Equipping your kitchen is much like assembling your wardrobe. You can get a lot of bang for your buck by buying high-quality, versatile staples that will last you for years to come. Whether you’re gifting yourself upgraded kitchenware or looking for the perfect splurge-y gift for a loved one, these items show their value in their versatility, quality and long-lastingness.

Upgrade your slow cooker with KitchenAid’s versatile Multi-Cooker (pictured at top). Whereas regular slow cookers operate on the “dump and heat” methodology, the Multi-Cooker allows for more nuance with stages of cooking (sear, saute and more) at precise temperatures, while still saving you from hovering over a stove.

The classic, French-made Le Creuset Dutch Ovens come with a lifetime warranty, although we’ve heard that these sturdy and beautiful pots last for generations. Quality matters in terms of distributing heat evenly and having an easy to clean, chip-resistant interior. It’s so pretty it can go from stove to table.

Having a mandoline makes shaved fennel salad and potatoes au gratin attainable. The Swissmar Borner V Power Mandoline's three different blade attachments let you carve potatoes and sweet potatoes into perfect matchsticks for oven-baked fries, shred cabbage for coleslaw, cube carrots, and thinly slice potatoes for the perfect au gratin dish.

Reusable Silpat silicone baking mats are a great replacement for parchment paper. These heavy-duty mats are made in France and will last you for years!

This cushiony GelPro mat is a great addition to the cook’s kitchen. There’s an option to design your own mat, and, seeing as how they make you feel like you’re stepping on a cloud, they are worth the splurge. Cooking, washing dishes — make everything cozier with one of these bad boys.

A Vitamix is the ultimate blender; it perfectly blends smoothies (even if you’re adding fibrous stuff like kale and seeds!), and it can also be used to cook soups. It is the only blender you and your giftees will ever need.

Kerri-Ann is a registered dietitian who writes on food and health trends. Find more of her work at kerriannjennings.com or follow her on Twitter @kerriannrd or Facebook.