Every season of Hell's Kitchen ever, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best seasons of Hell's Kitchen!

Twelve wannabe chefs and restaurateurs compete to impress head  chef Gordon Ramsay as he works to open a world-class restaurant in Los Angeles and discover the country's next culinary star.

Day 1

After barely surviving the opening night of the Hell's Kitchen restaurant, the heat is on as the contestants prepare for their second dinner service. To prepare for the service both teams have a squid cleaning competition as Ramsay overlooks with his watchful eye.

Day 2

The third night in the kitchen finds the remaining chefs cracking under the pressure of Gordon Ramsay and his hot temper. After barely surviving the opening night of the Hell's Kitchen restaurant and fumbling their way through night two, the remaining contestants have gotten more than a taste of the wrath of Chef Ramsay -- and hungry patrons.

As the contestants prepare for their third dinner service, the pressure of Hell's Kitchen is too much for one of the wannabe chefs, who chooses to leave Hell's Kitchen and hang up their apron for good. But the choice is Ramsay's for another unlucky contestant who gets the boot.

Day 3

The fourth night in the kitchen finds the remaining chefs cracking under the pressure of Gordon Ramsay and his hot temper as they try to serve up Ramsay's signature dishes at L.A. hotspot Haute Cuisine. A fourth contestant is eliminated from the show.

Day 4

On the restaurant's fifth night, Hell's Kitchen presents an entire Italian-themed menu. After a tense competition in the afternoon, one team is rewarded with an afternoon outing with Chef Ramsay. Later at the dinner service, the participants' competitive nature comes to a head as one team deliberately sabotages the other, while a contestant makes a decision that shocks both teams.

Day 5

First Half of Two Hour Special. As the Hell's Kitchen contestants prepare for their sixth dinner service, Chef Ramsay reveals the latest twist – each team will create its own menu consisting of three appetizers, entrees and desserts. Egos and tempers reach a boiling point as the wannabe chefs hustle to get their signature dishes up to Ramsay’s impeccable standard and out to the hungry guests in a timely manner.

Day 6

Second half of Two Hour Special. The five remaining contestants learn they are no longer competing as teams, but as individuals who must work together (and against one another) to complete an entire dinner service. The theme of the dinner is “tableside service,” with both the appetizers and dessert prepared tableside. To further complicate matters, there is a power failure, and the filet mignon mysteriously disappears.

Day 7

Hell's Kitchen opens its eighth night with not only the four contestants left over from the previous night's service, but also the ingredients. The four remaining chefs are given 15 minutes and a tray of leftovers to create a meal that Chef Ramsay considers servable. The winner of the challenge is rewarded with a chance to cook on a live national TV show alongside Ramsay. Jealousy and desperation are eating away at the wannabe chefs and with all of them fighting for themselves, the kitchen feels like a pressure cooker. Who can handle the heat and who gets kicked out of the kitchen?

Day 8

Three contestants remain and Gordon’s order that they serve an entire dining room becomes too much for one contestant who succumbs to fatigue. The contestants serve their signature dishes, but the teammates suffer from one disastrous performance. Who will create the best dish and who will be sent home without his or her just desserts?

Day 9

In part 1 of the two-hour season finale, it’s down to the final two contestants who have survived the wrath of Ramsay and many disastrous nights at Hell’s Kitchen. Ramsay turns HK over to the battling duo by dividing the restaurant in half – with each wannabe chef choosing their own menu and decor.

Day 10 (1)

In part 2 of the two-hour finale, Hell's Kitchen is divided in half, and each of the two finalists completes a dinner service with the concept and menu they designed.

Day 10 (2)

In this two-hour season premiere, twelve Hell's Kitchen chefs begin their journey for the final prize of an executive chef position at the newly opened Las Vegas casino, Red Rock Casino Resort.

Chef Gordon Ramsay is frustrated with both teams' work ethic after another lackluster dinner service. Ramsay communicates his experiences on running a successful restaurant to the teams while setting the third night's goal to have a complete dinner service.

