13 Kitchen Tools Endorsed by Ina Garten That You Can Purchase on Amazon

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When it comes to efficient, calm cooking, few appear to have mastered it quite as well as Ina Garten. The Barefoot Contessa comes across as the perfect cook and hostess, and a handful of essential tools are crucial for helping her succeed.

In general, Ina likes to keep things simple, and many of her kitchen must-haves reflect this. From analogue timers to traditional manual food mills, Ina used tried and trusted tools every day to keep her kitchen running smoothly. That’s not to say, however, that she isn’t willing to splurge on a versatile modern appliance when appropriate, as her KitchenAid stand mixer shows.

In this article, we have rounded up some of the kitchen gadgets that Ina has deemed essential components of her kitchen, so that you can include them in yours. We have highlighted a version that can be bought on Amazon, either a particular brand recommended by Ina herself, or a highly rated model that customers love. 

If there is one item that Ina Garten keeps front and center on her kitchen worktop, it’s her trusty butcher’s block — actually blocks, as she has several. Flimsy plastic boards are a thing of the past, and sturdy wooden cutting boards are the ultimate option to have in the kitchen. They have been shown to be more hygienic, and less prone to scratches, and let’s be honest they look much better sitting out on your countertop.

Ina’s brand of choice is John Boos, and although there are cheaper options available, she points out that “If you take care of them, they last forever.” This particular board is reversible, meaning if you don’t have time to clean up mid-prep, you can simply turn it over and enjoy a fresh surface to work from.

Customers love the butcher’s block, commenting that its heavy weight means it won’t slip around as you work. The solid wood surface, of which there are three options, is high-quality and there are oils available to buy separately to ensure the board stays in tip-top condition. Some reviewers point out that the boards essentially create a new countertop, so leaving them out just like the Barefoot Contessa does is a great idea.

Purchase John Boos R-Board Series thick butcher’s block from Amazon for $154.99

Ina Garten doesn’t leave anything to chance, so one of her must-haves are kitchen timers — yes, that’s plural — to make sure she stays on top of things while she’s cooking. If you have multiple dishes on the go, particularly if you are cooking an entree and baking a dessert at the same time, it can be easy to lose track of time, resulting in some disappointing burnt food.

Of course there are plenty of different types of timers to choose from, from analogue timers that have a dial that makes a satisfying tick as you turn it, to hi-tech smart devices such as Alexa that have a built-in timer function too. For a timer that suits the whole family, the VOCOO Digital Kitchen Timer is an excellent option. The large, clear display means you can see at a glance how long is left, even from the other side of the kitchen. It has a magnetic back, allowing you to attach it to the fridge if counter space is at a premium.

Customers like the stylish look of the timer and the fact that it can count up or down. It has two volume settings and you can adjust the brightness too. Some reviewers comment that it is tricky to set the timer the first time, but once you have mastered it, you can get on with your cooking in the knowledge that, just like Ina, your timers will keep you on track.

Purchase VOCOO digital kitchen timer from Amazon for $14.98

An oven thermometer may be one of those kitchen gadgets that you have wondered if you would ever need. After all, don’t ovens have a built-in thermostat? Well, according to Ina Garten, an oven thermometer is an essential kitchen item, to make sure the food in your oven is really at the temperature you have assumed.

In 2021, Ina warned the New York Times Cooking that “whatever it says on the dial, the oven itself could be totally different,” and this is something to bear in mind, especially if you like to bake. The chemical reactions that take place when food cooks can be changed by fluctuating temperatures, so even a difference of 10 degrees between the number on the dial and the actual oven temperature can be very significant. Ina’s suggestion of using an oven thermometer is a low-cost way to keep an eye on what is really happening inside your oven, and the Rubbermaid thermometer is an excellent choice.

Customers like that the thermometer can be used either free standing or hanging from an oven shelf. Its clear dial makes it easy to see the temperature, which goes all the way up to 580 degrees Fahrenheit. Its compact size is a benefit for many reviewers, though some have commented that it is a little too small to see clearly. If, like Ina, you want the reassurance that your food is cooking exactly as you expect, this little thermometer will do the trick.

Purchase Rubbermaid stainless steel monitoring thermometer on Amazon for $11.57

If your food processor is languishing at the back of your cupboard, and only sees the light of day when you need to whip up a batch of breadcrumbs, it is time to bring it to the forefront where it belongs. Ina Garten loves hers so much, she thinks there should be a national holiday for the inventor!

