Cooks vs. Cons (2016– ) User Reviews (14)

Needed More Cook Time Before Serving

[dizzyface · 5/10 · 2 May 2016]

A pretty standard Food Network competition show with a lot of familiar faces. Which is fine. I certainly enjoy these types of shows.

The big problem with this one is that the central concept of "cooks vs cons" plays no part in the actual competition. It doesn't make one whit of difference if the judges figure out the true identities of the contestants. It's just a grafted-on idea that gives them something to (repetitively) discuss.

They need to integrate the mystery aspect of the show into the competition.

Something like this:

1. Don't tell how many cooks and cons there are. Change up the ratio. Can't always be two and two. Makes it too easy/predictable.

2. Make the base prize the same for both cooks and cons, but add a bonus component at the end. If the winning contestant managed to fool the judges, they get an extra $5000 or something. This would give all the contestants incentive to deceive. Cons trying to pull off some pro techniques, cooks trying to dumb down certain aspects of their skills to come across as more amateurish.

Would make things way more interesting.

Good idea, not sure how well it's executed

[exsanguinator · 5/10 · 5 April 2016]

Pro chefs vs amateur cooks. Which is which? Who will win?

Could a pro fall to an amateur? Or are the professional chefs really the standard?

Throughout the show the judges are constantly asked: which one is the cook, which one is the con?

A small side prize pool for the judges guessing who is who would be a welcome addition but there's nothing really to stop this from blending into the sea of elimination cooking competition shows.

It's entertaining, the twitter interactivity is a nice touch, and having the eliminated cook or con reveal what they are is fairly interesting.

As a side note, I like Zakarian as the host. Judging from the amount of guff he gets from his fellow chefs on other shows where he's not a judge I would think that he has a good sense of humour and I would love to see more of that shine while he is a host on his own show.

It's also interesting to hear what the judges think are "pro moves".

I'm gonna give it a few episodes to make up my mind 100% but judging from the first course, this is a show giving a chance. (can't believe I'm gonna let that pun slide).

Insulting to all home cooks

[alxlives · 1/10 · 1 June 2016]

The judges (especially GRAHAM) are constantly saying "a home cook would never know how to do that" with simple things like.. 1) start a steak in cast iron and finish in the stove 2) use ginger root 3) plate with a sauce push 4) make a simple wine reduction. I mean SERIOUSLY? You are insulting your viewers, many of whom are very competent in the kitchen, you don't think we have learned anything from watching Food Network for the past few decades? Ugh. Will never watch this again for that reason alone - although Geoffrey's AWFUL acting is yet another reason. I don't think I have ever seen anyone so fake. Alton Brown is a much better host. And Graham.. Graham I am SO disappointed in you. I know you wanted to get out of Ramsey's shadow but this is just low.

I...Am....Not interested

[southyankee · 2/10 · 30 August 2016]

Thought this might be an interesting show. Had two episodes on the DVR. Watch one last night--- way too much emphasis on the judges. And the constant repetition of I.....Am......A........... (Cook/Con)!!!!!!!! Suffered through the show - even with being able to fast forward. Deleted the other one and removed it from my DVR listing. It's an interesting concept but poorly executed. End of review. Now I try to submit it and am told I don't have ENOUGH lines of comment!!!! You really want me to say more things about this poorly executed show which only seems to be a vehicle for job security for "celebrity" chefs??? End of review, again. Oops, still needed one more line - can I review this site which seems to be more about content than context? That should do it - 11 lines!!!!

NOT ACTUAL CONS

[lallen-84983 · 1/10 · 22 July 2022]

Ya'll. Heavily disappointed. I thought this was going to be about professional chefs up against prison inmates. What a great concept! That prison food can be delicious if you do it right!

IT'S NOT. Regular home chefs vs professional chefs. Boring. I thought it would be a great show for both my boyfriend and I to enjoy since I watch a lot of prison documentaries. Zero stars.

I love this show! Your trippin

[tawheed-95686 · 10/10 · 26 October 2020]

Omg how can anyone hate this show. I like GZ's jokes. The wordplay on the word con is corny funny but I love corny. I cannot even BELIEVE someone wouldn't like this show. It's hysterical and I loveeeeee finding out what the cons actually do in real life. Who are you person who said they hate this show? And you went in on it. It sounded personal. I'm watching it as I'm typing this - this show is great. And the anxiety it gives me while they are rushing to meet the 30 min deadline is like a thrilling roller coaster ride. I love GZs plaid blazers. This show is too good. I'm mad at you whoever you are giving it this bad review. Alex is my girl. Man I am in utter disbelief. So negative

Episode Chicken wings

[dfcwoods · 3/10 · 8 August 2016]

You let a guy move forward who did not use the product selected for the challenge. Who cares that it was beautiful and tastes, it was a chicken wing competition and you allowed him to break the rules and move forward. Sorry, I like your show, but that was wrong. Rules are rules and if you are going to let this guy skip the product of choice, then you cannot send anyone home if they do not use an ingredient. If I was judging I would of not even tasted his dish, but certainly asked him why he did not use the specified product, and why should he be allowed to continue when he did not follow the rules. What chicken was there to taste - NONE. If he wants to cook vegan, great - avoid competitions using meat. If the rules don't mean anything, then have no rules.

Good Show

[combscammie · 9/10 · 6 April 2017]

My husband and l love this show. I love to be a great cook, and it gives you a lot of ideas. Wish Jeffery would go back to original hair do, though. New one makes him look like PeeWee Herman. Otherwise love show! Most of the time we guess right, but sometimes we are really floored at the Good jobs cons do at fooling you.

