Debapriya Bhattacharya
The Netflix culinary show ‘Next Gen Chef’ follows 21 chefs in their twenties who are invited to The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) to participate in a multi-level competition. Hosted by former Miss Universe Olivia Culpo, the show features CIA alumni Carlton McCoy and Kelsey Barnard Clark as the primary judges, along with a host of other guest judges. The contestants work in a simulated restaurant kitchen environment for the top spot, which comes with the prize money of $1 million. If the battle to produce the best food has your taste buds titillating, the following shows similar to ‘Next Gen Chef’ should be right up your alley.
10. Snack vs Chef (2022-)
‘Snack vs Chef’ features 12 chefs entering a competition to create their own signature snack. However, they first need to recreate some of the classics in the category, such as Hostess HoHos, Oreos, and Cheetos. The new snacks that they come up with will need to draw inspiration from the same. Hosted by Hari Kondabolu and Megan Stalter, the show will feature Helen Park and Ali Bouzari as judges, who will be deciding which talented culinary professional wins the pot of $50,000. The show is a predecessor in spirit of ‘Next Gen Chef’ on Netflix.
9. Sugar Rush (2018-2020)
‘Sugar Rush’ brings together four teams of 2 master bakers to compete for a prize of $10,000. There are three rounds in the competition, which are in order: cupcakes, confections, and cake. In each round, the teams are provided a fixed amount of time within which they need to complete the challenge. The remaining time from the first two rounds is added to the final round. The winners of the first two rounds are also given the opportunity to choose between an extra 15 minutes in the final round or $1,500 prize money. With Hunter March as the host and professional chefs Candace Nelson and Adriano Zumbo as the regular judges, ‘Sugar Rush’ offers a sweeter rendition of ‘Next Gen Chef.’
8. Pressure Cooker (2023-)
‘Pressure Cooker’ follows eleven chefs who stay locked inside a house where they are provided with tickets to cook like in a restaurant. However, the twist in the show is that there are no celebrity judges to rank the dishes, and the contestants need to vote among themselves to eliminate players. Strategies are formulated and alliances are formed as the chefs battle it out for the final prize of $100,000. Much like ‘Next Gen Chef,’ the series offers a fresh take on reality cooking shows.
7. Iron Chef America (2004-2018)
Based on a Japanese food show of the same name, ‘Iron Chef America’ is a culinary contest that brings a new contest in every episode for a cook-off against one of the resident established chefs from the country. The cook time is one hour, during which the cooks need to incorporate one or more secret ingredients in their dishes, as well as stick to a particular theme on some occasions. Mark Dacascos, Alton Brown, and Kevin Brauch are the hosts of the show, which brings together many prominent names of the culinary world, much like ‘Next Gen Chef.’
6. The Great British Baking Show (2010-)
‘The Great British Baking Show,’ also known as ‘The Great British Bake Off,’ is a televised baking competition in the UK that brings together amateur bakers to participate in three challenges every week to ultimately be crowned the best amateur baker in the country. With Mary Berry, Paul Hollywood, and Prue Leith serving as regular judges, the challenges that the contestants go through include the Signature Challenge, where they prepare their favorite desserts, the Technical Challenge, where everyone needs to execute the same recipe, and the Showstopper Challenge, where they attempt to pull off something grand based on the week’s theme. Similar to ‘Next Gen Chef,’ the show provides young culinary talents a platform to showcase their skills.
5. Culinary Class Wars (2024-)
Originally titled ‘Heugbaekyorisa: Yori Gyegeub Jeonjaeng,’ ‘Culinary Class Wars’ is a Korean cooking show that brings together 100 chefs from across the country. They are divided into two groups: the veteran white spoons and the newcomer black spoons. With veteran restaurateur Paik Jong-won and three Michelin-star chef Anh Sung-jae as judges, the cooks compete for a prize pool of ₩300 million. As in ‘Next Gen Chef,’ the show pits cooks in a high-stakes cook-off, with the best of the best winning the contest.
4. The Final Table (2018)
Hosted by food critic Andrew Knowlton, ‘The Final Table’ has 12 teams of two professional chefs from across the world participating in an international culinary competition. The teams will take on nine different cuisines in as many episodes, and are judged by a different set of judges for each. After demonstrating their mastery of the various cuisines, the contestants are tasked with creating a dish that will represent them in the culinary world. Much like ‘Next Gen Chef,’ the competition is an opportunity for expert cooks to present their skills in front of a global audience.
3. Top Chef (2006-)
‘Top Chef’ brings together rising star chefs to compete against each other in a series of cooking challenges. They are judged by two regular judges, as well as one guest judge. During the course of the competition, the contestants stay together and go on a culinary journey that helps them prove their craft to be the crème de la crème. Similar to ‘Next Gen Chef,’ ‘Top Chef’ features professional chefs rather than amateur cooks.
2. Hell’s Kitchen (2005-)
Created by celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, Hell’s Kitchen brings together chefs from across the country to stay and compete in an establishment operated by Gordon himself. Over the days they spend together, they face numerous culinary challenges, from taste tests to creating signature dishes. However, it is the highly charged dinner service every evening that becomes the star attraction of the show, with real guests turning up and the contestants’ skills in the restaurant kitchen being put to the test. The show allows contestants to experience all the ups and downs of being a professional chef, much like ‘Next Gen Chef.’
1. MasterChef (2010-)
Based on the British reality show of the same name created by Franc Roddam, MasterChef brings amateur cooking talents across the US under the same roof and has them battle it out for the title. Staying together, they face individual as well as team cooking challenges, as well as challenges based on cuisines, themes, and ingredients. They are judged by three celebrity chef judges, who also host the show. There are many similarities between the show and ‘Next Gen Chef,’ as one can be considered a spiritual predecessor of the other. Both shows attract emerging culinary talents and help them reach their full potential throughout the season.
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