In true Ina style, she uses her beloved food processor for so much more than most people. As well as using it for common tasks such as making pie crust or kneading dough, so also uses the slicing and grating attachments to save a ton of time. In this video on X, formerly Twitter, she thinly slices a large pile of Brussels sprouts in seconds, and comments that it would take forever to slice them by hand.

Her machine of choice, as shown at use in Ina’s media, is the Cuisinart Cup Pro. It’s is an excellent machine that will suit your every need. Reviews comment on the power of this food processor, despite the fact that it is relatively quiet. Its small footprint means it takes up little room in cupboards, though one reviewer did mention that it was too tall to fit under the cabinets to store neatly on the worktop. If you want to follow in Ina’s footsteps and start using your food processor for everything from grating potatoes to whipping feta, this reliable machine is the ideal choice.

Purchase the Cuisinart Cup Pro custom food processor on Amazon for $129.95

Every enthusiastic home cook knows that using a good quality, sharp knife is the key to easy and quick meal prep. Ina Garten isn’t usually one for spending a lot of money on kitchen tools, but knives is one place that she suggests you make an investment. Unless you do a huge amount of cooking, you don’t need to purchase an entire set, meaning you can spend a little more on the knives you do need. Ina recommends four essential knives: A chef’s knife, which you will use often for dicing; a slicing knife for carving meat, a bread knife with a serrated edge; and a paring knife for smaller jobs.

Ina’s brand of choice is the German company Wüsthof, a crafter known for precision blades. Specifically, she recommends the Classic line, which is sold in a seven-piece set that has four high-quality knives, a 9-inch steel, a set of kitchen shears, and a wooden block. Customers like that the knives are sharp out of the box and stay that way for a long time. Of course, this means that care needs to be taken when chopping, but the knives will last for the effort. Although the knives are on the expensive side, a huge number of reviewers say, like Ina, that they represent good value and will last a long time, potentially saving money in the long run.

Purchase Wüsthof gourmet 7-piece knife block set from Amazon for $190

While having a great set of knives is important, keeping them sharp is just as crucial a part of the equation. Blunt knives can slip off food and onto fingers instead, so although it may seem counterintuitive, the sharper your blades are, the less likely you are to have a digit-related accident. Ina Garten knows the importance of keeping knives sharp, but isn’t a fan of using the famous sharpening steel that so many celebrity chefs love to brandish, as she points out that using it incorrectly can end up damaging the knife. Instead, she has a much simpler solution to turn to — an electric knife sharpener.

The Chef’sChoice electric knife sharpener is the brand that Ina uses, and it is a top quality sharpener that will keep your knives looking and feeling like new. Customers comment that it is incredibly easy to use and does the job quickly. Ina demonstrates that it has two different settings — the rough side to create a good edge, and the fine side to perfect it. Reviewers claim that the machine has saved them time by creating extremely sharp knives in a flash that cut down on meal preparation time significantly. The machine is noisy when a knife is being sharpened, but this is to be expected for any electric sharpener.

Purchase Chef’sChoice professional electric knife sharpener on Amazon for $189.99

Ina Garten didn’t get to where she is today by using guesswork in the kitchen. Even the most beginner of home cooks will experience a benefit by using one of Garten’s essential gadgets: a kitchen scale. Measuring ingredients by eye, especially if you are baking, is a dangerous business, and taking an extra few seconds to weigh them out accurately will always pay off.

Ina’s go-to scale is the Oxo Good Grips, which has a modern design that will look great if you want to leave it sitting out on your worktop. Customers comment that it has a large weighing surface and the digital screen is very easy to read. It is easy to change the unit depending on your recipe, and measures to a tenth of an ounce, which should keep even the most serious of home bakers happy. The pull-out display is a feature that many customers love, making it easy to see the display regardless of what you are measuring.

Purchase the OXO Good Grips 11-pound stainless steel food scale on Amazon for $45

One kitchen gadget that you may not have considered as essential is a microplane grater, but Ina Garten loves hers, as she told Bon Appétit. Commonly used to finely grate Parmesan cheese, it can handle so much more, so even if you’re not a big lover of the parm, you will still be able to put this nifty gadget to great use.

Ina loves to use her microplane to zest citrus fruit — it’s a great way to remove the zest without getting too much of the bitter pith underneath. She also uses it to mince garlic, which is a great tip as it is much easier to clean than those pesky garlic presses. If you are a keen baker, using a microplane to finely grate chocolate will also give you an attractive topping for your baked goods.

One microplane premium zester is a big hit with reviewers, with many commenting on razor-sharp teeth that make light work of grating even the hardest of cheeses. The non-slip handle comes in dozens of attractive colors and gives a safe and sturdy surface to hold while you are grating.

