Best Hell's Kitchen Contestants

Was this guy real?... The stuff he was pulling off on the show was like deep blue hero tale from some Greek epic. One handed almost throughout the season, he never screwed on the line, won a challenge over an Indian cuisine of which he had no experience and never ever gave up on his fellow team members. He was totally inspiring. I have never seen anyone like him ever on HK. I was compelled to ask, if he was so good with just 1 hand, how awesome would he be with both.?

Dave was the best chef of season 6. I think Kevin may have been a better leader though. When it comes to cooking in the kitchen Dave was a monster. He was fast, he always listened to Chef unlike Kevin in some instances. Kevin was a really good chef but Dave was just a little better despite only working with one hand so I think Dave did deserve to win. I do think Dave was a good leader too but I think Kevin was a little better. But still Dave was a slightly better cook so either of them deserved to win in season 6.

Dave is definitely the best contestant in Hell's Kitchen history. This guy only had one hand working properly, and he was still cooking like a steam train. He won tough challenges with only one hand. Overcame excruciating pain, and won Season 6. No doubt, the best chef in Hell's Kitchen. Hands down.

Dave Levey is a prodigy. The only other person who could've beat him in a competition is the one who ended up as the runner up (Kevin). Even with a broken arm he was able to make amazing food, become a great leader, and inspire everyone. No one has even SCATHED the achievements of Dave ever since. Too bad the Araxi treat him as poorly as they did. Best Chef ever.

Christina was a badass on her season and a badass whenever she's called in as Red Kitchen sous chef. Being able to see how far she's advanced within the Gordon Ramsay Group is amazing.

The only humble woman on the red team: now, she is practically Gordon's right hand woman.

A direct copy of Gordon Ramsay: Very friendly, but stern to contestants when they have an ego.

Only one to keep her cool and not get catty! Strong person on and off T.V.. She seems to be the most successful post Hells Kitchen too!

Will was the best chef of season 9. One thing that irritated me throughout the season was the way Paul would copy what Will said. In episode 2 when Will tells Chino and Jonathon to stop arguing Paul then also tells them to stop arguing. And in episode 11 when Natalie leaves Will tells Natalie to keep her head up and then Paul says the same thing to her. And then when Elise is arguing with Jennifer Will says that Elise is going about it all wrong and then Paul says the same thing right after. Think for yourself Paul. stop copying Will! Also I liked Will because he was a boss in the kitchen. Will was a team player. He helped Natalie, Tommy and so many people. Will was the best leader hence why everyone chose him to be the leader. Even after Paul won he even said Will was the best. Even the winner said that and for good reason. Will was robbed.

He deserve to win hell's kitchen season 9.
He is a better chef than Paul.
I don't know how chef Ramsay give Paul won.

I was SO disappointed when Paul won over Will, one of the few times I felt Chef Ramsay made the wrong call. Will was rock solid through out the competition & was never put up for elimination by his teammates. He was an outstanding chef, leader & teammate. Definitely a Hell's Kitchen All Star! (How awesome would it be if they did a season of Hell's Kitchen All Stars with former runner ups & chefs who made it to final 3 all gunning for redemption? )

They are doing an All Stars series now, but people who made it to black jackets but didn't make it to the top two are taking part, so no Will and no redemption - Aquaturtle

One of the few chefs with so much respect. Doesn't let anything personal get towards himself. No such thing as a threat to him and like he's been calling it since the first day at hells kitchen, his only real threat is himself. With a great personality like that, anybody would be glad to cook under him. Like everyone says, I kinda wished he won over Paul and felt that they just wanted to Paul to win just because they played the deceased family card. - hk99

He was the most competent in that season.

Are you CRAZY?!?! Rock was a beast in the kitchen, 100% deserved to win. None of the chefs in season 3 came close to matching Rock's talent!

He completely deserved to win

He showed great leadership, passion and determination! He deserved the win!

He's a really good chef his style is amazing he could have been in the finals the only person that was amazing on the blue team

Pure injustice that he didn't win Season 11. Consistent, confident, always very calm (The only contestant that didn't get flustered at any point) The insult lies in that the winner lost her job at Caesar Palace leaving the real winner unrewarded.

