine magazine, and an appearance at the annual “Food & Wine Classic” in Aspen. The prize money was increased starting with last season.
How did Top Chef handle filming during the coronavirus?
To protect the health and safety of cast and crew, Top Chef utilized several new protocols when it filmed last fall. Everyone, including the judges, quarantined themselves in a “bubble” for the duration of filming. And it was that limit that allowed the show to bring in the rotating alumni panel, rather than the usual group of restauranteurs and culinary luminaries as guest judges. Instead, the cheftestants will get to talk with those special guests via video chat throughout the season. Additionally, the production crew’s various departments were broken up into separate zones that worked at different times. The judges were not allowed to share plates of food; tasting spoons had to be discarded after every taste; and contestants were each given their own individual spice containers, instead of sharing them. Other production changes included curbside pickup at Whole Foods Market instead of in-store shopping; the exclusion of challenges involving large dinners, tasting events, and crowds; as well as a bigger kitchen set and judges’ table to allow for more social distancing.
How did the 2020 Oregon wildfires play into Top Chef season 18?
Wildfire season kicked into high gear in Oregon in September 2020, while Top Chef was filming. The unprecedented disaster provided setbacks for the show. Smoke caused by the wildfires filled the outside and sometimes the inside of several shooting locations. As a result, production had to shift their schedules at the last minute for the health of everyone involved.
Is Last Chance Kitchen back for Top Chef season 18?
“Last Chance Kitchen,” the online-only Top Chef sideshow, is back for its tenth season starting on April 8. Eliminated chefs will be given a challenge from head judge Tom Colicchio and face off for the chance to return to the competition.
Watch a trailer for Top Chef season 18
Where can I watch Top Chef online?
Top Chef airs on Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on Bravo. Episodes will then be available the next day on the Bravo website. Watch Top Chef episodes here.
What day does Top Chef come on?
Top Chef airs on Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on Bravo.
What time is Top Chef on?
Top Chef comes on at 8 p.m. ET Thursdays on Bravo.
Who won Top Chef All Stars 2020?
Melissa King shined throughout her time on Top Chef All-Stars L.A. Through her fourth-place finish on her first season, she gained immense trust in her cooking and herself and vowed to come into season 17 not being afraid. And that fearlessness manifested itself in one of the most dominant performances in recent Top Chef history, winning nine challenges, the title of Top Chef, and the $10,000 Fan Favorite prize from the season.
Where can I find news about Top Chef?
We’ll be bringing you news about Top Chef throughout season 18. Next, Take a Look Back on the Stars of Top Chef Season 17.
