How to Find Deals on Home Products on Amazon Prime Day
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Consumer Reports got a sneak peek at some of the deals on home goods being showcased on Amazon Prime Day, which starts tonight and continues all-day Tuesday. We scoured the list and matched up some of the items and brands we found with products that have been tested in our labs. Not all were stellar performers, although there are a few gems. Our advice: Check our ratings before buying. To get started, we did some of the homework for you.
Kitchen Gear
Cookware. Savings of up to 40 percent are being offered on well-known brands of cookware including Rachael Ray, T-Fal, Circulon, and Cuisinart. In our tests, Cuisinart was the better performer of the brands mentioned in the deals. We especially like Cuisinart’s CastLite Non-Stick 10-inch skillet. At $35 it’s already a bargain.
Unfortunately, we can’t say the same for frying pans from Gotham Steel and Copper Chef, which both have a copper-colored finish but are made of aluminum. Our top-rated cookware is made by Swiss Diamond, which wasn’t mentioned in the list of sales but is worth a look.
Blenders. Blendtec has developed an almost cult-like following with its catchy “Will it Blend?" ad campaign. The price of select Blendtec blenders is being reduced by 40 percent. In our tests, the Blendtec 725 crushed ice and pureed soup like a champ, although it was bested by Vitamix. The Blendtec usually costs $650.
Coffee makers. For coffee lovers, there’s a 40 percent off the Keurig K55 single-serve coffee maker. We tested the similar Keurig K45, which was a bit of a disappointment. We also tested the nine-cup OXO Barista Brain, which soaks the coffee grounds with what OXO calls a rainmaker showerhead. It’s 20 percent off. Try it if you like novelty, but the more conventional coffee makers in our tests made better coffee, including the top-rated Cuisinart PerfecTemp DCC-3200.
Tools and Home Improvement
Power tools and outdoor gear are also part of Prime Day with deals of up to 40 percent from Bosch, Porter-Cable, Black+Decker and Dewalt, among others. There’s a Dewalt string trimmer on the list but the one we tested, the DeWalt DCST920P1, was a middling performer at trimming, edging and cutting tall grass. The Dewalt leaf blower in our tests performed even worse. For better weed control, consider the CR top-rated Stihl FS 38 string trimmer, which costs less than the Dewalt when the Dewalt isn't on discount.
Mowers. Next for the shed, is a GreenWorks mower. Or maybe not. The two GreenWorks mowers in our tests scored a 43 and a 51 and some models were recalled in May. If you’re going green, take a look at the EGO LM2101, our top battery-powered push mower.
Lightbulbs. It’s a good time to stock up on lightbulbs. Prices of LEDs have been dropping for a while now as more consumers make the switch from incandescents, which are being phased out. Amazon is offering discounts of up to 30 percent on lightbulbs we tested from Philips and GE. In our tests, LEDs have earned their reputation as energy savers.
Bathroom remodeling. You can save 20 percent or more on products to spruce up the bathroom. There are discounts on various bathroom fixtures from Kohler, American Standard, and Moen, and Delta showerheads are 20 percent off. Of the two Delta showerheads in our tests, one made our top-picks list, but the other was a middling performer so don’t buy by brand alone. Our top showerhead with a single-setting is from American Standard, and the Moen Velocity was the best model with multiple spray settings.
If you don’t mind coming home to find a toilet on your doorstep, we recommend several models from American Standard and Kohler from our tests but check first to see if the models we like are part of the sale. But you’re probably better off going to your local home improvement store where you can find a good toilet for as little as $100.
Editor's Note: Consumer Reports collects fees from Amazon for referring users when they shop for products through our site. We use 100% of these fees to fund our testing programs.
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