Co-hosts Michael Symon and Esther Choi welcome 24 elite chefs from all over the country into the arena where they will spend the next 24 hours cooking -- if they make it that far! The first three-hour shift is designed to test one of the most important qualities a true master must possess: speed. Speed judge Jet Tila will taste and score every dish, separating the leaders of the pack from the chefs on the brink of elimination. Right out of the gate, the chefs are served up a shocking twist that sets the tone for the rest of the competition, letting them know that no one will be safe from elimination until the end.