15 Best Cooking Shows Every Culinary Aficionado Needs To Watch

    The ultimate lineup that'll leave your mouth watering.

    I'm not a great cook, and I spend most of my time in the kitchen baking. Although I love the art of plating and all the work that goes into preparing dishes, I'll leave it to the actual pros. That being said, there are so many great cooking shows that it's hard to keep track.

    I rounded up the best cooking shows, from tense competitions to culinary travelogues and nostalgia tutorials. This list has something for all cooking enthusiasts, including my fellow bakers. Follow along as chefs explore eccentric dishes from corners of the globe, or fire up their stoves to prepare carefully crafted multi-course meals.

    1. Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations

    Screenshot from "Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations"

    2. The Martha Stewart Show

    A hand slices a large ice cream sandwich with nuts on top, placed on a wooden board

    3. Barefoot Contessa

    Ina Garten in a kitchen holding a cloth-wrapped item, with ingredients and cookware on the countertop

    4. The Chef Show

    Screenshot from "The Chef Show"

    5. Chopped

    Screenshot from "Chopped"

    6. Ugly Delicious

    Two men smiling, holding and examining live shrimp at a seafood market

    7. Tournament of Champions

    Chef in an apron reaches for ingredients on a pantry shelf in a professional kitchen

    8. Good Eats

    Man in patterned shirt toasting bun, condiments on counter, TV show scene from "Good Eats" with Alton Brown

    9. Iron Chef

    Five chefs in theatrical costumes on stage at a cooking show event

    10. Top Chef

    Screenshot from "Top Chef"

    11. Chef's Table

    Chef in white uniform meticulously garnishing a dish in a professional kitchen

    12. Cutthroat Kitchen

    Person mixing ingredients in a bowl on a kitchen counter with tattoos visible on their arm

    13. Hell's Kitchen

    Gordon Ramsay with two chefs in a kitchen, overseeing cooking activities

    14. Beat Bobby Flay

    Two chefs in an animated kitchen competition with a shark-themed setup

    15. MasterChef

    Screenshot from "MasterChef"