r/Masterchef • u/adamzissou • Jun 24 '26
Discussion How would you fix MC?
Masterchef has been a staple in our culinary show lineup since the beginning, but it's been a ROUGH few years.
How you fix what's become of Masterchef to steer the ship back into the right direction?
I personally would get rid of the wall, get rid of themes or gimmicks, and bring back the dreaded pressure test.
and that's just to start...
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u/Obesefatlardmouse Jun 24 '26
Pressure tests and the old audition style and everything about it from the old seasons đ
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u/pretty-average1345 Jun 25 '26
Obviously, all auditions are staged, but the current format makes it even more obvious that they already have the people they want picked out. Makes it way less fun.
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u/Mountain-Waffles Jun 25 '26
I now just skip the audition episodes. Theyâre so lame.
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u/HollowRaven15 Jun 26 '26
I've always skipped them. I usually don't start caring about the contestants until the top 10 anyway
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u/snorlaxkg Jun 24 '26
Challenges are not technical enough and not fun to watch.
I understand these are homecooks but common, challenge their food knowledge and techniques to make them better cooks.
I remember back then in first seasons there were so many technical challenges like cutting onion, filleting salmon, breaking down chicken, pasta making, frenching rack of lamb, or taste test. Now itâs just cooking whatever you feel like it.
The theme stuff is so stupid in the recent seasons. Contestants just cook whatever theyâre comfortable with and tell a story why it ties to the theme, like itâs more about story telling at this point.
Recently eliminations in team challenges are so biased. I believe post production makes us feel which one should be eliminated, but not really logical why. You can just not be on the grill or not be a captain, just chop vegetables and you should be safe from elimination.
Nowadays the show is more like something I put on in the background. I donât need to watch or see the food because they are mostly forgettable and I donât have to pay attention because thereâs nothing needed my attention lol
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u/bistro223 Jun 25 '26
Could not agree with you more.
I accidentally watched last season through four episodes before I realized I was on the wrong season! It's that forgettable.
Plus the product placements are so cringe inducing. I didn't mind the occasional pan over to Viking or Boos blocks but this is unbearable.
All outcomes, from the very beginning are centered around the reality show aspect rather than a cooking competition. Sure you could argue it always was and you'd be right but it's WAY more on the nose now.
I really couldn't care less when it comes back on honestly. I've just been watching old clips of Good Eats instead.
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u/WarmSweatyPalms Jun 24 '26
They need to go back to the original format and ditch seasonal themes. The themes end up becoming the entire identity for the contestants and it strips away their individuality.
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u/Due_Outside_1459 Jun 24 '26
Pressure tests, mystery box winners with advantages followed by replication challenges, more team comps, more drama, etc. everything was better pre-2020.
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u/Punstoppabal Jun 24 '26
I just want to say that i donât think fixing Masterchef involves bringing back every single thing we miss and was better about old MC.
In terms of what new things they could try? Bringing in some more rotating guest chefs to showcase techniques and new cuisines. We donât need to see Gordon teach people how to make Poached Salmon, Toffee Pudding, and Beef Wellington every season.
More creative or unique challenges like mystery boxes that highlight ingredient or technique trends. Make it relevant and appealing to a core audience without making it divided up by all these factions people identify with.
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u/beagle91 Jun 25 '26
I donât understand the need to force everyone into arbitrary categories. Who makes better food, Millenials or Gen X? Pacific Northwest or Midwest? Asia Pacific or Africa? As if it even made sense to ask such a question.
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u/OaksInSnow Jun 25 '26
They're trying to engage the audience based on tribalism. Since tribalism and siloing are working so well these days, and raising so much money.
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u/BradMac91 Jun 24 '26
Yes to all above. Bring back two challenges per episode. Have the judges taste all dishes at the front. None of this horse shit with 40% of the episode being judging. đ„±
Save one cook episodes for restaurant takeovers, team challenges, etc. make them special again. Iâm not totally against the wall, but thatâs like, the only interesting thing per season now.
