The last chef standing faces almost insurmountable odds when they must cook their way through the three-round Gauntlet against Iron Chefs Alex Guarnaschelli, Stephanie Izard and Michael Symon. But in a surprise twist, the Chairman allows the challenger to decide which ingredient they'll battle each Iron Chef with, and judges Donatella Arpaia and Marcus Samuelsson decide whether the competitor leaves in defeat or joins the coveted ranks of the Iron Chefs.