The reality series Hell's Kitchen is one of the most popular and beloved cooking-related shows currently on television. Based on the British series of the same name, Hell's Kitchen debuted back in May 2005 and has since aired eighteen seasons throughout fifteen years.
Those eighteen seasons are comprised of 282 episodes, which is, quite frankly, an unbelievable amount of content. As is often the case with reality shows, some of these episodes are more exciting and drama-filled than others, leading to massively different IMDb ratings. These are the ten best episodes of Hell's Kitchen, ranked according to IMDb.
Last Chef Standing - 7.2
"Last Chef Standing" is the seventeenth episode of season 18, and it takes its name from a challenge centered around teamwork. As each team cooks a staple dish, one chef is asked to leave the kitchen.
More and more chefs are progressively asked to leave the kitchen until just one remains to finish everything. The point of the challenge is to set-up everything perfectly so that the remaining chef can successfully time and put everything together.
Day 11 - 7.3
"Day 11" stretches all the way back to season one. It was the eleventh episode of season one, and it mostly centers around that season's finalists - Michael Wray and Ralph Pagano.
Each finalist designs a section of the Hell's Kitchen restaurant with their own unique themes and chooses previously-eliminated contestants as members of their team. There's nothing like a thrilling finale.
Fish Out Of Water - 7.3
Returning to season eighteen is "Fish Out of Water." Serving as the season's fifth episode, "Fish Out of Water" sees the contestants cooking halibut for Michelin star chef David LeFevre.
Most of the episode's acclaim comes from the ending, in which a major fan favorite was shockingly eliminated from the competition. Both Scotley and Kevin were nominated for elimination, and Ramsay eliminated Kevin for being nominated two episodes in a row.
Hell Freezes Over - 7.3
Another great episode of season eighteen in "Hell Freezes Over." In this wickedly fun episode, the teams compete in a relay sled race and make soup.
The rookies were rewarded with a trip to Palm Springs while the veterans were forced to clear thirty tons of snow from the restaurant's front entrance. The episode also contained a shocking team switch, moving around Kevin, Bret, Trev, Kanae, Mia, and Gizzy.
18 Chefs Compete - 7.4
"18 Chefs Compete" serves as the fourteenth season premiere, airing on March 3, 2015. The season was split into men vs. women, and Ramsay had each chef prepare a dish in front of a live audience. The men won, being rewarded with a trip to Hermosa Beach with William Shatner.
The women were punished by setting up the dining room for the night's service. The women were ultimately kicked out of the kitchen by Ramsay, who ended up eliminating Chrissa.
Hot Potato - 7.4
Serving as the sixth episode of season eighteen is "Hot Potato." The chefs were forced to cook a main dish with potatoes as the main ingredient. The men won the competition, being awarded a trip to Animal Tracks.
Meanwhile, the women were punished by preparing approximately one hundred pounds of potatoes for the restaurant's steak night. T was eventually eliminated for her poor meat preparation and communication.
What's Your Motto? - 7.4
Sticking with season eighteen is "What's Your Motto?" the season's fourteenth and third to last episode. In this episode, the final four chefs compete in a tableside challenge.
Ariel won the challenge, being rewarded with a trip to Malibu. She was also allowed to take one other person with her, choosing Bret. In the episode's shocking ending, Motto put himself up for elimination, earning the respect of Gordon Ramsay. He was even allowed to keep his jacket.
Five Is The New Black - 7.5
Breaking the 7.4 barrier and entering 7.5 territory is season seventeen's "Five Is the New Black." Ramsay ended up eliminating infamous contestant Elise Harris but allowed her to keep her jacket. He also announced that Robyn would be receiving a black jacket, effectively eliminating Jennifer.
Elise seemed to be the primary villain of the episode, as Jennifer showed pride in beating her and Michelle was ecstatic that Elise had finally been eliminated.
Rookies Vs. Veterans - 7.5
Season eighteen is by far the most praised on IMDb, and it all started with "Rookies vs. Veterans." It serves as the season premiere, pitting eight newcomers against eight Hell's Kitchen veterans.
The returning vets were Ariel Contreras-Fox, Kevin Cottle, Roe DiLeo, Jen Gavin, T Gregoire, Bret Hauser, Trev McGrath, and Heather Williams. No one is eliminated - instead, the episode ends on a cliffhanger as Ramsay states that they will say goodbye to someone "near and dear to them."
A Fond Farewell - 7.5
The last season eighteen episode on this list is "A Fond Farewell," which, despite its climactic title, is actually the second episode of the season. Most of the episode is remembered for its ending, wherein Ramsay spoke to Scott, Chris, and Jose.
During his elimination speech, Chris revealed that he had been in a horrible accident nine months prior that damaged his face and gave him a horrible, memory-altering concussion. The reason he didn't tell anyone was that he didn't want to make it into an excuse.