User Reviews

This is not a creative cooking contest. It's not supposed to be. If you want a show where the chefs get to display their culinary ingenuity, hit up Top Chef or Iron Chef, etc. That being said, this is a great show if you take it as is: it's about people getting yelled at by Chef Ramsay for not working and cooking his way. The chefs are not there show that they have their own style of doing things, but to prove they can survive the stress of working in one of Ramsay's kitchens.

I'm a fan of both Top Chef and Hell's Kitchen. When I want to see innovative new dishes and salivate over the deliciousness on the TV screen, I watch Top Chef. When I want to watch people get yelled at (and live vicariously through Chef Ramsay because who wouldn't want to get paid to yell at people for doing dumb things? C'mon, admit it, there are people you work with who you'd love to yell at...), I watch Hell's Kitchen.

Enjoy it for what it is. Don't bash it for not being something else.

As a rule I am not a fan of reality TV. What makes this show go with me is Gordon Ramsey. He is very very good at his role on this.

Where do they get these contestants? I don't think any of the ones on the latest installment should win anything. I'd think there must be better people than this show comes up with.

The best on the show usually gets tossed & some of the worst I could do more around the kitchen than these losers & it has been 30 years since I was a hospital short order cook!

We have princesses who want run a place but have no ambition to do any labor themselves. We have ego maniacs who think they are the world when I can't even understand why they even qualify to collect garbage. I am Glad when Ramsey lashes into them.

At least when Ramsey gets rid of some these losers, he doesn't always say "this is a tough decision." That is because sometimes it is a no Briney.

Still, I do find enjoyment in watching Ramsey go through these paring them down to find a winner. Wish they can find him better candidates in future seasons.

"Get out of Hell's Kitchen!" If you don't like that concept, then go cook for yourself. I may not have cooked for many years, but I never took food out of the garbage.

Some seasons are good some are bad. I love chef, I just don't love some of the contestants. A little too much sexism for my taste within the contestants but really a guilty pleasure for me.

I've seen too many contestants touch their hair, faces, clothing etc. and then immediately begin touching and cooking food.... And the sweat! It makes me wonder if I ever want to go to any restaurant again...

What's been already said here pretty much wraps it up, but i wanted to throw in my own two cents for Ramsay. I'm not sure which episodes of which seasons i was watching, but i saw about four, and i wanted to post this simply in defense of "chef." He's really not being such a jerk. Anyone who has had any experience in food AT ALL should be downright shocked that a single one of the contestants considers themselves anywhere remotely near competent. If I'm not mistaken, every one of the contestants has worked in a restaurant or graduated from a cooking school. I'm dumbfounded. These people are absolute, unequivocal, idiots, and the true pleasure of this show (and yes, true pleasure can be found) is in watching them make complete fools of themselves. Ramsay entered into a bad deal when he signed this contract. The prospect of one of these dolts running the restaurant of a serious chef has got to be a painful one for him even if he's making boatloads of cash off of it. He has every reason to yell his head off.

What is it about watching others cop it and suffer, and enjoying every moment of it? What is it about human behavior enjoying other humans in difficult and miserable positions suffering?

What is it about taking enjoyment from watching others fall and suffer and fail and having a laugh at it like a king from a high seat ordering the death of his jester because he failed to entertain him and instead deriving pleasure from seeing the fear and panic on the face of the jester once you given him the death sentence because he failed to entertain you any other way

This is hell kitchen, the feel good show from other peoples sufferings and misery and pain.

We are evil people, truly we are evil at heart may God help us all

I don't understand why people like this show. It is no different from last year. The show is the Chef screaming. Also intimidates everyone that crossed his path. You just do not learn anything. The contestants learn nothing to do with cooking. Running a kitchen maybe, growing very thick skin yes, but cooking No. I know I would not last. I would have already taken a frying pan and knocked Chef Ramsey out. There is no dynamics between any of the contestants. This show needs a good grease fire. Let it burn. OK now I need 10 lines. Besides the food network, if your looking for a good reality cooking show I highly recommend Top Chef.That show is entertaining and they also learn something about cooking.

The first few seasons were engaging and even worthy of binge watching. Then the show nosedived in season 9. Tried to watch season 10 but the constant edits make me dizzy.

It´s as if they hired the dumbest producers and editors they could find starting in season 9. If these people were contestants on the show, they'd be making dishes with 90% salt and hot peppers and 10% actual food.

