Lizzie Binder

"Top Chef" kicks off as 21 chefs from around the country enter the kitchens of our judges - Tom Colicchio, Emeril Lagasse, Hugh Acheson and the newest addition, Wolfgang Puck.

15 chefs make it to Seattle. As a surprising twist changes the course of the competition, one chef cranks up the heat her own way, and one turn of the Seattle Space Needle determines who will go home. Guest judge: Tom Douglas

In this Quickfire, the chef'testants struggle with an entire pantry wrapped in aluminum foil. Tempers flare and competitive juices boil in the Elimination Challenge when the chef’testants fight it out in head-to-head battles that end in one chef going home. Season 4 winner and Food & Wine Magazine's Best New Chef, Stephanie Izard appears as guest judge, alongside Gail Simmons, head judge Tom Colicchio and host Padma Lakshmi.

In the Elimination Challenge, tribute is paid to the most memorable moments in 'Top Chef' history.

Butchery is king as two giant slabs of beef on meat hooks await the chefs for the Quickfire. For the Elimination, the Chefs go back in time as they're tasked with re-creating an original 1950's menu from one of the best restaurants in the country.

The chefs use their skill and imagination to highlight some of the rarest ingredients found at Pike Place Market.