Black Friday: Small Appliances for Small Change

 

By Gian Trotta, ConsumerReports.org

A $3.00 toaster, an $8.00 slow cooker, and a $10 coffeemaker are some of the deals in Black Friday circulars from Target, J.C. Penney and Walmart. Small appliances are a bright spot in the still-struggling appliance industry and higher sales and profits allow more margin for discounting. J.C. Penney and Jarden Corp. (which makes Crock-Pot, Mr. Coffee, Oster, Sunbeam and other brands) recently reported strong third-quarter earnings, and Target and Walmart will do the same over the next two days. .
Of course, the list of sale items merely tells you which appliances retailers are pushing. You’ll need Consumer Reports’ Ratings to see the models that deliver proven performance at those prices. Here’s what to keep in mind:

More from ConsumerReports.org:  Cooking appliances that deliver Vacuum cleaner Ratings and reviews Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers or sponsors on Yahoo!

Toasters and Toaster Ovens

More toaster ovens are being used to cook small meals. The best in our tests delivered impressive baking and broiling. They were also very good at making toast—though the best toaster-only machines were a notch better.
• Chefmate 2-slice toaster, $3.00 (Target)
• Black & Decker TRO490B 4-slice toaster, $19 (Target)
• Sunbeam 4-slice toaster, $9.88 (J.C. Penney)
• Cooks 6-slice toaster oven, $39.88 (J.C. Penney)

Coffeemakers

Our tests show that lower-cost coffeemakers can brew as well as or better than pricier models. A few models sold at J.C. Penney also did well in our latest Ratings.
• Black & Decker 5-quart coffeemaker, $9.88 (Target)
• Mr. Coffee 12-Cup programmable stainless steel coffeemaker, $28.00 (Target)
• Cooks 12-cup coffeemaker, $9.88 (J.C. Penney)
• Cuisinart Flavorbrew 12-cup coffemaker, $29.99 after $10 mail-in rebate (J.C. Penney)
• Hamilton Beach 12-cup programmable coffeemaker, $9.97 (Walmart)

Mixers

Some hand mixers proved effective even at kneading dough in our tests (which included some models sold only at J.C. Penney).
• Chefmate 5-speed electric hand mixer, $3.00 (Target)
• Sunbeam convertible hand/stand mixer, $24.99 (Target)
• Kitchen Aid Ultra stand mixer, $199 (Target)
• Cooks hand mixer, $14.88 (J.C. Penney)
• Sunbeam stand mixer, $99.88 after $50 mail-in rebate (J.C. Penney)
• Rival hand mixer, $2.97 (Walmart)
• KitchenAid K45WSSWH stand mixer, $149 (Walmart)

Slow Cookers

Recommended models in Consumer Reports’ Ratings start at $40. But check the cost of replacement lids and inserts, which can be expensive.
• Cooks 1.5-quart slow cooker, $7.88 (J.C. Penney)
• Cooks 6-quart slow cooker, $9.88 (J.C. Penney)
• Hamilton Beach 3-quart slow cooker, $8.99 (Target)
• Hamilton Beach 5-quart oval slow cooker, $9.97 (Walmart)

Cookware

Several low-cost cookware sets beat more expensive, celebrity chef-endorsed sets in Consumer Reports’ Ratings.
• Paula Deen's 10-Piece cookware set with 6-piece bonus, $87.44 (Walmart)
• Circulon hard anodized 10-piece cookware set, $99.88 (J.C. Penney)

Vacuum Cleaners

You'll find loads of Dyson vacuums in Black Friday sales, so you can compare these offers from Target with Home Depot's and others. Dyson has proven reliable in Consumer Reports' repair surveys but middling at carpet cleaning in our tests.
• Dyson DC17 All Floors vacuum, $269 (Target)
• Dyson DC24 All Floors vacuum, $269 (Target)
• Dyson DC25 Animal vacuum, $399 (Target)
• Dirt Devil Versa Power Stick Vac, $9.00 (Target)
• Dirt Devil Easy Lite Cyclonic Quick Vac, $28 (Target)
• Bissell 3-In-1 Stick Vac, $8.62 (Walmart)
• Bissell Easy Vac, $23.88 (Walmart)

Steam Mops

Take note: Only two of 10 steam mops we tested were worth recommending.
• Shark Steam Mop, $36 (Walmart)
• Shark Steam Mop, $49.99 (Target)

More Deals and Discounts

Target:
• Oster 0.7-cubic-foot microwave oven, $33
• Waring Pro Professional Bar Blender, $29
• Emerson 12-bottle wine cooler, $69
• George Foreman Jumbo indoor grill for $28.
J.C. Penney:
• Faberware 20-piece kitchen-knife set, $29.99
Walmart:
• Brother Limited Edition Project Runway sewing machine, $50