Prime Day Is Here—This Is What Serious Eats Staffers Are Buying

Prime Day is here (July 11 and 12—that means today's the last day to shop!) and we are ready. Because while we review equipment year-round, our staffers are building their to-buy lists, awaiting things to come on sale on Amazon’s dealiest of deal days. You could say, on Prime Day, we’re primed to update our kitchen gear.

Thus, we recently polled the Serious Eats staff to see what they're most looking forward to buying on Prime Day. Here are 13 of our must-haves.

A Staff-Favorite Toaster Oven: Breville Smart Oven

Breville Smart Oven Pro

$280 $230 at Amazon $270 $230 at Target $270 $230 at Sur La Table

The other day, my mom commented on how much she liked the look of my Breville toaster oven and would love one for her kitchen. Prime Day is one of my favorite times to pre-buy holiday presents, so I will be getting her a Breville oven! (I hope she's not reading this, but also kind of guarantee she isn't, since my parents continue to say I work for a site called "Serious Recipes.") She's right for wanting one: they're super easy to use and have clearly labeled, intuitive controls and toast, roast, and bake incredibly well. Plus, they look pretty dang sharp. — Riddley Gemperlein-Schirm, senior commerce editor

A Stainless Steel Duo: All-Clad Stainless Steel 2 Piece Fry Pan Set

All-Clad D3 3-Ply Stainless Steel 2 Piece Fry Pan Set

$230 at Amazon

I have faith in the longevity of All-Clad's stainless steel cookware, but the price point...ouch! However, there's this pretty phenomenal deal on a 10- and 12-inch skillet that I'll absolutely be scooping up. Price was the only reason All-Clad wasn't named as a winner in our stainless steel skillet review, so there's really no excuse not get them now that they're on sale. — Riddley

Some of the Best Swedish Dish Cloths: Swedish Wholesale Swedish Dish Cloths

Swedish Wholesale Swedish Dish Cloths

$16 at Amazon $24 at Walmart

My life as a parent has gotten so boring, and my kitchen so well-stocked, that shopping excitement for me now consists of re-upping my Swedish dishcloth supply so I can keep on wiping up the mess, the mess, the mess, the mess, the mess, the mess, the mess, MY GOD WHY THIS ENDLESS MESS?!?!?!, without wasting a forest's worth of paper towels. — Daniel Gritzer, senior culinary director

A Cute, Compact Portable Grill: Cuisinart Venture Portable Gas Grill

Cuisinart CGG-750 Venture Gas Grill

$170 $130 at Amazon $200 at Williams Sonoma $16 at Walmart

I love camping, and I love campfire cooking. And while I do enjoy lugging my cast iron skillet to a campground, setting it over a grate, and searing up a hunk of steak over some smoldering logs, sometimes, as I squat over the fire inhaling smoke, convenience beckons. That’s why I’m eyeing our winning portable gas grill from Cuisinart—not only is it cute as a button, but it sears nicely and is ultra-portable. I'll be the envy of the campsite!  — Grace Kelly, associate commerce editor

The Best Programmable Coffee Maker: OXO Brew 9-Cup Coffee Maker

OXO Brew 9-Cup Coffee Maker

$225 at Amazon $230 at Williams Sonoma $230 at Home Depot

Come here a second. Shh! Quickly! Quick! I haven't told any of my fantastic, brilliant, and coffee-knowledgable coworkers that I've been working with a...subpar brewer that I will not name throughout my tenure at this site. After months of pouring (haha) through our incredible body of coffee-related work, I'm ready to finally call it for the OXO 9-cup coffee maker and will be doing so this Prime Day. Feels great to have that off my chest, honestly! Can't wait to chat again next year and remedy my shameful grinder situation. — Tess Koman, senior editorial director

The Best Kitchen Towels: Zeppoli Classic Kitchen Towels

Zeppoli Classic Kitchen Towels

$30 at Amazon $26 at Walmart

Is it exceedingly boring of me to be excited about discounted dish towels? Maybe! However, I'm sorely in need of some new ones. And these ones from Zeppoli are our favorites (after testing, of course). They're thick enough to be used as pot holders, are absorbent, and are very cheap (at a little over a dollar per towel). — Riddley

The Best Ice Cream Maker: Cuisinart 1.5-Quart Frozen Yogurt, Ice Cream & Sorbet Maker

