The Judges Do Battle

S9 E1: Forty-three of America’s finest home cooks compete in the MASTERCHEF Battle of the Apron challenge, during which they will face off against each other to earn a spot in the Top 24. This season brings a new twist: Judges Gordon Ramsay, Aarón Sánchez and Joe Bastianich each will have eight aprons to hand out to the home cooks whom they deem worthy – and they then will mentor those contestants throughout the competition.