Chef Gordon Ramsay puts aside the battle of the sexes and switches the chefs to even out the teams. Hell's Kitchen breaks new ground when the teams are put to the test during a lunch service cooking for a group of highly demanding customers.

Day 5 commences with Chef Gordon Ramsay giving a lesson to the remaining contestants in the art of culinary flavor while attempting to complete at least one dinner service.

In Day 6, Chef Gordon Ramsay tempts the two teams with the winner celebrating a night out on the town. For the dinner service, the teams create their own personalized menus.

In Day 7, the wannabe chefs must combine their skills and work as individuals for the first time in Hell's Kitchen. The prize for this challenge: a trip with Chef Ramsay to get a taste of the restaurant at the Red Rock Casino Resort.

In Day 8, it's down to the final four chefs as they try to avoid elimination and reach their goal of Head Chef at the new multi-million-dollar restaurant at the Red Rock Casino Resort in Las Vegas.

The contestants taste Chef Ramsay's signature dish and are given 20 minutes to replicate it. Tension arises among the chefs amidst accusations of cheating.

Two-hour season finale, part 1. From the menu to the decor, the two finalists must prove their worth to Chef Ramsay as they are each in charge of their own restaurant, completing a dinner service with the help of their former competitors.

Two-hour season finale, part 2. From the menu to the decor, the two finalists must prove their worth to Chef Ramsay as they are each in charge of their own restaurant, completing a dinner service with the help of their former competitors.

In the season three premiere, twelve Hell's Kitchen chefs begin their journey for the final prize: becoming head chef at the Green Valley Ranch Resort and Spa in Henderson, Nevada.

Members of the men's and women's teams test their food preparation skills in a fish-related challenge. The winning team is rewarded with some important time outside the kitchen with Gordon Ramsay while the losing team is faced with an almost impossible task.

Chef Ramsay orders the 10 remaining contestants to cook breakfast for visiting servicemen and women. Members of the winning team receive a day of R & R, and for the losers it's KP. Then there's another dinner service to prepare that night.

Day 4 tests the palates of the remaining chefs as they compete in a blindfolded taste test. The losers must face a difficult punishment while the winners dine with Chef Ramsay. At the dinner service, the dishes are critiqued and rated by the diners

For the first time in Hell's Kitchen, a wedding party is held at dinner service, but the groom may have made the mistake of his life.

With Melissa saved from elimination, she now must join the men's team and compete against the women to see which team can prepare the best lobster dish. At that evening's dinner service, one team turns in a performance to remembered.

The final six remaining contestants must make appetizers and entrées from leftovers, a challenge Chef Ramsay always gives his chefs to test their creativity. Then the teams must come up with their own menus for the evening's dinner service. At dinner service the diners definitely prefer one team's menu; however, lack of teamwork and poor communication may spell the end for one contestant.

It's down to five chefs remaining in the competition as Chef Ramsay merges them into one team. In the next challenge the contestants are competing head to head with individual dishes to impress 100 hungry high school students. One winner (and a contestant of his or her choice) are rewarded with a trip to the Green Valley Ranch resort in Las Vegas. At dinner service, the night goes anything but smoothly as one chef is sent packing in the middle of dinner service.

Chef Ramsay starts the challenge by having his mother present her own mac 'n cheese and then producing his own more elegant version. Each of the five remaining contestants must take a randomly selected comfort food dish and re-create it as a gourmet version. A new surprise team of judges brings the contestants to tears.

As with the previous seasons, Hell's Kitchen is separated into two sides. Both chefs begin planning for their own side of the restaurant, including decor, staff uniforms and menus. One chooses an eclectic French bistro feel and the other opts for a clean decor with a southern-inspired menu. On one side of Hell's Kitchen, the ideas are flowing. On the other side, each decision is a struggle.

The two Hell's Kitchen finalists take opposite approaches in dealing with their staff. Chef Ramsay reviews the proposed dishes and presents the finalists with their own head chef’s jackets in preparation for the final dinner service. At the end of the night, one finalist emerges the winner.

