New steak knives? Check. An air fryer that could serve a small herd of children? Done.
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It feels like my neighbor’s Home Depot skeleton only just moved off their lawn, and the early Black Friday sales are already rolling out. None of this is surprising, of course, given how much annual sales seem to transcend space and time these days. The Devil works hard, but Amazon Prime Day and its many reincarnations work harder.
I am also not immune, however, to the charms of a discount on this BPA-free silicone ladle, or a sale on a 4-quart fryer that could cook me several generations of chickens in minutes. Countertop appliances, cookware, and tablescape essentials can be expensive investments, and I’ll take any opportunity to better outfit my kitchen on a budget — especially before the holidays get under way (a deal on a pie dish is much appreciated before Thanksgiving).
Whether you’re shopping for yourself, upcoming holiday feasts, or making your way through your gifting roster, these are the best early Black Friday deals for getting a leg up on the season without blowing all of your fun money. I found carving sets at All-Clad, and Keurig coffee maker deals for your visiting, under-caffeinated in-laws; there are deals on Le Creuset Dutch ovens, KitchenAid stand mixers, and plenty of sparkling glassware sales to go around.
Prices taken at time of publishing.
Great Jones’ nonstick frying pan is designed without PTFE and PFOA chemicals, and measures in at a generous 10.25 inches in diameter. It’s compatible with both induction and gas stovetops, and the looped handle is actually welded to the pan for increased durability and easier cleaning. The pan also boasts a 2-inch high lip for avoiding unnecessary spills.
Prices taken at time of publishing.
Caraway’s nonstick skillets are made without PTFE (think, Teflon®), PFAs, nickel, lead, cadmium, and other potentially harmful materials that have no business rubbing shoulders with your food. The Instagrammy brand is offering 20 percent off this 10.5- and 8-inch nonstick skillet duo, which sure would make a nice gift for a first time renter.
Prices taken at time of publishing.
GreenPan takes the cake for affordable nonstick pans. The brand’s 12-inch nonstick skillet is made out of Lima, a kind of hard anodized aluminum designed to last, and is then given a PFAS-free nonstick coating. And, perhaps best of all, you can take home both the skillet and its lid for the price of a booze-filled brunch during Black Friday.
Prices taken at time of publishing.
The Perfect Pot is Our Place’s interpretation of, well, a 5.5-quart pot that is designed to be a multi-purpose tool that can replace your stockpot, braiser, Dutch oven, strainer, steamer, and more. Does it belong to the aforementioned world of Instagrammy goods? Absolutely, and the Perfect Pot does have a bit of an identity crisis: It can’t handle the same temps as Le Creuset’s Dutch oven (but it gets damn close at 450 versus 500 degrees Faranheit), and it’s made out of aluminum in lieu of cast-iron, which sure makes the 5.5-quart pot easier to carry. That being said, aesthetics do matter, and I think there’s something wonderful about the fact that brands are playing around with functionality and silhouette when it comes to cookware. Honestly, my only serious gripe with the Pot has been its price tag, but right now it’s barely over $100 for Black Friday.
Prices taken at time of publishing.
Naturally, I am going to sing the praises of Eater’s Heritage Steel fry pan, but that’s because it legitimately rocks; this versatile 8.5-inch frying pan is made without PFAS (meaning, PTFE, Teflon, PFOA, PFOS, other potentially toxic and spooky materials), can handle oven temperatures of up to 800 degrees Faranheit, and has a rounded lip for better pouring.
Prices taken at time of publishing.
All-Clad is hard to beat in the realm of stainless steel pots and pans. Sure, the prices are steep, but it really is a BIFL (buy it for life) brand. I can’t tell you how many things I have boiled, melted, steamed, and accidentally burnt in this sauce pan over the years, and it still looks mirror-shiny after a wash. This is thanks, in part, to the durable 18/10 stainless steel (translation: stronger steel with a better shine) material, as well as the fact that the interior layer of aluminum allows for the stainless steel to heat up quickly and evenly. Other pans may entice with lower price tags, but an All-Clad pan wins with consistency.
