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The best deals for early Labor Day cooking, according to a professional baker


The best deals for early Labor Day cooking, according to a professional baker

The end of summer is always bittersweet, but there’s one thing I’m looking forward to? Cozy fall cooking. There are few things I enjoy more than reading a book while the aroma of a pot of soup simmering on the stove fills the house, or cutting into my first homemade apple pie of the season. If, like me, you can’t wait to start preparing your fall meals, you’ll be happy to hear that I’m seeing some great early Labor Day deals on kitchen items from cookware sets to small appliances and more.

As a former professional baker who now works as a shopping journalist, I look for remarkable deals to share with you every day. And because I have years of experience – both in the kitchen and bargain hunting – I know what makes a quality product and how to spot a worthwhile price in a sea of ​​exaggerated discounts.

With that in mind, how about a top-rated Cosori air fryer marked down for just $90? That’ll come in handy when football season rolls around and you’re craving chicken wings. I also spotted not one, but two Ninja portable blenders on sale for $80 a pair—now you and a friend can whip up some smoothies on the go. There are plenty more of them, so happy saving (and enjoying!).

Amazon

An air fryer is just what you need when you want a hot meal without turning on the oven. This top-rated model heats up quickly and holds up to 2.5 pounds of fries or 14 wings at a time. Plus, it can be used to dehydrate foods, rise bread, and even bake desserts. This price is not quite as low as it was on Prime Day, but almost – and it’s still one of the best discounts we’ve ever seen.

“So easy to use!” raved one fan. “Heats up quickly and makes food crispy without drying it out. With only a very small amount of oil, food gets the flavor and texture of a traditional deep fryer. Oil-free cooking is faster than the oven and doesn’t heat up the kitchen. Easy to clean.”

For more information, see our roundup of the best air fryers.

$90 at Amazon

Amazon

This is admittedly for a outdoors Kitchen, but it remains Yahoo’s best fire pit for cooking. If you’re imagining a cozy fall filled with spooky stories and, of course, s’mores, this one belongs in your backyard. The grill grate pivots for easy access, and you can use the outer rim to set down drinks and more. There’s still plenty of garden-worthy weather ahead, so grab it while it’s over 45% off.

“This was pretty easy to set up and it puts out a lot of heat… enough to keep 6-7 of us warm with a bundle of wood from the grocery store,” said one reviewer. “I love the extra burner for grilling. We’ve cooked corn, burgers, and steaks on this thing and so far everything’s going well.”

For more information, check out our roundup of the best fire pits.

$95 at Amazon

Amazon

So your outdoor space is too small for a grill, and you really want to avoid a house full of smoke—but you still crave a nice crust. This indoor grill sears proteins and veggies like a champ, but its smoke control system ensures you don’t inhale soot while you cook. In addition to a griddle, it comes with a shallow frying pan (burgers anyone?), and you can fit up to six steaks at once on its spacious grilling surface. Bonus: It comes with a food thermometer so you get accurate results every time, and you don’t have to deal with mosquitoes, either. Plus, you can keep grilling when temperatures drop. It’s rarely sold for less than it is right now.

“I honestly like the meat and poultry I grill on this better than on my outdoor grill,” admitted one buyer. “I can control the temperature better. The meat is much juicier. It’s just easier to handle and I’m not standing outside in the heat in the summer. I love the grill function. Boneless chicken breast is so tender and delicious! I was amazed!”

For more information, check out our roundup of the best grills of 2024.

$180 at Amazon

Amazon

At 56% off, you can’t go wrong with this elegant collection of knives. And you can cross “sharpening knives” off your to-do list because this clever set does it automatically. These knives are housed in an attractive wooden block with slots that sharpen each blade with each use. Included are an 8-inch chef’s knife, 6-inch utility knife, 5-inch santoku knife, 3.5-inch paring knife, kitchen scissors, and the aforementioned block. The triple-riveted handles are shaped to fit comfortably in your hand and allow you to chop more confidently. Each tip is labeled so you know which knife you’re reaching for.

“Wonderful,” raved one fan. “If you want a good knife set, I recommend this one. I’ve had it for two years now and it’s still as sharp as ever.”

For more options, check out our roundup of the best knives and knife sets.

$80 at Amazon

Amazon

Buy one, give one! These compact blenders are usually $50 each and are small enough to fit in most car cup holders. The cordless design (it comes with a rechargeable charging base) lets you—and a friend—make and enjoy smoothies on the go. There’s an integrated drinking lid built in so you don’t have to transfer your drink to another container. This duo has never been this low.