Season four begins with 15 hopefuls playing to win a job as a chef along side Gordon Ramsey in his L.A. restaurant. The contestants will be divided into teams of 'men vs. women' after preparing their signature dish. Gordon will be impressed by most of the entries, but one will make him retch.

15 Chefs Compete

The season's first challenge finds the contestants slicing halibut into thin 6 ounce fillets. One member of each team must serve as a maitre d' during the dining service, and one contestant will be eliminated at the shows conclusion.

14 Chefs Compete

Live chickens awaken the contestants, followed by a challenge of plucking their morning "wake up callers" and creating a family styled dinner out of them.

13 Chefs Compete

The two teams must compete to see who can prepare the most pasta for the evening dinner service, with a trip to Santa Monica for the winners. One contestant winds up in the hospital after an accident in the kitchen.

12 Chefs Compete

The chefs receive their first challenge, create a gourmet pizza. The winning team will head to Santa Barbara for a gourmet meal, while the losers will be sentenced to taking pizza orders during dinner service and then deliver them, at which one contestant is rushed to the hospital after suffering an accident.

11 Chefs Compete

A fantasy birthday celebration is the order of the day for the remaining aspiring chefs. The chefs cook for a sweet 16 party, but the mood in Hell's Kitchen is anything but sweet. One chef must face Ramsay's wrath when a diner sends back undercooked meat. And in a surprise twist, a new chef joins one of the teams at the episode's elimination ceremony.

10 Chefs Compete

The nine remaining chefs are challenged to compete in a taste test, with the winner receiving a day at the spa and the losers sent to clean the dorm. Once the dinner ervice is completed, Chef Ramsay must decide on which tastes worse, raw food or a lack or communication within the kitchen.

9 Chefs Compete

The group dynamics are drastically changed when Chef Ramsey asks for a volunteer to switch sides. This week's challenge consists of creating 4 new dishes from 20 ingredients. One chef requires a medic after injuring himself during the challenge.

8 Chefs Compete

A relay race puts both teams to the test, with a sunny reward on the line. To up the stakes, the losing team faces a top-to-bottom complete restaurant cleaning. At the evening's dinner service, the teams are required to serve items from menus that they each created. One chef is called out for serving a disgusting extra ingredient in the food -- their own sweat. Chef Ramsay makes an unprecedented move at the evening's elimination.

7 Chefs Compete

The two teams are combined to create a single team. Each chef is asked to create a dish designed specifically to please Chef Ramsay centered around a single main ingredient. The new unified team struggles to complete its first service together. Two chefs scheme together to plot another's downfall. The winner of the challenge is invited on a very special trip -- a visit to Vegas and a meeting with Rock Harper, the winner of the show's third season. The show's medics are put the test when things once again get a little too hot. One chef goes ballistic when the pressure of the evening's dinner service gets to be just a bit too much.

6 Chefs Compete

The aspiring chefs teach the art of gourmet meat preparation to housewives, with the winner of the challenge given one-on-one time with chefs Mark Peel and Ben Ford. The chefs later struggle to complete their most complicated dinner service yet.

5 Chefs Compete

Dinner service reaches a new low when one chef burns Chef Ramsay's hand. A group of special guests pays a visit to Hell's Kitchen. The remaining chefs face what is said to be their toughest challenge yet.

4 Chefs Compete

The pressure is at an absolute boiling point as the three chefs remaining try their hardest to reach the final two. Chef Ramsay brings in a group of surprise guests whom serve each the aspiring chefs a breakfast they must then attempt to recreate. Each of the remaining chefs is given a chance at running the hot plate, but must face tests designed by Chef Ramsay.

3 Chefs Compete

The final two chefs must prepare their signature dishes in New York City. They are then asked to create their own restaurant as a test of their skill. Featuring a special guest appearance by Whoopi Goldberg.

2 Chefs Compete

The two finalists are faced with the ultimate test at the final dinner service when they must work together with previously eliminated chefs; the winner of the fourth season of the program is determined.

Winner Announced

The fifth season begins with Hell's Kitchen's most promising group yet: sixteen professional chefs competing for a position at the Borgata in Atlantic City. After Chef Ramsay judges their signature dishes, they face the pressure of the first dinner service, and one must face the ignominy of being the first sent packing.

