This Is the Best Time to Buy Small Appliances for Major Savings

Small appliances are the unsung heroes of the kitchen. Your coffee maker ensures you’re bright-eyed in time for your morning meeting. Your toaster cooks your breakfast to warm and crispy perfection. And your air fryer makes it easy to whip up healthy, delicious dinners. You use small appliances every day, so when your favorite blender or food processor is on the fritz, replacing it can be a frustrating experience. If you’re planning to upgrade your favorite small appliance, it pays to have the answer to one very important question: When is the best time to buy small appliances?

There’s a best time to buy pretty much anything, so ideally, you’ll start looking for a new appliance before your old one gets damaged and dies. That way, you can be strategic about your shopping instead of rushing out to buy the first thing you find.

Whether you’re waiting for the best time to buy a TV or large household appliances, getting great deals is all about knowing the times of year when stores tend to slash prices, and as a trusted source for buying guides, we’re here to tell you about it. We’ve spoken with some of the top experts on both saving money and shopping for appliances to find out the best time to buy small appliances. Read on for everything you need to know.

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What’s the best time to buy small appliances?

What you’ve heard from countless TV ads is true: Black Friday is the best time to buy small appliances at a discount. “Black Friday is absolutely the best time of the year to save, followed by big three-day-shopping weekends like Memorial Day and Labor Day,” says Kristin McGrath, a shopping and trends expert with retail savings site RetailMeNot. “Black Friday is the best time for deals on small appliances, including pressure cookers, like the Instant Pot, and air fryers. Shoppers can generally expect 50% off across the board on similar items.”

Small appliances such as blenders are a must-have in the kitchen for making refreshing smoothies and wholesome milkshakes. McGrath says Black Friday is when retailers like Walmart, Target, Kohl’s and Macy’s slash prices on top blender brands such as Nutribullet and Vitamix.

Bargain-hunters will want to join the crowds the day after Thanksgiving. Other small appliances go on sale that day too. “You can find the highly popular KitchenAid mixer discounted by $100 or more during Black Friday sales at stores like Bed Bath & Beyond, Home Depot, Macy’s, Kohl’s and KitchenAid’s website,” McGrath says.

♦ Best time to buy small appliances

Black Friday

What is the best month to buy small kitchen appliances?

The best month to buy small appliances for the kitchen is November, but July is a strong runner-up. The reason? Appliances tend to go on sale from September through December, around the holidays. And as McGrath explained, sales are especially great on Black Friday in November.

Here's The Best Time To Buy Small Appliances For Big Savings Gettyimages 2150736372 JOE RAEDLE/STAFF/GETTY IMAGES

“July is another good time, thanks to Prime Day and competing sales often referred to as ‘Black Friday in July,'” says Samantha Gordon, deals editor at Consumer Reports. “Otherwise, look for bigger-than-average discounts around holiday weekends [including Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day and Presidents Day] as well as retailer-specific savings events between holidays.”

At what other times of year will you find affordable appliances?

You know Black Friday offers the biggest and best deals on the broadest selection of, well, everything. But beyond that made-for-consumers holiday, you’ll find the cheapest appliances in the off-season.

Looking for a seasonal appliance like a small space heater? Naturally, prices rise as temps plummet. The opposite is true for portable fans. In other words, it pays (literally) to shop in the off-season.

When is the best and worst day of the week to buy small appliances?

There isn’t really a cheapest day of the week for buying small appliances, according to Gordon. Go ahead and shop on whichever day suits your schedule.

Still, if you’re trying to compare models, features and prices—especially if you’d like guidance from a salesperson or manager—it’s smartest to avoid brick-and-mortar stores on the weekends. That’s when they’re most likely to be busy, so you may not get the attention you need. While there’s no guarantee, you’re more likely to have a better experience Monday through Thursday, and that alone might make them the best time to buy small appliances.

When is the worst time of year to buy small appliances?

