The BEST episodes of MasterChef Australia season 18
Every episode of MasterChef Australia season 18, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of MasterChef Australia season 18!
MasterChef Australia is an Australian competitive cooking game show based on the original British version of MasterChef. Chef Andy Allen, restaurateur and chef Jean-Christophe Novelli, Poh Ling Yeow and food critic Sofia Levin serve as the show's hosts and judges.
#1 - Mystery Box Challenge: Jane & Jimmy Barnes
Season 18 - Episode 4 - Aired 4/26/2026
Aussie Rock legend Jimmy Barnes and his wife Jane set this season's first mystery box, inspiring the Top 24 with seasonal ingredients they love to cook with. Dish of the day will see its maker safe from elimination.
#2 - Auditions, Day 3: Showstopper Dish
Season 18 - Episode 3 - Aired 4/21/2026
Tonight, the 20 remaining hopefuls have a second and final chance to cook their way into the competition. Just who will score themselves one of the final four places?
#3 - Auditions, Day 2: Food Dream
Season 18 - Episode 2 - Aired 4/20/2026
Another 20 home cooks enter the MasterChef kitchen to compete for 10 aprons on offer. For those who miss out, they learn there will be one final chance to cook for the last four aprons tomorrow.
#4 - Auditions, Day 1: Your Dream on a Plate
Season 18 - Episode 1 - Aired 4/19/2026
MasterChef Australia returns with auditions and 40 of the country's best home cooks are ready. Tonight 20 cooks have 90 minutes to cook their dream dish in order to win one of the 10 aprons on offer.
#5 - Pressure Test: Maggie Beer
Season 18 - Episode 7 - Aired 4/29/2026
The bottom five cooks from the Invention Test face off in a Pressure Test set by MasterChef favourite Maggie Beer, tasked with mastering her signature sour cream pastry in a high-stakes pie challenge.
#6 - Immunity Pin Challenge: Bold Sandwiches
Season 18 - Episode 15 - Aired 5/13/2026
MasterChef alum and social media star Khanh Ong sets an epic challenge to create a bold, out-there sandwich with a banging cross section, to win the first immunity pin of the season.
#7 - Elimination Challenge: Favourite Home Dish
Season 18 - Episode 5 - Aired 4/27/2026
In the first elimination of the competition, 23 cooks will show the judges a window into their homelife, through a favourite dish that they cook at home for their loved ones.
#8 - Immunity Challenge: Ultimate Breakfast
Season 18 - Episode 8 - Aired 5/3/2026
It's Family Favourites week and social media sensation Andy Cooks (chef Andy Hearnden) is on the hunt for the ultimate breakfast, in an immunity challenge cook with 60 minutes on the clock.
#9 - Elimination Challenge: Quick Carb Midweek Dinner
Season 18 - Episode 9 - Aired 5/4/2026
In an elimination challenge centred on reinventing the judges' quick carb midweek dinner recipes, mistakes and time pressure sends one cook home.
#10 - Elimination Challenge: Family Food Traditions
Season 18 - Episode 11 - Aired 5/6/2026
Six contestants face elimination as they must create a dish that represent their family food traditions to fight for their place in the competition.
#11 - Invention Test: Cereal
Season 18 - Episode 6 - Aired 4/28/2026
It's the return of a MasterChef classic with an Invention Test challenging cooks to create an inventive dish using cereal.
#12 - Team Challenge: Family Feast
Season 18 - Episode 10 - Aired 5/5/2026
It is the first team challenge of the series, and the contestants are all eager to see how well they can work together. The bottom two teams will find themselves in the elimination the following day.
#13 - Team Service Challenge: Viral-worthy Dish
Season 18 - Episode 14 - Aired 5/12/2026
Six teams will compete in their first service challenge, tasked with creating one perfect viral-worthy dish to serve to hundreds of diners, and impress a mystery social media-star critic.
#14 - Elimination Challenge: Viral Ingredients
Season 18 - Episode 13 - Aired 5/11/2026
Viral sensation Victoria Minell (aka @recipesbyvictoria) sets a challenge to use one of her five viral ingredients in a 75-minute cook to save their place in the competition.
#15 - Mystery Box Challenge: Catherine Zhang
Season 18 - Episode 12 - Aired 5/10/2026
The Top 20 compete for Immunity from tomorrow's Elimination in a fruity Mystery Box challenge set by Catherine Zhang, marking the start of Viral Wonders Week.
#16 - Mystery Box Challenge: Rick Stein
Season 18 - Episode 16 - Aired 5/17/2026
It's the start of Around the World Week, and global food icon Rick Stein joins the MasterChef Kitchen to set an extra spicy Mystery Box challenge.