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October 01, 2019

The Engineer’s Room: National Dessert Month

As everyone knows, October is National Dessert Month.[1] In honor of this, we’ve scoured the Internet for the best list of the best cooking programs on television. There are many such lists out there, but we’ve settled on Ranker’s list of The Best Cooking TV Shows of All Time. This choice was not made lightly. There are certain shows that had to appear to qualify as a comprehensive list of the best cooking programs of all time,[2] including:

We may quibble with the particular rankings (TGBBO only at number 10? Really?), but a list without these key entries could hardly be called complete.

 

There are still a few notable omissions on Ranker’s list, such as:

  • Sweet Genius with Ron Ben-Israel, the bald genie of dessert who once wisely said, “If everyone baked cake we would have world peace.”
  • A Taste of History with Walter Staib, the head chef of Philadelphia’s historic City Tavern who prepares 18th century cuisine using period-correct ingredients and methods, all cooked over an open hearth.
  • Cooking with Dog. A Japanese cooking show hosted and narrated (in accented English) by Francis, a gray toy poodle, and demonstrated by Chef, an unidentified Japanese housewife of few words.

But we won’t hold that against them. What we can’t forgive is TGBBO’s shabby treatment of American cuisine. When American pies were featured in a Season 3 Showstopper Challenge, the host Paul Hollywood claimed that “To make a good American pie you almost have to make it British.”[4] And then they had the contestants make tarts, not pies! Despite this outrage and the occasional forgivable list omission, this list of cooking shows should have something for everyone, from savory to sweet, each with its own EIDR ID.

