CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- College students were cooking off in the kitchen to win money for themselves and for charity-- with just one catch: each dish going before the judges had to have coffee incorporated into it.
Cooking with $5,000 on the line for yourself and another $5,000 for charity puts a lot of pressure on, but the 10 teams of Johnson & Wales students were up to the challenge.
"You burn something or something overcooks, that could make or break them," said Blair Cannon.
The teams were competing against each other, trying to win the 2016 S&D Culinary Challenge.
"Couldn't tell you how many hours I've dedicated to doing this," said contestant Brittany Plant.
The contestants were required to use one of S&D's ingredients, such as coffee extract, in their dish. Local chefs mentored different students, like Blair Cannon, who actually won this contest as a student back in 2010.
"I can guide them in a certain direction, but it's up to them to make that final decision," Cannon said.
During preparation, cleaning was even more tedious because it was in competition.
"About to run out of time," said Willard Baker. "That's what I feel like, I keep looking at the clock."
As was the precision of presentation.
"It's an amazing opportunity for them to take what they've learned in the classroom and apply it to a real world situation," said instructor James O'Hara.
Finally, it came time to please the taste buds of the panel of judges. Each student presented, and even with that coffee ingredient, the best dish was full of sweet-- potato, that is. And of course, the win was pretty sweet for Chainey Kuykendall.
"I thought I did, but everyone else did so good, it was like, you never know," Kuykendall said.
It was also a win for the charity of her mentor, Cody Suddreth at King's Kitchen. Kuykendall says she'll be giving all of her money to her mom.