Chef Ramsey puts the Red and Blue teams in a new challenge, which causes tempers to flare and will result in the dismissal of one more contestant.

The contestants go to a meat locker to learn different cuts of beef. The teams race to impress chef Ramsay when they are asked to put their new found knowledge to the test.

50 young football players and cheerleaders will be served breakfast by the 13 remaining chefs. One team runs short on eggs, and 1 more chef is released.

After sending the chefs to an Asian market, Chef Ramsay challenges them to create three Asian-fusion dishes utilizing poultry, seafood and beef. The teams then present their dishes for judging by Chef Ramsay and Tanya Steel, Editor-in-Chief of Epicurious.com. The following night, the teams go head-to-head at dinner service, and tensions run high as chefs from both teams crack under pressure. Chef Ramsay throws in a last-minute twist before sending the losing chef home.

The remaining 11 chefs are challenged to cook variations of the three favorite foods of the honoree for his Bar Mitzvah. The dinner service seems to go well, but not for one contestant.

Chef Ramsay challenges the teams to create delicious tapas style, or small portioned, dishes out of left-overs. At dinner service, one chef's performance nearly takes both teams down and the lack of unity on the Blue Team leaves Chef Ramsay fuming.

Chef Ramsay challenges the team's palates in a blind taste testing. In a packed dinner service, anxiety is higher than usual when celebrities Eric McCormack and Robert Patrick stop by.

Each team member is asked to create a dish using King Crab, but only one dish can be selected to represent them in front of Chef Ramsay. Both teams have a chance to show off the creativity in the kitchen when they get to create their own menus for dinner service, but internal conflicts cause chaos in the kitchens.

The six remaining chefs are on their own now that Chef Ramsey has dissolved the teams. This week's challenge is for the chefs to use 14 simple ingredients in a dish. Later, the chefs will once again need to work as one for dinner service, but things heat up and one chef finds themselves in need of medical attention.

Day 10

Chef Ramsay sends the remaining chefs off to New Jersey to dine in the Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa, where one of them will be running a restaurant. When the chefs return, they are asked to create their signature dish which they would serve in their restaurant should they win.

Day 11

The chef's taste buds are put to the test when Chef Ramsay prepares three dishes for them to try. They are then given thirty minutes to prepare just one of the dishes, the fish stew, identifying the ingredients only by taste. The winner enjoys an afternoon with Ramsay, taking an amazing ride in a bi-plane. The losing chefs are punished with polishing crystal and cutlery, cleaning the carpets and prepping for the evening's service. During the dinner service Chef Ramsay tells them they need make it all the way through not only for themselves, but for one of their guests, who plans to propose to girlfriend during the dessert course. Two chefs rise to the challenge, but two struggle throughout the night. One is ultimately eliminated and then Chef Ramsay announces a surprise, to be revealed in the next episode.

Day 12

It's down to the final three, who must prepare a meal for 100 of L.A.'s finest chefs. The winner gets some face time on FOX's local morning show, while the losers do the laundry as they watch the winner on TV. At the dinner service, each contestant is given a chance at the pass running the kitchen.

Day 13

The final two chefs prepare for their ultimate challenge. They must design their restaurants as well as create a winning menu. But they won't be there to oversee the renovations- Chef Ramsay flies them back to the Borgata where they compete to wow the Hotel's CEO with their signature dish.

Day 14 (1)

The season 5 finale finds the remaining two chefs competing in their final dinner service competition. The winner will be named head-chef at a new restaurant at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City.

Day 15 (2)

Season six returns with one change. Instead of working alone, now the red and blue teams work will be a team effort. The first dinner service (which is a predictable disaster) comes next before the first chef is eliminated, but an old friend shows up. Dinner service 2 winds up being an even bigger disaster.

16 Chefs compete

The teams cook pasta dinners for a room full of firefighters; two contestants are sent to the hospital.

