The 19 Best Smells in the World

Kitchen aromas go head to head with gardens, forests and a few smells nobody admits to loving.

1. 1
   Freshly baked bread

   A warm loaf just out of the oven, the smell supermarkets pipe into their aisles.
   1000pts
2. 2
   Sizzling bacon

   Smoky, salty and impossible to ignore from the next room.
   952pts
3. 3
   Rain (petrichor)

   The earthy scent of rain hitting dry ground, named petrichor by two Australian scientists in 1964.
   952pts
4. 4
   Clean laundry

   Sheets fresh off the washing line, drying in the sun.
   659pts
5. 5
   Fresh oranges

   The bright citrus burst the moment you peel an orange.
   659pts
6. 6
   Vanilla

   Sweet and warm, from cured orchid pods, the base of countless perfumes and cakes.
   659pts
7. 7
   Old books

   The papery, slightly sweet smell of an old library, caused by paper slowly breaking down.
   571pts
8. 8
   Freshly brewed coffee

   The roasted, slightly bitter aroma that fills a kitchen before the first sip.
   571pts
9. 9
   Popcorn

   Butter and hot corn, the smell of every cinema lobby.
   467pts
10. 10
    Freshly cut grass

    The green, sharp smell of a lawn right after mowing.
    467pts
11. 11
    Pine forest

    Resin and needles on a walk through the woods, or a fresh Christmas tree indoors.
    467pts
12. 12
    Cinnamon

    Warm bark spice behind cinnamon rolls, mulled wine and holiday candles.
    467pts
13. 13
    Roses

    The classic flower scent, distilled into perfume since ancient Persia.
    467pts
14. 14
    Campfire smoke

    Wood smoke that clings to your jumper long after the fire is out.
    343pts
15. 15
    Lavender

    The calming purple herb that covers Provence in summer and scents soaps and pillows.
    343pts
16. 16
    Jasmine

    A heady night-blooming flower used in perfume and jasmine tea.
    343pts
17. 17
    New car smell

    The plastic-and-leather scent of a car that has never been driven.
    343pts
18. 18
    Baking cookies

    Butter, sugar and chocolate warming in the oven.
    0pts
19. 19
    Sea air

    Salt, seaweed and wind: the smell that means you have reached the coast.
    0pts

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