The best Great British Baking Show seasons you can watch right now

Great British Bake Off (called Great British Baking ShowThe U.S. and Canada have no need for an introduction. It is a great way to enjoy baking. Each episode puts amateur bakers through various challenges that will determine who the winner. The series won over the hearts of its viewers by focusing on bakers’ personal stories and skills, rather than sowing competitive chaos.

Though any of the seasons provide the ultimate comfort watch, some of them rise above the rest — much like the layers of a good bake. We’ve collected our favorites, including two holidays seasons, that we think are a must-watch. It’s worth noting the U.K. season 4 is the U.S. season 1. We’ll be going by the former. And if you’d like to stream them, Roku has U.K. seasons 1-7, while Netflix has U.K. seasons 8-13 (but calls them collections 5-10).

Season 4

Image: PBS

Why we think it’s great:Series 4 was my first season of the U.S. series and the reason I fell in love with the show. This was back in the halcyon days of Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins hosting the show, with Mary Berry as Paul Hollywood’s better half on the judging side of things (helping rein in some of his more harsh criticisms or outrageous takes). How I miss it Bake off I used the space to teach baking history or provide context on the geographic origins of the baked goods. These sessions added value to learning more about baking and as an art and science. In addition to the educational segments, Mary and Paul did “Masterclasses” where they took on the challenges that they gave the bakers, which gave great additional context to what we saw.

Moment that you love the most: I’d be remiss not to mention Ruby Tandoh. Tandoh, a young teenager during filming, has been published many great books and is a constant presence of goodness in an often toxic industry. That’s less “one moment” than it is a “series of moments that have happened since the show aired,” but I’m happy about it anyway. —Pete Volk

Season 5

Image by Roku

Why we think it’s great:This is your sweet spot GBBO: The bakes aren’t fussy or overly gimmicky. Mary Berry is available. Mel and Sue are their most silly and filthiest. Paul is still not able to stop his self-reproachful handshakes. The roster of bakers is also excellent, thanks to the late, great Luis; unassuming builder and tiny-pencil aficionado Richard; the charming, inventive Chetna; baking prodigy Martha, who is impossible to not root for; and ol’ Norman, who really tried! But it’s the reliable baking of Nancy Birtwhistle, who nailed flavors and execution — and who made chocolate-frosted donuts with faces on them during advanced dough week — and won through talent and perfectionism.

Moment that you love the most:Marie Kondo is a fan of mess, and I’m a big believer in messy. Iain abandoning his baked Alaska, which he had made in a terrible attempt to bake it into the trash in Season 5, is an infamous moment. It was this meltdown that led to Diana being attacked by internet trolls. It’s also satisfying to see Jordan get kicked out of the show, who I consider my arch-nemesis. I don’t care if this makes me sound mean! — Michael McWhertor

Season 6

Image by Roku

Why we think it’s great:One of many self-taught baking stars who made it to the top via this series is me. Bake offNadiya has been a warm-hearted and charming contestant. Since appearing on the show, she has gone on to host a documentary, multiple cooking shows, and has generally become an entrenched presence in the British Baking Universe — and we’re all better for it. Other talented contestants like Tamal Ray and Ian Cumming were also charming, but let’s be real: This was the season of Nadiya. For being still part of the Mel and Sue and Mary era Masterclasses are bonus points.

Moment that you love the most: Alternative ingredients week. It was great to watch the bakers tackle the challenges that my family faces. —Pete Volk

Season 9

Image courtesy of Netflix

Why we think it’s great: Bake offYou can have seasons. There’s only so many times you can be introduced to the shy, insecure contestant with flabbergastingly incredible skills before they blend together. The standout season 9 is that of Rahul Mandal (Star Baker title winner),

Moment that you love the most: I don’t usually get emotionally invested in the outcome of the contest — may the best baker win! But in one of season 9’s cutaway scenes, it is revealed that Rahul has no family who can travel to the event, and so the special guests of this young, first-generation immigrant are simply the older couple that lives next door. That moment, I realized that I was going to simply dieHe did not reach the end. —Susana Polo

Season 12

Image courtesy of Netflix

Why we think it’s great:This season stands out for the excellent contestants. They all made delicious baked goods, which I loved to watch. I feel like GBBOIt took the show a while to get back on track with Matt Lucas, who has since left. But I think we can all agree that the showdown between Italian engineer Giuseppe Dell’Anno and German physicist Jürgen Krauss was the season’s high point. They were both incredibly generous and subtle, which made them incredibly entertaining to watch.

Moment that you love the most: I lived for every time the camera panned to Giuseppe and Jürgen each using protractors and rulers for their bakes. Jürgen also plays the trombone and though this isn’t in the season, I love that Japanese Breakfast invited him to perform with her in London. —Nicole Clark

Season 13

Image courtesy of Netflix

Why we think it’s great: This was another season of huge personalities, from Janusz’s witticisms to Carole’s optimism despite the frazzle. Though the season had its low points — let’s all forget Mexican Week happened — it was also a joy to see a season where the semifinal contestants were all people of color. All three were incredibly talented, through Syabira Yusoff consistently blew everyone out of the water in the season’s second half with her innovative ideas and delicious flavors. I just wish the judges stopped calling her palette “so unusual.”

Moment you love the most: It’s a tie between Syabira being flabbergasted every time she won a Star Baker, and anytime Janusz was funnier than the show’s own hosts. (He’s on TikTok, by the way.) —Nicole Clark

The Great British Baking Show: Holidays Season 3, “The Great Festive Baking Show”

Image courtesy of Netflix

Why we think it’s great: This episode stars the cast of the best TV comedy (don’t fight me), Derry Girls. It’s hysterical because the cast is absolutely wonderful; it’s hard to determine whether they’re all in character or whether the show characters are just These are them, but that’s part of what makes it so funny. Nicola Coughlan, who plays Clare Devlin, seems like she has her wits about the whole thing, even baking.

Moment you love the most: Is it possible to say everything? Bake off Home bakers are often very skilled and provide detailed explanations. When the camera pans to Siobhán McSweeney (who plays Sister George Michael), she says, “I have put my sponge into the oven, that is on. And I’m putting it in till it’s baked.” Detailed! This is what we like. If I truly had to pick one moment, though, it’s probably McSweeney reaching out to Paul Hollywood for a handshake only to have him glare and walk away. —Nicole Clark

The Great British Baking Show: Holidays Season 5, “The Great Festive Baking Show”

Image courtesy of Netflix

Why we think it’s great: Great British Bake Off’s holiday episodes are absolutely underrated. I like them because they’re a very sweet check-in with some of the show’s best and most charming contestants. The Great New Year’s Bake Off 2022 episode, called “The Great Festive Baking Show” Please see the The Great British Baking Show: Holidays list on Netflix, is my favorite of the lot because it’s got two of my all-time favorite contestants, Hermine from season 11 and Kim-Joy from season 9.

Moment that you love the most: When Hermine gets a Paul Hollywood handshake for her apricot custard crumble breakfast buns — she was robbed in her regular season, and while this doesn’t make it right, it is satisfying to see. Throughout, too, Kim-Joy has made exceptionally cute desserts, but her showstopper is a marvel: It’s made out of cookies and stars polar bear Paul and penguin Prue, down to the judge’s signature red glasses. A Kim-Joy classic, there’s also a panda in the scene, too. —Nicole Carpenter