Great Tools for Every Cook

THE RIGHT COUNTERTOP APPLIANCES CAN MAKE WORKING IN YOUR NEW KITCHEN EASIER AND MORE EFFICIENT. HERE’S HOW TO CHOOSE MODELS YOU LOVE. PLUS: CR’S EXCLUSIVE GUIDE TO THE BEST SMALL-APPLIANCE RETAILERS.

WHEN YOU’RE UPDATING your kitchen, it makes sense to focus first on the large appliances in the space—the refrigerator, range or cooktop and oven, and dishwasher you’ll rely on to cool, cook, and clean up your meals. But small appliances can be almost as essential to the functionality of your space, and to its style, especially those that live on your countertops 24/7. So if the kitchen tools you use most are on their last legs, it could be time to upgrade.

How to choose the best models for your needs? With help from CR’s appliance experts, of course. Each year, our in-house market analysts research and select hundreds of new countertop appliances to test, and we deploy a team of secret shoppers to buy each one to ensure we’re getting the same products you’ll find at retail. Our test engineers put each model through rigorous tests to see how well it performs and how convenient it is to use. The result? A robust collection of ratings for air fryers, blenders, coffee makers, multi-cookers, toaster ovens, and toasters. Find a selection of the best models in our tests on the pages that follow. Then, turn to page 18 for a look at our exclusive ratings of the best small-appliance retailers.

So You Want to Buy a New ...

AIR FRYER

Crispy fries without all the oil? That’ s the golden promise of air fryers, and it might explain why, in the U.S., the market for these appliances continues to grow year over year. In fact, between now and 2027, MarketWatch predicts that the air fryer market will continue to increase by about 7 percent each year. So, no, it’ s not too late to get onboard.)

These irregularly shaped countertop cookers don ’t fry food at all. They ’ re actually small convection ovens. A fan circulates hot air to quickly cook food in the basket from the outside in. And they ’ re surprisingly versatile: Not just adept at turning out crispy finger foods (like fries or chicken nuggets), an air fryer can cook virtually anything you ’d throw in the oven or deep-fry. Most have small capacities, though, from 2 to 5.8 quarts (often smaller than claimed, according to our measurements).

Instructions for cooking times and temperatures vary by manufacturer, but our tests showed little difference in taste. “The real difference among air fryers comes down to convenience, so we designed our tests around that, ” says Larry Ciufo, the CR test engineer who oversees air fryer testing.

We evaluate capacity, how easy the controls are to read and use, noise levels, and how much elbow grease it takes to clean a model. Below, a roundup of three of the best air fryers from CR’ s latest tests.

0 ! CHEFMAN TURBOFRY

AIR FRYER 4.5 QUART

$85

The Chefman TurboFry Air Fryer 4.5 Quart is the latest shining star in our air fryer ratings. It aces our noise and controls tests, and earns a Very Good rating for cleaning. Despite its larger claimed capacity, the interior basket measures just 2.7 quarts. It has preprogrammed cooking settings, and the basket is dishwasher-safe. The one-year warranty is on a par with most of the air fryer models we test.

0 $ DASH DIGITAL TASTI

CRISP AIR FRYER 2.6 QUART

$80

81

The Dash Digital Tasti Crisp is small but mighty. At a measured capacity of 1.9 quarts and an overall size of less than a square foot, this 6-pound model is one of the most compact air fryers in our ratings. Still, it ranks among the best. It earns a Very Good rating for controls and cleaning, and excels in our noise test. The basket is dishwashersafe. It has a one-year warranty, which is typical for most models.

0 ! GOURMIA GAF686

DIGITAL AIR FRYER

$80

80

In addition to receiving an Excellent rating for controls, the Gourmia GAF686 Digital air fryer earns a Very Good rating for noise and ease of cleaning. And it stands out for being one of the lightestweight models we tested, making it easier to move from the cupboard to the countertop and vice versa. It has preprogrammed cooking settings, it’ s dishwashersafe, and it has a one-year warranty, like most models we test.

