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This article was originally published in 2019 and has been updated to include Saffitzs most recent work.
Sometimes she makes something that doesnt quite match the original but perfectly mimics the flavor.
And sometimes she makes M&Ms that look like spray-painted rocks and taste like shellac.
(Brad Leone says they look fossilized, which is accurate.)
Sadly, the making of these malformed confections isnt palatable either.
Jelly Belly
What is going well?
Nothing, Claire says.
This whole episode is a disaster.
Unfortunately, shes not wrong.
As she memorably puts it, What can I say?
Its an imperfect world with imperfect decisions.
Does freezing fruit juice in straws to make tiny ice cubes actually work?
But its hard not to feel regret for what might have been.
Claire is unusually despondent from the beginning of the episode.
She does not got this.
(You want me to make a bomb in the World Trade Center?
If you were waiting forGourmet Makesto reference 9/11, this is the episode for you.)
36.Doritos
Of courseClaires favoriteGame of Thronescharacters are the Stark girls.
I just have faith in Doritos, he explains.
While her candor is, as always, refreshing, too much of the episode feels like wheel-spinning.
Krispy Kreme
Can Claire Saffitz make a donut?
Of course Claire Saffitz can make a donut.
Have you met Claire Saffitz?
And yes, that counts as a slight improvement.
Its not delusional confidence, Claire says after asserting that shes going to nail her pints.
Its just like its not that hard to make ice cream.
Its not so much a testament to my skill or knowledge.
So what keeps this episode from being a total flop?
Fudge Off and Leave Me Sohla.
Mad Mint Fury Rhoda.
The best moment in Oreos is when she declares her devotion to Michaels, her favorite store.
Claires passion for crafting, a recurring theme in the series, is one of her most endearing qualities.
I love your store.
And sure, you could say that about almost anyGourmet Makesepisode.
But instant ramen is especially illogical its a food of convenience, designed for shelf stability.
Personal bias aside, the camaraderie among the test-kitchen chefs remains a joy to watch.
Listen, cooling racks can be replaced.
Face it, you cant compete with horseshoes and balloons.
Who hasnt eaten a Milk Bone?
Brad offers, with surprisingly little follow-up.
Were human, Claire, okay?
This isnt million-dollar machines making this, its human beings.
Still mildly disheartened, Claire counters, Its one human being.
Warheads
To be honest, Warheads feels less like an episode ofGourmet Makesand more like a particularly well-executed prank.
That was horrific, Chris moans.
Its not just sour, its like pain.
Gaby Melian literally screams.
Priya Krishna is eerily unmoved.
In the end, a prank episode ofGourmet Makesgets a prank finished product.
Im, like, scared now, he admits.
Just try it, she offers, sipping her wine.
Ashton Kutcher would be proud.
With some of these later-stageGourmet Makesepisodes, it feels as though the producers have sort of missed the assignment.
Of all theGourmet Makesepisodes that dont quite feel likeGourmet Makes, this ones the best.
And when it comes to tempering chocolate, defeat is almost always on the agenda.
You guys are ruining a great person, Brad admonishes theGourmet Makesproducers, and honestly, fair.
She even manages to find her zen.
Now I feel a little better.
Did you know their hyperbolic paraboloid shape was designed by a chemist?
(How Its Madeis the best thing thats ever happened to this show, Claire says.)
What elevates Pringles, however, is the focus on that elusive shape, which involves creating a cage.
Comparing Claire to another pop-culture icon, Delany suggests she needs a Q to her James Bond.
That would be Brad, Claire says, but hes not around and not usually that helpful.
Its a delightful acknowledgment that despite Brads unofficialGourmet Makessidekick status, Claire is often better off without him.
(Hes still a lot of fun to have in the kitchen.)
And you know what that is?
Here it works well until it doesnt.
(Carla kindly suggests that the misplaced streaks on the chocolate could be considered intentional.)
Almond Joy has the feel ofThe Empire Strikes Back, with a cliffhanger ending thats thrilling but also frustrating.
It stopped being about Almond Joy and it started being about chocolate tempering, Claire reflects.
And so, the saga continues.
24.Ruffles
There is nothing quite like watching a non-Canadian discover the unmitigated pleasure of All-Dressed potato chips.
If youve had them before, you know thats barely hyperbole.
Like Oreos before it, Ruffles is an episode that suffers a bit for its simplicity.
What makes this episode worthwhile is the remarkable self-awareness on display.
Ultimately she realizes, Basically theres no way to win on this show.
Extra points for a rare show of restraint.
When compared to the complexity and nuance of later episodes, its admittedly lacking.
Twinkies are a Frankenstein, in my opinion, he offers.
22.Cheetos
Enter the dehydrator.
Even shes not sure exactly what to do here.
(Who had ever heard of tapioca maltodextrin, anyway?)
Cheetos is a game-changer for the series: Going forward, dont bother trying this at home.
And thats it, thats all you gotta do to make Cheetos, Claire concludes.
Its really up to you if you want to make that at home.
But even with some good laughs, the whole thing is a little irritating.
She even comes up with an unnecessary Wheel of Combos!
game as an excuse to do a crafts project.
All that, and the pretzel ones dont appear to be toxic.
What more could you ask for?
19.Takis
Is Claire okay?
There is a moment in Takis when she appears to truly lose touch with reality.
(Chris literally has to take a moment because the flavor overwhelms him.)
Now hey let her rest.
Milky Way
In many ways, Milky Way feels like classicGourmet Makes.
