Best Early Black Friday Deals on Home and Kitchen Products
You can already find great prices on cookware, coffee makers, vacuums, and more
By Consumer Reports
The holiday shopping season has started earlier than usual this year—and that means you can find more savings than you typically would right now. But with so many deals to sift through, it can be hard to find the best offers on products that are actually worth it.
Consumer Reports is here to help. We keep tabs on all of the products we test, including big-ticket items like fridges and mattresses, kitchen appliances like air fryers and coffee makers, and smart home products like sprinkler timers and security cameras. Whenever an item that scores well in our ratings goes on sale, we’ll let you know so that you can find the gems amid the duds.
And don’t forget: Many retailers will offer price matching at the point of purchase (or sometimes during the return window) if you tell them you saw a better deal at another retailer. You’ll find variations of these types of policies into the holiday season as well. For instance, Target will give a partial refund if anything you’ve bought there between early October and Dec. 24 drops further in price during the holiday season. You just have to ask.
Don’t see what you’re looking for below? Keep checking back. We’ll be bringing you the best holiday deals on tested products all season long.
Viewing on a mobile device? Click on the links below to skip to each section.
• Air Fryers
• Countertop Appliances
• Vacuums
• Coffee Makers
• Kitchen Tools
• Home Goods
• Smart Home Devices
• Mattresses
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Spotlight Deal
Keurig K-Café Special Edition Coffee, Latte & Cappuccino Maker K84
The Keurig K-Café Special Edition Coffee, Latte & Cappuccino Maker K84 uses K-Cup pods to brew coffee, lattes, and cappuccinos. It can even brew iced lattes and iced cappuccinos, but it lacks a mode for making traditional iced coffee. It’s admirably consistent in terms of brew size and temperature. It takes longer than the fastest models to heat up for the first cup, but it does better with subsequent cups. In addition to its built-in milk frother, this model comes with an auto-shutoff feature, a height-adjustable drip tray, and a removable water reservoir.
Why it’s a good deal: This 20 percent discount matches the best price we’ve seen.
Air Fryers
Dash Digital Tasti-Crisp Air Fryer 2.6 Quart
The Dash Digital Tasti-Crisp is small but mighty. At a measured capacity of 1.9 quarts and a footprint of less than a square foot, this 6-pound model is one of the most compact air fryers in our ratings. Still, it ranks among the best, earning solid scores for controls and cleaning, and acing our noise test. It shares the honor of being the quietest air fryer in our ratings, along with its analog counterpart, the Dash Express Tasti-Crisp, which is also on sale for more than $20 off since the Prime Early Access Sale. It has a 1-year warranty, which is typical for air fryers.
Why it’s a good deal: Walmart has the lowest price we’ve ever seen for this model. The sale price at Amazon has been available since the Prime sale earlier this month, but before that, it had never been discounted.
NuWave 6 Quart 37001
The NuWave 37001 air fryer boasts a measured capacity of 5.8 quarts. Our experts found its electronic controls with preprogrammed settings to be among the easiest to see and use. And the inside and outside of the appliance are a cinch to clean. One downside is that this highly rated air fryer is on the noisy side, so you’ll hear it running.
Why it’s a good deal: This is the best price we’ve seen for this air fryer all year, beating the previous low by $35.
Countertop Appliances
Emeril Power AirFryer 360
There’s quite a lot going for this 1,500-watt Emeril Power Toaster Oven. It’s a cinch to operate, and we’ve found that it’s particularly good at making toast and baking cookies. If you’re looking to save counter space, this model doubles as an air fryer, too, and its 0.5-cubic-foot interior has the capability to turn out a 4- to 6-pound rotisserie chicken. The best part? It’s almost half off.
Why it’s a good deal: This is now just a few dollars more than the toaster oven’s lowest price.
Hamilton Beach 70730
If you grate cheese for pizza, shred potatoes for hash browns, or dice veggies for salads, you’ll like the 450-watt Hamilton Beach 70730 Food Processor and Vegetable Chopper. It has two speeds and a 10-cup capacity, and it’s dishwasher-safe. It also comes with reversible blades, a bowl scraper, cord storage, and a 1-year motor warranty. Our tests found that it can be a little noisy, however.
