Many of the reviews on here seem to be from people who miss the point of the show entirely. The sabotages force the chefs to be creative to overcome them. It is fun to watch them try to work around a crazy cooking vessel, a crazy thing to carry around, or a time waster.
There is an educational component to the show. We learn how to improvise and make something when the ideal conditions are not there. That is good information.
Alton Brown is adorable, as always, and is a key component to the show. Without him it would definitely not be as fun to watch. He is the one that provides a lot of the educational commentary on the show as well.
It kills me that there are so many snobs out there that want to watch what would be the most boring cooking show ever - chefs cooking fancy food with no obstacles to overcome. Talk about boring. These are probably the people that watch early morning Food Network fare, which consists entirely of the "here is a chef who will cook a dish and talk about it" shows. I prefer primetime Food Network competition shows.
And no, the one with the least amount of money is not always the winner in the end. Not even most of the time.