Him not giving up or asking to be switched to the red team just proves who he is. I think Chef Ramsay regretted his decision by giving him Sous Chef in Gordon Ramsay steak. - ClashingWizardWill92

While the other Season 11 Blue Kitchen chefs basically backstabbing each other, Jon on the other hand, was just staying on course (or staying on target), to earn the black jacket, finished on the final three, and got the job offer on one of the Ramsay's restaurant. He deserved my respect!

In a season where the women DOMINATED (the blue team only won 1 challenge all season) it was only right that 2 women made it to the finale. Having said that, Jon was the shining star of the blue team. Talented chef with an awesome attitude.

The Original Hell's Kitchen Champion. A very manipulative and strategic person, very intelligent, and even though he backstabbed his teammates a few times, and I was rooting for Ralph, he deserved his win because he worked smart instead of just working hard. - OrbusXV

So consistent, never failed and dominated. He even has his own knife company. I think he was more professional than some of the other chefs throughout the seasons.

The best chef I've ever seen in hell's kitchen

Michael was a good cook shuted up and won

Hard to choose between heather Dave and rock for best contestant but have to give the edge to heather Dave worked harder but I think heather's natural talent was better

Cute, friendly and hard working girl.

How is she not first? Burned her hand and stayed in service, got the first apps for the red team out, never gave up. Good enough to become Sous Chef for season six - best so far!

From the first service she was in a league of her own, could see she was the winner from the start - Aquaturtle

There was no way that she wouldn't win. She could cook and teach. And she shares my aversion to fish. And she has a sense of humour. And beautiful. She's just perfect.

The most beautiful contestant ever, and never seen such a consistent attitude ever. From the first two episodes I could see she would win, I was 99% certain the entire time. So many moments you could see she would win - For example the steak night, she had about 10-12 steaks resting at all times, then you remember Giovanni from season 5, the steak house executive, that fell flat on his face even with a helper (Robert) on his station. Meghan handled it flawlessly on her own.

Very impressive person and maybe my most favorite contestant ever, maybe after Keith from season 2 or Petrozza from season 4.

She is consistent in almost every service and a great leader. She is one of the best chefs I have ever seen on Hell's Kitchen that she should be around at least the top 20. - ndog

This is the best contestant ever in Hell's Kitchen history not one bad dinner service flawless all throughout the competition great leader has a strong passion for cooking and a strong chef. See at first I thought Jillian from season 8 was the best chef ever but when I saw Meghan I saw she was even better and an even stronger chef.

Inspiring, great guy. Definitely a person people would love to work with in the kitchen. Too bad he was sabotaged by Jen in that season. Completely deserved to win.

True Chef, right here. If you had taken out the Jen incident, there wouldn't have been a competition. He was also so honest and seemed very nice.

How did he not win!?

Petrozza was the most honest and humble man on the show. Sure he was a little bit messy but he deserved to get to the final.

It's never felt so painful so see a guy come SO CLOSE to winning something but just BARELY, BARELY missed it and it happened EVERY TIME. I feel sorry for the poor guy because he is bloody talented and like most fans, I too believe he was better than Christina

Agreed. That was highway robbery. Petrozza should have been the winner. Just goes to show Ramsay favors the women (see also Christina season 10).

He wasn't always consistent but he did make a comeback. His comeback is definitely due to his willing to learn which was on show when he asked Chef Andi how to deal with Chef Ramsay's lashings. He had determination and passion and truly came back from a rocky path.

I can't even begin to go into how much I don't want to vote for Scott. I thought he was an absolutely ridiculous competitor the entire competition, and I didn't think he'd even make it past the final ten. But honestly, I'm glad he won, he had the single biggest comeback I've ever seen on Hell's Kitchen, and, although I personally was rooting for Jason for most of the season, I can definitely say he was deserving.

He had a really rough start, but now he's made a comeback and is in the final 2. Like Gordon Ramsay has said, it's not how you start, it's how you finish.

He made an excellent comeback and proved to Chef Ramsay that it's perseverance and grit that gets you ahead in the competition.

