Great Weekend Sales on Small Appliances

If someone on your nice list is longing for a shiny new stand mixer or food processor, you may think you missed your chance to snag the year’s best deals on coveted countertop appliances. But with record-breaking sales this Cyber Monday—Adobe Insights reports online sales hit $3.45 billion—many retailers are eager to keep the good times rolling. To that end, they’re offering daily and weekly deals on small appliances for all of cyber week, and probably in the weeks to come.

Consumer Reports vigorously scoured the online marketplace to find five of our favorite countertop appliances, all of which are top-performers in our tests and all of which can be had at prices significantly lower than you would expect to pay most of the year. No gimmicks, no slick salesmanship, and no secret pricing. No kidding.

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Cuisinart Prep 11 Plus DLC-2011CHBY

Yes, you can grate Parmesan, chop onions, slice potatoes, and shred mozzarella without a food processor. But why would you? If the answer was the $320 price tag originally assigned to this handsome processor, that’s a fair point. But this discontinued model is still widely available, usually for around $200. We think that’s a solid deal for a model that excels at almost every task you throw its way. But two retailers eager to clear out this classic workhorse have discounted it to a mere $146, about $34 less than we can find anywhere else. Wayfair is promoting this deal through Christmas but has limited quantities—Amazon offers it for $146. Both provide free shipping.

If you’re concerned about gifting a discontinued model, you should know that it still comes with a 10-year warranty and that all of the original replacement parts and accessories can be found on the manufacturer’s website. True, you won’t be giving the newest model, but scoring a deal on a perennially useful appliance never really goes out of style—nor does finding one under the tree. See our full ratings for this and other models in our food processor buying guide.

Cuisinart PerfecTemp DCC-3200

This coffee maker’s name sort of says it all—perfect temperatures in our brewing test helped this model earn the highest score in a crowded category. It can be programmed to brew up to 14 cups using water heated to a temperature slightly shy of boiling, which helps pull rich, complex flavors from grounds while leaving no burnt aftertaste. The machine and carafe are well-designed and easy to use.

Amazon offers cyber week pricing of $76, $24 less than the manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) of $100, which we found to be the prevailing price across almost every other retailer. At that price, it’s the perfect gift for someone who’s not concerned with gimmicky features and instead values easy controls and cup after cup of perfectly brewed coffee. To read our full review of this coffee maker and others, see our coffee maker buying guide.

KitchenAid Artisan KSM150PS[WW]

There are few countertop appliances that are lusted after more than a KitchenAid stand mixer. And with good reason. The Artisan mixes batter like a champ, whips egg whites or cream in an instant, and effortlessly kneads enough dough to form two loaves of bread. No wonder almost every home retailer seemed to offer at least a partial discount off the hefty retail price of $350. But you’ll be hard-pressed to find a discount deeper than the one being offered by Everything Kitchens. Its cyber week price of $240 is already $110 lower than the MSRP and $15 lower than the next lowest price we could find.

Joining the site’s free rewards program saves you an additional $10, and the mixer qualifies for a $50 prepaid debit card (available with a mail-in rebate valid through Dec. 24), bringing the net price down to $180. It comes with free three-day shipping. Although the price and rebate are valid until Christmas eve, the quantities of each color aren’t guaranteed. To read our full review of the Artisan and other stand mixers, check out our mixer ratings.

LG LCRT2010[ST]

This quick-heating oven earned some of the highest marks of any model we’ve tested for its speedy, even heating and defrosting. In practical terms, imagine reheating a plate of mashed potatoes and finding them pleasantly warmed as opposed to alternating between bites that are ice cold or scalding hot. In addition to heating evenly, this oven works quickly and without emitting the dreadful hum typical of some other models. Even if you never use it for more than warming a cup of coffee, you’ll appreciate the controls, which are exceptionally intuitive and easy to use.

Best Buy’s cyber week price of $153 is a full $57 below the retail price of $210 and $27 less than we found at other stores. The microwave oven ships free or you can pick it up at a local store. Amazon and Home Depot have both offered this oven for $148 at various times in the past week, but it's not currently that price. It’s worth checking once more before buying—if you find that either is offering it for less than Best Buy, you can snag it before the deal disappears again or take advantage of Best Buy’s price-matching policy, which went back into effect after Cyber Monday. To see our full ratings for this and other microwave ovens, check out our microwave oven buying guide.

Ninja Auto iQ BL642-30 Personal

For an appliance category that essentially has a single intended function, it’s alarming how few blenders actually, well, blend. That’s not the case with the Ninja Auto iQ, which pulverized frozen ingredients into a perfectly uniform smoothie and ground piles of ice cubes into fluffy snow. In addition to the primary 72-ounce pitcher, this model comes with 18-, 24-, and 32-ounce blending cups, perfect for smaller portions. It’s a better deal than most blenders even at the everyday price of $200.

Buying it at Kohl’s will save you $20 off that price throughout the holiday season, but through Dec. 5, a cyber week promotional code will save you an additional 20 percent on almost anything at the store, bringing the price down to an impressive $144, about $56 less than the MSRP and $36 lower than we found elsewhere. Though the promotional code won’t work on all brands stocked at Kohl’s, Ninja’s noteworthy absence from the list of excluded brands left us kicking and karate chopping with excitement. To get our full take on the Ninja and other blenders, check out our blender ratings.

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