How to host a cook-off
Updated 15 November 2026.
To host a fair cook-off, pick one theme, set the rules in advance, give every entry a number instead of a name, and have judges score each one on the same simple scorecard. Taste counts double. Add up the cards, and reveal the names only when the winner is announced.
1. Pick a theme
A theme makes dishes comparable. One dish type works well: chili, soup, pie, salsa, tacos. So does one ingredient, like pumpkin, chickpeas or chocolate. Keep it wide enough that every cook can make something they are proud of.
2. Write the rules before anyone cooks
- What counts as an entry: home-made, one dish per cook, enough for every judge to taste.
- What is allowed: shop-bought sauces or bases, yes or no.
- When and where entries arrive, and how they are kept warm.
- Who judges, and whether cooks may judge. If they do, they skip their own entry.
- Allergies: each cook lists the main allergens on a card next to the dish.
3. Judge blind
- When an entry arrives, someone who is not judging gives it a number and keeps the list of who made what.
- Serve every entry in the same plain bowls or cups, so no dish gives its cook away.
- Judges taste in silence and score on their own card. Talking pulls scores together.
- Put out water and plain bread or crackers between tastes.
4. Use one scorecard
Every judge fills in the same card. Score each line from 1 to 10. Taste counts twice, so the most an entry can get from one judge is 50. Print as many as you need.
Cook-off scorecard
Judge: ____________________ Theme: ____________________
| Entry no. | Taste (×2) | Look | Creativity | Fits the theme | Total (out of 50) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total = taste × 2 + look + creativity + fits the theme. A tie goes to the higher taste score.
5. Tally and reveal
- Collect every card and add each entry's totals across judges.
- Check the top two by hand. Mistakes happen at the top more than anywhere.
- Announce the winner by number first, then reveal the cook. That moment is the best part of the night.
Small prizes work best: a wooden spoon, an apron, or the right to pick next time's theme. Add a "people's choice" vote for guests if you like, but keep it separate from the judges' scores.
A cook-off that keeps going
A cook-off is one night. If your friends want to keep cooking against each other after it, make it weekly. On Plateoff everyone cooks at home during the week, other cooks judge every dish blind, and the reveal happens every Saturday at midnight.
Questions
How many judges does a cook-off need?
Three to five. An odd number avoids ties, and more than five makes tasting slow.
What criteria should cook-off judges use?
Taste, look, creativity and how well the dish fits the theme. Taste should count the most; doubling it is the simplest way.
Can I use this as a chili cook-off judging sheet?
Yes. Set the theme to chili, and the card works as it is: taste counts double, then look, creativity and how well it fits. It works the same for a soup, salsa, wing or bake-off.
Is there a ballot for guests?
For a people's choice vote, give each guest one slip and ask them to write the number of the entry they would most like to eat again. Count the slips apart from the judges' cards.
How do you keep a cook-off fair?
Judge blind. Number every entry, serve them in identical dishes, and keep the list of cooks away from the judges until the end.
You are cooking tonight anyway.
Start cooking