Why it’s a good deal: This model typically sells for over $50, but Walmart has a solid discount.
Ninja BL770
This Ninja BL770 Mega Kitchen System ranks in the middle of CR’s ratings. It earns above-average scores for chopping onions for salsa or almonds for pies but gets only an average score for puréeing soups and scores below average for grating Parmesan cheese. It’s also a bit noisy. The 8-cup-capacity chopper has convenient touch-button controls and three speeds, and comes with accessories including a dough blade, a blender attachment, and a recipe book.
Why it’s a good deal: This model was $30 less during Prime sales, but this price is still a substantial savings.
Calphalon Auto-Speed BLCLMB1
Though this blender isn’t among our top-rated, the Calphalon Auto-Speed BLCLMB1 is one of the most reliable models in our tests. The 1,100-watt blender comes in dark stainless steel with a 68-ounce BPA-free Tritan jar, plus a 25-ounce smoothie cup you can take on the road. It weighs 8 pounds and has a pulse option and a removable blade.
Why it’s a good deal: This is a great discount. We did see it for less during the recent Amazon sale, though, so it may get cheaper again closer to Black Friday.
Vacuums
Dyson Ball Animal 2
The 17-pound Dyson Ball Animal 2 has impressive results in CR’s lab tests for carpet cleaning. It aces our bare-floor and pet-hair tests, too. Emissions are clean, so this vacuum won’t spew debris back into the room (although emptying the bin can stir up some dust). It comes with attachments that help you get into tight spaces. In our brand reliability survey, Dyson uprights earn middle-of-the-road scores for predicted reliability and owner satisfaction.
Why it’s a good deal: Dyson sales are few and far between, and while we’ve seen this model dip below $400 during bigger sales, this is lower than we’ve seen recently by about $20.
iRobot H1 H121020
We’re used to seeing iRobot vacuums in our robotic ratings. But the iRobot H1 H121020 hand vac is the first to break into our handheld ranks. It performs well overall and is especially good at cleaning bare floors and picking up pet hair, earning top scores. The rotating brush attachment makes good contact with surfaces, helping boost its pickup scores. It has a trigger that allows you to turn the vacuum on and off, or you can lock it and let the iRobot run. The battery lasts for about 17 minutes when running on high. It weighs just over 3 pounds, which is about average for the handhelds we test.
Why it’s a good deal: This is the best price we’ve seen for this model, beating the previous low by $25.
Eufy 30C
A basic robotic vacuum that will work well in small spaces, the Eufy 30C is nimble, quiet, and good at cleaning but not very effective in larger spaces. It also has the option to connect to WiFi so that you can start and stop the robot from your phone, set a cleaning schedule, and integrate it with smart home routines if you choose.
Why it’s a good deal: This price is $4 less than the low we saw during Prime Day in the summer.
Miele Triflex HX1 SMUL0
Miele has a sterling reputation for its plug-in vacuums, and the Triflex HX1 is its first cordless model. It earns top-notch scores on almost all our tests. The coolest part, though, is that you can put its parts together in two different styles: a modern stick-type setup, with the weight at the top and a long shaft that can reach into cramped areas, or a more traditional upright configuration, with better balance but a bulkier middle.
Why it’s a good deal: This brand doesn’t go on sale often, so take advantage of this discount before it’s gone.
Eufy RoboVac G30 Edge
The Eufy RoboVac G30 Edge has many of the same strengths as the more basic Eufy 11S, including decent cleaning performance, quiet operation, and nimble navigation. The difference is that it navigates in orderly, back-and-forth rows, which means it’s less likely to accidentally miss sections of your home or get lost in big spaces. CR hasn’t tested the G30, but we have tested its near-identical sibling, the G30 Edge. (The only difference is that the Edge comes with do-not-cross strips, which are awkward to use anyway, at least by today’s bot-vac standards.)
Why it’s a good deal: This model was $20 less earlier this week, so this price could change again closer to the holidays.
