Including cookware deals from Vitamix, KitchenAid, and Lodge.
The October Amazon Prime Day starts tomorrow, and it is a doozy. Even if you’re just focusing on gear to upgrade your kitchen, there are still thousands of deals to sort through. Unless you’re looking for specific equipment—a beginner-friendly espresso maker or a snazzy indoor pizza oven, perhaps—it can be nigh impossible to know where to start. That’s where I can help. I’ve been cooking professionally for almost a decade and testing home cooking tools (including carbon steel chef’s knives and Nespresso machines, among many others) for Serious Eats since 2022. Using my knowledge on the topic, I’ve created a guide of the kitchen products that aren’t worth the money during Amazon Prime Big Deal Days—and, of course, what to buy instead.
Deals Worth Buying During October Amazon Prime Day, at a Glance:
- A Japanese Chef’s Knife We Love: MAC Professional 8 Inch Hollow-Edge Chef’s Knife
- A Do-It-All Wok: Joyce Chen Carbon Steel Wok
- A Wallet-Friendly Stainless Steel Skillet: Tramontina 12-Inch Stainless Steel Skillet
- The Best Blender: Vitamix 5200 Professional-Grade Blender
- A Versatile Countertop Oven and Air Fryer: KitchenAid Dual Convection Countertop Oven
- An Adaptable Bento Box: Bentgo MicroSteel Lunch Box
- A Lunchbox That Keeps Your Food Cold Hours: Carhartt Deluxe Lunch Cooler Bag
Don’t Buy: A Set Full of Knives You Won’t Use
What to Buy Instead: A Few Great Knives You Actually Will
Sure, some knife sets are great, but many come with knives that will only see the light of day when you pull them out in search of the blade you actually want. Instead of spending big on collections with unnecessary additions, save money and curate your own set to suit your style. Start with a chef’s knife and a paring knife—those two will accomplish 95% of your daily tasks—then fill in with a few specialty blades (like a bread or boning knife) from there.
MAC Professional 8 Inch Hollow-Edge Chef's Knife
$175 This lightweight chef’s knife has a Granton edge, meaning it has indentations on the side that help reduce stickage when slicing moist foods. Unlike many other Japanese-style knives, it has a symmetrical bevel, meaning it's easier to sharpen than those that are asymmetrically honed.
We Sliced, Diced, and Chopped with 34 Chef’s Knives to Find the Best Multitaskers
Shun Classic 3.5-Inch Paring Knife
$125 Shun blades frequently grace our winners’ lists (see our reviews of carbon steel chef’s knives, petty knives, and kitchen shears for proof). This one stood out in our testing for its sophisticated (and stainless) Damascus patterning and razor-sharp edge. During Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days, you can get this splurge-worthy knife for a steal.
I Tested 11 Paring Knives to Find the 4 Best Ones for Small Prep Tasks
Don’t Buy: Teflon-Coated Nonstick Pans
What to Buy Instead: Non-Toxic Cookware That Will Last Years
If you’re trying to reduce the amount of chemically coated cookware in your kitchen, you’re not alone. Nonstick pots and pans are typically sprayed with a substance called polytetrafluoroethylene (also known as PTFE or by its genericized name, Teflon) that may pose risks to our health and environment. Instead of replacing your old, scratched-up nonstick pans with new ones (or chippable ceramic-coated pans), opt for naturally non-toxic cookware like traditional or enameled cast iron, stainless steel, and carbon steel.
Joyce Chen Carbon Steel Wok
$40 If you don't already cook with a wok regularly, it may be time to change that. Carbon steel woks can get ripping hot for stir-frying, or they can be used to gently steam veggies and dumplings. Heck, they can even be used to boil and sauce a crowd's worth of pasta. This one comes unseasoned, so you can watch its patina develop over time. It’s always affordable, but during Amazon Prime Day, you can get it for an extra 25% off.
To Find the Best Woks for Stir Frying and More, We Smoked up Our Kitchen
Tramontina 12-Inch Stainless Steel Skillet
$70 Stainless steel skillets are heat-responsive, can go from stovetop to oven without missing a beat, and can be scrubbed hard to remove any stuck-on bits after hard sears (try doing that with nonstick pans). During Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days, you can snag this 12-inch budget-friendly pick for an even budget-friendlier price.
We Tested 27 Stainless Steel Skillets—4 Were Sear-iously Good
Lodge EC6D33 6-Quart Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven
$100 You don’t have to spend hundreds on a Dutch oven. This one seared and braised as well as heritage brands like Le Creuset and Staub during our tests, and it held enough to feed a crowd. It comes in a few other chic colors and sizes, though exact discounts tend to vary across the range.