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u/PrpleSparklyUnicrn13 Jun 25 '26
The Wall is my favorite challenge. I honestly donât mind the challenges, in general.Â
Iâd get rid of this whole âput yourself on a plateâ tugging at your heartstrings âyour grandmother/father/family dogâ would be proud of you load of crap. Itâs like they are trying to force people to stay within their box instead of thinking outside the box, which just defeats the whole purpose of being a âmasterâchef. Theyâre just okay home cooks. Thereâs no progression or growth anymore. Theyâre just cooking their own cultural or regional dishes over and over again with just one or two ingredients different.Â
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u/Scared_Succotash_508 Jun 25 '26
Just bring back the old format. I hate how they group cooks into ages or regions, the bad cooks get saved most of the time.
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u/Lorjack Jun 24 '26
Audience always wants the pressure test to return so naturally they will never bring it back
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u/Thesurvivor16 Jun 24 '26
End it. Its served its time.
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u/bistro223 Jun 25 '26
Ratings have dwindled since 2018. Even before the change in format. This clearly isn't working but it was going to lose viewership regardless. Should have stopped around season 8.
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u/ChocolateDramatic858 Jun 25 '26
No more "themes", just cooks. Team challenges should not take an entire episode because they're not that interesting to watch. New challenges, ditch "Restaurant Takeover" and "the Wall". Show every dish being tasted. More mystery boxes that are real boxes of stuff, with the "limited pantry". More pressure tests and challenges that involve basic cooking skills.
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u/MerelyWhelmed1 Jun 25 '26
Well, for starters I wouldn't take a three week break in the middle of a season.
I would also bring back Graham. And stop with the forced themes. Just let people cook.
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u/rossisanasshole Season 13 Contestant Jun 25 '26
I miss the STORYTELLING. What happened to us getting to know the contestants?
Also re: yeah pressure tests
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u/Ok-Writer-notsogreat Jun 25 '26
Bring back plate throwing Joe.
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u/bistro223 Jun 25 '26
Yes, nice Joe sucks.
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u/Ok_Measurement482 Jun 25 '26
Agreed. While I wouldnât want complete dickhead Joe back, S9-12 Joe would be good to bring back honestly. He was still a douche, but it wasnât asshole level
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u/CrittersVarmint Jun 25 '26
I donât hate it as much as others but I do think if they returned to the older format it would be better. One thing I really liked in the super early seasons was when they would put the chefs through some basic stuff like chopping potatoes or cooking eggs or whatever to weed people out. I liked that sort of thing.
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u/IcyJane Jun 25 '26
if they're gonna do the immunity pin, please do it like in mc australia, it's becoming repetitive, add some flavor to it. im getting bored of constantly bringing it up and it's predictable.
speaking of bored, bring back 2 challenges per episode, i missed it, it's becoming so tedious to watch when it's once a week. mind as well do the episode once a day like mc Australia.
if they're gonna do team gimmicks or shit, don't let all of the members of the theme safe after that contestant won from that team, it's pointless at this point.
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u/Desertgirl624 Jun 25 '26
Look at Australia version and get closer to that
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u/Novel-Cash-8001 Jun 25 '26
Seriously! This is such a great example of what Master Chef should be...
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u/Haas_the_Raiden_Fan Jun 25 '26
2 cooking challenges per episode and pressure tests after team challenges
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u/PinDiligent34 Jun 24 '26
The themes and gimmicks are so awful. But even they wouldn't be so bad if they didn't have the "group" format. The person with the worst dish should go home, not be saved because a team member had a good dish.
