With mystery, speed, and drama, Food Network's Chopped is arguably one of the best cooking competitions ever. The panel of experts comprises famous chefs, food writers, celebrities, and the Food Network’s personalities. But do those responsible for judging the food created in this bizarre environment make money from the endeavour? If so, how much do Chopped judges get paid per episode?
Chopped cooking show pits four chefs against each other in a competition against the clock to create a delicious dish. The four must use mysterious ingredients only revealed at the show's beginning. Chopped Judges, made up of three expert chefs, judge dishes depending on various factors.
What is the Chopped TV series about?
Chopped is an American reality TV cooking game show. The TV series pits chefs against each other, competing to win the grand prize. In each episode, four chefs battle each other in a three-round contest.
The chefs are given a basket with four mystery ingredients. They use the unusual ingredient combination to make an appetizer, entrée, and dessert, later evaluated by a panel of three judges commonly known as the Chopped judges.
Chefs have unlimited access to the fridge and pantry stocked with various ingredients. In addition, the kitchen is fully equipped with specialized equipment and tools, but each chef has a cooking station.
They have a limited time frame of 20 minutes for the appetizer and 30 minutes for the entrée and dessert. Upon completion, their dishes are critiqued by the judges based on the following:
- Presentation
- Taste
- Creativity
One chef is eliminated from the competition without any winnings. The appetizer and entrée rounds are judged independently, while the dessert is judged on the chef's overall performance. The winner's bag is $10,000, but tournaments and special competitions feature higher amounts.
How much do Chopped Judges get paid per episode?
The amount paid to the Chopped judges has not been publicly revealed, and the money varies from episode to episode. However, it is alleged that they can make up to $1,000 per episode. The judges are paid for their invaluable services to the show, which includes:
- Tasting the meals prepared
- Evaluating the dishes' textures and flavours
- Choosing the final winner
- Offering feedback to contestants throughout the competition
Chopped Judges' net worth varies from person to person as they have engaged in other money-making ventures apart from judging dishes on Chopped. Here is a look at the net worth of some of the regular judges on the show:
- Chris Santos – $8 Million
- Marc Murphy – $8 Million
- Geoffrey Zakarian – $6 Million
- Scott Conant – $5 Million
- Marcus Samuelsson – $5 Million
- Ted Allen – $5 Million (host)
- Aarón Sanchez – $4 Million
- Amanda Freitag – $3 Million
- Maneet Chauhan – $3 Million
- Alex Guarnaschelli – $2 Million
Do guest judges get paid?
Yes. Guest judges appearing on the reality show are paid for their services. Even though the amount they receive hasn’t been publicly revealed, it is alleged that they are paid slightly less than the other judges.
Who is the richest Chopped judge?
Christ Santos is the richest judge on Chopped. He is a renowned New York City chef, former executive chef, and New York's Stanton Social owner. Thanks to his endeavours as a chef, TV personality, and entrepreneur, he has an estimated net worth of $8 million as of 2023.
Do chefs get paid to be on Chopped?
Yes, the losing and winning chefs get paid to be on Chopped. For the losing chefs, they take home around $1,000 for appearing on the show. But how much do Chopped winners get paid? The Chopped winner takes home a whopping $10,000.
The winning chefs earn different amounts depending on the episode. Some of these winnings from special episodes include:
Chopped Champions
The episode started on 8th September 2009, inviting 13 previous winners to face off again. Four chefs competed per episode, with the winner making $10,000. Several other Chopped Champions tournaments have been held, with the winner securing a slot to compete for a $50,000 grand prize.
Chopped All-Stars
Chopped All-Stars featured sixteen chefs and continued for an additional four episodes. The winners bagged the following:
- 6th March 2011 - $50,000 to donate to a charity of their choice
- On 8th April 2012 - $50,000 for a charity of their choice
- 7th April 2013 - $50,000 for a charity of their choice
- 28th April 2015 - The amount was increased to $75,000 for the winner's charity of choice
Chopped Grill Masters
The show began in July 2012 and continued for an additional four episodes. On 22nd July 2012, the winner bagged a $50,000 prize. In the summer of 2015, another winner bagged $50,000. Eventually, on 5th July 2016, the four finalists each won $60,000.
Chopped Tournament of Stars
This was a 5-part show where 16 celebrities, including comedians, actors, actresses, and singers, competed to win $50,000 for a charity of their choice.
Chopped Ultimate Champions
Season 21 of Chopped was a 5-part show featuring 16 returning champions made of 12 amateurs and four professional chefs. They competed for $50,000 and a new car of the winner's choice from Buick.
Chopped: Impossible
Chopped: Impossible was a four-part tournament in the fall of 2015 featuring 12 former champions. The winner bagged $40,000 ($15,000 for the finale and $25,000 for beating one of the judge's dishes).
Teen Tournaments
The show was held in a three five-part tournament, with prizes being awarded in the finale. In season 21, the winner bagged $25, 000 in cash and a $40,000 culinary school scholarship, while other finalists got a $1,000 FoodNetwork.com gift certificate.
In seasons 25 and 29, the winner bagged $25,000 cash, while other finalists got a $1,000 FoodNetwork.com gift certificate and a show-branded chef's jacket.
Chopped Star Power
Season 33 began on 28th March 2017, featuring 16 celebrities divided into four categories. The grand prize was $50,000 for the winner's charity of choice.
Chopped: Beat the Judge
The season started on 7th April 2020 and featured three former episodes champions. After eliminations, the final chef competed with one of the judges for a prize of $10,000.
Special episodes
Chopped has also held special episodes featuring amateurs, including celebrities, teens, and children. In such episodes, the prize is usually a culinary school scholarship. For instance, in one of the amateur episodes, the prizes were:
- $1,000 shopping spree on foodnetwork.com for the loser
- $40,000 scholarship for the winner
- $20,000 scholarship for the runner-up
- $5,000 scholarship for the other contestants
Chopped Sweets
Chopped Sweets is a spin-off that premiered on 3rd February 2020. Like the other episodes, it features a three-round competition, with the winning chef taking home a grand prize of $10,000.
Wrapping up
How much do Chopped judges get paid per episode? The amount varies from one episode to another. However, it is alleged that they bag up to $1,000 per episode. Apart from appearing on Chopped, most judges have engaged in several other money-making ventures to grow their net worth.
Tuko.co.ke published an article about Ridiculousness cast members' earnings per show. Ridiculousness is an MTV comedic clip that premiered on August 29, 2011. The show's main cast members are Rob Dyrdek, Chanel West Coast, and Sterling Brim.
The going charge for performing a day is roughly $700. However, if one is a prominent performer with a special guest star, they will receive between $3,000 and $6,200. How much do the main cast members make? Find out here.