Coffee Makers
Mr. Coffee Optimal Brew BVMC-PSTX91
For a brewer with a thermal carafe, consider this deal on the Mr. Coffee Optimal Brew BVMC-PSTX91. Our tests show thermal carafes aren’t as easy to hold and pour as glass carafes, but this machine still performs decently for handling. It also offers great brew performance and is quite easy to clean and use.
Why it’s a good deal: This is the best discount we’ve seen in weeks.
Nespresso VertuoPlus
The Nespresso VertuoPlus offers a superb brewing range as well as solid first-cup speed and temperature consistency. In terms of features, it comes equipped with a removable water reservoir, a height-adjustable drip tray, and an auto-shutoff function. And Nespresso pod coffee makers earn top ratings for owner satisfaction and reliability in our member surveys. This machine uses Nespresso’s VertuoLine pods, not the OriginalLine other models use, so make sure you choose the correct pods.
Why it’s a good deal: Nespresso machines don’t go on sale often, and while we’ve seen bigger discounts for major sales, it’s always nice to save a little if you need a new coffee maker right now.
KitchenAid KCM1208DG
If you love the look of KitchenAid stand mixers, then you might want to consider this KitchenAid KCM1208DG coffee maker. It features the iconic wraparound metal band from the stand mixers and offers the performance to match. Its many features include a permanent filter, a removable water reservoir, a cleaning indicator, auto-shutoff, brew-strength control, and programming.
Why it’s a good deal: This brewer beats out machines that cost twice as much, and it’s currently $10 off its list price. It could drop again closer to Black Friday; we saw it for $109.99 earlier this week.
Kitchen Tools
Gorilla Grip Durable Cutting Board (Set of 3)
Even at its everyday price, this trio of plastic cutting boards from Gorilla Grip could be considered a steal. Our assessment found that these boards stayed all but glued to kitchen countertops while we prepped everything from parsley to poultry. They’re reversible, easy to transport, and dishwasher-safe.
Why it’s a good deal: At just under half off, you’re hardly paying more than $7 per board.
Chef's Choice Knife Sharpener
The Chef’s Choice 4643 knife sharpener looks like the analog version of the brand’s electric sharpener, but it works a bit differently. It has two basic sharpening settings, one for sharpening knives to 15 degrees and another for sharpening knives to 20. A third stage polishes the edge on any knife, regardless of which sharpening angle you choose. Like the brand’s electric sharpener, the 4643 feels well designed, with grooves that hold your knife at the perfect angle as you slowly draw it through.
Why it’s a good deal: This sale price is $1 lower than the best price we’ve seen all year.
Home Goods
AeroGarden Harvest 360
The circular AeroGarden Harvest 360, among the smallest AeroGarden models, is the one CR recommends if you’d like to start an indoor garden. The starter kit includes six ports for seed pods, and it comes with various lettuces. Of the four gardens CR tried, the AeroGarden was the most fun for our tester to use, in part because most of the lettuces sprouted in a week and grew fast. But the unit is also relatively easy to operate; there are even indicator lights that let you know when your plants need more water. Total setup took just 8 minutes.
Why it’s a good deal: This beats the best price we’ve seen by $20.
hOmeLabs HME020006N
The hOmeLabs HME020006N dehumidifier can remove 35 pints of moisture from the air per day and is one of the quietest models we’ve tested. The tank holds 12 pints of water, and like most models we tested, there’s a timer and an auto-restart feature, handy if there’s a power outage. There’s a clean-filter alert, too.
Why it’s a good deal: This model has been on sale since early September, and this price is the lowest we’ve seen so far.
Phomemo D30 Label Maker
The Phomemo D30 Label Maker was the choice label maker in our evaluations. Using an app, you can produce labels in under 10 seconds or connect it to your printer for more elaborate jobs. The Phomemo offers extensive font options and a preview of what they will look like as well. The lithium battery comes charged and ready to print, and you can even print pictures, bar codes, and date and time stamps. The easy-tear labels can be separated with just one hand, and the device is smart enough to calibrate the paper roll to the proper position if you don’t align it perfectly.