Not Just for French Fries An air fryer can turn out perfectly crisp veggies—even corn on the cob.

BLENDER

High-end blenders can cost as much as $700. Their performance can pack a punch, but their premium price might feel like a gut punch, especially if you ’ re using you ’ re blender only occasionally.

The good news is that you don ’t have to spend a lot of money to get a decent blender. “You can still buy a solid blender for $100 or less that should last for years—if you pick a reliable brand, ” says Larry Ciufo, who oversees our blender testing lab.

The trade-off? These less-expensive models usually don ’t have the powerful motors and versatility of high-end blenders, so they won ’t be great at making nut butters and pulverizing seeds while making smoothies.

At right are two fullsized blenders that typically go for $100 or less and earn ratings of either Good or Very Good for predicted reliability. (This rating estimates the likelihood that newly purchased models from a given brand will break or experience problems within the first four years.)

NINJA BN701 PROFESSIONAL PLUS WITH AUTO IQ BLENDER

$100

71

The 1,400-watt Ninja is reliable, and exceptionally durable and easy to use. It earns Very Good ratings for puréeing and crushing ice but rates just Good at making smoothies. This model has a plastic jar.

OSTER 800 SERIES BLSTKH-GMO-000 BLENDER

$50

69

This 500-watt model earns a Very Good rating in our puréeing tests, serving up fairly smooth smoothies and soups with tiny bits in the mix. Unlike many models in our ratings, the Oster has a glass jar.

So You Want to Buy a New ...

COFFEE MAKER

For many people, there ’ s no better way to start the day than with a great cup of coffee. But today ’ s coffee makers do far more than brew your morning pot. Some grind beans, others froth milk for lattes and macchiatos, and a few even brew iced coffee.

We tested almost 150 coffee makers to see which are worthy of space on your kitchen counter.

We take java seriously in our coffee maker lab, where our test team conducts a brewperformance test and measures contact time (how long water stays within the sweet spot of 195° F to 205° F for brewing) for each drip coffee maker. And for single-serve (pod) machines, our engineers evaluate temperature and size consistency of individual cups of coffee.

Here, reviews of two well-priced picks, one drip and one pod model.

DRIP COFFEE MAKER WITH CARAFE 0 $ HAMILTON BEACH

12-CUP PROGRAMMABLE 49465R COFFEE MAKER

$30

83

It’ s not flashy, but this model can brew a mean cup of joe at a fantastic price. It’ s programmable and has auto-shutoff. And it delivers Excellent ratings for brew performance and can make a fresh pot in just 10 minutes.

POD COFFEE MAKER 0 $ CRUX 14792 K-CUP

SINGLE SERVE WITH WATER TANK COFFEE MAKER

$70

76

This K-Cup brewer outperforms $200 machines, with solid ratings in all our tests, including Excellent ratings for temperature consistency, convenience, and size consistency.

More Than Toast Use a toaster oven for baking and broiling chicken, shrimp, and much more.

TOASTER OVEN

This small-but-mighty appliance can roast vegetables, bake cookies, broil burgers, reheat leftovers—and make toast, of course. Some even have air-frying, convection, and slow-cooking capabilities.

Other perks? A toaster oven ’ s small size means it heats up quickly, handy when your full-sized oven is maxed out— or when you ’ re cooking for just a few people. “A good toaster oven can turn out a chicken or lasagna that’ s nicely browned, and pizza that has a crispy crust, ” says Cindy Fisher, the CR test engineer who oversees our toaster oven tests. “A microwave can ’t do that. ”

Here ’ s a look at three of the best (and best priced) toaster ovens from CR’ s tests.

0 ! BREVILLE

BOV650XL OVEN

$199

77

The Breville BOV650XL toaster oven earns a Very Good rating in our baking tests, turning out sugar cookies and corn muffins that were done in the center and golden on top and bottom. Functions include bake, broil, and roast, and settings for pizza and toasting bagels. This toaster oven has three rack positions and offers a temperature range of 120° F to 450° F.