Prices taken at time of publishing.
This stainless steel frying pan from Henckels would make a great gift under $50. The mirror-polished, aluminum core pan is made by the reliable folks at Henckels, a German brand beloved for its cookware and knives, and it even comes with a transparent lid.
Prices taken at time of publishing.
When a ginormous, sparkling All-Clad lobster pot is on sale, you simply must share it with the people. Granted, this two-piece set (you’ll receive a stock pot and an insert) isn’t just limited to shellfish; use it to blanch veggies, boil potatoes, cook pasta for your demanding Italian American mother-in-law, or make enough popcorn in one go for all the kids at a sleepover. You almost don’t even need to wrap this beauty if you’re planning on giving it as a gift this year — just slap a big red bow on it, and voilà. Big impact pot right here.
Prices taken at time of publishing.
We’re in the heart of soup season, folks. And as Stephanie Ganz writes in this breakdown of the best Dutch ovens, “Le Creuset makes the gold standard.” The ridges on the lid allow for condensation points to form that create what Ganz calls a “self-basting effect,” and the brand’s Signature Round Wide Oven offers even more width and surface area (it’s just under one foot in diameter), which is ideal for browning.
Prices taken at time of publishing.
If you’re gift shopping on a budget of $25 and under, this darling little stoneware Le Creuset Petite Cocotte is on sale for the price of a fancy avocado toast. Eating baked eggs in one of these charmers is a definite Beatrix Potter-worthy main character moment.
Prices taken at time of publishing.
Staub teamed up with Food52 on this enameled cast-iron fry pan, which can withstand oven temperatures of up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit and boasts a slightly rough inside texture for better searing and browning. Also handy: the little pouring spouts on either side.
Prices taken at time of publishing.
Our Place sure does make a charming miniature cast-iron skillet. The Instagrammy cookware brand’s 6.5-inch skillet comes in olive green and light pink colorways that will look great sitting out on a stovetop. It’s also made with a glossy (PFAS-free) interior that’s designed for easy cleaning.
Prices taken at time of publishing.
The Vitamix Propel 510 is an absolute kitchen workhorse thanks to its ability to blend, grind, chop, emulsify, and heat up whatever you bring to its 48 ounces of goodness. This model has 10 speed presets so that you can perfect everything from soups to smoothies and more. The blender is also BPA-free, which gives me peace of mind in light of all this black plastic chatter, and the container and lid are dishwasher safe.
Prices taken at time of publishing.
This microwave from NeoChef offers a spacious 2 cubic feet of space for reheating all of your household members’ coffees in one go, refreshing your roast chicken leftovers — you name it. It even comes with a child-resistant door lock.
Prices taken at time of publishing.
If you have yet to explore the power of air fryers, this 6-quart Cosori is a great place to start and end your journey into the world of convection “fried” foods. A favorite of Eater’s special projects director Lesely Suter, Cosori air fryers are absolute workhorses that, in her words, “produce flaky scallion pancakes, perfectly charred broccoli, and [is] big enough to fit a whole chicken.”
Prices taken at time of publishing.
Is there a more iconic standing mixer for countertop clout than a KitchenAid? There are some major deals on these KitchenAid workhorses this Black Friday, and this 4.5-quart tilt head option comes in the brand’s classic Empire Red colorway, and is equipped with a mixing bowl, as well as a flat beater, dough hook, whip, and pouring shield.
Prices taken at time of publishing.
With this countertop dishwasher, you’re 40 minutes and one electrical current away from the bliss of machine-washed dishes. I would have killed to have a dishwasher in my last apartment, and it took the newfound popularity of countertop dishwashers on TikTok to make me realize that could have been entirely possible. I can only imagine how helpful it must be for cleaning glassware, baby bottles, and more.
Prices taken at time of publishing.
