Plot

The Top 20 must quickly demonstrate their culinary expertise before they encounter their first mystery box challenge, where they must create a Ramsay-inspired dish, but only 18 home cooks can progress further in the competition.

Competition kicks off for The Top 20 with a culinary boot camp to weed out the cooks from the chefs. For a chance for immunity, the chef-testants' skills are put to the test in a quick-fire evaluation of their culinary expertise. Then, the home cooks face their first mystery box challenge of the season, in which they will make a dish inspired by Chef Gordon Ramsay or be at risk of elimination.

Skills Test: For their first challenge, the Top 20 had 10 minutes to dice three onions, filet a fish, and separate two dozen eggs. Bri, Deanna, Dorian, Evan, Kenny, Kimberly, Liz, Micah, Shari, and Wuta all failed to impress the judges, while the rest of the chefs were sent to safety. Challenge Winners/Immune: Fred Chang, Jamie Hough, Keturah King, Michael Silverstein, Nick DiGiovanni, Noah Sims, Renee Rice, Sam Haaz, Sarah Faherty and Subha Ramiah. Mystery Box Challenge/Elimination Test: The remaining ten chefs had one hour to cook a dish using one of Ramsay's three favorite proteins; pork chop, scallops, and rack of lamb. Deanna, Evan, Kenny, Liz, and Wuta were in the bottom, and before another look at the dishes, Joe revealed that two chefs would be going home. Bottom five: Deanna Colon, Evan Tesiny, Kenny Palazzolo, Liz Linn and Wuta Onda. Liz and Wuta were first saved. Evan was then saved, leaving Deanna and Kenny eliminated. Eliminated: Deanna Colon and Kenny Palazzolo.