17 celebrity-approved kitchen items you can get at Amazon, starting at $7

If there's one thing I know, it's that ovens can be, well ... liars. I can't tell you how many times I've tried baking a cake, only to find the center was still mush, even after exceeding the cooking time listed in the recipe. An inconsistency in temperature is often the culprit, which is why it's no surprise that Ina Garten herself included an oven thermometer — namely, the Taylor Oven Thermometer — on her website's list of recommended cooking equipment.

Whether your oven has hot spots or cooler areas, being able to gauge the temperature just might be the solution you've been waiting for if you've experienced inconsistent results. As Garten tells the New York Times, "No matter what it says on the dial, the oven itself could be totally different" — and if her pro-level oven needs a backup reading, just think of how helpful having one could be for the rest of us.

GIR stands for Get It Right — and they do! In an interview with USA Today about her favorite kitchen products, Giada De Laurentiis says she "can't live without" the brand's spatula. I can't say I'm surprised. It's made of one piece of silicone, which I prefer to spatulas with a separate handle and blade (they're more durable and easier to clean).

What I find most valuable is that it strikes just the right balance between being stiff enough to work through thick doughs and batters, yet flexible enough to get into the corners of bowls and pans to ensure everything gets mixed evenly (and scraped out). Its slim profile allows it to fit into tough-to-reach places, like inside your food processor's bowl, and because it's made of platinum-grade silicone that's heat-resistant up to 550°F, you don't have to worry about it melting if you accidentally leave it in a hot pan. As opposed to metal tools, this won't scratch the coatings of your pots and pans, and its grippy handle allows for more confident stirring.

According to an article by The Kitchn, Martha Stewart used the Bodum French press on an episode of her longtime daytime talk show, Martha, saying, "I love this French press. I have used this particular glass one for years — I think it really makes a nice cup of coffee." And if she approves, you know it's definitely "a good thing."

Made of ultra-heatproof borosilicate glass and stainless steel, this coffee maker is as attractive as it is simple to use. Just add your coffee to the carafe (you'll want it to be coarsely ground), pour in boiling water, stir, place the plunger on top and let sit for four minutes. That's all there is to it! Making coffee this way is much more eco-friendly than using plastic K-cups, and because many of the pieces are dishwasher-safe, it's a breeze to clean.

Not only am I a fan of this compact, aesthetically pleasing blitz machine, but it also made Oprah's Favorite Things list in 2021. "Can you believe this is a blender? It's almost too chic!" she says, adding, "But it doesn't just look good — it really performs. It was created by the same guy who made the NutriBullet, so you know it's genius. The ribbed design helps ensure a smoother blend."

I can confirm that, despite its small footprint, it's powerful enough to pulverize things like frozen bananas and ice into a velvety smoothie free of chunky bits. I keep it out on my counter at all times, that's how attractive it is.

Check out my full Beast Blender review for more.  

Cameron Diaz, who's been posting a series of recipe videos dubbed "Cooking with Cameron" to social media, shared with The Strategist: "I have a couple of these in black. They’re made from wood pulp, so they’re eco-friendly and super-durable. If I’m making a charcuterie-and-cheese plate, I can cut and serve the cheese on this board. They’re super-lightweight, unlike those heavy, solid-wood boards. I keep multiples in a drawer without having to worry about the weight." Lightweight is right — the 11.5" x 9" board weighs just five grams, and at a quarter-inch thick, it'll hardly take up any space, either.

It's made of a Richlite paper composite material, which means it's non-porous — something else Diaz appreciates. "They’re less absorbent than solid-wood boards, so they dry very quickly when I wipe them down after washing. This is great because moisture between boards freaks me out. I always let mine dry out completely before I ever let them touch each other or go inside a drawer."

Eva Longoria: actress, fashion and beauty icon, entrepreneur ... and toaster influencer? Don't be too surprised; she did write a cookbook, after all! And since spotting this spiffy appliance on her counter in an Instagram video she posted, we're swooning over her taste in kitchen appliances. 

Slightly retro, yet modern, this stainless steel toaster lets you opt for two doneness levels at once to satisfy you and your breakfast mate. Each pair of slots has its own control panel, making everyone happy while saving time on busy mornings. There are six settings to choose from, along with Bagel, Defrost and Reheat modes — plus, the 1.5-inch-wide slots can accommodate everything from waffles to pastries.