Purchase Microplane premium zester grater in black on Amazon for $17.95

You may assume that an ice cream scoop is a one-job utensil, but not when Ina Garten is involved. The Barefoot Contessa has some genius uses for the humble ice cream scoop, and she considers it an essential in her kitchen. If you want your food to look as fantastic as Ina’s, consistency is the key, and measuring items with a scoop is a handy way to do so. From cookie dough to meatball mix, Ina’s ice cream scoop trick means her items are uniform in both size and shape.

A spring-loaded scoop is the best option, allowing you to eject the contents neatly onto the parchment paper. One option, from the company Fuzzelut, gets high praise from customers, with many of them commenting on how sturdy and well-made it is. It is simple to use, and being dishwasher safe means you don’t need to worry about cookie dough getting stuck to it.

Buy Fuzzelut stainless steel ice cream scoop from Amazon for $8.99

It would be understandable to assume that the reason Ina Garten deems her cookie cutters to be essential would be for cutting cookies. Although she does use them for the obvious, she also has a nifty extra use when she makes savory dishes. The Barefoot Contessa has a simple trick to level up everyday dishes — using cookie cutters to form pastry shapes to sit atop her chicken pot pie soup, creating the elegant presentation that is synonymous with her cooking.

This twelve piece cookie cutter set will allow you to emulate Ina’s pastry shapes, as it contains hearts, flowers, stars, and circles, with three sizes of each. Reviewers praised the items, commenting that the largest size is perfect for making cookies, whereas the other two sizes are very small, making them ideal for replicating Ina’s dinky pastry toppers.

Purchase YXCLIFE metal cookie cutter set from Amazon for $6.98

If you’re going to invest in one piece of expensive equipment for your kitchen, a stand mixer is an excellent option. From whipping cream and preparing dough, to grinding meat and mashing potatoes, with the right attachment, this gadget can transform your cooking process. Ina Garten is well aware of this, and her stand mixer of choice is from the market leader, KitchenAid.

Although Ina’s favored model of stand mixer is at the higher end of the price range, it actually offers a great balance of performance and affordability. Numerous reviewers said that model has lasted them 38 years, so it definitely fits into Ina’s belief of buying kitchen gadgets that will last for years. With almost 20,000 Amazon reviews and an average score of 4.7, if you are going to spend hundreds of dollars on a mixer, this is the one to choose.

Available in more than 20 fabulous colors, including pistachio and majestic yellow, it has 10 speed settings to make light work of whatever you need done in the kitchen. With its wide range of attachments available to buy separately, this is one of the most versatile kitchen gadgets you can buy.

Purchase KitchenAid Artisan Series 5 stand mixer or Amazon in white for $449.95

Just because Ina Garten can cook beautiful dishes that ooze elegance doesn’t mean that she doesn’t own the same down-to-earth kitchen appliances that most of us mere mortals do. She does own a waffle iron, and of course, in true Ina style, she uses it to jazz up other items, such as her waffle hash browns. It’s another great example of how a supposedly single-use tool can be more versatile than you thought, if you have the creativity of the Barefoot Contessa.

The KRUPS Belgian waffle maker is an excellent choice if you plan to use the appliance regularly or cook for a large family. It cooks four deep waffles at a time, meaning you can serve everyone in one sitting. Customers love that the removable plates are dishwasher-safe — no more scraping batter out of the squares.

Reviewers also liked that in spite of its large capacity, it folds away neatly if you don’t want to leave it out on the countertop. It has a steam-release system for perfectly cooked waffles, and customers agree that the appliance gets it right every time.

Purchase KRUPS 4-slice Belgian waffle maker on Amazon for $68.48

In spite of some top of the range modern appliances in her kitchen, Ina Garten is not afraid to embrace an old-school kitchen gadget, as is the case with her beloved food mill. She admits she adores this particular utensil, and stresses that she uses it when she wants to puree an ingredient without removing the texture entirely. It is a great, retro way to make soups, sauces, and even baby food.

When choosing a food mill, one with adjustable discs will allow you to select the texture you need for a particular dish. This Gemfino stainless steel food mill has three discs — fine, medium, and coarse — which allow you to make jams, pureed potatoes, and a range of different sauces and condiments. Reviewers comment that it is well constructed and easy to assemble, and can be taken apart again for thorough cleaning. If you’re looking for a low-tech alternative to a food processor, follow Ina’s lead and add a traditional food mill to your list of must-have gadgets.

Purchase Gemfino stainless steel food mill with three milling discs on Amazon for $43.99