A Producer Reveals Exactly What You Should Know Before Going on Top Chef

It's clear that every chef who walks into the Bravo's Top Chef kitchen is immensely talented. However, there are some little-known secrets to getting ahead in the competition.

In the video above, Top Chef co-executive producer Hunter Braun shares his tips on how to succeed on the show — before even stepping foot on set. For those who don't want to pack their knives and go, Braun suggests to "think about what you want to put into your knife roll" before filming starts. As he explains, chefs are allowed to have 12 knives in their knife roll, a pair of tweezers, a thermometer, a sharpening knife steel, and "up to 10 non-electrical tools, excluding knives."

"You don't know what the challenges are going to be," he says, "so you have to think wisely about which knives to put in your roll."

Studying up is also key. "Memorize some ratios for pastry," he says. "Know some breads in your head. Think about what a good pie crust might be. It's a totally different skill set. It's a science. You can't just add a little of this, add a little of that like you do as a savory chef. On Top Chef there's oftentimes a dessert challenge, so have a couple things in your back pocket."

Braun's "most important" suggestion is to "learn everything you possibly can about the culinary trends, the local cuisine of the host city," because, as he explains, "if you do your research, it'll help you out."

Watch the video above to learn Braun's other two tips for getting a "leg up" on the competition, and catch Last Chance Kitchen on BravoTV.com, On Demand, or wherever you stream Top Chef at the conclusion of each week's episode.

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