Fifteen of the competition's fiercest challengers return to face-off in the toughest season yet. A mise-en-place challenge set at the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles kicks off the battle, where the Chefs size each other up since last competing.
Starts: Eric Adjepong, Karen Akunowicz, Jennifer Carroll, Stephanie Cmar, Tom Colicchio, Lisa Fernandes, Kevin Gillespie, Gregory Gourdet, Melissa King, Padma Lakshmi