The Best Cooking TV Shows of All Time

Rank Title Year EIDR ID
1 Good Eats 1999 10.5240/1423-E337-9AF0-7D06-E783-N
2 MasterChef 2010 10.5240/D094-86AD-4FE9-09C8-FEC5-S
3 Ryōri no tetsujin (Iron Chef) 1993 10.5240/5974-9F5A-AD29-09CA-DCBD-H
4 Chopped 2009 10.5240/BED0-6D66-861F-D686-8952-X
5 Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations 2005 10.5240/5F7A-7660-9BBA-25A4-9044-M
6 Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives 2007 10.5240/574E-EDB3-0E8C-43FB-B7FB-1
7 The French Chef 1962 10.5240/64C1-4804-59D7-0427-59A2-E
8 Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares 2004 10.5240/0DF6-B550-3878-BE7E-1D48-X
9 Top Chef 2006 10.5240/36B4-D540-414B-21EF-34FE-K
10 The Great British Bake Off 2010 10.5240/F1B7-0ABD-065D-6760-72C6-P
11 Hell’s Kitchen 2004 10.5240/9D84-BD5B-813D-AD05-7919-I
12 Barefoot Contessa 2002 10.5240/9A36-8123-CCCC-241A-D7C4-U
13 America’s Test Kitchen 2001 10.5240/1A97-749A-D06C-5FEE-803C-5
14 Iron Chef America 2004 10.5240/BA93-3EEC-9561-C7A3-3FAF-C
15 Junior MasterChef 2010 10.5240/3521-F4C1-4C4E-FD81-6AFB-L
16 Unwrapped 2001 10.5240/3EAB-BE2A-549A-A46C-1F64-B
17 Emeril 1997 10.5240/73CE-AD09-FB4E-E02C-7583-V
18 Yan Can Cook 1982 10.5240/EB2F-0438-84C3-9B02-89C9-2
19 Two Fat Ladies 1996 10.5240/7753-C9BC-E834-A94C-DC19-Z
20 Beat Bobby Flay 2013 10.5240/182E-B42D-B321-FC3C-A21B-F
21 Louisiana Cookin’ 1982 10.5240/30A4-23AE-A272-193B-1939-Y
22 Cutthroat Kitchen 2013 10.5240/3887-EBFE-14FF-FFA8-B091-I
23 The Frugal Gourmet 1983 10.5240/48E5-6259-B2B6-1C0F-94DC-0
24 The Pioneer Woman 2011 10.5240/62E4-9EC4-74C7-A4E9-00AB-A
25 Top Chef Masters 2009 10.5240/D805-307C-E739-433A-ADD1-I
26 Everyday Italian 2003 10.5240/E676-834C-C3FB-DE71-4581-J
27 Jamie at Home 2008 10.5240/0D47-A95D-228E-699C-E3B6-O
28 The Naked Chef 1999 10.5240/7098-F617-14BC-9DD9-90E6-0
29 The Galloping Gourmet 1968 10.5240/9B59-8D8F-1530-E3E2-0AB0-6
30 Essence of Emeril 1994 10.5240/6CF6-4FB0-DFF1-177E-BB3F-Z
31 30-Minute Meals 2001 10.5240/C942-28E6-B7F8-76F0-42E8-4
32 Paula’s Home Cooking 2002 10.5240/0C67-BEAE-2013-8A43-A563-0
33 Nigella Feasts 2006 10.5240/4638-F54C-2AF7-4B10-6128-3
34 Restaurant: Impossible 2011 10.5240/DA25-69E0-C5CF-7183-3ADC-V
35 Next Iron Chef 2007 10.5240/033B-8DC7-CF67-6849-7AD0-N
36 Chef’s Table 2015 10.5240/36A4-1B81-6E21-644E-E7A0-5
37 Throwdown With Bobby Flay 2006 10.5240/5766-AF2C-F4EC-268F-34C4-P
38 Masterchef 1990 10.5240/7F12-6C0E-867D-6827-BFE8-L
39 East Meets West with Ming Tsai 1998 10.5240/42A8-51D8-1511-2D6B-CC09-5
40 Cupcake Wars 2010 10.5240/3229-5286-8AF4-332C-6C04-D
41 Ramsay’s Best Restaurant 2010 10.5240/A2AF-F902-24AB-ABB1-BD48-4
42 Jamie’s 30-Minute Meals 2010 10.5240/6767-526F-6AB3-A8A2-2B44-I
43 Dinner: Impossible 2007 10.5240/40D0-A60D-C59E-BCD0-9446-T
44 Trisha’s Southern Kitchen 2012 10.5240/6462-4A29-F9CD-02A1-B7F9-K
45 Semi-Homemade Cooking With Sandra Lee 2003 10.5240/C57D-2DE0-8363-B68F-38C2-J
46 Worst Cooks in America 2010 10.5240/58A7-A68E-E72F-597F-B0A6-E
47 Good Eats: The Return 2019 10.5240/4673-7F09-CE00-A245-9BB6-5
48 Paula’s Best Dishes 2008 10.5240/3828-7788-AD4F-8DE7-6179-Q
49 The Chew 2011 10.5240/553D-E107-96CE-C455-ED9B-S
50 Guy’s Big Bite 2006 10.5240/1C65-02AE-AADB-F104-8E30-X
51 Oliver’s Twist 2002 10.5240/CD24-8A06-F9FB-763B-DA73-X
52 Man Fire Food 2012 10.5240/DBA7-CB18-6A02-5454-9B89-7
53 Sara’s Weeknight Meals 2008 10.5240/0453-9A13-C417-1464-C861-4
