Overview
- Season 15 of The Taste began on 21 October 2026 with nine episodes airing on Sat.1 and Joyn and retains coaches Alexander Herrmann, Tim Raue, Elif Oskan and Steffen Henssler.
- Host Angelina Kirsch announced on the broadcast that the traditional Entscheidungskochen second‑chance round has been abolished and that a gold star from group cooking now supersedes red stars in solo rounds.
- The new rule was applied in a recent episode when contestant Bernd was spared elimination despite receiving four red stars because he had previously earned a gold star in the group round.
- Viewers and at least one coach publicly criticized the change on social media and on air, calling the outcome unfair and saying the rule flips the previous logic of the elimination process.
- The format’s core elements remain unchanged—single‑spoon blind tastings, time pressure, four teams and a €50,000 prize with a prisma cover—so the rule tweak changes how those familiar mechanics determine who leaves the show.