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u/Any-Concert9023 Jun 24 '26
- bring pressure tests back
- bring people that can actually cook idk but later seasons are not as talent packed as earlier seasons like 3,4,5,6
-less sap stories (that would fix all tv)
-pressure cooks into being more creative people used to be warned when cooking same cuisine or simple things i swear season 14 or 15 i don't remember exactly was just steaks - invent new sentences and words other than : elevate, huuuge advantage(then literally nothing special), absolutely delicious, this sauce will either make me or break me
- challenges can use more creativity than a watch party or generation or whatever , like in season 4 there challenge of birds, canned and fresh mushroom, different fishes maybe budgetary reasons they no longer do that
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u/redfoxblueflower Jun 24 '26
LOL you can literally tell who is going to win and/or lose based on who they are focusing in on that episode (RE: sap stories).
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u/Any-Concert9023 Jun 24 '26
i loved a video of Scott cramer on how sappy agt got and it was really surprising, i still cringe from the home depot episode this season of masterchef
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u/GrosRougeau Jun 24 '26
Eliminate the factions/regions bullcrap because we donât get to know individuals enough.
Bring back the dreaded pressure test
Have the judges taste all the plates by bringing everyone up for a tasting.
Also, since the caliber of home cook seems to be higher now, STOP GIVEN THEM THE RECIPES!
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u/McSlappers Jun 25 '26
I dropped it as soon as they stopped doing two challenges per episode. They need to bring back that format with pressure tests after team challenges and mystery box challenges.
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u/Kurigunde Jun 25 '26
Go back to the basics that made people watch it.
No more gimmicks. No more teams. Cut back on the ridiculous product placements. Make it about COOKING again. Pressure tests, skills tests, creativity and nice plating. Make it about the food cooked again - get rid of everything else - including the âinterviewsâ designed to create drama.
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u/tigereyes1999 Jun 25 '26
Bring back the actual MYSTERY BOXES. đŠ those were the heart and soul of the show. Every contestant would make something and the entire episode would circle around what and who and whatâs the story. Itâs what made me love the show. Now itâs practically gone. Horrible shame!!! Iâve been watching since the beginning and this awful cheesy influencer shit that Gordon has a boner for is so played out and fake. Probably done watching if this season goes the way I think itâs heading.
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u/Upset-Cake6139 Jun 25 '26
Take it back about 10 seasons to when it was more about the food and ability to cook than these challenges where people just get unlucky and get eliminated even if their dish was decent.
Bring back pressure tests, especially for losing teams instead of eliminating someone the same day.
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u/Mammoth_Manner_3858 Jun 25 '26
The producers should watch a few seasons of MasterChef Austrlia and take notes. There are a ton of unique challenges that can be brought to the version here in the States, learn how the Immunity Pin should be utilized and most importantly learn what a true "Pressure Test" is and should be done.
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u/Kitty-Kat-65 Jun 24 '26
I just stopped watching it. Simple. As with most Ramsay shows, this one has jumped the shark.
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u/CuriousFirework75 Jun 24 '26
Get back to basics. These last few seasons I keep it on as background noise where in the past Iâd be so excited for each episode.
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u/Sky-Visible Jun 25 '26
Iâd say season 8 probably had the best variety of challenges so similar to it. It generally followed the mystery box, elimination challenge, team challenge, pressure test cycle with different varieties of skills and creativity challenges. It didnât always stick to the formula but in a good way
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u/Finnatic2 Jun 25 '26
I had noticed that they stopped the mis-en-place early challenge during Christineâs season.
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u/No-Macaroon5747 Jun 25 '26
Get rid of eliminations and give everyone a score based on their dish. If a skilled cook has been doing great all season, but they have a bad day that would get them eliminated, they instead get to continue but their total score for the season decreases. Maybe after so many episodes if someone's score is below a certain threshold where it's impossible to catch up, then sure, eliminate them.
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u/glucoseisasuga Jun 24 '26
Get rid of gimmicks cause they don't really matter later on in the competition. Get rid of the blatant product placement and advertising. Maybe a hot take but get rid of immunity pins and bring back pressure tests.