ABSTRACTThis work reports the development of a very-simple-to-construct stir-bar extraction device socalled “a dumbbell-shaped stainless steel stir-bar.” The extraction device was assembled from arolled up stainless steel net filled with an XAD-2 sorbent and a metal rod to allow the use of amagnetic stirrer during extraction. The dumbbell-shaped stainless steel stir-bar was used to extractdiethyl phthalate (DEP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) before ana-lysis by a gas chromatograph equipped with an electron capture detector (GD-ECD). Under theoptimal conditions, the developed method provided a good linearity from 10.0 to 1,000.0 ng mL1for all three compounds. Limits of detection and limits of quantification were 9.37 ± 0.29 ng mL1and 31.22 ± 0.95 ng mL1 for DEP, 5.73 ± 0.31 ng mL1 and 19.1 ± 1.0 ng mL1 for DBP and3.30 ± 0.06 ng mL1 and 11.0 ± 0.19 ng mL1 for DEHP, respectively. Good recoveries in the rangeof 81.89 ± 0.17 to 109.5 ± 2.0% were achieved when the method was used to extract phthalateesters in five instant noodle and two rice soup samples.