If you’re looking for a new appliance in the spring, you will likely end up paying more. “A team of analysts at Consumer Reports tracks prices all year long to help people find the best time to buy all kinds of products, including small appliances,” explains Gordon. “What we have found is that March and April are light on holidays, so there tend to be fewer sales, but it doesn’t mean there won’t still be opportunities to save.”

Here's The Best Time To Buy Small Appliances For Big Savings Gettyimages 515443264 STARUSH/GETTY IMAGES

So if you’re thinking about replacing your immersion blender or upgrading to a fancy espresso maker, make sure you purchase it no later than Presidents Day or you could be waiting several months for a major sale.

What is the average lifespan of small appliances?

As much as we love our go-to appliances, they won’t last forever. Every appliance, whether big or small, comes with an expiration date. Knowing how long yours will stick around before it’s time to buy new ones will help you gauge the best time to buy small appliances and plan your purchase to save big.

Here’s the average lifespan of common appliances in the home:

Appliance	Lifespan
Toaster oven	5 to 10 years
Toaster	5 to 10 years
Air fryer	Up to 5 years with regular use
Coffee maker	3 to 5 years
Blender	3 to 10 years

How much do small appliances typically cost?

There’s no typical cost for a small appliance. It truly depends on what type you’re looking for, what features you need and what appliance brands you’re considering, explains Tanya Christian, a home and appliance writer for Consumer Reports.

“In Consumer Report’s ratings, we have a toaster for as little as $16 and a toaster oven for as much as $400,” she says. “Even among the same product category, you can find a large range of prices. Speaking in general terms, however, a small kitchen appliance is typically under $150. Additional features often warrant a higher price tag.”

What are other ways to save when buying small appliances?

There are a number of ways to save when planning your next small appliance purchase. We asked the experts for their top tips, and here’s what they had to say:

Install a deal-spotting browser extension. Shopping expert Trae Bodge says deal sites are a great way to save money on small appliances. “An easy way to do this is to install a browser extension, like the Sidekick from CouponCabin, which will automatically alert you to discounts and cash-back offers as you browse online,” she says. “This tool will also run coupons for you at checkout.”

Buy used. Bodge also suggests buying used small appliances—but proceed with caution. “If you buy used, you will save a lot, but a used small appliance is not likely to last long unless it’s fairly new,” she says. “If you’re buying used to tide you over, this can be a good strategy. Yard sales can also be good, but ask to plug the item in to make sure it works before purchasing.”
Check community sites for free appliances. “Look at sites like Freecycle and other community boards for free small appliances. Sometimes people are moving and looking to get rid of things,” says Bodge.
Shop at warehouse clubs. Don’t forget to check out Sam’s Club and Costco for discounted appliances. Big-box stores charge yearly membership fees, but they’re great for deals on other must-haves too, from food to eyeglasses and beyond.

Where can you buy small appliances?

You have a lot of options when it comes to buying small appliances for the kitchen or any other room in the house. “These appliances are often found at home retailers, department stores and select home improvement stores,” says Christian. “Online retailers such as Amazon and Wayfair also have a large selection of these products. And don’t forget about wholesale clubs. Places like Sam’s, Costco and BJ’s have these items—often at a price that beats typical retailers.”

If you’re looking for holiday sales to save money on small appliances, you can shop pretty much everywhere. “All major retailers have holiday sales,” Gordon says.

About the experts

Kristin McGrath is the editor of RetailMeNot and a shopping and trends expert. She has been in the deals-hunting space for several years, helping uncover the best products, deals and hacks for fellow bargain-hunters.
Samantha Gordon is a shopping and deals editor at Consumer Reports. She has been a writer and editor for over 13 years and was the managing editor of e-commerce for Reviewed.
Tanya Christian is a home and appliance writer at Consumer Reports with more than 14 years of experience.
Trae Bodge is a smart-shopping expert and TV commentator who has covered the subject for over a decade. She is a frequent panelist, podcast guest and influencer speaking about topics such as personal finance and entrepreneurship.

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