TV Blackbox’s contributor Samantha reviews the new spin-off MasterChef: Dessert Masters to see if it really has the sweet stuff.
Since 2009, MasterChef has delivered 15 seasons of Australia’s most successful cooking show. Over the years we’ve seen Junior MasterChef and Celebrity MasterChef, and in 2023 the franchise is serving up MasterChef: Dessert Masters.
Right away, Desert Masters has a different flair to a normal day on the MasterChef set. The MasterChef kitchen has been tickled pink like Anna Polyviou‘s trademark mohawk.
Reynold Poernomo sums up the cast perfectly:
“The calibre of contestants in this competition is like no other.”
No apprentices are allowed in this kitchen. Australian dessert royalty and past guest judges on MasterChef including Adriano Zumbo and Kirsten Tibballs are now behind the constant benches. Everyone is a Dessert Master in their own right but this series is truly a battle of the best of the best. Reputations are on the line and the $100,000 cash prize is very tempting for the contestants.
“I’m not used to being on this [the contestants] side, it’s just… wah!”
– Adriano Zumbo
So who determines the best of the best? MasterChef Judge Melissa Leong is joined by megastar Swiss-French Chocolatier, Amaury Guichon. Amaury is new to Australian screens but if you would like to get to know him better, I highly recommend watching his Netflix show School of Chocolate.
Amaury Guichon is part of a new generation of celebrity chefs, he doesn’t believe in raising his voice and humiliating his contestants, he treats all contestants with great respect and backs them when they take risks including Gareth Whitton‘s sweet and savoury desert.
There’s pros and cons having such a high standard of contestants, the food is bound to be amazing but is it relatable? Watching Kirsten Tibball power through making 50 elegant chocolate leaves is definitely not something I can quickly whip up in my kitchen. But we are reminded that even the pros make mistakes when Morgan Hipworth accidentally catches the instant freeze on the gas stove and his desert literally goes up in flames!
Even previous-judge-turned-contestant Zumbo underestimates the tough time limits and in taking on the challenge he literally bites off more than he can chew.
Dessert Masters first challenge is the same as most first challenges in MasterChef. Make a plate that introduces yourself to the judges and viewers. With all the contestants being seasoned professionals, you may have already seen some of their signature dishes like Kirsten Tibball’s flowers.
The judges just casually glaze over Anna Polyvou’s firecracker which if it looks familiar, it’s because it is. In Channel 9’s Family Food Fight the firecracker was a major challenge and a true wow moment, but amongst the Dessert Masters its ranked as a mid-tier desert. It would be great to see the contestants challenged a bit more but patience is required, this is only the first episode.
Reynold comes out on top of the immunity challenge, it’s third time on MasterChef but his first ever immunity pin win and he’s wrapped. Like they say, third time’s the charm!
TV Blackbox’s rating: 4 out of 5 stars.
Celebrity MasterChef 2021 was good but it was missing something: pastry challenges. Dessert work encourages a higher level of creativity than any other course, we’ll see plenty of colours and flavours that will be bliss to our senses. The hundreds of years of experience amongst the contestants will have viewers breathe ‘wow’ as they watch.
A preview of the next episode shows us this episode is just the start and the tougher challenges and many awe-inspiring creations are yet to come.
It’s pretty early to guess who’s to become Australia’s first Dessert Master. In theory, it should be Kirsten or Anna. Reynold’s a safe guess because he won the pin but I’m putting my money behind Morgan being one to make it to the end.
Best show ever totally enjoyed every minute