This season on MasterChef, fans have been left confused by a sudden shift in the judging. Several episodes have featured the judges tasting only a select few dishes instead of every single creation, which is in stark contrast to recent seasons.
On Reddit, viewers quickly voiced their frustration, with one sharing that they felt it was “a bit of a waste” if every plate isn’t sampled, adding that “it sucks” as a viewer to miss out on feedback for every contestant.
Others speculated that the move might be a deliberate production choice, with one user saying: “I think it’s more so to encourage people to take a few more risks, as there are no real consequences [otherwise].”
Speaking to WHO, former contestants – 2025 winner Laura Sharrad and second-runner up Jamie Fleming confirm there are valid reasons why we might not see every single plate being tried.
Why don’t the judges taste every dish?
“The structure changes year on year,” explains Fleming, who competed in both 2014 and 2025. “I remember in season six, only five people would get tasted in some challenges, so there was a little bit of extra motivation to get picked.”
Sharrad, who was the winner of the 2025 season (and also competed in 2014 and 2020), says, “In the original season I did, [for] some challenges [the judges] would only taste five dishes, which was bizarre, so I’m glad that has kind of fizzled out!”
However, Fleming notes that contestants are never truly ignored: “Ultimately, the judges are always walking around tasting as you’re cooking to figure out what you’re trying to do, so there is always some feedback available.”
Dot and Aaron win immunity
his “extra motivation” was on full display during Sunday night’s immunity challenge with guest chef Vincent Yeow Lim, when the judges announced that only the top ten “most appealing” dishes with a steamed element would be tasted, with the top two earning safety from elimination.
The format pushed contestants out of their comfort zones, including Annabel, who took a risk by steaming mussels in a vinaigrette sauce. Hoping just to make the cut, she was visibly surprised when judge Jean-Christophe Novelli called her dish “intriguing” and chose to taste it. Though told her creation still needed work, Annabel was grateful for the opportunity, noting that “any feedback in this kitchen is so valuable.”
Ultimately, the gamble paid off the most for Dot and Aaron, who wowed the judges and were marked safe from the upcoming elimination.
“Just not feasible”
Beyond pushing the contestants to be more motivated, MasterChef fans also pointed out the logistics of tasting so many dishes in the early stages of the competition when there are still so many hopefuls in the mix.
“The earlier seasons, they only taste either the top five or top three… And it probably saves them filming time as well if they’re just gonna cut the eight who don’t make it anyway,” one said.
Someone else agreed that it would take much too long to try everyone’s dishes, saying, “They always do this early in the season.
“Too many plates to eat and it would take literally over four hours to eat 24, etc (imagine a minimum of 10 minutes to reset for each contestant, then eating, explaining, all that – MINIMUM 10 minutes x 24 = 240 = 4 hours, etc). It’s just not feasible.”
As the competition narrows and the plate count drops, we’re sure fans can expect a return to the full-tasting format they know and love!
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