15 Chefs compete

The remaining 14 chefs get a surprise awakening in the middle of the night to make a spaghetti dinner for a group of hungry firefighters. The winner will be determined by which team can serve first, and the losers must wax the firetrucks. later, two contestants are rushed to the hospital after suffering injuries.

14 Chefs compete

The remaining 14 chefs are challenged to create perfectly proportioned 6-inch sausages. The dinner service will include Drew Lachey, John O'Hurley, Tom Green, Melinda Clarke, Chris "Kid" Reid and Kristy Swanson are among those being served cold and salty meal. Chef Ramsey is unhappy.

13 Chefs compete

The remaining 12 chefs have the honor of creating a welcome back home dinner for a returning U.S. marine, where the losers will be left in charge of cleaning and decorating the dinning room for a party under the watchful eye of Gordon Ramsey's wife, Tana. Later, chef Ramsey gets heated up during dinner service over cold food.

12 Chefs compete

The remaining 11 chefs are challenged to create a full three-course meal which only totals up to 700 calories. The winning team gets a day at the beach and volleyball pointers from 2000 Olympian Annette Davis, while the losers must prep both kitchens. One chef snaps back at Chef Ramsey, while another is taken to the hospital's emergency room.

11 Chefs compete

The remaining ten chefs are rolling the dice to see what ingredients they can use in their challenge dish, with the winners earning a trip to Las Vegas. Later, chefs from Gordon Ramsey's own restaurants help out in the dinner service, which is interrupted by repeating mistakes and one bossy teammate.

10 Chefs compete

The remaining nine chefs are given a blind taste test. The winners will receive a dinner with chef Ramsay...in a darkened dinning room where they'll have no idea what they are eating. Later, the dinner service is ruined by meat and potatoes.

9 Chefs compete

The remaining eight chefs are asked to make crepes, where the winners receiving a night out dining at a French restaurant and the losers creating a French-themed dinner service. During the prep time one contestant is injured, and the other three can't make it through the service.

8 Chefs compete

Winter Olympic medalists Sasha Cohen and Jonny Moseley will serve as judges of the meals created by the contestants using ingredients brought in from Whistler, B.C., site of the restaurant in which the winner will be stationed.

7 Chefs compete

The teams may merge now that there are six, as they re-create foods they've tasted. A frustrated Chef Ramsey storms out during dinner service.

6 Chefs compete

The five remaining chefs are challenged to create as pretty as it tastes. A winner will be chosen by experts from Bon Apetite magazine and will win a dinner with Chef Ramsay and Bon Apetite editor Barbara Fairchild at a luxury hotel in Santa Monica.

5 Chefs compete

The remaining four chefs meet British child actor-impressionist Felix Wright, a diminutive version of Chef Ramsey, then meet 80 other youngsters, who they will feed without serving any meat. Two chefs have a bad night at dinner service and one is let go.

4 Chefs compete

The three finalists will create dishes from various parts of the world, which will be judged by international culinary experts.

3 Chefs compete

The final two chefs will battle it out in the final challenge and dinner service. Chef Gordon Ramsay will then choose the winner.

Finale

Chef Ramsay introduces himself to the 16 new contestants by announcing that they are expected to complete their very first dinner service. He then divides them into two teams, men vs. women, and sends them to the kitchen to prepare their signature dishes. After presenting the dishes to Chef Ramsay, he sends them up to study the menu and prepare for dinner service, which, unfortunately, does not go as he had hoped.

16 Chefs Compete

Both teams are challenged to prepare eggs four different way. The team that cooks the most eggs properly wins a helicopter ride over Los Angeles. Meanwhile, an argument between one of the chefs and Chef Ramsay during dinner service causes one team to crash and burn.

The chefs are challenged to serve lunch to the very hungry members of a marching band. During dinner service, one member on the red team gets burned and throws the entire team into chaos.

The two teams are challenged two each create a dish based on ingredients chosen by rolling dice with letters on them. Though one team makes some strange choices, the results end up being close, with the final determination coming down to the quality of the cooking rather than the nature of the dishes.

