The Illusion of TV Cooking
Let's be clear: the cooking shows we consume have little to do with the profession. They are staged to hold viewers' attention. That's why the same script repeats: crying, arguments, countdowns, dramatic music, and lines designed to stick. Food is the excuse; the goal is ratings. Editing creates artificial peaks, close-ups baptize the obvious as "art," and the energy of the kitchen is presented like an arena.
In the kitchens where I work, there are no staged pauses. There is heat, sweat, pressure, guests waiting, and a team that has to run like a clock. TV sells emotional outbursts; kitchens demand composure. TV wants characters; kitchens want professionals. Out there you don't win because you made good TV. You win because you sent the right dish, on time, with a clean station.
Who Really Wins (and Why)
The only real winners are the judges and the producers. Judges become TV personalities, raise their fees, land ads, and make deals outside the kitchen. Networks sell advertising time on the back of the "drama." The contestants? At best they get a short burst of exposure. At worst, people remember them as meme "characters." The judge's brand grows; the aspiring cook's career does not necessarily.
Let's say it bluntly: TV exposure does not equal professional advancement. Without strong foundations built in real kitchens, without skills that deliver during service, the TV bubble deflates quickly. Often this "fame" backfires too: you enter a kitchen and expectations are higher while you're still learning the basics.
❌Long hours and pressure that do not fit any frame.
❌Teamwork and hierarchy instead of star systems and cameras.
❌Continuous improvement in cuts, sauces, temperatures, hygiene, communication.
The Damage to Young Cooks
The biggest problem is the illusion of rapid progress. People enter culinary schools believing they'll be "celebrity chefs" in a few years. No one tells them about entry-level wages, 10-12 hours on their feet, about cleaning, organization, and meaningful mise en place. No one talks about the quiet work the camera never shows: weighing properly, setting up your station, staying calm when orders pour in.
- Low starting wages and growth only through consistency and results, not likes.
- Long hours and pressure that never fit on any screen.
- Teamwork and hierarchy instead of a star system and cameras.
- Constant improvement in cuts, sauces, temperatures, hygiene, communication.
When reality hits, many get disappointed and leave. Talent is lost because someone sold them the wrong picture. The kitchen is not a highway to fame; it's the place where you become good. And that takes years, not episodes.
The Kitchen Is Not Reality TV
The kitchen is both craft and work. It requires technique, discipline, stamina, taste memory, respect for the ingredient and the guest. It needs people who calmly solve problems, not TV bravado that produces a soundbite. Success is not measured by cameras but by repeatable quality. The quieter and steadier you deliver, the more trust you earn.
Want glory? There are other paths. Want to cook? Prepare your back for work. The applause in our job is rare and silent: a full dining room that returns, a "thank you" no camera records.
How to Watch These Shows if You Want to Be a Cook
- Entertainment, not education. Take ideas, not expectations. Look at techniques, not characters.
- Isolate the essence: what was the technique? what did you learn about texture, temperature, seasoning?
- Keep a notebook. Write times, temperatures, ratios. Turn the idea into practice.
- Work at the bench. Repeat until the result is consistent. Consistency is the magic.
The Real Path of Progress (Not the TV One)
- Foundations: clean cuts, safe handling, basic sauces and stocks, meaningful mise en place.
- Consistency: same result, same timing, clean station, clear labels.
- Service flow: team communication, prioritization, quality checks before the pass.
- Taste: seasoning, acidity, fat, texture. Taste, correct, send.
- Responsibility: run a station alone, propose small changes, support others.
This is a career in the kitchen. Not hashtags, not dramatic one-liners. It's results on the plate, every day. And the only critic that matters sees it: the guest.
Why I Insist on This Critique (My Position)
I insist because I see young people walking in with the wrong picture. TV has every right to entertain. I have the obligation to tell the truth about the trade. It is not a catwalk. It is a place for those who respect the ingredient, the team, the guest, and themselves. If you want glory, this profession will drain you. If you want to become a cook, it will reward you, as long as you endure the journey.
One last thing: enjoy the process. Cooking is a relationship with time, temperature, and the ingredient. The better you understand these three, the less the camera matters. Because then your dish does the talking.
Questions & Answers
Do cooking shows reflect real kitchens?
Essentially not. They are TV products made for ratings, not manuals for the job. In a kitchen there is no editing; there is consistency.
Who benefits from the shows?
Judges (brand, fees, advertising) and producers or networks (ad time). Contestants rarely see long-term benefits unless they already have a foundation.
Do they mislead young cooks?
Yes. They promise a road to glory and hide the hours, wages, and discipline. The job is not the spotlight; it's routine with high standards.
Should I watch such shows if I want to be a cook?
Watch them for entertainment and ideas. The essence is built at the bench: cuts, sauces, temperatures, hygiene, service flow.
Does TV exposure help a career?
Rarely and briefly. Without skills and consistency, recognition does not last. What remains is the result on the plate.