She took her defeat in the finals the best out of all the runner ups of the show. Plus, she's very talented, has a great attitude, and is an amazing chef overall. Definitely one of the best contestants on the show.

She was just perfect as it comes to cooking, having always delivered in the highest standard. She might not have been maybe the most exciting or extravangant, but in my opinion the best COOK in HK. Also very intelligent, friendly, hard-working, funny and beautiful. Ramsay did see that and I think she was one of his all-time favourites contestants.

I think Season 5 might be the only season I disagree on the choice of the winner. During most of the season, Paula had better services than Ramsey and she also made a lot less mistakes than Danny overall. Her lone elimination nomination wasn't really one. - Cre47

Paula is amazing, yea Danny is great but he was not as talented as Paula, why she didn't win I have no idea. - spodermanfan1000

A lot of people say that Ryan BARELY made any mistakes and...its true! I've seen her do like 2 small mistakes in the dinner services in Season 16 sure I bet she did more from what I remembered but she kept her chill and she excelled. - tacoperson

She's genuinely my favourite, she rarely made mistakes throughout her whole stay! She was easily the winner of that season from day 1 - Aquaturtle

I knew from the very start Ryan was going to win, she had all the qualities needed to be a head chef. She was carrying every team she was on Red, Blue and Black. What I love most is how she found her voice. I am so happy she is a head chef.

She consistently won challenges and rarely if ever messed up on the line. She had personality and style and masterful technique. She is a master of the kitchen, and should be regarded as one of the greatest, easily up there with Dave and Christina.

This guy has a heart of gold, he's humourous and he's very talented. Especially considering Ramsay's hatred towards fat chefs

He was great during Season 5, but he was awful during Season 6.

He is so nice but in season 5 he was a hero and in season 6 he went to zero. - spodermanfan1000

THANK GOD he isn't another Jimmy from Season 1

A lot was said about Ja'Nel losing the prize position, but she was flawless on her season and was usually the reason the Red Team won so many challenges. Ja'Nel was so good that when she switched teams, she still kept her challenge streak going despite how bad that season's Blue Team was. Thankfully, she seems to have gotten her life together and is working as a chef today.

Put your personal feelings aside people.. She messed up a magnificent opportunity but she was no doubt 1 of the strongest and most consistent chef ever on the show. Definitely top 5!

Top 50 maybe but not top 18 you give up a reward for drugs your pathetic

She just got busted for drugs, and lost that position in season 11, failed drug test

He was extremely strong. His palette was on point and his abilities were on show. He was one of the nicest chefs and only came to blows with Robyn who wasn't the most liked.

Justin was a damn fine chef and a damn fine leader. Even though he though I think Christina deserved her win, he definitely deserved second.

Great chef, great leader, only contestant to get perfect score in blind taste test, should have won.

5/12/2015 Milly just got a perfect score on the blind taste test. Justin is now the first contestant to get a perfect score on the blind taste test instead of the only. - ResistOppression

One of the top guys ever

A very talented chef. Although Christina's win was kind of a given, I would have liked to see Justin win.

When he said that he was 100, I thought he was going to be cocky and awful, but he truly was 100.

He had was truly one of the most determined, compassionate chefs in all of Hell's Kitchen, with a drive like no other.

Even thought he didn't win or get a black jacket, he was one hell of a chef to watch and gained many people's friendship

Ok, he wasnt the best chef but he was a joy to watch and sometimes, you need a Sterling. He had to go but even Ramsey was sad to lose him.

He may not look like a serious competitor but his passion, drive, and determination proves that he's always 100 despite not making it to the black jackets.

Jeezus.. he better be back for the new seasons. His eliminations was one of the only times where I almost cried! - Hkforever

She was more skilled than Nona and had a way better attitude than Russell! How did she not win?

She was the best of her season

Let's see, is it because she has been frequently defended Sabrina, that she is not at least in the top 20

Russel is an annoying prick. Nona is okay but Jillian is great. She has so much respect and determination. But I wanted Gail to win season 8...well at least she got in the top 5 - spodermanfan1000

What a beast. I honestly didn't think he had a chance of winning but man he won it all. He was a great chef.

