The top 16 cooks arrive for the first time at the MasterChef NZ Kitchen. Tonight they compete in a mystery box challenge attempting to impress the judges and avoid being one of two cooks who will be eliminated.

It's the first MasterChef Team Challenge and the heat is on as the 14 contestants partner up to cook outdoors with fire using some tricky and endemic ingredients

Award winning chef Monique Fiso enters the MasterChef Kitchen for the first Pressure Test where contestants must replicate her complex dish. One will leave in an emotional elimination.