We Tested 22 Dutch Ovens to Find the Best Ones for Stews, Braises, and Loads More
Don’t Buy: An Underpowered Blender You’ll Regret
What to Buy Instead: A Classic, Chef-Favorite Blender
If I could share one piece of blender advice with all home cooks, it would be “don’t settle.” A cheap blender may seem like a good deal, but when your smoothies are icy instead of creamy and your bisques are chunky instead of smooth, you’ll wish you had gone with the brand that’s been making phenomenal, restaurant-worthy blenders for decades: Vitamix. Luckily, our top-performing blender (out of all brands we’ve tested) is an extra $200 off for October Prime Day.
Vitamix 5200 Professional-Grade Blender
$550 Vitamix has been making blenders for nearly 90 years, and this model has been our longtime favorite. It has an incredibly powerful motor that can blend “almost anything,” according to our tests. Its narrow jar is designed to create a vortex inside, which funnels whatever you’re blitzing down into the whirring blades, and its analog control panel makes operation simple.
Which Vitamix Blender Should You Buy? I Compared (Almost) All of Them
Vitamix Immersion Blender
$300 I use my Vitamix immersion blender almost daily for smoothies and quick salad dressings. During October Prime Day, you can get the stick blender plus a carrying case, whisk attachment, blending jar, and a mini food chopper for $100 off.
We Tested 18 Immersion Blenders to Find the Best Ones for Silky Smooth Sauces and Soups
Don’t Buy: A Unitasking Air Fryer
What to Buy Instead: A Do-It-All Countertop Oven
This may be a hot take for air fryer purists, but I highly recommend getting a countertop oven that can toast, broil, bake, dehydrate, roast, warm, proof, and air-fry over a bulky, single-use appliance. Yes, most toaster oven air fryers are a little bigger than an air fryer alone, but they pay for their counterspace in unrivaled utility. My partner and I use ours for nearly every meal we eat at home—from whole-grain toast in the morning to late-night fries.
KitchenAid Dual Convection Countertop Oven
$400 In our tests, this sleek countertop oven cooked food evenly and was whisper-quiet. Its perforated air fryer basket slid right into the oven’s rack holders and produced golden, crispy French fries. Plus, it comes with a built-in probe thermometer for roasting meats or small-batch baking.
To Find the Best Air Fryer Toaster Ovens, We Went Through 12 Pounds of French Fries
Don’t Buy: Lunch Containers That’ll Stain and Warp
What to Buy Instead: Go-Anywhere Lunchtime Essentials
Packing lunch for school or work every day is a surprisingly logistical task. First, you have to put together something that will still be appetizing after the journey (a soggy egg salad sandwich is nowhere near as nice as a fresh one), and then you have to figure out how to keep it cold (especially challenging if you don’t have access to a fridge during the day). Fortunately, the right gear can make lunchtime much less of a chore. Here are a few of my go-tos for making packed lunches something to look forward to.
A Set of Our Favorite Glass Storage Containers: Rubbermaid Brilliance Glass Food Storage Containers
$80 No one likes to eat out of distorted plastic containers that still look (and smell) like last week’s leftovers. These clear glass vessels have watertight, silicone-lined lids and—despite our best efforts—didn’t stain or stink during our tests. You can get a full set of them on sale during the October Amazon Prime Day.
We Tested 12 Food Storage Containers to Find the Best Ones for Leftovers and Lunches
Bentgo MicroSteel Lunch Box
$40 This impressive little Bentgo box has a removable divider so you can reconfigure it into the perfect container for anything you’re packing. Although it’s made from stainless steel, its innovative curved design makes it microwave-safe. It has a leakproof lid and can go in the dishwasher, too.
To Find the Best Bento Boxes, I Packed Sandwiches, Leftovers, and Snacks
Carhartt Deluxe Lunch Cooler Bag
$35 While not commonly associated with the kitchen, Carhartt is known for its products’ excellent quality and durability. This lunchbox aced our test because it kept our food cold for over eight hours (!) and had plenty of room for our food, drinks, and snacks. Its dual-compartment build smartly keeps heavy items, like canned beverages, in the bottom, leaving space for softer lunch components like sandwiches and bagged fruit slices up top.
I Tested 14 Lunch Boxes—The Best Would Never Dream of Squishing Your Sandwich
FAQs
When is Amazon Prime Day in October 2025?
Amazon’s big October sales event, officially named Amazon Prime Big Deal Days, is October 7 and 8 this year.
Do you have to be a Prime member to shop Amazon Prime Big Deal Days discounts?
While not every deal is Prime member-exclusive, you’ll need to be a member to shop the bulk of Prime Big Deal Days sales. Not subscribed yet? Get a free 30-day trial to join the club while the discounts are on.
Why We’re the Experts
- Ashlee Redger is a writer for Serious Eats. She’s been testing cookware for more than three years, and she’s reviewed dozens of types of kitchen gear, including kitchen scales, bread knives, and countertop ovens.
- The Serious Eats equipment team rigorously tests every piece of cooking equipment that we recommend. During sales like October Amazon Prime Day, we comb through the discounts to find the best deals on our winning products.