This guy started out as a douchebag but quickly matured during the show & gained the talent but most important maturity that allowed him to win Hell's Kitchen 5.

Danny was just awesome. He didn't whine that much. hell's kithcen is full with pussies. Danny wsn't one of them

I don't think he was a douchebag, I think he really saw the other chefs cook and knew he was better. Never complained and always seemed competent. Competed well in every challenge.

I wish he'd gone further. At least a black jacket as he was good. Jon was better but he made the series fun for me.

He's funny, kinda cute and deserved a black jacket. Or at least to outlast Zak who was a crap cook and made me want to throw things at my screen.

He is better than Zack and Susan and should have gotten a black jacket but he should be at least top 50 not top 20

He was the 3rd best chef of that season. With Ja'Nel as the 2nd best, and Jon as the best.

T was on the cast a season too early. She was absolutely perfect, but there was no way Meghan could lose. She definitely would've won Season 15, and screwed herself out of winning Rookies vs. Veterans.

She was amazing in season 14. Unfortunately, she pulled a Kevin in season 18.

T for "Terrific" is definitely true. She ran the pass very well. Very impressive. - ndog

T was the most consistent and the most composed and steady of season 14. Probably the best runner up so far.

I am tired of all the hate he gets just because the only time it happened was when he was rude to Bret's medical exit, but that was a small wrongdoing in his run (apart from having setbacks due to a lack of confidence, persistency, and leadership). Basically, how can his shortcomings define who he is as a chef? In season 14, he was doubted by his teammates only because he isn't willing to stand out early in the competition (stated in episode 13) and was a good enough contestant for a black jacket though he was not on Meghan's, Milly's, or T's level to be in the finale. But when the All-Stars season kicked off, he not only became the most improved chef of the season (by Ramsay), but was one of the reasons why this season's blue team can be one of the best teams of the show's history.

I wasn't very fond of him in season 14, but after watching season 17, I have a hell of a lot more appreciation for him. Great attitude and extremely consistent that season. He should have won.

I laughed so hard in season 14 when the blue team lost a challenge and were all upset on the patio and he says 'Why's everyone crying? '. He was so funny. And in season 17, he was the funniest. Would have liked him to be in the final instead of Benjamin

Shaky in season 14, but when he returned on all stars he was extremely consistent. And his comments were so funny it made the all stars season way more interesting to watch than it was.

I wouldn't put him this high.
I'd put him higher if he was the runner-up instead. With Will being the winner.

He was a deserving finalist but wasn't a deserving winner.
He would be a deserving runner-up though.

How come Paul, the winner is ranked lower than Steven the first chef eliminated by Chef Ramsey (that means I don't include Jason's medical emergency)?

Great chef. I loved it when Jennifer told him she had a crush on him

He's not a bad chef, but I definitely would not rank him as one of the top contestants. I think he lacked a lot of respect, and had a very poor attitude (particularly in the all stars season). I was glad to see him get eliminated.

In Season 17, he may have had a few bumps in my mind he is but one of the most humble yet greatest contestants and All-Star chef to grace Hell's Kitchen.

Top 4 in a very strong season. Could easily have won some of the previous seasons.

Very talented, hard-working, and has a lot of passion. If he ended up in season 15, I think he could have easily won.

Loved him in season 6, was sent home way too early in season 17. I hope this guy is doing well because he has talent and charm.

Just Gordon Ramsay hates him, but bis smile and attitude were awesome -he only don't like cook fish :P

This guy is crapping bats insane

He has a big heart, a ton of charisma & a fantastic sense of humour. Bottom line, Van was awesome!

He had a awesome spirit. He was a good cook.
And when he left it proves how good of a cook he was
" I came into hells kitchen with my joy and I'm going to leave with my joy"

Four star General black Gordon Ramsay

His attitude is inspiring and he was always such a joy

He kept Petrozza from giving up. And is definitely a good cook! We need more contestants like General Bobby!

Ji was one of the best on Season 5. But her injured ankle unfortunately took her out of the competition but she got to keep her jacket which was awesome. She should return for any future season of Hell's Kitchen!

