Tearful MasterChef winners: 'It's the best feeling'

Karena and Kasey Bird have been crowned the winners of MasterChef.

Two sisters from Maketu have won the latest season of MasterChef - despite losing the first challenge of tonight's finale.

Kasey, 23, and Karena Bird, 25, take home $100,000 worth of prizes, including two cars, kitchen appliances, kitcheware and groceries, as well as an exclusive cookbook deal.

The duo didn't seem to believe they'd won, with Kasey uttering, "Holey moley," while Karena burst into tears.

"I can't believe it," Karena said. "It's just been such a long journey, but it's all been worth it. I'm so proud of Kasey and the fact we got to do it together. It's the best feeling I've ever had in my life."

The siblings were hot favourites going into the finale of the long-running reality show's first ever season to feature pairs of contestants.

But they didn't seem confident after the first challenge was won by their opponents, Arrowtown friends Bec Stanley and Jaimie Stodler, with Kasey and Karena's Australian-style crayfish criticised as "slightly mushy".

But they turned it up for the next two challenges, serving Asian-style hors d'oeuvres for 180 VIP guests and nailing "a very handsome gateau" and "perfect entrées" in the final challenge in the MasterChef kitchen.

The traditionally tough dessert challenge was designed by Ray McVinnie: a chocolate trifle cake with layers of chocolate sponge, chocolate custard, prunes and strawberries marinated in sherry, whipped cream and chocolate curls.

- nzherald.co.nz