If air fryers had been a thing in the '90s, I'm pretty sure Chef Monica Geller would have approved of this sleek, multifunctional model. Why? Well, Courteney Cox herself used one in a cooking video she posted on Instagram. While many air fryers only allow you to cook one dish at a time, the double-decker Kalorik Maxx has multiple racks that can be configured to your liking. Maybe you want to heat a pizza on one level and crisp some fries on another. You could also go the dessert route and bake a tin of brownies and a batch of cookies. Or, you could remove the racks altogether and make way for a roasting tray holding a turkey (this 26-quart machine can fit a 14-pounder!).

It might not be the smallest kitchen appliance on the market, but its 10 functions are air fry, bake, toast, roast, rotisserie, braise, sear, dehydrate, broil and warm, eliminating the need for separate air fryers, toasters and even microwaves. There are also 21 presets that'll help take the guesswork out of cooking common foods, like ribs, wings and bacon. You'll be able to feed a crowd, but even smaller households will appreciate not having to wait 20 minutes to preheat an oven.

I own this multi-use, nonstick beauty, and it just might become your most-utilized piece of cookware, thanks to its thoughtful design. It took the internet by storm a few years ago and quickly became a favorite of home cooks and celebrities alike. (Selena Gomez did a collaboration with the brand, and Oprah has called it "the kitchen magician.")

Its ceramic coating is slick and free of PFAS, while the handle smartly doubles as a spoon rest. Speaking of utensils, it comes with a wooden spatula and metal steamer basket that can be used as a colander, and it's oven-safe up to 450°F for added versatility. 

Check out my full Our Place Always Pan review for more. 

As an Ina Garten obsessive, I trust her entirely when it comes to kitchen gear — and as reported by The Kitchn, the John Boos maple block is her standby. "Butcher blocks ... they're really important," she says in a New York Times video about her kitchen essentials. "I have lots of them, and if you take care of them, they last forever."

Giada De Laurentiis is a fan too. "A good cutting board is often overlooked, but it makes all the difference at prep time," says the Food Network star, via the same article by The Kitchn. "Boos Boards are made of solid hardwood (I love the maple) and are a favorite among professional chefs."

I was influenced enough that I now have one of these beauties on my counter — check out my full Boos Block Cutting Board review for more. 

It's not every day a frying pan grabs our attention — but when it's one that Gordon Ramsay dubs "the Rolls-Royce of pans," our ears perk up. Such is the case with HexClad's cookware, which the celebrity chef claims to use at work and for home cooking. The brand has acquired a devoted fanbase, thanks to its pans' unique hybrid design, which marries the sturdy properties of stainless steel with the easy cleanup of nonstick cookware.

"HexClad stands up to the demands at home and in the studio," says Ramsay, who has partnered with the brand. "Not only are they beautiful pans, but their hybrid technology cooks to absolute, utter perfection."

What sets this pan apart from the rest is its patented hybrid tech, which features tri-ply construction: a layer of heat-conducting aluminum sandwiched between two layers of stainless steel, topped with a hexagonal nonstick surface. Why not just a regular nonstick coating? The laser-etched, stainless steel hexagonal design is meant to provide better browning and searing between the nonstick areas, giving you the best of both worlds. (It also looks cool!)

Not only am I a fan of Ina Garten's approachable, homey recipes, I also love checking out her gorgeous kitchen and cookware. Some of her go-tos are admittedly out of my price range — Le Creuset, anyone? — but I was pleasantly surprised to discover this super-affordable skillet, a longtime favorite of mine, is also a staple in her kitchen. 

Lodge has been in the cast iron business since 1896, so they know a thing or two about crafting sturdy pieces designed to withstand practically any cooking environment. This skillet is no exception; it can be used on all cooktops, is oven-safe and can even be placed over a grill or open flame. Lodge pans are so durable, people often pass them down to younger generations. I've only had mine for about 10 years, but it works just as well as the day I got it, if not better. Not bad for just 20 bucks!

Another thing I love about this pan? It's made of iron and oil — no PFOAs or PTFEs, which gives me peace of mind about cooking without "forever chemicals." No wonder it's one of 12 pieces of cookware Garten links to on her website.

Check out my full Lodge Cast Iron Skillet review for more. 

And for cleaning your cast iron? Take a tip from Jennifer Garner. "This cast-iron scrubber will reignite your love for your cast iron," she says in an interview with The Strategist. "It is so hard to clean, but this takes care of it in a way you didn’t know was possible. Plus, it just keeps your sponge from getting gross. I accidentally put one down the garbage disposal once and broke the disposal and the scrubber. I was sadder about the scrubber. That's how strongly I feel about it."

