Eight pairs of home cooks go head-to-head fighting to win legendary white aprons.
The remaining eight pairs of home cooks go head-to-head in the audition battles for a chance to win coveted white aprons.
The duos who failed to get white aprons in the audition rounds, get a surprise second chance; four duos redeem themselves and join the top eight white apron winners, securing a prized place in the top 12.
The top 12 duos must impress the judges with their finest dinner party dish.
In the first Mystery Box challenge of the season, the Top 11 duos must combine two boxes of ingredients to make a harmonious dish.
The five duos on the losing team from the previous challenge face the first pressure test of the season; dessert mystery box challenge.
Each duo is split up and one teammate begins cooking, but the second teammate must complete the dish.
Two teams must prepare a VIP dining experience aboard a moving steam train; the team with the fewest votes from the diners faces elimination in the dreaded pressure test.
The four duos on the losing team last week fight for survival in a new pressure test challenge; the duos must bid for their ingredients, but they must give up time instead of money to get their preferred ingredients.
The duos must bake not just a dozen macarons, but a giant tower of perfectly formed delicacies.
The duos are split into two teams and must serve a garden full of barbecue aficionados.
Each duo is challenged to create a three-course meal that replicates an appetizer from Joe Bastianich's restaurant, an entree from Tiffany Derry's restaurant and a dessert from Gordon Ramsay's restaurant.
Both cooks in each duo must make the exact same dish while divided by an eight-foot-high wall, communicating by shouting over it; the duos must ensure their dish looks and tastes the same; the pair who make the worst dish are eliminated.
The top four duos face their biggest test yet in the semifinal challengein which they must attempt to make one of Gordon's Michelin star dishes at the same speed as he makes it while taking turns cooking.
Celebrating the highs and lows of the season with a look at the finalists.
The top three duos compete to take home a quarter of a million dollars, the trophy and the first-ever title of "America's MasterChefs."