Cuisinart 1.5-Quart Frozen Yogurt, Ice Cream, & Sorbet Maker

View on Amazon $14 at Walmart $70 at Target

I've had the KitchenAid ice cream bowl attachment for years, and while it makes ice cream just fine, I've been eyeing the Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker because of all the rave reviews it's gotten. Do I need it? No. Do I want it? Absolutely. — Genevieve Yam, culinary editor

The Best Instant-Read Thermometer: ThermoWorks Thermapen ONE

ThermoWorks Thermapen ONE

$115 $92 at Amazon View on Thermoworks View on Kingarthurbaking.com

Fun fact: if you don't have an instant-read thermometer and I like you, I'm going to get you one! It's the easiest way to avoid over- and under-cooking meats. However, it's also helpful for deep-frying, baking, poaching, and grilling. Whenever our favorite, lightning-fast instant-read thermometer is on sale (the ThermoWorks Thermapen One), I buy one. I know I'll gift it at some point! — Riddley

A Stellar Chef's Knife: Wusthof 8-Inch Classic Chef's Knife

Wüsthof 8-Inch Classic Chef's Knife

$150 at Amazon $135 at Williams Sonoma $12 at Walmart

I have a few weddings coming up for couples who really like to cook, and I think knives make great wedding gifts (don't read too much into that). I really want to give my friends something that will last, and that they'll use often (and think of me, obviously). This Western-style chef's knife is our favorite for a lot of reasons. It's classic, sturdy, and sharp—the perfect shiny staple for newlyweds' kitchens. — Mary Kate Hoban, associate editorial director

Our Longtime Favorite Citrus Juicer: Chef'n FreshForce Citrus Juicer

Chef'n FreshForce Citrus Juicer

$25 $23 at Amazon $35 $23 at Walmart View on Webstaurant Store

A citrus press might not be the most exciting deal out there, but we go through five or six lemons each week in our house. Our old juicer is tired, flaking, and lacks the extra lever action that the Chef'n press (a Serious Eats top pick) uses to express more of the essential oils from the citrus rind. So long to huffing and puffing while I strain my wrist for a vinaigrette; bonjour to easy pressing and a lemonade for the humid back half of the summer! — Jesse Raub, commerce writer

A Super Powerful Immersion Blender: Vitamix Immersion Blender

Vitamix Immersion Blender

$170 $145 at Amazon $170 at Williams Sonoma $170 at Sur La Table

I first fell in love with immersion blenders as a budding teen cook, when I’d use my parents’ to make creamy black bean soup ( I thought I was the height of sophistication). I fell in love all over again as a prep cook, when I discovered that this gadget was the most foolproof way to make homemade mayonnaise (which, by the way, is worth making!). I’ve had my current immersion blender for nearly seven years, and its time is coming to an end. Enter the Vitamix Immersion blender, which my colleague Jesse Raub described as “silly powerful” in his review. I’ve been covetously eyeing it ever since and will most definitely be adding it to my basket come Prime Day (if it's on sale, fingers crossed!). — Grace

A Variable Temperature Kettle: Cuisinart PefecTemp Cordless Electric Kettle

Cuisinart PerfecTemp Cordless Electric Kettle

$100 $79 at Amazon $100 at Williams Sonoma $17 at Walmart

My parents took home a kettle I received as a press sample and that, unfortunately, just wasn't very good. However, my dad loves it and fires it up daily (especially after dinner) for tea. Which means: I feel kinda bad they ended up with a kettle that pours poorly and sounds a bit like a rocket ship taking off as it heats up. Thus, I'll be buying them this on-sale kettle, which was our previous favorite (and is still highly recommended) and features variable temperature controls. — Riddley

A Vacuum That Does the Work for You: iRobot Roomba 692 Robot Vacuum

iRobot Roomba 692 Robot Vacuum

$265 at Amazon $24 at Walmart View on Irobot.com

In order to get an excellent espresso, your grind has to be powder fine—and no matter how skilled you are, that grind is going everywhere. It's been exciting setting up a home espresso bar, but it's time to automate our floor cleaning again. We previously had a version of this Roomba that was lost in a move, and I'm excited to snag a replacement on sale so that our kitchen is barefoot-friendly for the summer. "Don't worry," I'll say to friends who come over for a cappuccino as they watch coffee grounds spill to the floor. "The robot will take care of it." — Jesse

FAQs

When is Prime Day?

Prime Day this year will be happening on July 11 and 12 (Tuesday and Wednesday).

What will be on sale for Prime Day? 

Oh my, so much! We have our favorite sales rounded up here, but will also be gathering up coffee deals, cookware sales, and more.