Food Network's Chopped Has 3 Judges, So Why Do Contestants Prepare 4 Plates?

Shows that have been on a network for several years tend to run like a well-oiled machine, and that's exactly the case for Food Network's famed "Chopped." The cooking competition, which pits contestants against one another in short bursts with mystery baskets of very specific ingredients, is up to its 64th season on the air, and by now, fans know all the ins and outs of what goes on in that "Chopped," kitchen, but many still wonder, if there are only three judges, why do contestants cook four plates?

The simple answer is one that any human in the age of technology knows: The camera eats first. In an interview with FN Dish, "Chopped" host Ted Allen revealed that he needs that fourth plate "because if someone gets Chopped, I have to have a plate underneath the cloche when I lift it, and you don't want a plate that's already been half-eaten." Viewers probably wouldn't appreciate close-up shots of a partially eaten, visually destroyed plate of food, even if the judges weren't fans. "By the time we're done with that fourth plate, it's about two and a half hours after it was cooked, and it's been sitting out at room temperature, so no one's going to eat that," Allen continued, noting that beyond the need for a grand reveal under the cloche, the show also highly prioritizes food safety.

As we learned from our interview with two-time "Chopped" contestant Michael Vignola, nothing about the show is faked. The timed intervals for cooking are followed rigorously, the mystery basket is truly a mystery (here's how Food Network chooses its mystery "Chopped" baskets), and a fourth plate is necessary to qualify for moving forward to the next round. When you see contestants struggling to put their items on that fourth plate before the countdown runs out, the stress is real! Even if contestants make a perfect dish, they won't win any brownie points if they don't get everything plated in time.

In "Chopped's" first All-Stars Tournament, part one, celebrity chef Anita Lo failed to plate the food on her fourth plate, which is a big no-no in regular episodes of "Chopped," let alone the All-Stars Tournament. She was up for elimination due to the misstep, though the judges ultimately decided to chop chef Jacques Torres for the unauthorized use of cocoa nibs, instead. It just goes to show that although the fourth plate may not be eaten by Allen in his dressing rooms on commercial break, it still plays a vital role in the show and in the likelihood of contestants taking home the crown.