10 Ina Garten-Approved Products That Will Make You a Better Cook This Year

Consider this her ultimate must-have—and not just because it looks good on your stovetop. “I use the Le Creuset No. 26 Dutch oven more often than everything else,” Garten revealed on her website. “It's great for soups, stews and braising.” The enameled cast iron is easy to clean and heats evenly, with a light interior that helps you see when you’ve gotten a good sear. Plus, it’s compatible with all cooktops and is oven-safe up to 500 degrees F.

When it comes to salt, Garten doesn’t mess around. She keeps three types on hand, and she has a different purpose for each. (She told Bon Appétit back in 2018 that it’s the ingredient “most people use wrong.”) The Barefoot Contessa uses Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt for everyday cooking, but: “When I want to finish with salt, I use Fleur de Sel, which is a French sea salt, and it’s just the kind of briny” taste to top off a dish, she shared. (Hand-harvested, it’s also been dubbed the “caviar of salt” for the way it delicately enhances a dish’s flavor and slowly melts on your tongue, making for a more luxe meal overall.)

More specifically, she stocks Le Saunier de Camargue, which you can buy as a regular salt or as a blend with espelette pepper, if you like things a bit spicy.

“The most important tool every home cook should have is a great set of knives,” Garten shared on Instagram. “Mine are Wüsthof Classic knives. They’re an investment, but if you take care of them, they’ll last a lifetime!” I can concur—a well-sharpened set makes getting that perfect dice or julienne so much easier, and as you’ve probably heard the Contessa herself say, evenly cut pieces tend to cook more evenly too, resulting in a better dish overall.

That said, you don’t have to spring for an entire knife block. Garten recommends having one of the following on hand: a chef’s knife, a serrated bread knife, a paring knife and slicing knife.

Garten will be the first to give you permission to take a cooking shortcut when it’s warranted, but fellow lazy bakers, take note: She encourages you to invest in a kitchen scale. You’ll get more precise measurements than if you rely on measuring cups (since flour and sugar can be packed into them, throwing off ratios), resulting in more consistently delicious results.

Sure, a scoop is great for whipping up sundaes, but the Food Network star uses hers for so much more than that. “It makes perfectly proportioned meatballs and muffins, and it looks very professional,” Garten told New York Times Cooking. Look for one that’s around 2 ¼ inches in diameter, around the No. 10 and 12 sizes.

It’s a rare, rare thing to have a perfectly calibrated oven (so, good news: maybe that pizza you burned wasn’t your fault at all!). That’s why Ina swears by an old-fashioned oven thermometer. "Always use one," she says. "No matter what it says on the dial, the temperature in the oven could be totally different."

I hate to say it, but there’s a serious difference in a dish made with freshly ground pepper versus the store-bought, pre-ground stuff. Dishes just taste livelier, which is why you see Garten reaching for hers all the time. She’s used this PepperMade style for years, and for good reason. Not only is it easy to use (twist right for a coarse grind, left for fine), but it’s backed by a lifetime warranty.

You’ll frequently hear the Barefoot Contessa talk about budgeting for “good olive oil,” but what exactly does that mean? In Garten’s own household, that means springing for California-grown Olio Santo olive oil. “It’s flavorful, fruity and not heavy,” she says. Cold-pressed, this oil’s robust flavor makes it an ideal way to upgrade vinaigrettes, pastas and anything grilled. It’s also great for dipping.

You know how Garten said that if you take care of good knives, they’ll last a lifetime? Well, she maintains their sharpness with this handy gadget. It’s designed for use with German knives, and this particular model can hone straight-edge and serrated styles, so you can use it with all four of Ina’s knife recommendations.

“What I like is when something ends up with texture, so it’s not like baby food,” Garten told NYT Cooking. “I just adore it.” On her website, she’s recommended both the Mouli mill ($303) and this more affordable OXO style.