The Elimination Round winners are awarded cash donations ($10,000) for their charities.
During the initial episodes of the season, the winner is usually guaranteed immunity from being sent home that week.
Unlike previous seasons of Top Chef Masters, the dishes are no longer rated out of a possible five stars.
The star scoring system is replaced with the elimination format of the original Top Chef series.
Each week, one or more guest judges join the show to evaluate both the Quickfire and Elimination challenges.