Ji should hopefully return if there's ever a season 19. Maybe for all the people who withdrew from the competition like Antonia, Larry and Aaron. She could have been in the all star season.

Sure she didn't get a lot of screen time to show her skills but I know if she stayed she would 90% get a black jacket, she was talented indeed. - tacoperson

She was great! Too bad she was injured, she should come back for season 12

So sweet. Talented too. I would just love to hang out with this lady.

There were a lot of awful contestants in season 12. Rochelle wasn't one of them. Kinda surprised she didn't make it to the finals.

A great attitude goes a long way. With some more restaurant experience, she would have at least made the final 2.

She’s basically Sterling, strong chefs with a positive attitudes, but both were brought down by negative people - Hkforever

Best, funniest, passionate and talented male chef ever on HK in my opinion, love to watch this crazy awesome dwarf

Very heartbreaking he had to leave the competition for his own sake. He should won in my opinion. Amazing guy with such talent. Keep it up Motto! - ndog

If the remaining women (Heather, Kanae, Ariel, and Mia) in the top 7 of Season 18 all got 4 of the 5 black jackets, then Motto would pull off a Season 11 Jon because not only he deserved the black jacket, but was also the only competent chef on the men's team.

He's humble, funny, and a great louisiana chef.

He was a dick for sure, but otherwise he was a good chef. Making it to third place in season 7 and second in season 17 just shows that he is strong and consistent.

Who the hell put Benjamin on here? He was a douchebag!

Almost won season 17!

This guy was a true dick but that what a real chefs is!

Should be higher considering she won season 18 and had a way better personality than the Ariel who won season 15 - aceboogieog

She has grown a lot since Season 18 and I am so proud that she won this season. She truly deserved the win!

Seeing her on Season 18 easily puts her into the top 10 alongside the likes of Dave, Christina W and Ryan. She's way better than Winners like Scott.

I would say by far the best on the red team even though she had a lot of problems with some of the meat (especially lamb/venison)

The first contestant to not have a culinary background and made it damn far. She should be proud.

Didn't have any experience in a restaurant, ends up in final 4. That's very impressive!

Really love her spirit. She is a legend, able to recreate food just by watching. And she's got so much passion to her. Real Gutted to see that she's got to leave but I think Maybe Gordan Ramsey sees the stress she's under.

Elsie was a great chef with a good personality. She told Chef Ramsay that her team helped her even when they did not. They did not help her on purpose.

What a powerhouse. Fearless. Handled herself against bullying from T in season 14 and suffered and survived Elise in season 17. Underestimated until too late and her friendship with Nick was great, so supportive. Well deserved winner.

She kicked ass in both seasons she was in with the little experience she had. I don't get how she's lower than Christina Machamer. In seasons like 4, 7 or 8 she would have cleaned everyone out no problem.

She only had 4 years experience coming into Hell's Kitchen, yet she kicked ass during her stay!

She's the best and doesn't deserve all the hate she gets! She is an extremely awesome and lovable and super nice contestant. She wasn't mean and wouldn't deliberately sabotage people like some thing. MICHELLE IS AWESOME AND I LOVE HER

Was the underdog right from the beginning, having more foes than friends. Ultimately she was able to beat the odds and conquer the Season 4 winner's title. - jimmy12lee

She was targeted more then I've seen any other Chef targeted, and she still won! There is also the fact that she won more challenges then any other Chef in Hell's Kitchen history.

Also Barbie takes the throne of being the most targeted chef nowadays

Not exactly Ja'Nel won allot more challenges than she did

She Was A good chef and should have been on the finale

Yes, she was a good chef, but being in the finale? I don't think so. She definitely wasn't better than Christina or Justin. - ResistOppression

Dana started off great didn't have much of a voice, than she gained it and there was no stopping her...until she got eliminated - spodermanfan1000

She was my FAVORITE in season 10 she was nice and talented even though she didn't win she was one to remember, but lets just not remember when she came back in season 17 and her final serv--heh nothing. - tacoperson

Very good chef. She deserves a position at a top notch restaurant.