This is so rigged

[daniel-66350-90157 · 1/10 · 14 April 2016]

I guess the idea is kind of interesting. Format is very similar to Chopped but it's less of an actual cooking show then chopped and since it's food network, I would say chopped is better. YES execution is way off. It's more of a mystery then a cooking show and they just want the viewer's curiosity to stay tuned to find out who's who. But it's so rigged. They purposely make some contestants sound so professional and you can tell the makeup artist changes the appearance of certain contestants. They prescreen the contestants so they have to have both looks (con and pro). Too much editing, I just don't think this should be on food network.

I.... Hate.... This.... Show.

[stach-17163 · 1/10 · 5 January 2017]

There is nothing about this show that entertains me, and quite honestly, it's offensive to all of the Food Network's loyal followers. Just because someone hasn't graduated from the Le Cordon Blue or won a James Beard award doesn't mean they can't cook. Everything about the show feels forced and uncomfortable. Everything from Geoffrey's awkward and hollow demeanor to Graham Elliot's tight fitting button-ups and rosy cheeks. The show drags on for an hour, round after round, making me wish I started something else for the night. Overall, I would say it's an underwhelming Food Network program that shouldn't get the airtime it does. This show was forced and here is how it all went down:

GZ started off with the persona of a hip middle-aged man, a wealth of knowledge in regards to cooking, and a sharp dresser. He began on Chopped and The Kitchen and everyone came to know him as a humble, stylish guy that critiqued food in a succinct, articulate manner. His ratings soared and the Network loved him. The thing is, GZ never anticipated on being as big of a star as the Network made him. Although he carried the image of a cool cat, deep down he's an awkward, spineless simpleton.

He started to get full of himself and began pitching ideas to the Network that he thought of while laying in bed at night. He started to come out of his modest shell. It was awkward. But his ratings were killing it. The Food Network had to listen to him. He was doing something right.

He started to become super enthusiastic about picking out the cons in a sea of cooks. Being the pretentious chef he is, he loved to nitpick cooking techniques and minor flaws in other people's work. Although his proposal to the Network was unflattering and awkward, they gave it the nod of approval. "It's Geoffrey Zakarian. How bad could the ratings be?"

Now we have the show we all know and love to this day. GZ was never meant to be a frontman and the Food Network, audience, and even himself, know that very well. He was given a chance to make something of his fairly impressive track record, but he let it crash and burn like the Hindenburg. Geoffrey kept up with the hip image for one too many years, now he's stuck way outside of his element having to maintain this fashionable identity that makes him awkward in his own two shoes.

1/10

An Alton Brown reject?

[wjf010 · 3/10 · 17 August 2016]

When you watch the show, close your eyes and listen to Geoffrey. He tries to sound "devilish" like Alton Brown on Cutthroat Kitchen.....could be the same writers....who knows. But, there is quite the personality change from Geoffrey's Chopped appearances. Seems fake.

The idea for the show is fine, but the judges changing their minds every five minutes on who is and who is not the professional cook is annoying.

I call "shenanigans" on the 30 minute time limit, too. No way some of those dishes are prepared in 30 minutes without some kind of preparation time.

Not Fair

[jburris-66410 · 4/10 · 9 September 2018]

On S2 E5 aired 7/5/17 Chicken Wing' It, one of the contestants decided to do his own item he wanted to prepare instead of chicken wings. He should not have been allowed to continue. Each of those contestants could have decided just like he did to prepare something else that they felt was more to their benefit. It was not chicken wings he prepared but mushrooms that probably tasted like mushrooms. Bad judgement on your part and unfair to the competitors.

Kind of an unfair reward system.

[agz-73558 · 4/10 · 14 August 2016]

So they give $10,000 to the chef if they win, and they give $15,000 to the con if they win. The average cook, depending on where they work/what they do, will make around $20 an hour. Sometimes the cons on this show are paid far more than the chefs they are competing against! Doctors, lawyers, engineers, etc. They once had an anesthesiologist. I just watched an episode where the man who won was a radiologist. Know how much they make? Just a quick google search says $286,903 a year, sometimes up to $350,000! Why should they get more money?

Think of it like this (this is just a hypothetical): the chef at a local restaurant who has dedicated her whole life to the culinary arts industry and has studied the art for many years that only makes $40,000 annually is competing against a pharmacist who got her skills by watching food network and makes $120,000 annually. And the pharmacist wins. They already damaged the chef's ego by beating them with their hobby skills, now they have to live with the fact that even if they had won, they still wouldn't have made as much money as them anyway. Kind of a ripoff, don't you think? The chefs oftentimes need the money more than the cons do. I get wanting to pay them more because hey, they just beat 2 pro chefs, that's amazing! Good for them. I just think they should be rewarded equally regardless.

Also some of the things the judges consider "pro moves" are ridiculous. Crushing garlic before peeling it? Using a towel to pick up a pan handle? Give me a break.

Otherwise, I think the concept of the show is great. I love trying to guess who's who; I'm rarely ever right though.

It's basically chopped but make it classist.

[ryan-69248 · 3/10 · 23 January 2021]

Idk i liked it sorta bc I ran out of chopped episodes to watch but like the way they tried to judge ppl on whether they were a professional chef or a con (aka home cook), just screamed classist. Like objectively it wasn't classist but the comments the judges made & the way they said it ,especially geoffrey zakarian, just screamed I'm a snooty restauranteur better than u classist. Idk it just rubbed me the wrong way, other than that it was a fun, easywatch.