The best early Labor Day kitchen deals, according to a professional baker

An air fryer is just the ticket when you want a hot meal without turning on the oven. This top-rated model heats up quickly and holds up to 2.5 pounds of fries or 14 wings at a time. Plus, it can be used to dehydrate food, proof bread and even bake desserts. This price isn’t quite as low as it was during Prime Day, but almost — and it’s still one of the best we’ve seen it marked down to.

“So easy to use!” gushed a fan. “Heats [up] fast and effectively crisps food without leaving it dry. Used with just a very small amount of oil, items come out with the taste and texture of a traditional fryer. Oil-free cooking is faster than the oven and doesn’t heat up the kitchen. Easy to clean.”

Check out our roundup of the best air fryers for more. 

This is admittedly for an outdoor kitchen, but it remains Yahoo’s best fire pit for cooking. If you’re envisioning a cozy autumn filled with spooky stories and, of course, s’mores, this is the one that belongs in your backyard. The grill grate swivels for easy access, and you can use the outer edge for holding drinks and more. There’s still plenty of backyard-worthy weather ahead of us, so grab it while it’s over 45% off. 

“This was fairly easy to assemble and it gives off great heat … enough to keep 6-7 of us warm with one bundle of wood from the grocery store,” said a reviewer. “I love the additional burner for grilling. We’ve cooked corn, burgers and steak on this thing, and so far, so good.”

Check out our roundup of the best fire pits for more. 

So, your outdoor space is too small for a grill, and you’d really like to avoid a house full of smoke — but you’re still craving a nice char. This indoor grill sears proteins and veggies like a champ, but its smoke control system means you won’t be breathing in soot while you cook. In addition to a grill plate, it comes with a flat-top griddle (smash burgers, anyone?) and you’ll be able to fit up to six steaks at a time on its roomy cooking surface. Bonus: It comes with a food thermometer for accurate results every time, and you won’t have to deal with mosquitoes, either. Plus, you’ll be able to keep grilling once the temps drop. It rarely ever goes on sale for less than it is now. 

“I honestly like meat and poultry grilled on this better than on my outdoor grill,” admitted a shopper. “I am able to control the temperature better. The meat is much juicier. It’s just easier to use and I’m not standing outside in the heat in the summer. I love the griddle function. Boneless chicken breast is so tender and delicious like this! I was stunned!”

Check out our roundup of the best grills of 2024 for more. 

At 56% off, the slice is right when it comes to this sleek knife collection. And you can go ahead and cross “sharpen knives” off your to-do list, because this savvy set will do it automatically. These knives come housed in an attractive wooden block with slots that hone each blade every time you use them. Included are an 8-inch chef’s knife, a 6-inch utility knife, a 5-inch santoku knife, a 3.5-inch paring knife, kitchen shears and the aforementioned block. The triple-riveted handles are contoured to feel comfortable in your hand, allowing you to chop more confidently, and each tip is labeled so you’ll know which knife you’re reaching for.

“Wonderful,” raved a fan. “If you want a good knife set, I recommend this. I’ve had it for two years now and still as sharp as ever.”

Check out our roundup of the best knives and knife sets for additional options.

Buy one, gift one! These compact blenders usually sell for $50 a pop and are petite enough to fit in most car cupholders. You — and a friend — will be able to blitz up and enjoy smoothies in transit, thanks to its cordless design (it comes with a rechargeable power base). It’s got a sip lid built right in, so no need to transfer your drink to another vessel. This is as low as this duo’s ever been. 

“I like to pre-make my smoothies and not blend them until I am ready to drink at work,” explained a shopper. “This is perfect so my drink doesn’t separate, and if I leave it and it does separate, I can re-blend. Easy to clean and charge. Holds [a] charge very well too.”

An 11-piece nonstick cookware set for 60 bucks? There’s gotta be a catch, right? Nope! This top-seller comes with two frying pans, two saucepans, a sauté pan, two silicone lids, two fridge storage lids and — wait for it — two removable handles to save space when storing. This is close to as low as we’ve ever seen this clever collection.

“I got these to make some more space in my cabinets,” wrote a buyer. “These take up a quarter of the space my old pots and pans used. They work great on my glass stove top. They are so easy to clean and have not scratched, dented or stained!”

Check out our roundup of the best pots, pans and cookware sets for more. 

Talk about a multitasker! This 6-in-1 smokeless indoor grill also functions as a toaster oven, air fryer, dehydrator and more, meaning you can use it to make practically any meal of the day. Pancakes? Yup, there’s a griddle pan for that. Fries and wings? That’s what the crisper basket is for. Roasted veggies? Throw ’em on the baking tray! At nearly 65% off, this is the lowest price we’re seeing for this bestseller — it rarely goes lower. That gets a “Bam!”

“Really nice indoor grill and air fryer,” wrote a shopper. “It truly is smokeless technology. We love the ability to use the oven portion to roast vegetables and grill burgers on top at the same time. The extra-wide capacity helps create a dinner for four in half the time with half the appliances and none of the kitchen heat or headaches. The appliance is super easy to clean up and care for.”

If you’re in the market for some new measuring tools, make sure the markings are etched-in (like these) rather than printed on. Printed markings fade over time, meaning you’re more likely to use the wrong cup or spoon — and that’ll really throw things off when you’re baking. This highly rated set includes both U.S. and metric measurements, is dishwasher-safe and has handles with nonslip undersides for improved grip. 

“These measuring spoons and cups felt very sturdy upon first use, like you know the plastic is unlikely to break,” shared a fan. “They are lightweight, but they feel like they will serve me well in the kitchen for decades. It’s easy to separate them if desired. … I think most sets do not include the 1/2 tablespoon, and a lot of recipes call for 1 1/2 teaspoons, which is the same measurement, so that spoon getting included in this set simplifies things a lot.”

This sleek appliance might look like a million bucks, but it’ll set you back just $20, thanks to this deal. It’s from Target’s in-house kitchen line, which isn’t often on sale, and features setting knobs on each side so you and your significant other will be able to brown your toast to your liking at the same time. It also has a handy auto-shutoff feature, juuust in case. 

“This is a beautiful toaster!” swooned a user. “The matte finish is great because it doesn’t show drips or fingerprints. The pinstripe chrome adds a perfect touch of elegance. I toasted a roll and it turned out perfectly!”

Butterfingers, unite! Stainless steel mixing bowls are where it’s at for clumsy bakers like me, since they’re shatterproof. What I love about this set is that each bowl comes with a lid — that way, if you’re making, say, bread dough that needs to rise, you’ll have a cover for it without having to waste plastic wrap. Plus, you’ll be able to pop any leftovers right into the fridge, and at $4 per bowl, this set is a steal — you’re saving over 70%!

“They are so much lighter than my regular mixing bowls and so much easier to handle,” said a home baker. “I used to feel I was jeopardizing my life whenever I took my ceramic bowls down. I highly recommend.”

Sometimes, you just want to nuke some leftovers for dinner and call it a night. Enter: this no-fuss, sleek, compact microwave. This stainless steel appliance has 1.1 cubic feet of space and includes multiple defrost settings, six auto-cook presets and a child safety lock. It won’t take up a ton of space on your counter and hasn’t dipped much lower in price all year. 

“Just perfect for my small kitchen,” shared a user. “Exactly what I want when it comes to simplicity. No need to get the book out to operate. This is the one if you want a basic microwave. Cooks evenly.”