You might be thinking, "Jen, I love you — but won't a metal scraper ruin my pans?" And while that's a perfectly rational question, this tool was designed to dislodge stubborn crud without damage. Made up of mini stainless steel rings, this 4-inch square is safe to use on cast iron because both are metal. While you shouldn't use metal utensils with nonstick pans, the same isn't true of super-durable cast iron, and the smoothness of the rings makes them less prone to harmful scratching. In fact, keeping your pans residue-free means you won't have to season them as much.

We know to look to Reese Witherspoon for fashion and book recs, but she's got good taste in kitchen tools too. In an Instagram video (during which the actress makes an orange chicken dish using the leftover ingredients in her fridge), she can be seen pouring orange juice, honey, soy sauce and rice vinegar into this measuring cup — but if you watch, you'll notice she's not lifting it up to eye level or crouching down to read the measurements. 

That's because this cup, unlike your standard-issue models, has an ingenious slanted measuring guide inside, allowing you to track your pouring from above and without strain. Yeah, we're wondering how we've lived so long without this too. And if you thought that was this measuring cup's only cool feature, guess again. It has a soft, nonslip handle for better grip and more confident pouring, even when your hands are slicked with olive oil. 

While many recipes include both volume and weight measurements, you'll get much more accuracy going by weight. For example, measuring something like flour using a cup can yield wildly different results depending on how loosely or tightly packed it is; not so with a scale. There are many food scales on the market, but in a New York Times video, Ina Garten gives viewers a peek into her kitchen, pointing out her food-prep essentials — including this model. "I use it all the time," she says. "If something says 'five ounces,' and you want it to be really five ounces, it's really helpful to have a kitchen scale."

What sets this one apart from most others is the pull-out display, which means you'll be able to place large bowls and cookware vessels on it without them blocking the reading. Made of stainless steel, it's sleek enough that you could leave it out on the counter, but also compact if you'd rather store it in a drawer or cabinet, as Garten does. You'll be able to effortlessly switch between ounce, pound, gram or kilogram measurements, depending on what you're making, and its 11-pound weight limit means you could plop a whole tin of brownies on it.

When Oprah releases her annual Favorite Things list, you know you're in for a treat. These wildly affordable mugs made her discerning cut last year and quickly sold out. They'll have you sipping in style while keeping your hot and cold drinks at an ideal temperature longer than just any old cup.

"Is lukewarm tea anyone’s favorite? I don’t think so," says Oprah. (We're inclined to agree.) She continues: "Two sisters created this shapely double-walled design that keeps coffee, tisanes and hot chocolate warm to the very last drop."

There's a lot to love about this set: The chic clear design goes with everything and will let you see how much you're pouring into each cup. Plus, they have wider bases for added stability, and can go in the dishwasher. They're made of premium lead-free glass, and since they're double-wall insulated, your hands will be spared from holding a piping-hot mug.

We look to Salma Hayek for fashion and beauty inspiration all the time — and how could we not? But I'll admit, I'm more interested in what she uses in the kitchen. That's why I was delighted to come across a series of photos the actress posted on Instagram, showing her cooking (in an amazing pair of zebra-print PJs, no less). While I couldn't make out all of the cookware on her counter, I did spot this pan from T-fal, one of the more affordable brands on the market.

It features the brand's signature Thermo-Spot (the red circle seen on Hayek's pan in the first photo of her Instagram series), which lets you know when the cookware is properly preheated. Plus, it's equipped with an ergonomic handle and slick interior coating that'll help your crepes slip right out and onto your plate. At just under half a pound, it won't feel like an arm workout every time you lift it, either. 

Sometimes, the worst part of cooking has nothing to do with preparing food and everything to do with wrapping up the leftovers. This nifty invention changes all of that. On the Barefoot Contessa website, Ina Garten says, "I have used a Stretch-Tite 7500 plastic wrap dispenser for years and absolutely love it." And in a video about her favorite kitchen items for the New York Times, she adds, "Instead of fighting with that box, all you do is just pull [the plastic wrap] out ... just cut it off, and you have a really simple piece of plastic wrap. I use it all the time. Just great."

What makes it such an improvement over the plastic wrap box? For starters, it couldn't be easier to use. Just place your roll into the dispenser (it's compatible with Stretch-Tite 250, 500 and 750 rolls, though reviewers say it works with other brands as well), then do as Ina says: Pull some of the plastic out, then press down on the lever to cut a piece as large as you need. It'll slice the plastic in one go, creating a neat, straight edge rather than the jagged, twisted mess that results when it gets stuck on those little teeth on the box.