12 Chefs Compete Part 1

"Hell's Kitchen" does barbecue for the first time ever, and the chefs are challenged to prepare pork-themed dishes with their chosen ingredients. But when the red team fails to keep cool under pressure, Chef Ramsay gives them a piece of his mind.

12 Chefs Compete Part 2

When it comes to judging good food, mother knows best. The chefs are tasked with preparing dishes representing each of the five "mother sauces," and two surprise judges show up to decide which dishes stand out. For the evening's dinner service, it's family night and the pint-sized customers couldn't be more finicky, rowdy and demanding. As tempers flare, one contestant is sent home and Chef Ramsay surprises everyone by throwing in an unexpected twist.

Chef Ramsay turns Hell's Kitchen into an upscale deli when he challenges each contestant to create an original gourmet sandwich. While the winning team is treated to an amazing retreat in wine country, the losing team is left behind to perfect the peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Later, Chef Ramsay gets into an angry confrontation – with a disgruntled customer – during a disastrous dinner service. Meanwhile, when Chef Ramsay switches up the teams, the contestants face a different challenge: adjusting to their new teammates while reinventing a wedding menu for a 50th anniversary party.

The remaining aspiring chefs compete in the eighth episode of the competition.

The remaining aspiring chefs compete in the ninth episode of the competition. A blind taste test challenges the palette of the chefs. Later, the two teams are tasked to create their own original menus.

The chefs are challenged to create their own unique lobster dishes. The dishes are judged by Michelin-starred chefs, with Gordon Ramsay left to break a tie after two chefs' dishes are rejected for simply not being cooked to par. The winning team enjoys a visit to a caviar house followed by a shopping spree, while the losing team is made to clean the dorms, then prep both kitchens for service. Gordon Ramsay delivers a surprise by ordering the two teams to work together to complete a dinner service with a time limit of 2 and 1/2 hours. The pressure proves too much for one, leading to a complete meltdown and ejection during service. The dinner service, however, is ultimately a great success, leading to another surprise at the elimination.

The six remaining aspiring chefs work together for the first time as one team. The chefs are presented with a challenge requiring them to come up with a creative dish using cheap ingredients. Switching stations create added pressure during service.

The remaining aspiring chefs compete in the twelfth episode of the season.

The remaining chefs compete in the thirteenth episode of the season and struggle against the pressure with only four chefs left. The chefs are challenged to teach bachelors how to prepare monkfish. During service, a chef is called out for sabotaging another. A budding romance forces Chef Ramsay to make a difficult decision.

4 Chefs Compete Part 1

The remaining aspiring chefs must recreate a dish by taste; one of the aspiring chefs buckles under pressure.

4 Chefs Compete Part 2

The final two chefs compete to be the winner of Hell's Kitchen. Both are given a preview of what they could win and face their toughest challenge yet. One of the two is declared the winner of Hell's Kitchen, earning $250,000 and a position at the Savoy Hotel in London.

Sixteen chefs compete in the premiere of the eighth season of Hell's Kitchen. Chef Ramsay divides the chefs into teams of women and men, and their first challenge is to create their signature dishes. An early injury sends one chef to the hospital. Massive delays during dinner service lead customers to exit Hell's Kitchen.

The remaining fifteen chefs face added pressure following the first elimination of the season. The chefs compete in their second dinner service.

The remaining aspiring chefs compete in the third episode of Hell's Kitchen.

Chefs created a menu of an appetizer and two main dishes for a high school prom. The winning team went to an amusement park, while the losing team cleaned the kitchens and helped the prom committee put up decorations.

Aspiring restaurateurs brave Ramsay and his fiery command of the kitchen as he puts the competitors through an intense culinary academy to prove they possess the right combination of ingredients to win a life-changing grand prize.

The Best Seasons of Hell's Kitchen

The Best Seasons of Hell's Kitchen

Season 22

Season 21

Season 19

Season 23

Season 8

Season 2

Season 9

Season 20

Season 10

Season 14

Season 18

Season 6

Season 7

Season 17

Season 1

Season 12

Season 11

Season 15

Season 16

Season 4

Season 3

Season 13

Season 5