Although I've always loved both baking and cooking, I had never really tried out watching cooking shows, assuming they would be awfully boring compared to the drama-filled shows I love.

However, after being introduced to Chopped, I found a whole new world of TV that both entertained and showed me a few tips and tricks to use in the kitchen.

When I try to get my friends into cooking shows, they always ask me what they should watch first, since there are so many different types. This requires knowing a lot about the person, but I've found a shortcut to bypass this. Each cooking show has its own personality, just like each Hogwarts house, and they actually match up with each other pretty well. 

Slytherin: Cutthroat Kitchen

Starting with my own beloved house, we have the most cunning, and certainly most evil, of cooking shows. While most Slytherins aren't evil, this show is enjoyable for everyone.

Alton Brown, the host of the show, comes up with three cooking challenges for all four contestants. The cooking challenge tends to be something simple that even a college student could make, such as peanut butter and jelly, but there's a twist which gives its show the majority of its humour and requires quite a bit of outside the box thinking from the contestants. 

At the beginning of the contest, each of the participants are given 25,000 dollars. For each challenge, the contestants buy sabotages to hand out to their competitors. These sabotages can be truly insane, such as having to cook while in a ball pit, being able to use only tinfoil for utensils, or having to use giant chopsticks for utensils, as seen above. My favourite was when one of the contestants was given whole coconuts and had to retrieve all of their cooking water from them.

This is the perfect Slytherin show because it's every man for himself in the cutthroat kitchen, and it requires a fair deal of cunning to make it through all three rounds...Or even one. Plus, who knows, you might learn a little something about life. 

Ravenclaw: Good Eats

Good Eats is another cooking show by Alton Brown, although he may seem like a completely different man. Good Eats is very different from the rest of the shows on this list because it's not about competition, but rather about the food. In this cooking show, Alton not only shows the best way to prepare foods (even from scratch), but also delves into the history, science, and even etymology behind the food. 

Ravenclaws will love this show not only for its informative value on all levels, but also for its well-placed humour. Good Eats may sound boring from its description (I know I tend to run when I hear the word history and that science scares a great deal of other people), but Alton makes the material lighthearted and amusing. Also, the way he explains the science and history is accessible, so that anyone could understand it.

One of his catchphrases on the show is also "organization will set you free," and while I may not be a Ravenclaw, I know how seeing everything where it belongs and easy to find can settle a heart. Alton Brown is an incredible man who puts on amazing shows and also has a pretty interesting Instagram. While this cooking show is the best for Ravenclaws, all of his shows are a great watch. 

Hufflepuff: Cupcake Wars

If this picture of Eddie Redmayne, a renowned Hufflepuff and star of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, doesn't convince you that cupcakes are practically Hufflepuff in essence, then this cooking show definitely will. In this competition, you don't have to fight alone. Everyone gets to bring an assistant to help them out. Teamwork is the name of the game here. You also spend about the first five minutes of each episode learning about the contestants, something much appreciated by our empathetic Hufflepuffs. 

Cupcake Wars consists of three challenges, beginning with a taste test. There is a table of ingredients, which tend to be relatively normal, even if they're a little outside of the box. Of these, contestants must pick two ingredients and incorporate them into a cupcake of their choice. The second challenge is about both taste and presentation, where three cupcakes must be made that both taste and look immaculate.

The last round involves making 1,000 cupcakes and coming up with a great idea for a stand to present them on. Because this is a daunting task, the two remaining teams are granted four baking assistants. The winner gets 10,000 dollars and gets to go to some world-renowned event.

This show is perfect for Hufflepuffs not only because it's themed throughout each episode and requires creativity, but also because it's much kinder at heart than the rest of the shows. The judges are less harsh, and the contestants focus much more on doing their best than on simply beating the others. 

Gryffindor: Chopped

The best word I can think of to describe Chopped is risk. At the very least, it certainly takes a lot of bravery to enter into this cooking show, even with the 10,000 dollar prize. The show consists of three rounds—appetizer, entree, and dessert—with someone being chopped, or eliminated, after each round. It seems pretty simple, but it's the catch that brings the element of risk into the game.

In each round, the contestants are given a basket with several ingredients that they must incorporate into their dish. What if you don't know what one does? What if one is something disgusting or crazy, like durian or an entire cake? Too bad, you have to use it. This sometimes requires the contestants to just leap and hope they land on the other side.

This show takes guts, which Gryffindors certainly have, and the result is usually something amazing. This is often one of the first shows people watch in the culinary world, and one of the most known, just like the Gryffindor house. The rush you get from this cooking show can't be found in many other places. 

Although looking for a personality in a cooking show that matches your house is a good way to start, all of these cooking shows are incredibly entertaining and worth a watch. Great for the family or even alone in your room (they're all available on Netflix), these shows have a place in both my heart and my belly.