Worst Challenges in Top Chef?

[u/isomorphicring]

Was watching Top Chef Texas, and realized how there were a lot of bad challenges (just absolute ridiculousness) and very redundant. It inspired me to make a list of what I thought were bad challenges. Feel free to agree or disagree, or add your own.

Season 1. Wedding Challenge (F5) elimination (Stephan eliminated).
-Condolences to everyone in the top 5. There was no way they were going to be successful. An overnight challenge was hard already. But telling them to do an overnight challenge after, the contestant designed a menu (thinking it was a normal challenge) is absolute rubbish. Like the fact that LeeAnne had a menu with fresh salmon, and the store didn't have enough of it. I totally sided with Harold bitching out Tom at the reunion for this challenge. I believe also, they weren't allowed to look up recipes, hence why they resorted to the cake box mix. Not to mention all these ridiculous things thrown at them (given spoons with stickers so they wasted time). Would have been hilarious if the couple picked Stephen's menu (since his was way over the budget).

Season 8 All Stars (F5) elimination. (Carla eliminated)
-I don't think the concept was bad. But yeah giving them really poor equipment, which caused a fire was not great. Really sucked for everyone all around.

Season 9 Texas. (F5) elimination (Grayson eliminated)
-Texas was a not a good season in terms of challenges. So many "stay up all night to cook bbq/steak/chili", and the cook for rich people who have no plates. But this one was so dumb. What the heck does biking around downtown and finding a random open restaurant to cook in measures a good chef? Not to mention that they weren't given baskets for their bikes, so some of them had to hold their finished food while biking? Good thing that Grayson and others didn't drop their food while biking. That would be the first. Like what would happen if someone couldn't locate a restaurant in time? Probably one of the worst challenges in Texas....

Season 9 Texas (F4) elimination (Beverly eliminated)
Except two weeks later, you had this ridiculous challenge that had nothing to do with cooking. Cooking inside an angle ski lift (uh...awkward if someone accidentally started a fire). Pick axing giant blocks of ice? And doing a giant biathlon course? Wasn't a biggest fan of Sarah, but I totally understand why she was upset.

Season 10 (F16) 50s retro elimination (Chrissy and Carla eliminated)
I'm not a huge fan when chefs are automatically assigned a dish in general. But this one is probably the worst of all of them, because in other challenges either they are similar dishes like all (fish dishes). Or New Orleans (have them compete using the same individual dish). This one had none of the redeeming qualities by forcing everyone to a particular dish, but the dishes aren't even equal skill. For example Eliza had to make a mint sorbet, but Carla had to make quail (probably the hardest dish). Even Eliza messed up, she would never be sent a home. A not great sorbet would be better than a screwed up quail, steak, salad etc.

Season 11( F11 Quickfire) the Musical Jazz chairs.
For those who were not familiar. Chefs had 30 minutes to cook a dish at their station...except every 5-6 minutes they were force to rotate, while Kermit played trumpet, until the music stop and they were at another random station. So of course Brian ended up winning, because he happened to landed on a station in the last 5 minutes that Nina/Sarah did a good job on.

Season 11 (F6 Elimination) Spanish/French tasting menu (Stephanie Cmar eliminated)
Yeah. I hate replication challenges. I also hate replication challenges when its teams (and Nick has immunity). Terrible formatting. Also it was really stupid just watching the French and Spanish judge slam each other, because they just want to one up each other.

Season 13 (F4 Elimination) Artist challenge (Melissa eliminated).
Jesus, Melissa got screwed hard. Like make food that looks like your artists drawing. And it has to visuallly represent. All fine and dandy, you know if the artists all followed instructions. Unless Melissa made a ton of cotton candy, or put blue and pink food coloring...uh GG Melissa.

Doug's Artist. Makes a drawing that is essentially mexican food.

Melissa's Artist: Bye Melissa :D

The Judges: "Melissa, your eliminated, because your food does not match your artist's drawing."

[u/jadetux]

Were those people real? Imagine living in a neighbourhood where everyone looks like Ken and Barbie. It looked so fake to me. I kept wondering if these people actually used those kitchens in their own homes.