“I like to prepare my smoothies and only blend them when I want to drink them at work,” explained one shopper. “This is perfect so my drink doesn’t separate, and if I leave it and it separates, I can blend it again. Easy to clean and recharge. Holds the charge really well too.”

$80 at Amazon

Amazon

An 11-piece nonstick cookware set for $60? There’s got to be a catch, right? No! This best-seller includes two frying pans, two saucepans, a sauté pan, two silicone lids, two refrigerator lids, and—warning—two removable handles to save space when storing. That’s almost the cheapest price we’ve ever seen for this clever collection.

“I bought these to free up more space in my cabinets,” wrote one shopper. “They take up a quarter of the space my old pots and pans took up. They work great on my glass cooktop. They are so easy to clean and have no scratches, dents or stains!”

For more information, check out our roundup of the best pots, pans and cookware sets.

$60 at Amazon

Walmart

Now that’s a multi-tasker! This 6-in-1 smokeless indoor grill also works as a toaster, air fryer, dehydrator, and more, so you can use it to cook virtually any meal of the day. Pancakes? Yes, that’s what a grill pan is for. Fries and chicken wings? That’s what the crisper basket is for. Roasted veggies? Throw them on the baking sheet! At nearly 65% ​​off, this is the lowest price we’ve seen for this best-seller—it rarely goes lower. That gets a “Bam!”

“Really great indoor grill and air fryer,” wrote one shopper. “The technology is truly smokeless. We love the ability to use the oven area to roast veggies and grill burgers on it at the same time. The extra-large capacity means you can cook dinner for four in half the time with half the appliances, without the heat or hassle in the kitchen. The unit is super easy to clean and maintain.”

$60 at Walmart

Amazon

If you’re looking for new measuring tools, make sure the markings are engraved (like these ones) rather than printed. Printed markings fade over time, making you more likely to use the wrong cup or spoon – and that can really cause problems when baking. This highly rated set includes both US and metric measurements, is dishwasher safe, and has handles with non-slip bottoms for better grip.

“These measuring spoons and cups felt very sturdy upon first use, like you knew the plastic wasn’t likely to break,” one fan shared. “They’re lightweight, but I feel like they’ll serve me well in the kitchen for decades. They’re easy to separate when needed. … I believe most sets don’t include a half tablespoon, and many recipes call for 1 1/2 teaspoons, which is the same measurement, so the spoon included in this set makes things a lot easier.”

$10 on Amazon

Goal

This sleek appliance may look like it’s worth a million dollars, but thanks to this deal, it’ll only cost you $20. It comes from Target’s in-house kitchen line that doesn’t often go on sale, and features adjustment knobs on each side so you and your better half can brown your toast to your liking at the same time. It also has a handy auto-shutoff feature, just in case.

“This is a beautiful toaster!” raved one user. “The matte finish is great because you can’t see drips or fingerprints. The pinstripe chrome gives it a perfect touch of elegance. I toasted a bun and it turned out perfect!”

$20 at Target

Walmart

Butterfingers, unite! Stainless steel mixing bowls are perfect for clumsy bakers like me because they’re shatter-proof. What I love about this set is that each bowl comes with a lid – so if you’re making bread dough that needs to rise, for example, you have a cover for it without wasting plastic wrap. Plus, you can put any leftovers straight in the fridge, and at $4 per bowl, this set is a steal – you’re saving over 70%!

“They are so much lighter than my regular mixing bowls and so much easier to handle,” said one home baker. “I used to feel like I was risking my life if I took my ceramic bowls down. I highly recommend them.”

$20 at Walmart

Amazon

Sometimes you just want to heat up some leftovers in the microwave and call it a day. That’s where this no-fuss, stylish and compact microwave comes in. This stainless steel appliance has 1.1 cubic feet of space and features multiple defrost settings, six automatic cooking presets and a child lock. It doesn’t take up much space on your countertop and hasn’t gotten much cheaper all year.

“Just perfect for my small kitchen,” one user shared. “Exactly what I want in terms of simplicity. No need to get out the manual to operate it. This is the microwave to go for if you want a simple microwave. Cooks evenly.”

$102 at Amazon

Of course, if you have Amazon Prime, shipping is free. Not a member yet? No problem. You can sign up for your free 30-day trial here. (And by the way, if you don’t have Prime, you still get free shipping on orders over $35.)

The reviews cited above reflect the most current versions at the time of publication.

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