I’ve Tested Thousands of Kitchen Items—Here’s What I’d Buy for Black Friday

My top picks include a ridiculously powerful immersion blender and an easy-to-use espresso machine.

Updated November 28, 2024 06:53PM EST

A person uses the All-Clad Stainless Steel Immersion Blender in a plastic container — Serious Eats / Russell Kilgore

When I started testing kitchen gear more than six years ago, I didn’t know if I’d be into it or quickly transition back into recipe development. Turns out, I rather love rigorously testing gear so you don’t waste your money on anything but the best.

You know what else I love? A good discount on a great product. That’s why I sorted through pages and pages of Amazon sales to find the best Black Friday deals. I’ve tried all of the items below and highly recommend them. They’ve earned the Serious Eats stamp of approval—and a place in my kitchen.

An Espresso Machine Anyone Can Use: Breville the Barista Express Impress
Amazon
$900 $650 at Amazon
This is hands down the easiest-to-use espresso machine I’ve ever tested…and a good example of why I recommend Breville to just about anyone looking to get into espresso. The Express Impress has a built-in grinder and tamping arm, which automates two of the trickiest parts of making espresso. It also features a smiley face that illuminates when the grind amount is correct.
To Find the 11 Best Home Espresso Machines at Every Price, We Spent Days Pulling Hundreds of Shots
Serious Eats / Nick Simpson
The Best Ice Cream Maker: Cuisinart 1.5-Quart Ice Cream Maker
Amazon
$70 $55 at Amazon
This has been our favorite ice cream maker for years. It churns ice cream, sorbet, frozen yogurt, and gelato faster than other canister models and it has super simple controls (just an on/off button). You also can't beat the price—especially now that it's on sale.
We Tested 16 Ice Cream Makers to Find Ones That Made Creamy Ice Cream and Sorbet
Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik
A Longtime Favorite Rice Cooker: Cuckoo Micom Rice Cooker & Warmer
Amazon
$100 $65 at Amazon
Cuckoo makes excellent rice cookers, as evidenced by our longtime top pick. I love its consistency, sleek appearance, and variety of presets. I often just use my rice cooker for white rice, but it’s nice to know there’s a germinated brown rice option if I need it, right? It’s about 35% off at the moment.
We Made Countless Batches of Rice with 23 Rice Cookers to Find 6 Top Picks
Serious Eats / Alexander Huang
The Best Immersion Blender: All-Clad Immersion Blender
Amazon
$120 $90 at Amazon
I can’t lie, I love a soup—especially one that’s creamy and comforting. For blending soups right in the pot, you need an immersion blender. The All-Clad is a longtime Serious Eats favorite and blitzes and blends anything. It also has a grippy handle and a head that twists on and off for easy cleaning. Its price is ridiculously low right now, too.
We Tested 18 Immersion Blenders to Find the Best Ones for Silky Smooth Sauces and Soups
Serious Eats / Russell Kilgore
The Best Sous Vide Machine: Breville the Joule Turbo
Amazon
$250 $200 at Amazon
I’ve owned a Joule sous vide machine for more than a decade and was blown away by the newest iteration when I tested it earlier this year. Not only is the Turbo significantly faster, but its app is immensely helpful and packed with great recipes and how-to videos. Like the old Joule, it also has a sleek look and magnetic base so it’ll stand upright in pots. Right now, the Turbo’s 20% off.
We Tested 22 Sous Vide Machines (Immersion Circulators)—Here Are Our Favorites
Serious Eats / Russell Kilgore
The Best Vacuum Sealer: Anova Culinary Precision Vacuum Sealer Pro
Amazon
$150 $95 at Amazon
I mostly use my vacuum sealer for sous vide. While you could technically squeeze air out of a zipperlock bag, a vacuum sealer makes sous vide much easier—and you won’t have to worry about water getting in and ruining dinner. The Anova has moist and dry settings, built-in bag storage, and a bag cutter. It can do back-to-back seals with no rests, too. For Black Friday, it’s under $100.
We Tested 25 Vacuum Sealers to Find the 6 Best Ones for Sous Vide and Food Storage
Serious Eats / Nick Simpson
The Best Kitchen Scale: OXO Stainless Steel Food Scale
Amazon
$56 $50 at Amazon
I’ve owned this kitchen scale for years and don’t believe there’s a better one out there (our testing backs this up!). It’s accurate, responsive, has numerous units, and has a pull-out display so you can easily read the screen even if your biggest mixing bowl’s on top.
I Took Over a Thousand Measurements to Find Our Top 3 Kitchen Scales
Serious Eats / Ashlee Redger
A Really Great Vitamix Blender: Vitamix A2500 Ascent Series Smart Blender
Amazon
$450 $300 at Amazon
Buying a refurbished Vitamix from a certified program is totally fine—and a great way to save cash. This smart blender is $150 off and has a digital screen with a built-in timer, a pulse setting, and container recognition. (See? Smart!)
Which Vitamix Blender Should You Buy? We Compared (Almost) All of Them
Serious Eats / Tamara Staples
Excellent Budget-Friendly Steak Knives: Messermeister Avanta Steak Knife Set
Amazon
$70 $50 at Amazon
Say it with me: Don’t use serrated steak knives! They tear at meat, creating jagged, sad slices. This steak knife set is the best budget option. It feels high-quality and its sharp blades cut through steak, chicken, and roasted vegetables with no resistance. Snag the set for 30% off for Black Friday.
I Tested 29 Steak Knives—My Winners Sliced Through Steak Like Butter
Serious Eats / Grace Kelly
A Seriously Good Chef’s Knife: Misono 8.2-Inch Molybdenum Gyuto
Amazon
$128 $99 at Amazon
Several Serious Eats editors own and love this chef’s knife. It’s nimble, lightweight, and unbelievably sharp. I wouldn’t say it’s a blade for beginners since it’s harder to sharpen, but if you’re an intermediate or advanced cook, it’s worth every penny.
We Sliced, Diced, and Chopped with 33 Chef’s Knives to Find the Best Multitaskers
Serious Eats / Nick Simpson
The Best Luxe Waffle Maker: All-Clad Electric Stainless Steel Waffle Maker
Amazon
$330 $220 at Amazon
I grew up with a waffle maker you had to meticulously and painfully clean because the plates weren’t removable. This All-Clad model is not that. The nonstick plates are dishwasher-safe and they have deep grooves that churn out super fluffy waffles begging for maple syrup.
To Find the 6 Best Waffle Makers, I Made Almost 100 Waffles
Serious Eats / Eric Brockob
Some of the Best Pasta Bowls: Y YHY Pasta Bowls
Amazon
$50 $25 at Amazon
Everyone needs a good set of pasta bowls—ones with low, sloped sides that make it easy to twirl forkfuls of spaghetti and bucatini. Our favorite budget bowls are about 50% off right now, with a minimalistic look that'll fit into every kitchen.
To Find the 3 Best Pasta Bowls, We Cooked Boxes and Boxes of Spaghetti
Serious Eats / Caroline Lange

FAQs

Does Amazon do Black Friday?

It sure does! All of the above deals—including on our favorite espresso machine and immersion blender—are available on Amazon. You can find more of the site’s Black Friday sales here.

When is Black Friday?

Black Friday is the Friday after Thanksgiving (November 29!). However, Amazon’s discounts will continue through Cyber Monday, December 2.

Why We’re the Experts

Riddley Gemperlein-Schirm is the associate editorial director of Serious Eats. She’s been with the site since 2021.
Riddley's been testing kitchen gear professionally for more than six years and has evaluated thousands of items.