Alton Brown taking a break from 'Cutthroat Kitchen'

Since 2013, Food Network has pumped out an astounding 178 episodes of "Cutthroat Kitchen," where Brown creates a panoply of sadistic sabotages to make cooking more difficult for the contestants. Examples: using an extra-tiny kitchen replete with mini-utensils, prepping food in a colorful ball pit or forcing a chef to wear a dog cone and mix ingredients in traffic cones.

Credit: Rodney Ho

Credit: Rodney Ho

Every 13 episodes is considered a season, so the network has almost completed a whopping 14 seasons in 38 months. It's unclear how many Brown has pre-taped but I expect Food Network will pump out several more episodes before the hiatus arrives. I'm awaiting a response from Food Network, if the network plans to provide any information regarding Brown's announcement.

If you want a deeper dive into Brown's psyche, check out this New York Times profile. The normally very private Brown promotes his new book "Everyday Cook: This Time It's Personal" and delves into his live show, his divorce, his subsequent drinking and his current exercise obsession.

Brown built his fame on TV over 14 seasons and 249 episodes of his own quirky show "Good Eats," followed by stints on "Iron Chef America," "Food Network Star" and "Cutthroat Kitchen." You can still catch "Good Eats" repeats on the Cooking Channel.