“Cooking professionally is hard,” Anthony Bourdain once wrote in his book A Cook’s Tour, but “writing, eating, and making a television show is relatively easy. It beats brunch.” This quotation goes a long way toward revealing why so many notable chefs, many of whom are featured in this food podcast list, have recently transitioned into media.
A key reason Bourdain signed a contract with his one-time nemesis, The Food Network, was to aid the writing of A Cook’s Tour, and hosting a TV show never sat easily with Bourdain, no matter how much he made it his own. It begs the question of whether he would have pivoted to podcasting given the chance. There wasn’t much money in the industry in 2002. But it doesn’t matter if you’re talking about television, books, or podcasts, the same question arises: what’s the point of looking at and talking about food if you can’t actually taste it?
Wiser people than I have failed to provide an answer. Listening to a host narrate the sensation of tasting a freshly shucked oyster will never be the same as eating one yourself. But the popularity of food and cooking podcasts proves that the format can matter just as much as the subject. Passionate hosts, engaging descriptions, and a good mixture of relatability and escapism are key to the food podcast format. Every show on this list incorporates these elements, successfully overcoming what Bourdain called the “ludicrous artifice” of food media to produce fresh, moreish entertainment. Here are our picks for the best food podcasts.
From America’s Test Kitchen comes Proof, a podcast that feels like the unlikely but delightful lovechild of Guy Fieri and Reply All. And trust me — that’s a compliment. This isn’t a show about recipes or chef interviews. Instead, Proof blends food with investigative journalism, creating a format that’s as addictive as it is original. With ten seasons and counting, it’s a good thing the episodes are bingeable — you’ll be hungry for more.
Hosted by Kevin Pang, with the help of many guest hosts, Proof pairs sharp storytelling with a light touch. The podcast tackles everything from cultural history to quirky food myths. Whether it’s pho or puttanesca, there’s a story behind every dish — and each one is a treat for the ears. Offbeat commentary, unexpected humor, and clever episode titles (a personal favorite: “They Know What You’ll Eat Next Summer”) keep things consistently fresh and surprisingly insightful. It’s smart and personal food storytelling.
Momofuku founder David Chang is no stranger to food media. With multiple streaming shows (Ugly Delicious, Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner) and his flagship podcast (The Dave Chang Show), you might start to wonder if he ever actually has time to cook. But Recipe Club proves he still makes room, at least three times a week.
Hosted by Chang alongside long-time friend and producer Chris Ying, Recipe Club takes one ingredient or dish (think Spam, chicken parm, or eggplant) and turns it into a culinary showdown. Each host brings a recipe to the table, then tests each other’s creations, sharing their (often chaotic) results on the show. After the laughs, the failures, and the occasional triumph, they vote for the winning recipe of the week.
What began as a segment on The Dave Chang Show became so popular it spun off into its own podcast — complete with a passionate and highly opinionated Facebook group. I was obsessed with this food podcast during the pandemic, as it reminded me of the dinner parties I missed so much. If you like your food content messy, funny, and fueled by strong opinions, Recipe Club still delivers.
Each episode of The Sporkful opens with the show’s purpose: to obsess about food in order to learn more about people. It’s a familiar premise; most food podcasts aim to explore culture through cuisine. But host Dan Pashman flips the formula, and instead of using food to reveal itself, he uses it to reveal the person behind it.
Like any good meal, the show thrives on simplicity. The Sporkful strips food journalism down to its core question: “What do people eat, and why?” It’s a show that resists the sterile feel of traditional interviews by taking the mic beyond the studio — into homes, kitchens, and lived experiences. The result is dynamic, funny, and often surprisingly moving.
If you’re open to a man weeping over the perfection of a pasta shape (yes, really), then The Sporkful is easy to love. It’s a warm, curious exploration of identity and taste. This food podcast celebrates the richness and diversity of American food culture with humor, humility, and heart.
Food is inseparable from memory. We remember the first bite of a favorite dish, the first sip of wine that felt a little too grown-up, the smells that transport us back to kitchens and tables from another time. Some of the most powerful food stories don’t just describe what’s on the plate — they show us what it meant. Bitter/Sweet is a podcast that leans into this connection, weaving together poetry and food to tell stories of firsts, family, and the meals that changed everything.
Each episode features a different guest (a food lover, not always a professional) sharing a dish that’s stayed with them. Whether it’s the ultimate bowl of noodles or a beloved family recipe, these aren’t just flavor stories; they’re emotional snapshots, delivered with intimacy and care.
