List of Top Chef contestants

Top Chef is an American reality competition television series. The contestants, sometimes referred to as "cheftestants",^[1][2] compete against each other in episodic challenges to become the next "Top Chef" and win a cash prize. The show has aired 22 seasons since its premiere in March 2006 and featured 330 different participants. Several contestants have competed in multiple seasons, such as with the two all-star editions. Many are also asked to reappear as guest judges on the show.

The contestants are selected through auditions.^[3] Although the series began with people with vastly differing amounts of cooking experience, such as a sommelier and culinary school student in the first season, later seasons would focus on casting professional chefs and restaurateurs.^[4] For a typical season, casting producers will perform a nationwide search, researching the latest recipients of culinary accolades, like the James Beard Foundation Awards and Michelin stars; reviewing recommendations from past competitors; and scouting social media and various cities across the United States for potential applicants.^[5]

Several Top Chef alumni have gone on to make regular appearances as hosts, judges, and contestants on other television shows, such as Chopped, Guy's Grocery Games, Bobby's Triple Threat, and Tournament of Champions on the Food Network, as well as Hell's Kitchen, Next Level Chef, and MasterChef on Fox.^[6][7]