Cook at All Costs (TV Series 2022– ) – IMDb

I love all types of cooking competition shows.. (Faves: GBBO, Sugar Rush, Nailed It, Chopped, Masterchef, etc etc) so I am also here for this series.

This show takes the “bidding mystery boxes” and just cemented it as its foundation. Simple yet fun. The contestants get to bid from $ to $$$ to ???. Then additional ingredients are sent out which they can live bid on and it can get funny coz a simple potato or tomato will reach for a lot.

The vibe sometimes feel extra competitive when they’re in a bidding war so there’s some good tension. The dishes aren’t crazy since the ingredient sets they get have some sort of coherence (well except for the surprise box lol) but they do make it better especially with no pantry. It does make me salivate while watching.

The host is great. He feels natural with his banters. He doesn’t feel over the top or scripted like in some shows. No need for added gimik.

If they get more season I wish they’d add another judge. Nothing against 1 judge but I feel having 2 or 3 make it better for judging. But as long as they keep the blind tasting I guess I’m all good either way.