I realize you need to make some money but 5 minutes of ads to start the show, super late episode releases and so much behind the paywall is just too much capitalism. Come on guys.

I love this pod (a competitive analysis would show there’s nothing even close) but it’s killing me how long the new eps are taking to be released for non-paying subscribers. I honestly would pay $50 annually but can’t do it all at once. Can you please make a monthly option? Would be a little over $4/mo which is way more doable. Please consider, thanks!

Paywall is significantly hurting my enjoyment of the show. Top Chef aired Wednesday night and there’s still no recap episode for non paid subscribers as of Friday evening! If you want to give people 24-48 hours lead time on the recap episodes that’s fine with me but to have to wait until the following week to hear the episode seems unreasonable to me

I understand that the creators need to monetize podcast to ensure their time and effort is paid but to put a pay wall on a review of the show that may or may not require additional fees to watch is kind of ridiculous. I enjoy your opinions and review of the show but I’m sad that on top of the ads in the free podcast that we get spammed with the pay wall reminders. Guess I’ll just have to wait to hear reviews or find another podcast

And it’s been fun, but I’m signing out due to the subscription content not coming out the following week and the ridiculously high cost of the subscription. Love ya guys, good luck with the new season.

It’s $25 to buy the entire Top Chef season to watch on streaming. These guys want you to pay $50 to hear them talk about it

I understand I'm a salty poor person and that is a major reason for the low score- with the new season they are releasing a severely diminished PYK, with the rest behind the paywall of their new website. It really stinks when a podcast removes what would be regular content and releases it for only paying subscribers to their new website. I was a dedicated listener (and re-listener when I rewatched old seasons) and what was a weekly listen will now be much less, and that stinks! I understand making people pay for new/extra content, like every other podcast with a Patreon, which releases a regular episode and offers bonus content for paying subscribers- it stinks to find I’d have to pay $ for what would be regular content. C’est la vie, I’m just salty.

I realize that Kevin and Tom want to monetize their podcast. But they’ve completely sold out. This 40 minute episode had seven minutes of ads. Additionally they are now only providing certain content behind a pay wall. Needless to say, I will not be paying for that. However, one of the biggest problems with this season of the podcast is that Kevin chose to go out to Wisconsin for some of the top chef events, so they cannot do a draft and do their fantasy league competition because he knows what will happen this season. Their fantasy draft IS their show! These are a couple of sports guys who translated their love of sport to top chef. What are they thinking? This is a pure nod to Kevin’s ego at the expense of their format. While I listen to their recaps, I also really enjoy their fun fantasy competition. I feel like this podcast can no longer provide impartial analysis of the show and of the contestants because they are too heavily embedded with the show. Really disappointing change in their format and coverage and I think they’ve alienated their fan base

Disappointed you are moving to a paid subscription service. You just lost a long time listener.

This show pulls some great guest/cheftestant interviews and the scoring system is a fun framing device, but I have to agree with a few of the interviewers below. Kevin & Tom definitely have some underlying sexism and ethnocentrism that I’m sure they themselves wouldn’t recognize (and would probably be a bit defensive about) as it can be fairly subtle. Lowered expectations and backhanded compliments for female chefs, plus unwillingness or “inability” to pronounce non-English names. C’mon guys, these names are said repeatedly during the episode. Jot it down phonetically and make SOME effort. It’s a bad look to be so dismissive.

I have been a Top Chef fan since the beginning, and finding your podcast has made that experience all the richer! It’s SO much fun to listen you your recaps and interviews! I wish they would hire you two to provide commentary during all of the challenges! I’d love too hear you guys recap and reminisce over some older seasons, like Chicago, the first All Stars, Seattle, Boston and Charleston. You’ll find no lack of drama and competition those!

Was great! Update: Season 20 Finale is the best so far. Onward!!

Great show. Can’t wait for next season.

My favorite podcast about my favorite show. Thanks to you both for a great season and so much enjoyment. I look forward to your show as much as I do each episode of Top Chef. I’m going to miss it till next season!

For fans of basketball and top chef, can there be a more perfect podcast? Also, how do you guys get this done during the playoffs?

This is my favorite Top Chef recap podcast! These guys are smart, knowledgeable, funny and interesting. I didn’t anticipate the sports commentary to translate as well to a chef show commentary, but the combination is perfect. Their most recent episode compared Buddha messing up his rice in the Thali challenge to Stephen Curry missing two free throws, and it was the perfect metaphor! So glad I found this show! Thanks, guys!

Fun listen and great analysis. Kevin consistently mispronounces the non-Anglo men’s names (Ali and Gabri) which is frustrating.

So the Buddha worship is ridiculous- and there is a tinge of sexism. Regarding Buddha’s ‘coaching:’ notice that the contestants he bosses/mansplains (not coaches) are women.

Love these guys!! But would love if Kevin got a different mic haha. The audio is super harsh and tinny

Thank you for validating my obsessive attention to this program and aversion to cilantro. You are both gems and do a wonderful job with analysis that is both empathetic and detail-oriented. Just found this prior to Season 20 so am catching up with re-watch while following along in the current season. I even adapted the draft so that I could compete with you both. You have given this exhausted post-pandemic working mom something to look forward to. Thank you!!!

Thanks for a great listen.

Kevin and Tom, I don’t usually write reviews but I want to love your podcast so I’m trying to be helpful. Kevin, please stop making everything about you. It is frustrating when the reason we are listening is for the show review. The most recent example was when interviewing Lorna, you asked her several questions where you let her say a few words and then cut her off and brought it back to something you didn’t wanted to share. It’s like the questions you’re asking are just set ups for you to speak again. Please listen back and try to work on making this podcast guest and show centered. Tom, keep up the great work. Thank you!

