With Black Friday deals coming at you left and right, it can be hard to tell what’s actually worth adding to your cart. Of course, it’s a lot easier when you can turn to a team of experts who spend their waking hours testing kitchen equipment to find the very best air fryers, espresso machines, immersion circulators, and—yes—even kitchen sponges. (It’s us, we’re that team.) This Black Friday, Serious Eats editors are snagging deals not just for themselves, but for family and friends who could use an upgrade or two. They shared their top picks, which include tested favorites like the Breville air fryer toaster oven, Vitamix 5200 blender, ThermoPro meat thermometer, and more.
Editor-Picked Black Friday Deals
- The Best Budget Waffle Maker: Krups Breakfast Set Stainless Steel Waffle Maker
- The Best Ice Cream Maker: Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker Machine
- The Best, Most Powerful Blender: Vitamix 5200 Professional-Grade Blender
- A Great Drip Coffee Maker: OXO Brew 8-Cup Coffee Maker
- The Best Air Fryer Toaster Oven: Breville the Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro
- An Accurate Wireless Thermometer: ThermoPro TP20 Wireless Meat Thermometer
- An Inexpensive Electric Milk Frother: Instant Pot Milk Frother
- The Best Small Food Processor: Breville Sous Chef 12 Food Processor
- One of Our Favorite Pellet Grills: Traeger Grills Pro 780
- The Best Affordable Coffee Grinder: OXO Conical Burr Coffee Grinder
- The Best Stand Mixer for Casual Bakers: KitchenAid Artisan Series 5-Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer
Krups Breakfast Set Stainless Steel Waffle Maker
I have never felt the need to own a waffle maker, but now that I have two young kids who love pancakes and waffles, it’s maybe time to grab one for fun weekend breakfasts. The Krups is our budget pick for waffle makers and happens to be on sale. — Daniel Gritzer, editorial director
Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker Machine
Every year I say I’m going to buy an ice cream machine, and every year I…simply don’t! I think this is the year I finally do it. After giving away my KitchenAid ice cream bowl, I’m ready to commit to an actual ice cream maker. I can’t wait to churn out pints and pints of ice cream next summer! — Genevieve Yam, culinary editor
Vitamix 5200 Professional-Grade Blender
Nothing says “I’m the favorite daughter” quite like a brand-new, pricey kitchen appliance, and this year I aim to settle my sibling rivalry once and for all. (Kidding, I’m probably going to go halfsies on this with my sister.) Anyway! My parents’ blender is older than I am, which may or may not be dangerously close to 40. They deserve an upgrade, and I deserve better smoothies when I visit them. I’m taking advantage of Black Friday deals to get them the Very! Best! Blender! from Vitamix. It’s unbeatably powerful, but I know they won’t be intimidated by the simple analog controls. I guarantee they’re going to become 5200 fans like the rest of the Serious Eats staff. — Rochelle Bilow, editor
OXO Brew 8-Cup Coffee Maker
I’m hoping to move to a new apartment early next year, and the one thing I don’t have right now that I really need is a coffee maker! (I’ve been trying to cut down on my coffee consumption, but I usually end up buying coffee out a few days a week, so who am I kidding?) Given that so many of our product reviews tend to put OXO at the top, I’ve really come to trust the brand, and I’m excited to try this drip coffee maker. In my opinion, no kitchen counter is complete without a coffee machine, and this one is worthy of snagging that coveted spot in my kitchen. — Yasmine Maggio, associate editor
Breville the Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro
My sister doesn’t have an oven in her apartment (gasp!). I’ll be buying and giving her this on-sale Breville model, which is one of our favorite air fryer toaster ovens. She’ll be able to toast, bake, roast, broil, air fry, and even dehydrate if she so chooses. I’ve owned a Breville toaster oven for years and think they’re simply the best. The little details—like the digital control screen, sleek knobs, and rack placement markings on the door—make this particular model a standout. — Riddley Gemperlein-Schirm, associate editorial director
ThermoPro TP20 Wireless Meat Thermometer
For all the roasting and grilling my father-in-law does it’s incredibly surprising that he doesn’t have a wireless meat thermometer. I’ve been waiting for one of our top picks to go on sale, and now that the ThermoPro is just $45, I’m scooping it up in time for holiday gifting. Since it uses radio frequency to transmit temperatures, it’s less likely to lose signal, which I know my very precise father-in-law will appreciate. I just hope he doesn’t read this. — An Uong, writer
Instant Pot Milk Frother
I’m letting you in on a secret: We have an espresso machine, and I’m terrible at using it to froth milk. My husband has the magic touch, but whenever I try to make a silky, creamy latte I end up with a watery mess and hot milk splattered all over. Last year, I gifted an Instant Pot milk frother to my friend, and after hearing her and her roommates rave about it, I’ve decided to make my latte-making life easier and buy this one for myself. It’s 40% off, knocking the price down from $50 to $27—I can’t not buy it. — Grace Kelly, editor
Breville Sous Chef 12 Food Processor
I have been flirting with the idea of getting a food processor for years now, but every time I add one to my cart, I never seem to make it through checkout. I love the idea of producing mirepoix in seconds or kneading flaky pie dough, and this Breville Sous Chef 12-cup food processor is able to do all of those tasks efficiently. In our tests, it was quiet, convenient, and powerful. It comes with plenty of attachments, and for my household of two, the 12-cup capacity is just the right size. Now that it’s on sale, I’m finally grabbing one and my wrists will thank me later. — An
Traeger Grills Pro 780
When I’m in the market for a gift for my dad (that’s really for myself), I like to think big. We’re talking outdoor wok burners, Instant Pots, and smokers. Several years back, I gifted him a Traeger pellet grill for Christmas, and it’s been one of my (I mean his) favorite cooking gadgets ever since. After years of outdoor use, I think it’s due for an upgrade, and I’m eyeing the Traeger Grills Pro 780 from our review now that it’s $200 off. Won’t my dad be surprised if Santa brings him a brand new grill to smoke our holiday roast on? — Kelli Solomon, senior social media editor
OXO Conical Burr Coffee Grinder
I use my coffee grinder every single day (sometimes more than once a day). Freshly ground beans just make your coffee taste so much better no matter what brewing method you use. And since I only purchase whole-bean coffee, whenever my elderly coffee grinder makes a sound like it’s about to give out and then stops working until I give it a good shake, I am reminded that I really should get a new grinder. This burr grinder is priced right and performed well in our tests, so it would be my top pick even if it wasn’t on sale. — Megan O. Steintrager, associate editorial director
KitchenAid Artisan Series 5-Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer
It is time. I’ve officially burned out the motor of my old hand-me down stand mixer. I’ll be going with the 5-quart KitchenAid Artisan mixer, one of our favorites that’s small yet powerful enough for most baking tasks. The only major question is: What color?! — Leah Colins, senior culinary editor
FAQs
Where do I find the best Black Friday kitchen deals?
Lucky for you, we’ve gathered the best Black Friday deals on our favorite kitchen gear.
Where are the best Black Friday cookware deals?
You can check out our cookware deals guide for the latest deals on All-Clad, Le Creuset, and more.
Why We’re the Experts
- An Uong is a writer for Serious Eats.
- An has been testing kitchen equipment for Serious Eats for two years.
- This Black Friday, she’s especially excited about all the boring-but-useful kitchen items on sale.