Shop 10 Giada De Laurentiis-approved kitchen items, starting at just $9

This ain't your momma's spatula — but it should be! After all, Giada herself said she "can't live without" it. So, what sets it apart from the rest? For starters, 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 Mom's food processor's bowl, and because it's made of platinum-grade silicone that's heat-resistant up to 550°F, she doesn't have to worry about it melting if she accidentally leaves it in a hot pan. This won't scratch the coatings of her pots and pans, and its grippy handle allows for more confident stirring. 

"I bought this per the recommendation of someone I met at a local kitchen and cookware store, and I love it!" gushed a five-star fan. "Great for daily cooking as well as baking. I don’t have to worry about plastic or other material spatulas melting on the side of a pan. It’s easy to clean and feels durable. I love that it’s got some bend/flex, but enough stiffness that it’s extremely versatile. I would be shocked if I needed to replace it anytime in the next several years, and I cook/bake regularly."

"I eat olive oil with almost everything — from my oatmeal in the morning to salads to cooking with it, there’s no such thing as too much olive oil,” she tells Bon Appetit. This bottle is one of her go-tos, and according to the brand, it has a "mild" flavor profile with "notes of almond and a momentary peppery finish." Use it for everything from drizzling over vegetables to sauteing. 

Many culinary pros consider this to be the crème de la crème of peelers, so we weren't surprised to see De Laurentiis using it in a recent Instagram video. Its C-shape allows it to navigate around curved produce like carrots, and the carbon steel blade maintains its sharpness for a really long time. It also has a potato-eye remover built right in. 

Hate slicing slippery tomatoes? This trusty tool is going to make that dreaded task so much easier. 

I spotted this very mandoline in an Instagram video showing De Laurentiis using it to thinly slice cucumbers for a salad. It comes with both straight and serrated blades, and there's also a handy dial on the side that lets you choose from 21(!) different thicknesses, whether you want paper-thin vegetables for making homemade chips or chunkier pieces to roast. 

Now, mandolines don't exactly have the best reputation — they're often associated with, let's just say, finger "mishaps" due to their extremely sharp blades. That's why safety features are crucial, and this model doesn't skimp. For instance, the side of the blade that isn't being used is completely concealed, and it comes with a spring-loaded food holder, which you stick onto whatever you're slicing to use as a barrier between the fruit/vegetable and your hand; this way, you're never coming in close contact with the blade itself.

As an Ina Garten obsessive, I trust her entirely when it comes to kitchen gear — and as reported by The Kitchn, this beautiful maple cutting board 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 — when it's not on chopping duty, I use it to hold decorative bowls and flower vases. But it's more than just a pretty food prep tool; its heft keeps it from sliding around the counter when I chop, and the wood is much gentler on my knives than plastic. 

Check out my full Boos Block Cutting Board review for more. 

"Great, sturdy tongs are a must in any kitchen," says De Laurentiis to TODAY. "They make flipping chicken, steak, veggies or bread a cinch." This pair has silicone tips for extra grip — and they won't scratch up your cookware, either. 

"This mighty kitchen tool is not just great for Parmesan," De Laurentiis says in a The Kitchn article. "It’s how we zest our citrus, grate fresh nutmeg or even shave a fresh dusting of chocolate over affogato and tiramisu." 

I'm also a Microplane endorser, as it helps me grate and zest with fewer finger nicks — check out my full review. 

"Before baking your next batch of cookies or sticky buns, cover the baking sheet with this flexible nonstick liner and enjoy the difference it makes," she tells TODAY. "The reusable silicone-coated sheet, which was developed for French patisseries, also provides an excellent surface for rolling out pastry dough, and cleanup is a breeze. It can be rolled up for compact storage."

Psst: I use this all the time, and find that it even helps the bottoms my cookies brown more evenly!

A Le Creuset Dutch oven "is fantastic for soups, stews, sauces, ragus and anything that requires long cooking time," De Laurentiis shares with CNN Underscored. "The cast iron allows it to heat more evenly without burnt patches. ... Pick a fun color that looks great in your kitchen!"

This classic round model fits over a burner perfectly, and its enameled interior is easy to clean (and light enough in color that you can better monitor your food while it's browning).