I thought the show might make a good drinking game, but you'd be falling over even two minutes in. This was the idea: take a swig every time you see or hear:

• edits after less than 3 seconds (two swigs if less than two seconds)
• strobe lights
• dizzying camera pans or zooms
• obviously coached, overacted reaction shots
• commentaries that look like they're being read off cue cards
• loud kettle drums or explosions
• music louder than the person talking

And as a bonus, finish your glass if a quiet, talented person is sent home.

It´s too bad they ruined the show like this. I was enjoying watching it as a guilty pleasure during my workouts.

I don't think the show is supposed to be a comedy but each and every episode will have you bursting out laughing. The basis of the show is chefs compete to win a job as head chef at one of Gordon Ramsay's famous restaurants with a hefty salary. Week by week 2 teams are tested with various challenges/dinner services. Losing team has 1 person eliminated each week. Last 2 people compete and Gordon Ramsay selects a winner. I absolutely love this show and you will get hooked on it. I've watched every single season and loved every one. Every season has new contestants so you see some strange and funny characters. Definitely check this show out. It's not your typical cooking show lol. It's a hardcore roasting session for 45 mins a pop. Watch this you won't regret it. Watch this you'll get hooked. IT'S RAW!!!!!! WHERE'S THE LAMB SAUCE?! Show should win an award for best comedy honestly.

Funny how some of these so called "award winning guest chefs" can't get food names correct, check season 14 episode 4,what chef doesn't know how to say gyro correctly when referring to food.

There is a formula for this show. Pick a group of delusional people who believe they are great chefs, yet lack basic knowledge, such as being able to cook a steak. The greater the levels of hubris and arrogance the better. Because we are in the business of crushing dreams. The further they have to fall the better, our wax winged Icaruses. Add a volatile perfectionist with anger issues. Set the contestants some cooking task, at which most will not succeed. Stand back as each failure ignites the blue touchpaper and sends our perfectionist into an incandescent rage. Admire the Michelin starred fireworks as a tirade of invective humiliates our hapless victim... erm... contestant. Repeat ad nauseam.

I suppose the appeal of the show is the Schadenfreude one feels at watching someone crash and burn, sometimes quite literally as this is a cooking programme. One can but marvel at the remarkable nominative determinism of that shouty force of nature, Gordon Ramsay, his emphatic verbal aggression, not so far removed from the charge of a testosterone maddened ram in rutting season. While that feeling might be enjoyed as a guilty pleasure, it is not an aspect of my character that I would seek to cultivate.

Two teams compete for an ultimate prize, but this isn't "Survivor" or "The Apprentice".

The prize is a restaurant for the winner to operate. And Chef Ramsay isn't a mere host like Jeff Probst, nor a hands-off boss like Donald Trump. He's with the contestants all evening, as they attempt to operate their restaurant, "Hell's Kitchen". He serves as the order co-coordinator, with final say on whether dishes are presentable. And if one dish in an order isn't acceptable, back the whole order goes. He grating and foul-mouthed, and almost brings the contestants to tears. He's more drill instructor than chef at times, berating those who aren't performing well. Customers aren't immune to Ramsay's temper; he'll yell and curse at patrons who dare to "speak to the chef".

You feel so bad for those getting the brunt of Ramsay's wrath; you want to look away, but you can't. It's an interesting twist to the elimination-style "reality" show.

Hell's Kitchen is not just about cooking, it's about working as a team, and working with Gordon Ramsay. Gordon Ramsay is a nice chef, helps the constants out in Hell's Kitchen during Dinner Service. You get to know the Constants story throughout every season.

Hell's Kitchen is mindless reality TV entertainment of a pretty high caliber. I know nothing about cooking or the world of professional chefs, but any time this is on I get sucked in. Gordon Ramsay is a large part of why the show works so well. He's not mean in the way Abby Lee Miller is mean. He's mean with a purpose: to bring the best out of contestants. Maybe not always, but a good chunk of the time, at least. The show has the same problems that any reality competition show has, and oftentimes the "drama" seems very clearly constructed by producers. Still, I'd be lying if I said it didn't work.

