The Pandemic Kitchen 2020 Cyber Monday Roundup
Some of the best kitchen deals that I've been able to find on Amazon
Hello everyone! I hope you had a great, socially-distanced Thanksgiving and that your winter holidays are off to a relaxing start.
With 2020’s bizarro Thanksgiving officially behind us we promptly turned our attention toward obtaining a Christmas tree and doing some shopping, and as today is Cyber Monday that’s meant combing the internet for deals related to cooking.
Well, friends, let my obsessive shopping come to your aid. If you’re in the market for kitchen items, cookbooks, or pretty much anything food-related , I am here to help you. And while the following list represents some of the better deals I’ve found this morning, I’ll also continue to update the list over the course of the day. Please check back regularly at the website—pandemickitchen.substack.com—for additional updates, and feel free to ping me at my Twitter account if you have specific questions!
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Cyber Monday Shopping Deals
Kitchen Appliances
Zojirushi 5 1/2 cup rice cooker - Zojirushi’s rice cookers are some of the best available and this particular model is large enough for a family, or for those planning large post-pandemic dinner parties. I love that this model has options for making rice harder or softer and it uses fuzzy logic technology, which Zojirushi swears makes better rice.
SodaStream Sets - We love our SodaStream and have used it on a near daily basis for over 5 years. I like these sets because 1) You’re going to want two gas canisters; and 2) you’ll want at least two bottles.
Instant Pot Max Pressure Cooker 9 in 1 - People love their Instant Pots and while I don’t own one myself it’s an easy product to recommend. It is worth noting though that this particular model describes itself as “Best for Canning with 15PSI and Sterilizer” and this is fundamentally untrue. To date there isn’t a single electric pressure cooker which meets the USDA canning safety requirements. So if you get one, just don’t use it for canning.
Anova Sous Vide Circulators - If you’ve been tempted to get into sous vide cooking now is a great time. Anova makes some of the best immersion circulators available and their models come with a built-in screen which lets you manually control the device without using an app.
Breville Joule Sous Vide Circulator - I also own the Breville Joule circulator and unlike Anova’s products this model does not have a built-in screen. While this means you have to use an app to make it operate, it also makes the unit significantly smaller and lighter than the Anova, both of which are definite benefits. This unit is my go-to circulator thanks to its size.
Bonavita 8-Cup Thermal Carafe Coffee Maker - Bonavita makes one of the very best drip coffee machines on the market and while we don’t own one it comes highly recommended by a huge number of users and coffee authorities. Today’s price represents a considerable savings and nets you a coffee machine with thermal carafe. If you get one and like it let me know, I’ve wanted to buy one for years.
iRobot Roomba E5 - Ok, so this isn’t really a kitchen appliance, but we recently purchased a Roomba 692 (which we named Bruce) and we’re completely obsessed with it. We’ve been extremely happy with Bruce’s ability to keep our kitchen and dining area crumb, dust, and hair-free, and this model seems to be a step up from the 692. One advantage of the Roomba is that it’s easy to clean and repair, and Roomba keeps a deep affordable catalog of parts from discontinued models, meaning that you’ll be able to keep it up and running even after this particular model is discontinued.
Kitchen Tools
Chef'n (Lemon) FreshForce Citrus Juicer - Finding a handheld lever-style citrus juicer is actually surprisingly difficult and this is the model recommended by a number of professional cooks, including the folks behind The Joy of Cooking. Please note that the different models (orange, lemon, lime) aren’t just color options, they refer to the actual size of the unit and the type of fruit it’s designed to squeeze. I’d get the lemon one, as you’ll most likely be using this unit to juice lemons and limes. The Cyber Monday price is particularly great.
GIR (Get It Right) Silicone Spatulas - GIR spatulas have a nice springy flexibility but are built with a solid core which helps them feel sturdy. The heat-proof silicone also stands up well to intense cooking, and the red models we own have shown no signs of staining, even when exposed to intensely colored spices like turmeric.
OXO Locking Tongs - These are my go-to tongs. The spring inside provides the perfect amount of resistance, the tips of the tongs are grippy but also don’t have food-ripping teeth, the silicone exterior makes them easy to hold onto even when your hands are wet, and the locking mechanism works quite well.
Cookbooks
Amazon doesn’t have much today in terms of cookbook savings, but a couple of volumes stand out:
The Joy of Cooking 2019 Edition - I can’t recommend the 2019 edition of The Joy of Cooking enough. Authors Megan Scott and John Becker have revitalized an American classic and their 2019 iteration is well-tested and extremely reliable. We’ve leaned heavily on this book over the past year and you really should buy a copy. As an added bonus, Amazon is also offering a $5 coupon right now, bringing the price down to an incredible $15.91. Get it.
Ottolenghi Flavor - I don’t love Yotam Ottolenghi’s cookbooks, which I find to be time intensive, fussy, and generally hard to use, but I’m in the distinct minority. Most people swear by them and if you’ve had good experiences with his other best sellers you’ll definitely want to pick up this latest volume.
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