It’s hard to find an induction cooktop that doesn’t feel like a total eyesore, but this sleek model from Duxtop feels pretty discreet. The two burners are endowed with respective LED screens that will let you know their exact temperature, and you can pick from 8 presets designed for everything from heating milk to searing steak.
Prices taken at time of publishing.
Bosch has a reputation for making some of the quietest dishwashers out there, and the Bosch 300 is one of the brand’s most affordable high-tech models. The WiFi-enabled machine is compatible with Alexa and other home management systems, and includes a few next-level wash cycles such as “Extra Dry” and “Sanitize.”
Prices taken at time of publishing.
Now this is the kind of Black Friday deal I like to see. You can save over $400 on this 25.6-cubic foot Frigidaire refrigerator right now, and discover the joys of double door storage, a filtered ice maker (with the options for either crushed or cubed ice), as well as an internal air purifier.
Prices taken at time of publishing.
I like being able to see everything in my freezer, which is where a model like this LG Energy Star-certified fridge comes into play with its easy to access top freezer. There’s no more hunching over to fish out popsicles and lone Beyond Burgers with this medium-sized fridge, which has a classic stainless steel exterior and a total of 20 cubic feet of space.
Prices taken at time of publishing.
Do I need a luxury wine fridge that looks like it belongs in the MoMA Design Store? Probably not. But how nice would it be to take home Rocco’s super smart wine fridge for over $250 dollars off? It’s ultra quiet thanks to its high-end compressor, and can house 27 bottles of Bordeaux — or, you know, 88 cans of La Croix — behind its chic, 1970s-esque rippled glass door.
Prices taken at time of publishing.
This is my current range, and while it’s nothing high-tech, that’s exactly what I love about it: the settings are marked clearly (and in a nice, large font), and the black colorway camouflages spills better than stainless steel or white ranges I have had in the past. The porcelain cooktop material also wipes up easily, and the grates are dishwasher safe.
Prices taken at time of publishing.
Coffee drinkers are often divided on the subject of single-serve pod coffee machines, but wow can they come in handy — especially if you’re hosting someone in your own home. Many Christmases have come and gone where I am stuck in a Sisyphean grind of making fresh pots of French press coffee for my sister’s in-laws (love y’all) when I could have just kindly directed them to the one-button bliss of a Keurig coffee pod machine.
Prices taken at time of publishing.
Chances are, there’s an REI-loving, outdoorsy person in your life who sure would appreciate an AeroPress coffee maker. The lightweight device makes coffee under two minutes with its plunger-like attachment — all you need to bring to the table is coffee grounds and hot water.
Prices taken at time of publishing.
You likely know Fellow for its gooseneck kettle fame, but the brand also makes a delightful standard tea kettle that would be just as much of a counter flex (and pour a whole lot faster).
Prices taken at time of publishing.
If you’re looking for a non-plastic electric kettle, this Hamilton Beach model is a pretty great dupe for Fellow’s Stagg EKG gooseneck kettle; the latter will run you $165, but this doppelganger is just over $20 while providing the same slow, controlled pour that coffee lovers covet from a goosneck kettle.
Prices taken at time of publishing.
Fly By Jing’s Sichuan chili crisp is delicious on everything from eggs to ice cream, which is probably why the brand started making it in an extra-large jar.
Prices taken at time of publishing.
Giadzy is the lifestyle brand of Giada De Laurentiis, and it’s filled with an assortment of beautifully-wrapped, Italian-inspired pantry staples (see: this golden and very giftable olive oil) and treats, including a decadent hazelnut and cocoa spread.
Prices taken at time of publishing.
Family-owned and operated in the Aegean, Heraclea sure does make a handsome bottle of olive oil. This is a tasty, light dipping EVOO that is made sans GMOs, and thoughtfully packaged in a UV-protected glass bottle to preserve the flavor integrity of your liquid gold.
Prices taken at time of publishing.
cookware equipment I always try and keep a canister of Illy in my pantry for visitors, because the medium Classico blend — which has subtle notes of chocolate and caramel — is such a crowd pleaser.