Why it’s a good deal: This is close to the best price we’ve seen for this label maker.
Crane Drop
The Crane Drop humidifier is intended for rooms up to 250 square feet and earns a top rating in our tests for overall performance. This model comes with an empty-tank indicator and has an automatic shutoff feature. Easy to use and energy-efficient, this model also scores top marks for its low noise levels.
Why it’s a good deal: With the on-page coupon, the white version is just $5 more than the best deal we’ve ever seen for this model.
Skil DL529303
The 20-volt Skil DL529303 does fast work of drilling holes and driving fasteners. It’s also light and comfortable to hold, and weighs a little over 3 pounds. It comes with only one lithium-ion battery but charges up very quickly, and it has an LED work light and a belt hook. This model comes with a generous 5-year warranty.
Why it’s a good deal: This is $20 less than the regular discount. It’s the first time we’ve seen the price dip this low in months.
Smart Home Devices
Eufy Solo Cam S40
The Eufy SoloCam S40 is the first security camera CR has tested with a built-in solar panel to recharge its battery. In our tests, it offers superb video quality and data security, as well as speedy response times. The camera doesn’t offer great data privacy, though, which is common among these devices. It features monitoring zones; person alerts; voice and app control via Amazon Alexa and Google Home/Assistant; a built-in siren; color night vision (thanks to its built-in spotlight); and 8 gigabytes of memory to store footage locally.
Why it’s a good deal: This sale price matches the lowest we’ve seen all year.
Kwikset Premis 919TRL 15 SMT
The Kwikset Premis 919TRL 15 SMT is best for iPhone users because it works with Apple’s HomeKit smart home ecosystem and Siri digital assistant. In our tests, the Premis was very resistant to kick-ins and lock picking, but it’s susceptible to attacks from a cordless drill. Still, this lock comes with some very helpful features, including an access log to keep track of who comes and goes, a tamper alarm, an auto-lock feature, and the ability to create and share PINs with others. Just note that because this lock uses Bluetooth and HomeKit, you’ll also need an Apple TV, Apple HomePod, or Apple iPad (that’s constantly plugged into an outlet) in your home to control the lock remotely.
Why it’s a good deal: This is within a few dollars of the best price we’ve seen.
TP-Link Kasa Smart KD110
The TP-Link Kasa Smart KD110 is a great video doorbell for the money, with strong data security, fast response times, and decent video quality. It comes with a plug-in doorbell chime and features monitoring zones, voice and app control via Amazon Alexa and Google Home/Assistant, person detection, and local video storage using a microSD card (sold separately). Video clips can also be stored in the cloud by subscribing to a Kasa Care plan.
Why it’s a good deal: This is within a few dollars of the lowest price we’ve seen in months.
Mattresses
Avocado Green
Avocado makes some top-notch mattresses, and this sale is a great chance to save on one. (The Green usually goes for $1,999 and the Green Pillowtop is priced at $2,499.) Both Avocado mattresses support a wide range of side and back sleeper body types. On our firmness scale, the Avocado Green is very firm and the pillow top is medium firm.
To get the savings, use the code SAVE10 at checkout.
Why it’s a good deal: This is $50 better than the standard discount for the Green mattress, and it matches the standard price for the Green Pillowtop. And CR members may be able to save a little bit more through an exclusive offer for members only.
Bear Original
Bear Mattress is offering 30 percent off sitewide right now for its Fat Bear Sale in honor of the 10th anniversary of Fat Bear Week, an annual tradition of voting for the fattest bear at Katmai National Park in Alaska. A mattress purchase will also get you a free sheet set, two free Cloud pillows, and a free mattress protector. Just use the code BEAR30 at checkout.
The Bear Original foam mattress performs well in our tests, and it’s a good choice for back and side sleepers who are petite or of average height. (Tall folks may want to look elsewhere.) CR’s tests found that this mattress tends to retain heat, so it may be best for those who sleep cooler.
Why it’s a good deal: This matches the best price we’ve seen for the mattress this year.
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