54 Brunch @ Bobby’s 2010 10.5240/252A-11EE-5C66-208F-2CE6-I
55 5 Ingredient Fix 2009 10.5240/981B-C9DD-D3D6-F209-806C-G
56 Next Food Network Star 2005 10.5240/0210-2BFC-1C16-DCCA-1059-X
57 The Layover with Anthony Bourdain 2011 10.5240/1773-D199-A31B-1A11-3E42-3
58 Giada at Home 2008 10.5240/1D0C-A999-C991-F7B1-A3B4-I
59 Guy Off the Hook 2008 10.5240/5CAE-42AE-4C19-C5E4-0D9F-R
60 Sandra’s Money Saving Meals 2009 10.5240/207D-376A-BE59-02DC-2F36-F
61 The Taste 2014 10.5240/84D3-10F3-AB9D-0B9E-A2A0-N
62 Extra Virgin 2011 10.5240/E18C-96BE-D951-B8D5-FEE8-1
63 MasterChef Canada 2014 10.5240/ACB5-929A-5523-46E4-C047-6
64 Down Home With the Neelys 2008 10.5240/E910-2E6A-ADD4-CBDF-F2FD-6
65 Dinner and a Movie 1995 10.5240/D2D7-E667-3963-C42C-2677-H
66 MasterChef Australia 2009 10.5240/4746-DEAE-832D-BD1D-E599-E
67 Ten Dollar Dinners 2009 10.5240/68E9-697C-ED4C-F495-0C2D-C
68 Chefography 2006 10.5240/DB83-FA7A-DDB9-8525-D6CF-7
69 Rachael Ray’s Tasty Travels 2005 10.5240/1B28-61FE-9B3C-8D25-9C47-A
70 Food Detectives 2008 10.5240/182C-A12B-F591-B791-B562-N
71 The Urban Peasant 1993 10.5240/DE8D-D3FE-E03A-DF83-9B4B-L
72 Cooking For Real 2008 10.5240/86F4-64EF-55D0-896D-B375-6
73 Come Dine with Me 2005 10.5240/2E82-7A73-7CF2-0C48-97DB-S
74 Chinese Food Made Easy 2008 10.5240/0E13-7B1F-E239-9270-AF34-7
75 Top Chef: Just Desserts 2010 10.5240/954C-5AB7-5344-18A1-07BA-V
76 Grillin’ and Chillin’ 1996 10.5240/2D5D-B660-2FE0-36C0-196C-N
77 Quick Fix Meals with Robin Miller 2005 10.5240/9C28-C967-01D6-1B77-27D1-U
78 Paula’s Party 2006 10.5240/BB41-B78C-6BD4-AE8C-8FB8-X
79 Dolce Vita 2004 10.5240/7911-98C1-49D6-D966-3497-2
80 The Hairy Bikers’ Cookbook 2006 10.5240/DE9F-7360-43C1-CF51-21C9-U
81 Simply Delicioso 2007 10.5240/CF0D-1E7E-B6BB-5A5A-F0D4-Z
82 Saturday Kitchen 2002 10.5240/A143-6E78-B75E-3B7F-B8A6-I
83 Inside Dish with Rachael Ray 2004 10.5240/F4EE-3432-C772-09C0-8EF7-J
84 Simply Laura 2014 10.5240/C5D3-7062-B01F-B65D-FC6B-4
85 Big Daddy’s House 2008 10.5240/48AA-D40F-622D-62A2-BBE2-Z
86 FoodCrafters 2010 10.5240/7A7E-D313-555B-F1A5-5409-P
87 24 Hour Restaurant Battle 2010 10.5240/5CA9-3C6A-E417-F113-A17D-H
88 Epic Meal Time 2010 10.5240/3C7D-F127-FF40-265D-A215-E
89 What Would Brian Boitano Make? 2009 10.5240/398F-D2B2-89F1-BBA2-7B62-L
90 Something for the Weekend 2006 10.5240/7BDE-D802-DB97-2B98-4724-6
91 Head Chef 2011 10.5240/F775-E7C9-91D9-B026-0F74-V
92 Have Fork, Will Travel 2007 10.5240/92BC-119A-A8F0-7A39-A8FB-R
93 Eden Eats 2011 10.5240/5EED-6A12-9003-1ABE-7543-7
94 Too Many Cooks 2004 10.5240/0567-EA57-65AC-D8A1-BB5A-Z
95 The Heat with Mark McEwan 2006 10.5240/E219-042F-D623-8984-8B37-G

 

[1] Precisely why – and specifically which nation – are maters shrouded in mystery, but it’s a celebration of sugar, so I’m on board.

[2] Admittedly, with an English language bias. We’d be delighted to publish lists of the best shows for each national cuisine or in each primary language.

[3] In the US, it’s known as The Great British Baking Show because Pillsbury owns a trademark on “bake off” (for the annual Pillsbury Bake Off) – a better reason that the re-titling of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone to the “Sorcerer’s Stone” due to the failure to include alchemy in American elementary school science curriculum.

[4] Which seems to mean “with less sugar” – but then it wouldn’t be an American pie.