Nothing’s better than wasting away a Sunday afternoon or the late nighttime hours than a baking show. They’re like a fuzzy blanket on a cold day. They’re something equivalent to a warm hug. Baking shows, unlike most other mainstream television shows, don’t necessarily require your utmost attention. In my humble opinion, they’re perfect for background noise or a relaxing watch at the end of the day. At the same time, there’s so much variety within the baking show world, that I truly believe there is something for everyone. So, whether you’re a baking show fiend like me or a newly interested viewer, here are my favorite baking shows, and where you can watch them.
1. Crime Scene Kitchen
This show is my most recent obsession, and for good reason too. It combines all the aspects of good TV: the anxiety of baking competitions, the mystery of crime shows, and Joel McHale. (What can I say? He’s my favorite comedian!) The show’s premise is for different teams of two to explore the “crime scene kitchen” or a kitchen that somebody just baked in, and recreate the exact dessert made. This requires not only a high level of baking knowledge, but also attention to detail, and good detective skills. There are two rounds per episode, and each episode is only about an hour. Crime Scene Kitchen has a total of three seasons, one of which is airing now. For cable users, you can tune in on Thursdays at 9 pm on FOX, and for my streaming service friends, episodes are available the next day on Hulu (subscription required) or Tubi (a completely free service).
2. Cupcake Wars
An integral part of my childhood, Cupcake Wars is an oldie but a goodie. Like most baking competitions, teams of two compete in various rounds throughout the episode for a grand prize and insane bragging rights. Each episode is based on a different event or theme, which ranges from a Cody Simpson album release party to the Kentucky Derby. You can expect a lot of tears, out-of-the-box cupcake combinations, and a craving for the sweet dessert. If you’re anything like me, then you’ll critique each contestant based on what you would do in their shoes, and probably convince yourself that you’ll win. While there are no new episodes of Cupcake Wars, the old episodes are available for viewing with a Hulu or Max subscription, or for free on Tubi.
3. Cake Boss
“They call me Buddy. I’m the boss, the cake boss,” explained Buddy Valastro, head baker of Carlo’s Bakery, in each episode of Cake Boss. Unlike the other shows on this list, Cake Boss is the perfect mix of baking show and reality television. The show focuses on Carlo’s Bakery, a family bakery in Hoboken, New Jersey, which quickly became an empire after the success of the show. Their bakery is noted for its show-stopping cakes, life-like fondant figures, and rice cereal treats. As a kid watching this show, I was always waiting for something to go wrong, and trust me, it always does. My second favorite part, however, was the first-hand account of the ins and outs of running a bakery, something that we don’t traditionally see on culinary television. Like Cupcake Wars, this show has come to an end after 15 seasons of Jersey accents and crazy cakes. It is available to watch, however, through both Hulu and Max or for free with Tubi.
4. The Great British Baking Show
Although it’s a competition show, The Great British Baking Show lacks some of the excitement of its American counterparts. The contestants are often so wholesome, and they never show enough anger when things go wrong, at least in my opinion. Give me the tears people! There are some elements, however, that I appreciate such as the coveted handshake from judge Paul Hollywood, or the interactions between the hosts and contestants. Overall, The Great British Baking Show is fairly calming compared to the others on this list, which makes it great for a late-night watch or as background noise. Unfortunately, unlike the other shows, there is only one possible place to watch, Netflix, which does require a subscription.
5. Holiday Baking Championship
A Food Network original, Holiday Baking Championship is a great way to get into the holiday spirit without blasting Christmas music or turning on Home Alone. It’s your traditional competition show, where individual bakers compete in various challenges to get closer to closer to winning the grand prize. It’s been a few years since I’ve tuned in, but I distinctly remember the finale requiring contestants to recreate a holiday scene out of gingerbread. There’s always someone who is a little too confident and cocky, and their gingerbread men don’t even need to run because they aren’t stable enough to stand. You, however, can catch these gingerbread men with a Hulu or Max subscription, or on Food Network with cable.
Conclusion
Anyone with a sweet tooth should seriously consider adding these five shows to their watch list, or anyone with good taste in television. If you read this article and still aren’t convinced that these are worth the watch, that’s okay! Hopefully, you at least took away that Tubi has a ton of options for television shows for free, which is such a steal. Overall, baking shows can be comforting and relaxing, which gives viewers a nice break from their hectic lives.