Top Chef Season 12 Episodes

Episode 0

First Look

Wed, Oct 8, 2014

Episode 1

Sudden Death

Wed, Oct 15, 201455 mins

The wicked-awesome supersized season premiere introduces the 16 chefs from across the country who will be battling it out in Boston. Richard Blais ("Top Chef All-Stars" winner) joins Tom, Padma and Gail at judges table. The chef'testants are immediately thrown into hot water with the series' first ever Sudden Death Quickfire Challenge where one chef is forced to cook for their life to stay in the competition. For the Elimination Challenge, the chefs must cook and serve a re-imagined version of the first dish they ever remember making, but will this trip down memory lane be a dream come true or a nightmare for the chefs? The challenge plays out at the first ever "Top Chef Food Festival" alongside some of Boston's most prominent culinary stars including Barbara Lynch, Ming Tsai, Lydia Shire, Jasper White, Todd English, Ken Oringer, Jamie Bissonnette, Kristen Kish and Tiffani Faison.

Episode 2

Boston's Bravest And Finest

Wed, Oct 22, 201444 mins

The chefs must band together to cook for Boston's Fire and Police Departments.

Episode 3

The Curse Of The Bambino

Wed, Oct 29, 201455 mins

The chefs are put to the test when they must serve a fine dining dish using ballpark snacks for guests at Fenway Park.

Episode 4

12 Chefs Walk Into a Bar

Wed, Nov 5, 201444 mins

Chefs get a surprise visit from "Norm," actor George Wendt, and are challenged to cook up the ultimate bar snack. Next the chefs compete to sell the most Italian menus to a restaurant full of diners, and one A-List celebrity throws the chefs for a loop.

Episode 5

It's War!

Wed, Nov 12, 201444 mins

The competition heats up when the chefs cook in head-to-head battles in a Quickfire Challenge with guest judge Jamie Bissonnette. In another head-to-head competition, the chefs strategize the best dishes they can make on a lean military budget with Revolutionary War-themed battles that take place at the historic Watertown Arsenal.

Episode 6

The First Thanksgiving

Wed, Nov 19, 201444 mins

"Top Chef" alum Tiffani Faison surprises the chefs with a trip to the countryside as well as a test of endurance. The chefs must trek through a cranberry bog in a race to gather this classic New England ingredient to use as the base for their Quickfire Challenge: creating a unique dish highlighting the cranberry. For their Elimination Challenge, the chefs head to historic Plimouth Plantation and must work together to cook a traditional family-style Thanksgiving feast using only cooking tools, methods and ingredients found in Massachusetts during the 1600s. This will not be an ordinary turkey and stuffing dinner with descendants of Mayflower colonists and the Wampanoag tribe as well as James Beard Award Winner Ken Oringer joining the judges at the table.

Episode 7

Restaurant Wars

Wed, Dec 3, 201444 mins

The chefs are split into two teams and given one day to open their own pop-up restaurants in this iconic "Top Chef" challenge. They must handle everything from creating menus to restaurant décor to training the wait staff in order to serve 100 diners --including "Top Chef" alums Kristen Kish and Stephanie Cmar as well as acclaimed restaurateur and guest judge Barbara Lynch. Egos and dishes collide in the kitchen when the chefs scramble to work together but when an ingredient goes missing and a dish is altered without the chef's approval, will it make or break the restaurants?

Episode 8

Clean Up in Aisle 21!

Mon, Dec 1, 201455 mins

In a monumental mid-season twist, the eliminated chefs from this season are brought back with the potential of changing the competition completely. For the Elimination Challenge, the "Top Chef" kitchen opens its doors for the first time ever for the ultimate tasting party with "Top Chef" super fans.

Episode 9

Big Sausage

Mon, Dec 1, 201444 mins

Chefs are challenged to create the biggest and tastiest sausage dishes they can concoct when New England Patriots football player Rob Gronkowski steps in as guest judge for the Quickfire Challenge. In the Elimination Challenge, the chefs' dishes must be inspired by a literary work from a famous New England author. Chef Tony Maws and Clarkson Potter Editor Francis Lam join the judges table.

Episode 10

For Julia & Jacques

Thu, Jan 1, 201544 mins

For their Quickfire Challenge, the chefs get a flashback to their college days when they must prepare a ramen dish judged by "Watch What Happens Live" host Andy Cohen and his college roommate from Boston, Dave Ansel. For the Elimination Challenge, legendary chef Jacques Pepin challenges the chefs to create a dish inspired by the French cooking techniques of the legendary Julia Child.

Episode 11

Sous Your Daddy!

Thu, Jan 1, 201544 mins

The chefs get thrown for a loop by a surprise visit from their family members that will serve as their sous chefs in their next Elimination Challenge. With an automatic ticket to the Top Chef finals on the line, the chefs' nearest and dearest must take orders quickly if they are to hold up their end of the meal.

Episode 12

The Final Battle of Bean Town

Wed, Jan 21, 201543 mins

In honor of the last Quickfire challenge in Beantown, the chefs must cook an innovative bean dish for "Top Chef Masters" alum and acclaimed culinary innovator, Wylie Dufresne. Then, in a high stakes Elimination Challenge, the chefs push their boundaries to create their most innovative and unique dishes yet. They must create dishes that truly exemplify the future of cooking as the winner will take home $10,000 and a guaranteed spot in the Finals in Mexico. As the chefs push their culinary boundaries, one will be caught in the crossfire and be left to fight for redemption in "Last Chance Kitchen."

Episode 13

Getting Prickly in Mexico

Thu, Jan 1, 201544 mins

The three finalists head to San Miguel de Allende in Mexico where they watch "Last Chance Kitchen" and learn which eliminated chef will rejoin the competition. The chefs' creativity is put to the test when they are challenged to create a dish inspired by a local artist's work. The chef that doesn't translate the artist's vision will have to say "adiós" to the title of Top Chef.

Episode 14

Holy Escamoly!

Sun, Feb 1, 201544 mins

The remaining three chefs take a surprise visit to Purisima de Jalpa, the farm that supplies the top restaurants in the region. For their Quickfire Challenge, the chefs must create two dishes with chocolate: one sweet and one savory. For their last Elimination Challenge before the Finale, the chefs create a six-course progressive menu. Tensions flare when one chef gets the short end of the stick.

Episode 15

Mano a Mano

Sun, Feb 1, 201544 mins

In the last part of the finale, two chefs are surprised by an early morning hot air balloon ride over the city of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, as a final moment of calm before the last Elimination Challenge. For their ultimate showdown, the final two must create the most outstanding four-course menu of their lives. Each chef takes a different menu approach, but they both face cooking missteps and nerves along the way. The chef who overcomes the pressure and serves the most inspired dishes will win the grand prize: a feature in FOOD & WINE Magazine, an appearance at the FOOD & WINE Classic in Aspen, $125,000 furnished by Healthy Choice, and the title of Top Chef. Joining the panel are guest judges Hugh Acheson, Richard Blais, and acclaimed chefs Traci Des Jardins, Sean Brock, Michael Cimarusti, Gavin Kaysen, and Donnie Masterton.