(To his credit, Chris once again reckons with his villainy here.
As for the tempering … well, some things never change.
What kind of questions?
Like, Howd you temper it so well?
The rise of Sohla has been a particularly gratifying experience: Shes a delight on camera.
Do you mind explaining what tempered chocolate is?
Claire asks her, in a truly meta moment.
Sometimes its nice to see someone other than Claire shine!
I used to do a lot of wire jewelrymaking when I was a kid.
That skill set ends up proving vital as Claire creates a custom extruder to create her Twizzlers.
Hearing Brad say, Claire, youre brilliant.
Claire is genuinely touched.
Do you have any idea how much that means to me?
You fucking nailed this, Molly Baz says.
It helps that Sno Balls are just morefunthan some of Claires past efforts.
The simplicity of a sandwich cookie cant compete with these high camp pink fluff balls.
Watching Claire enrobe her devils food cake in a marshmallow topping and airbrush her coconut topping pink is mesmerizing.
14.Peeps
If you love Peeps, Claire thinks you know that theyre gross.
Theyre also relatively easy to make.
Is Carla telling Claire to peep on peepin on the height of comedy?
Maybe not, but dont pretend it didnt make you smile.
We get Chris reacting to YouTube commenters angry at his constant pressuring of Claire to temper chocolate.
(Every Dumbledore needs their Voldemort, he says.)
We get Brad trying to help Claire unclog her ear by shoving a heated clove of garlic in there.
And we get Christina and Claire Peep jousting, a charming conclusion to the cutest installment ofGourmet Makesyet.
Pizza Rolls
There are fewGourmet Makescharacter arcs as satisfying as Alex Delanys.
(Well, next to Rhoda, a literal saint.)
(Given that the next episode was Jelly Belly, she may have been right.)
12.Cheez-Its
Is anyone surprised that Claire considersBuffy the Vampire Slayerto be the best show ever?
No, because by this point we know her to be a flawless queen with impeccable taste.
Still, her extremely nerdy reference toBuffys Cheese Man is one of her all-time greatest digressions.
As Claire notes, Cheez-Its feels like a real return to form forGourmet Makes.
Chris, meanwhile, thinks its karma because she was overdue for a challenge.
In every generation, there is a chosen one.
(Shouldnt you be spending your time tempering chocolate and not messing around with the air-brusher?
he asks at one point.
Let it go, Chris!)
This places her in dangerous Sandra Lee territory, and thankfully she relents on this front.
9.Pocky
Just how wowed is Chris by Claires striking work in this episode?
When she tells him that she didnt temper the chocolate, his response is a shocking who cares?
Its honestly beautiful, but Pocky as a whole is one of the most visually stimulating episodes ofGourmet Makes.
Or should that be chocolate on the Pocky?
Try not to spend too much time thinking about that.
This episode is not about finding new ways to classify candy; its about the importance of teamwork.
Watching everyone join forces recalls the firstAvengersteam-up.
Really, though, its all about that collective effort.
I just get really focused on tasks sometimes and then lose perspective, she admits.
Or what about when she drops everything to clean the (admittedly disgusting) microwave?
In case it wasnt clear, that was really more about anxiety management than anything else, she explains.
I just think its better for everyone if I work alone, she says.
This is always how it was with group projects.
Pick any of these moments theyre all perfect.
And yes, of course, the Girl Scout cookies themselves turn out extraordinarily well.
Claire, we couldnt be prouder.
6.Snickers
Few installments ofGourmet Makeshave the dramatic arc that Snickers does.
Snickers feels like an unprecedented disaster.
She redoes the caramel, making it saltier and more robust.
She makes new nougat.
She tempers chocolateand it actually works.
Snickers is the greatest comeback story sinceRocky.
5.Starburst
If Skittles is the firstAvengersmovie, Starburst is the most ambitious crossover event inBon Appetithistory.
As in Skittles, the superhero team-up in this episode involves working with multiple flavors of taffy.
Guys, Claire needs help!
Gaby exclaims with real urgency right before she and Brad immediately shirk their duties.
Well, no, not exactly.
Only Chriss red batch comes close to approximating the flavor and consistency of Starburst, and even thats questionable.
Even Adam, her most consistent critic, cant shut up about how good Claires Hot Pockets are.
Im gonna attempt chocolate tempering, which Ive never successfully done, she says early in the episode.
Well see how that goes.
it’s possible for you to probably guess.
Brad steps up and exclaims, Oh, its perfect!
You nailed it, Claire!
And the Kit Kat turns out pretty damn well.
She has rarely been sharper or funnier than when making Pop-Tarts.
Whatever negative feelings remain, Claire channels into her work.
Somehow Pop-Tarts bring out the best in everyone and inGourmet Makes.
1.Ferrero Rocher
How does one make a perfect sphere out of wafer?
Outside of using a fancy industrial machine, it just doesnt seem possible.
Do I think this is gonna work?
Mmm, probably not, Claire admits while trying out her method.
I dont really think its gonna work.
But it might work!
Reader, it does work.
This is the magic of Claire Saffitz.
This is the magic ofGourmet Makes.
Its not just that Claires Ferrero Rocher are the best thing shes ever made, as she repeatedly announces.
Its that she takes a seemingly unsolvable problem and solves it, all while having a goddamn blast.
If the entire 28 minutes were just that footage, this would be a standout installment.
They know me there) and her peerless skill.
Ive never been so proud of myself, she says.
And truly, neither have we.