When are you all going to start a podcast for the new season? They are always so great

So imagine this, I just bought season 19 on Amazon. I’m scrolling through top chef podcasts to see if I can find a good one to listen to between episodes. I click on yours and… you f*in put the winners name in the TITLE of your podcast?!?! Come on, guys! Rookie mistake.

This podcast is great but can they not afford microphones and high speed internet? One guy’s audio is perfect and the other seems like he’s using a headset from his telemarketing job from 1998. Please invest $100 in a real microphone and some real headphones and upgrade your internet connection. Or edit out the unintelligible parts. But really… love the pod otherwise!

Decent recap show. Unfortunately, they don’t provide much deeper insight to my viewing experience. Hosts are really disappointed Top Chef is not a more combative show. This feels like a very dated way to think abt TC. With all of the divisiveness and sadness in our world today, it’s refreshing to see chefs collaborate and support each other. Additionally, the hosts’ comments convey a negative bias toward female chefs and almost a fear of saying negative things abt things that fail on the show (Jurassic Park challenge, anyone?)

As someone who has loved Top Chef the last 15ish years and worked in the NBA the last 9 years, you can understand how this podcast is the perfect intersection of two of my favorite things. But even if you’re not an NBA fan, still very much worth a listen to hear their takes on the cheftestants, the beautiful dishes they serve up, and the production of the show.

My son, who is an avid NBA and TC fan, turned this senior on to PYK several years ago. It was the first podcast I ever listened to and now I can hardly wait to hear the break down and insights from these knowledgeable hosts each week. And the special bonus is getting their commentary on Second Chance Kitchen and references to topchefstats.com. Good job guys! (One quibble was the April 22 podcast with Hershy Ash. The sound quality was so bad for his contributions that I could barely understand them. Too bad because he seemed knowledgeable- but it was so frustrating to listen to!!)

We have a word in Australia for this so called “restaurant expert” …… wanker. Preferred inexperienced waiters as opposed to experienced waiters. (????)

Can we have the equivalent of a shot clock when Kevin speaks? Kevin’s prolix and *repetitive* commentary is not only tough to listen to but also leaves little time for Tom to speak! Also: We. Get. It. You want a heel. Watch the Bachelor. I rated the show 5 stars, as Tom and Anthony are the best, but serious reflection and course correction are needed for the podcast to return to form.

I’ve loved top chef for a while and was so glad to find a podcast that talked about the show. I started listening last season or two seasons ago. I might have just listened through it between episodes or something but I had a great time. There was a positive vibe to the show and with guests on who are part of the show and having actually had some of the contestants foods it brings another level of understanding to the show. This season 19 though I’m having a blast with the season but every single week one of the hosts just keeps hating on the season wanting it to be more cut throat and those parts are what made me not like some older seasons and a lot of modern reality tv like the bachelor. If you love the show give this show a listen but be warned I’m probably going to take a break from the podcast and hope next season is better. To clarify it’s not bad he’s allowed to have that opinion just not something I want to hear.

Love the show but... Jarring, odd, message in the last 20 seconds of the most recent episode-please review

I binged this season last weekend and today was so happy and surprised to see the new one from last night! Tom - the pirate ship has launched you for me…wherever

Love your show, but you both fell victim to TC’s edit on the cheese 5 ways challenge - the women have all been helping each other for awhile. In fact, in the previous ep we saw Dawn help both Jamie & Maria. I was disappointed last night to see TC make a point to do a ‘Dawn takes advantage of Jamie’ edit, given that really, all season the Portland chefs have been unusually helpful to each other. I felt they were doing the same to Shota, editing him to seem more of a ‘help me but I won’t help you’ jerk (how many times did he make Gabe try his dishes?)

Love your podcast! Malarkey special was great

Glad you guys are back!

Top Chef season 4 Chicago !

Great podcast. Can Kevin stop cursing?

Tom and Kevin are a great team. I’ve listened to every season since they started. I look forward to this podcast as much as each new season of Top Chef. Thanks gents!

A great recap of Top Chef! A long time Top Chef lover, but I started listening to the pod this season. Love that they sometimes get contestants to come on for insider information. Kevin could stand to back down on the name dropping restaurants and discussing his own home cooking /recipes.

Truly one of the best reality TV podcasts I’ve found. The hosts are classy but candid and very entertaining. They stay on topic and their comments share never mean spirited or catty. They both know what they are talking about in terms of food and techniques. Thank you for a great listen that I look forward to every week!!

Don’t know basketball, but love these two together and love Top Chef. Part recap, part commentary, always some laughs. I’m kvelling because I have nothing to kvetch about here!

Welcome Back!

Anxiously await some word about this podcast with the premier of TC All Stars around the corner.

I don’t know these guys from basketball but they have a great rapport, a true love of the show and a professional easy going dialogue that recaps the Top Chef episodes with a combination of humour and intelligence. They make you feel like you want to have a beer with them and join the discussion. My favorite commentary from any reality show and probably my favorite podcast after ‘Heavyweight’ in terms of just making you feel good. Also, I find the intro music so soothing for some reason.

I just heard the Kelsey podcast. While she was talking, there was clicking, noises that sounded like yawning, and other environmental things. Also, the hosts are too uneven in their abilities to describe what's going on. First and last time listener.

Such a lovely podcast

Please have Pablo Lamon on your podcast and He is my biggest inspiration ever in the culinary world. Lina

Love these guys and their insights. Restaurant wars episode was awesome!

Really interesting top chef recap and analysis. I particularly enjoy the ones where they have expert guests