Ina Garten’s 3 Favorite Salts, Reviewed (and When to Use Them)

Fleur de sel is that girl

•

Published Jan 25, 2025

PureWow editors select every item that appears on this page, and some items may be gifted to us. Additionally, PureWow may earn compensation through affiliate links within the story. All prices are accurate upon date of publish. You can learn more about the affiliate process here.

ina garten favorite salt review: hand sprinkling salt, ina garten and salt-topped crostini, side by side

Michael Loccisano/Staff/Getty Images/Amazon

For many amateur (and expert) cooks alike, Ina Garten’s kitchen recs are essentially gospel. She says use extra-large eggs and we add them to our grocery list. She roasts a chicken and we buy a bird. She says bay leaves are pointless and—OK, I respectfully disagree with her there. But in most instances, I trust her whole-heartedly with matters of the kitchen. So, when I read about the three salts that she deems essential to her pantry, I had to try them myself. Here, you’ll find my honest reviews of the Queen of Chambray’s favorite salts, plus suggested uses for each one.

ina garten favorite salt review: diamond crystal kosher salt, maldon sea salt flakes and Le Saunier de Camargue fleur de sel

Taryn Pire

Ina Garten’s Favorite Salts

Former PureWow senior food editor Katherine Gillen first heard about Garten’s preferred salt trio in a video tour of her kitchen by The New York Times in 2020. “I have three salts that I use all the time,” Garten said, leading the viewers to the stove. First was kosher salt—Diamond Crystal, to be precise. “It’s actually different from other kosher salts,” she explained. “Some of them are much saltier.” The second was fleur de sel, a type of French sea salt she uses to finish dishes, then Maldon flaky salt, which she likes to sprinkle over pastry crust as a garnish.

Upon researching this further, I found that the Barefoot Contessa also waxed poetic about her favorite salts in a 2018 interview with Bon Appétit. “The one ingredient that most people use wrong is salt,” she said. “It’s really important in every dish, both sweet and savory. You also have to use the right one for the right occasion. For cooking, I use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt, and it’s always perfect. But when I want to finish with salt, I use fleur de sel, which is a French sea salt…or Maldon English flake salt. When I’m brushing the top of a potpie with egg wash, a little sprinkle of that flaky salt gives it a little crunch. It’s absolutely delicious.”

It took a bit more digging to find Ina’s recommended brand of fleur de sel, but a 2021 story for Oprah Daily,where Ina gave a first-person tour of her East Hampton barn kitchen, revealed it was Le Saunier de Camargue.

What’s the Difference Between Kosher Salt, Flaky Salt and Fleur de Sel?

There are many types of salt to explore beyond the stuff you keep in that novelty shaker your grandma gifted you. Kosher salt is coarse, flat-grained and irregularly structured. It’s typically a bit less salty than standard table salt and has larger grains. Originally used to remove blood from meat before it’s prepared, a process called koshering, this type of salt is prime for cooking and seasoning. Its larger grain size makes it slower to dissolve, so you’re less likely to accidentally over-salt your food with it.

Flaky salt is known for its flat shape and signature crunch. Easy on the eyes and texturally delightful, it’s used as a finishing touch on sweet and savory dishes alike. It’s also great for seasoning meat and applying to fried foods.

Fleur de sel, which means “flower of salt” in French, is a sea salt that’s considered one of the more complex, delicate types. It’s used for finishing and tastes especially divine on caramel and chocolate desserts, but you can also use it to top salads, grilled meat and fish and even fresh fruit.

ina garten favorite salt review: kosher salt, flaky salt and fleur de sel, side by side on brown parchment paper

Taryn Pire

A Food Editor’s Review of Ina Garten’s Favorite Salts

Full disclosure: I use kosher salt for everything. Its flavor is super clean and concentrated (it’s pure sodium chloride, without the addition of iodine), which is why it’s arguably the go-to for most chefs. Diamond’s crystals are small enough that they mostly melt in your mouth the moment they hit your tongue. You can certainly use it for finishing desserts and savory dishes, but I think the easy dissolvability makes it great for cooking, as well as marinating, pickling and canning.

I’m also a big fan of crunchy flaky salt, especially the gemstone-like flat pieces. Like Diamond, Maldon is the gold standard in its category. It’s decidedly saltier than the kosher salt, and because of its larger size, it’s best for garnishing dishes or replacing coarse salt on items like pastry, pie crust or pretzels. It would also be great for a crust on a steak or beef roast.

Visually, fleur de sel is glittery, fine and fluffy. It’s surprisingly crunchy, despite its crystals’ much smaller size versus the flaky salt. Its flavor is more complex due to the salt’s higher mineral content and a touch briny. I think it’s aesthetically the most impressive looking, so use it to finish dishes for special occasions or labor-intensive recipes, since it’s pricier than the other two options.