“Pineapple does not belong on a pizza” – Cutthroat Kitchen: Knives Out judge Maneet Chauhan shares her take while playing 'Would You Rather'

Cutthroat Kitchen: Knives Out keeps the culinary conversation lively even when the burners are off. While production rolled on for the competition series’ current cycle, judges were invited to play a quick Instagram game of 'Would You Rather,' revealing the foods they adore, the textures they loathe, and the shortcuts they refuse to take in the kitchen.

First up was James Beard Award–winner Maneet Chauhan, whose thought-after answers landed on Food Network’s official feed (@foodnetwork) on June 30, 2025, and immediately sparked comment threads about butter, chocolate, and the eternal pizza debate.

“I would rather eat ranch dressing on pizza because ‘pineapple does not belong on a pizza, just saying,’”

Chauhan declared, firing off the quotable lines and setting social media alight with pro and anti‑pineapple factions.

More about Cutthroat Kitchen: Knives Out judge Maneet Chauhan’s choices

Seated beneath the signature Cutthroat Kitchen: Knives Out cleavers, Chauhan began the game by weighing two common protein sources:

"I would rather eat overcooked eggs than overcooked steak because come on how can you even taste steak which has been overcooked. It's leather, you're not eating steak, you're eating leather.”

When asked to choose between churning butter or culturing yogurt, Chauhan picked butter for its versatility, explaining she prefers it because it allows for endless flavor variations. She dismissed yogurt as “kind of boring.” The game then pitted cake against pasta: mix a batter by hand or roll dough without equipment?

“I would much rather make a cake without a mixer because that’s how I grew up making cake back home in India.”

When asked to choose one produce category to eat for 24 hours, Chauhan opted for fruit, explaining it offers variety in flavor and nutrition—sweetness, tartness, and carbs—making it more exciting than vegetables. Faced with a choice between chocolate and cheese, she said she’d give up cheese, as she couldn’t imagine life without chocolate.

As for dining delays, Chauhan joked she’d skip the wait altogether by calling a friend who owns the restaurant to secure quicker seating.

Cutthroat Kitchen: Knives Out judge Alex Guarnaschelli’s choices

A week earlier, on June 23, 2025, fellow Cutthroat Kitchen: Knives Out judge Alex Guarnaschelli answered the same 'Would You Rather' round.

“I am here right now on the set of Cutthroat Kitchen, and we’re gonna play a little game,”

she announced before plunging into decisions that mirrored — and sometimes contradicted — Chauhan’s. Dessert versus dairy flipped in Guarnaschelli’s world:

“I’m gonna say never eat chocolate because I cannot live without the 275 types of cheese they make in France alone.”

Guarnaschelli sided with Chauhan on the pineapple debate, firmly rejecting the fruit topping. She joked that she’d accept anything on a pizza—except pineapple—and would rather drown her slice in a mix of ranch, Caesar, balsamic, lemon, and olive oil than include even a sliver of it.

She also agreed with Chauhan’s preference for overcooked eggs over overcooked steak, quipping that tough steak is better suited for a hockey game than a meal. When it came to dining delays, Guarnaschelli said she’d rather wait for a table than endure a long wait after ordering, calling that kind of delay unbearable.

Butter beat yogurt again — “Butter, all day long” — and whisking cake batter trumped hand‑rolled pasta. Guarnaschelli, too, sided with fruit for a 24‑hour diet, labeling it “so fun” because

“some [fruit] feel savory, some are super sweet.”

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Cutthroat Kitchen: Knives Out airs new episodes every Tuesday at 9/8c only on Food Network.

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