Honestly he was a great chef. It was cute to watch him flirt with Holli.

He was really good and it was nice to see him flirting with Holli, it was entertaining.

Should have won - lampard287

What if Holli flirts with Andrew

Ah, beautiful inside and out. Honest and had integrity. Was sad to see Julie go and happy to see Rock win. The most growth of any contestant, nanny to chef.

Such a strong, sweet personality. So humble in defeat at the finals. Shes an inspiration!

A nanny making it to the finals? How can that not be impressive? - Conhill389

She was actually the FIRST contestant to get a perfect score on the blind taste test, it was only 3/3 but the point is we shouldn't be blocking this off!

Could have been one of the top contenders, but instead pulled up a Sarah-like meltdown in the latter episodes and was a disaster in the final service, nearly costing Meghan the win.

Should've got a black jacket over Josh.

One of the strongest chefs of her season. She was a beast in the kitchen and was a good leader that got her team through a bunch of services. Definitely deserved to win.

LaTasha was clearly the strongest chef in her season. Even when she made minor mistakes she always bounced back flawlessly, and was a much more decisive leader than Bryant was in the finale.

She was way more consistent than Bryant.
She also had a way better attitude than Bryant.

I think she has a pretty good chance of winning. She's a great leader, has a great attitude, and overall, she's been doing a great job so far.

Her attitude and cooking were way better than Heather's.

Wish she made it to the finale.

She deserves more than Heather in the finals - J1996

I really want to see her back for season 19.

A contestant that showed great improvement in Season 11

She was the nicest person ever on Hell's kitchen. And she never cursed which in this day and age is a rarity. She was also very talented. She may not have been the smartest person but she was the most lovable.

She was responsible with dan finished first should have won!

Should be much higher

When you talk about pure passion, this guy is hands down #1. He couldn't cook in the first service for the ninth season, which sucks. Because he was dehydrated, he was off the show. But, HE CAME BACK! He came back because he still wanted the position. Talk about determination.

I was so sad when he lost to Scott because no one had more passion than him. He really wanted it, but didn't end up getting it. It was heartbreaking. No one was better than him and that's why I think he should be higher on the list.

He is a great chef, many people think that had a terrible attitude, but he display that attitude with persons like mike and sandra, who are useless contestants. He was very consistent and it suprised me that he didn't win hell's kitchen 12 considering that he made a big comeback after he left season 9 because of a dehydration. He is a great chef and should be higher than rochelle.

He had great personality. My brother and I would just laugh when he'd scream, get mad, and do his evil laugh... dam he deserved the title more than Scott.

It looked like he had a terrible attitude and a temper. However, he only did it when confronted with the donkeys of the read and blue team. He was funny and had passion. He wasn't obnoixous like Anton (who needed a really good slap! ) Personally, I think he was more of a worthy winner than Scott and I think it was the worst winner decision since Season 9!

Funny personality. Adoreable and talented. Well deserved winner. Shame on those responsible for not allowing her to go to london

Such a shame she couldn't get a visa to travel to London. She was great.

One of the hottest chefs on the show.

One of the funniest contestants!

He should have gone much further than he had

With Robyn's downfall, Brian should've been the 6th place finisher with the black jacket, not her.

I LOVE YOU BRIAN

One of the best chefs in season 12 in my opinion.

Such an underrated chef - arnoldman66

I thought she was gonna win. It sucked she didn't make it to the finale.

She grew on me as the season went on..

I really thought he had a good chance to get a black jacket. I did not expect to see him get eliminated just like that.

One of the ONLY likable contestants in Season 13

So glad he is higher than Bryant on this list.

He deserved a black jacket more than Roe.

Very amazing competitor, and a very deserving finalist.

She should have won

Ariel didn't deserve to win. Kristin deserved to win.

Was a better leader than Ariel.

Ralph should have won this season, hands-down. Michael slipped through the cracks and back-stabbed his way to the win.

Ralph for sure was the better chef in season one my favorite all time Hell's Kitchen chef

Michael may have won but, Ralph got the better ending - Murphdog405

Talented guy if michael wasnt there he woud have won.