I love this show! I have only seen it a few times but I would give it 8 stars cos it was entertaining, was to do with food and actually gave me some cooking lessons.I can see why people dislike Rasmay and if you don't like it just turn the channel.I have to give it 10 lines as a decent review so here it comes Rasmay may swear more than he uses non profane words but he likes to be tough and get the kitchen into the right order.Usually when this show is on there's something on but I watch it during the ad breaks.Rasmay may be hard to please such with quotes as " ITS NON STICK!" slandered at the contestants but he is trying to teach the contestants the right way to make their customers happy.I must admit that this is really funny.If you like a lot of profanity,Gordon Rasmay and food you MUST see this show

Gordon never should have rejected Chad Gibbs on the show like that. And stealing his future recipe for those delicious burgers and fries at all of Gordon's restaurants is so cruel. But, Chad Gibbs is back and better than ever. He his here and has learned from his past. We all know who the real chef is here Gordon.

Not a cooking show, just another reality show with people behaving badly - a lot of drama for its own sake. If you like adults having tantrums like spoiled two year olds, go for it. Not my cup of tea, in fact, I quite hated it and couldn't even watch one complete episode.

Not necessarily a culinary star, the culinary level in HK is too low for that, but the contestant Mary Lou is destined to be a reality/cooking TV star, because her personality is charming, intelligent, funny and infectious..... a rare gem.

I have found my love for HK again because of her, with several LOLs along the way.

All in all, the casting for season 19 was better than seen in a long time, both in terms of less contentious personalities, and in terms of better cooking talent.

The casting director deserves a raise.

This is one of the funniest, yet most dramatic shows around, an exemple of expert edition. I like good trash, and this definitely is.

But, come on, in terms of high cuisine this doesn't fly too high. Since the show's very first episode, the menu at HK's didn't change: Scallops, risotto, Wellington meat etc. One wants to succeed here, he just have to learn to cook these limited dishes to perfection - et voila!

Depending of course what 'perfection' means for an english audience, used to boiled sausages à la menthe. I've got this idea that Mr Ramsey like his meat more done than art would command - but whatever, he gives a heck of a show, and that's why he's still here 19 seasons later.

Network: Fox; Genre: Reality, Game; Content Rating: TV-14 (strong language, mostly edited); Perspective: Contemporary (star range: 1 - 4);

Seasons Reviewed: Season 3

Had this been written about season one of "Hell's Kitchen" it would have been a completely different review. Still reeling from the reality series hostile takeover, I was un-amused by British tornado Chef Gordon Ramsey's blood-vessel bursting tantrums over food and sadistic treatment of his would-be chefs. A treatment that was a perfect metaphor for the way Fox was abusing it's own viewers.

But flash-forward to season 3 and Chef Gordon Ramsey and his team of inept contestants have grown on me. "Hell's Kitchen" is every bit a reality show and all that that implies. You've seen it before, but this time in a kitchen. Teams of chefs – divided by gender "Apprentice"-style – live in suites by night and compete in cooking tasks by day. Tasks like designing their own menu, cooking for an elementary school, turning traditional dishes into cuisine or blind taste tests of their palette. Each time a team looses, people are picked to eliminate and Ramsey picks one to be kicked off. And yes, like any reality/competition the most talented contestants are kicked off for something insignificant so that the most interesting personalities can be standing in the final rounds. No doubt, Ramsey is just as shrew about audience interest as Simon Cowell.

But there is a fiendishly entertaining bent to "Kitchen" that only Gordon Ramsey can deliver. A sadism to the high school reminiscent eliminations that is only bubbling cynically under the surface of other reality shows. When Ramsey eliminates people he tells them to "f*** off" then smacks their chef's jacket on a meat hook with a Leatherface-like zeal. It's hard to deny how entertaining it is watching Ramsey scream obscenities at the more inept contestants, shoving food in their face and putting together a string of expletives involving Risotto and Wellington so creative it demands an uncensored DVD release. The show does say a few things about the love and creativity of cooking, but that get pretty buried under it's hyper-sensory reality series excesses. Ramsey has taken this one-note act and spun it into quite a career.

This is not TV for the drive-by viewer looking for something to make them feel good after a day at work. It will be too stressful, too sweat-inducing, too claustrophobic and manipulative. Like any reality show it trusts the audience is stupid and is crammed with unnecessary narration and flashbacks of events we just saw 30 seconds ago. The cooking and elimination action is put together with the ridiculousness of an overblown Michael Bay film, and yet the "world-is-at-stake" action movie music and quick cuts to horrified faces doesn't fail to send up a giddy tickle of guilty pleasure entertainment in my belly.

I wouldn't be surprised to see "Hell's Kitchen" on a list of the worst shows of the year by the HBO-loving, "American Idol" cow-towing media. But I'll take Ramsey's hysterical wrath on inept contestants over reality shows that reach further to mean something any day. This is solid mindless entertainment of the first order.

* * * /4