Hell's Kitchen: The One Thing Contestants Do That Breaks Chef Christina's Heart

The contestants featured on "Hell's Kitchen" come in with some sort of experience in professional kitchens. Some have been in the business for decades, while others are just getting their start. Sometimes the newbies end up having a thing or two to teach the more experienced chefs. But regardless of how long someone has cooked, there's one issue Chef Christina Wilson has seen come up repeatedly. 

When speaking with Tasting Table, Wilson mentioned how many chefs don't understand the fundamentals of basic knife usage: "Every contestant gets this beautiful set of J.A. Henckels Zwilling knives. I still have mine; I still use mine, and they're ... 11 years old, because we've filmed in 2011. Not taking care of their knives leads to poor knife cuts and poor technique. That's the one that probably drives me the most nuts every single season."

There are numerous rules contestants must follow on "Hell's Kitchen" related to contacting people not affiliated with the show. But one would imagine the chefs would already be familiar with the rules of the kitchen, but even the best need some extra training now and then. 

There's very little downtime when it comes to being on "Hell's Kitchen." Contestants are doing a challenge, out on an excursion, or prepping for dinner service. They have a lot on their plate (no pun intended), and Chef Christina Wilson went on to say how they'll work with chefs lacking the proper techniques to make them perform better. She continued, "People don't know very basic knife cuts or butchery techniques. If they're taught wrong and that's what they use as their foundation to build on, they're already going to be shaky. We try to take some time in the first week of the season and undo some of those things that we spot and see."

Naturally, "Hell's Kitchen" provides the contestants with the best knives available. However, a good knife will only get someone so far if they don't know how to cut something properly. Proper hand placement and grip are essential not only for getting the best cut out of a piece of food but also ensuring the chef doesn't injure themself. 

Still, even with experience and extra training, mistakes happen. In Season 12, Rochelle sliced off a part of her thumb while cutting food. Amazingly, she kept a sunny disposition in the immediate aftermath, but it goes to show how even professionals can make some major errors in the kitchen.