Cookoff Champs
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How to judge a chili cookoff
Chili judging has a long tradition, and a few rules make it fair. Here is a simple way to run it at a church supper, an office or a backyard.
The short version
- Set up the cups. Serve each chili in identical numbered cups, so nobody can tell whose is whose.
- Brief the judges. Explain the five scores and what a 1 and a 5 mean. Give each judge a sheet and a pencil.
- Taste in order. Judges taste the chilis one at a time and score each straight away, with water or plain crackers between.
- Let guests vote. Guests get a ballot for the people's choice, so everyone has a say.
- Total the scores. Add the scores for each chili across all judges, and check for ties.
- Announce the winners. Name third, second and first, then reveal whose chili it was.
What judges score
Many cookoffs judge on five things. Score each from 1 to 5, or from 1 to 10 if you want more room.
- Aroma: does it smell inviting before the first spoonful?
- Colour: a rich, appetising colour, not grey or watery.
- Consistency: not soup, not paste.
- Taste: the main score, the balance of spice, salt, heat and depth.
- Aftertaste: what is left a moment later, good or not.
Official cookoffs use their own scoring rules, so if you plan to enter a sanctioned event, check theirs. At home, any consistent scale is fine.
Blind tasting
Judging is only fair if the judges do not know whose chili they are tasting. Number the cups, keep the cook list with the organizer, and have cooks keep clear of the judges' table.
Judges should taste in the same order, with water and plain crackers or bread between cups. Heat builds up, so a mild chili tasted last is at a disadvantage. If you can, shuffle the order for each judge.
Breaking ties
Decide ahead of time. The common choices:
- Highest taste score wins.
- Judges re-taste the tied chilis and vote by show of hands.
- Co-champions.
Judges and the people's choice
Three judges is a good panel. Five is better, because one unusual palate matters less. Pick people who like chili and are not entering.
A people's choice vote costs nothing, and gives the guests a say. Keep it as a separate prize from the judges' winner.
Kids' entries
- A kids' category, with a mild chili, keeps heat out of the comparison.
- Young tasters can vote in the people's choice with a sticker.
- Offer a mild option and a clearly labelled hot one, so no child gets a surprise.
Questions people ask
What do chili judges look for?
Most scoring sheets use aroma, colour, consistency, taste and aftertaste. Taste usually counts the most.
How many chilis can a judge taste?
Around eight to ten before palates tire. With more, split the entries into rounds, with the top few from each round in a final.
How do you keep chili judging blind?
Number identical cups, keep the cook list out of sight, and keep cooks away from the judges.
How should we settle a tie?
Agree on the method beforehand. The highest taste score is the usual tie-break; a re-taste is the next.
More guides: How to run a Thanksgiving pie contest · How to run a Christmas cookie contest
Run it in the app
Cookoff Champs is free for family and friends. Set up your event, add each entry, print the QR poster and let guests vote on their phones, blind. When you are ready, the reveal shows third, second and then first place, one click at a time.