Hosted by Natasha Miller, Bitter/Sweet makes full use of the audio format’s closeness. Miller isn’t a chef or recipe developer — she’s a writer and taste branding expert, which gives her a unique sensitivity to how food is experienced, remembered, and shared. That awareness comes through in every episode, making Bitter/Sweet a gentle, poetic listen with a lot of heart and even more potential.
If you’ve spent any time working in the food industry, you’ll know it’s filled with outsiders and obsessives. Food media is just as intense, a space often occupied by enthusiasts surprised to have a regular paying gig. After all, if there are two industries known for their unstable incomes and chaotic working hours, it’s food and journalism.
This is Taste is a podcast made for food media people. It celebrates the fact that what we eat has become part of our entertainment economy by interviewing writers, chefs, producers and connoisseurs who, just like Bourdain, made their names being beguiled by delicious things.
The podcast is hosted by TASTE editors Aliza Abarbanel and Matt Rodbard, a capable duo with real consistency. There’s something for everyone on their roster of guests, from bigger names like TV host Phil Rosenthal and chef Alison Roman, to renowned sommelier and winemaker André Hueston Mack. Earlier episodes of the show include controversial figures like ex-editor of Lucky Peach, Peter Meehan. Delightfully niche and a little bit rock n’ roll, especially when recorded live at the Rizzoli Bookstore in New York City, This is TASTE is deserves a place in your rotation.
From setting spaghetti on fire to crumbling veggie burgers, culinary disasters are commonplace for the home cook. That’s where Bon Appetit’s Dinner SOS and Bake Club can help. From the eponymous food magazine, this food podcast promises to be a handy toolkit for the taste trouble-shooter. The show sets out to tackle the big questions, like cooking in a tiny kitchen and making gluten-free pizza dough.
Chris Morocco is just as good at hosting as he is at answering dinner dilemmas and his energy carries a show that’s only become stronger as it has developed. Dinner SOS never lets cooking become dry. Food media can be rather serious; for every saucy word uttered by Nigella, there’s another documentary about wine. But Bon Appetit cuts through such staleness with humor, never taking itself too seriously. All the recipes featured on the show are available on their website. Talk about convenience food.
Did you hear? Diet culture is out, Maintenance Phase is in. Hosted by Aubrey Gordon and Michael Hobbes (You’re Wrong About, Books to Kill), this podcast takes a scalpel to the food and wellness myths many of us have been quietly swallowing for years. From celebrity diet books to detox teas, from the celery juice craze to the body mass index, Maintenance Phase offers a well-researched, often hilarious counter-narrative to the pseudoscience that shapes so much of modern health culture.
But the show doesn’t stop at debunking fad diets. In recent episodes, Gordon and Hobbes have widened their lens to tackle the political machinery behind public health messaging, breaking down everything from the history of the Presidential Fitness Test to the weaponization of fatness in American policy. With their signature blend of biting humor, deep dives, and genuine compassion, they reveal how wellness culture is often less about well-being and more about control, stigma, and misinformation.
What makes Maintenance Phase so effective is its clarity of purpose. It has an agenda, sure. This food podcast pushes back against junk science, fatphobia, and moral panic masquerading as health advice. But it does so with joy, rigor, and just the right amount of snark.
Ina Garten is best known for her comforting recipes and enviable pantry. Many consider her an approachable cook, thanks to her catchphrase “store-bought is fine.” With Be My Guest, the Barefoot Contessa brings her signature charm beyond the Hamptons kitchen and into more personal territory. Adapted from her Food Network series of the same name, each episode pairs Ina with a guest (think Stanley Tucci, Julianna Margulies, or Norah Jones) for intimate conversations over drinks, snacks, and the kind of effortless hospitality only Ina can pull off.
This isn’t a just recipe show; it’s a true Food Network gem. The format blends comfort eating with light food talk and just enough life advice that may have you questioning the “hustle” mindset. If you’re looking for something quietly delightful, Be My Guest is the audio equivalent of a really good vanilla cake: simple, elegant, and exactly what you need.
Are you in search of a food podcast where two really, really great cooks talk about how to make the best version of a simple dish? From burgers to hummus, Deb Perelman (Smitten Kitchen) and J. Kenji López-Alt (Serious Eats, Food Lab, The Wok) break down a single food in each episode of The Recipe. They do so in delicious detail, swapping tips, preferences, and the occasional neurotic food preference, like eating their burger upside down or avoiding a particular chain like the plague. The Recipe is less about perfection, more about process, and the joy of figuring things out together. If you want professional cooking advice in an easy, approachable package, this food podcast will make you excited to turn on the grill.
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Alice Florence Orr is a staff writer and managing editor for Podcast Review. She is a writer and freelance media strategist.