0 ! BLACK+DECKER 8-SLICE

DIGITAL EXTRA WIDE TO3290XSD TOASTER OVEN

$89

While it doesn ’t land in the very top tier of our ratings, this Black+Decker is a solid choice, and the lowest-priced of our recommended models. It scores a Very Good rating in our reheating test, evenly reheating a single serving of lasagna in 15 minutes. This 1,500-watt model has a temperature range of 150° F to 450° F and three rack positions.

HAMILTON BEACH 6-SLICE 31411 TOASTER OVEN

$25.65

63

It’ s not one of our recommended models, but this Hamilton Beach model is a very good performer and costs a fraction of most of the other toaster ovens in our tests. It earns a Very Good rating in our reheating tests; food emerged evenly heated throughout. But it’ s better at toasting a batch of toast than just one slice. This 1,440-watt toaster oven offers a temperature range of warm to 450° F.

TOASTER

For all the talk of multitasking countertop appliances, there ’ s something reassuring about a great toaster. It does one thing and does it really well, consistently serving up a beautifully browned slice of bread. Whether you ’ re making an avocado toast, a PB&J, or an egg-and-cheese sandwich, a solid toaster is almost as important as the ingredients themselves.

Test engineers at Consumer Reports toast hundreds of slices of bread to find the best and worst two-slice and fourslice models, scoring every slice against an industrystandard toast-color chart. It includes nine colors, ranging from very light to burnt.

“While set to medium, each toaster is judged on how well it makes a single slice of toast and a full batch—two or four slices—depending on the model, ” says Cindy Fisher, who oversees CR’ s toaster tests. “With the best models, results match the evenly browned medium toast on the toast-color chart. ”

At right, see reviews of two impressive, relatively low-priced models.

0 ! BELLA PRO SERIES 90062 $50

89

Gluten-free bread, which is denser than regular bread, doesn ’t toast quite the same. Bella picked up on this and added a gluten-free setting to this model. As for regular bread, the Bella earns an Excellent rating in our time tests, putting it among the fastest two-slice models in our ratings.

0 $ OSTER 2-SLICE

STAINLESS STEEL TSSTTRJB2S TOASTER

$25

86

The Oster TSSTTRJB2S not only turns out terrific toast but also comes at a low price. This CR Best Buy has a push-button control, and features include settings for bagels, defrosting, and reheating. In our tests, it earns a Very Good rating for ease of cleaning and toasting time.

So You Want to Buy a New ...

MULTI-COOKER

Not long ago, Instant Pot was the only name in the multi-cooker game. But competition has been heating up. We now test 13 brands, ranging from $50 to $600.

Does spending top dollar for one of these multitasking countertop appliances get you a better braise? The answer used to be yes—to a degree. The top-rated multicooker we tested in 2018, the Breville Fast Slow Pro, costs $250. That' s about $50 more than the runner-up and almost $200 more than the lowest-ranked model, which was also the cheapest.

More recently, we tested the Wolf Gourmet Multi-Cooker, a hefty high-end model with a price to match. It costs $600 (the most expensive model we ' ve ever tested) and is one of the worst performers in our tests. On the flip side, the best in our tests today comes in well under $200. Here ’ s a look at three high-performing, lower-priced multi-cookers.

Versatile Time-Saver A multi-cooker can create long-simmered flavor in less than an hour.

THE BEST SMALL-APPLIANCE RETAILERS

You ’ ve researched the best air fryer, blender, or coffee maker. Now, where to buy it?

Consumer Reports ’ survey of more than 38,000 CR members, who made more than 56,000 small- and largeappliance purchases from the beginning of 2020 to the middle of 2021, has the answers.

CR members rated 18 small-appliance retail chains, independents, and direct-frommanufacturer purchases, reporting on their overall satisfaction as well as their views on price, selection, service, in-store atmosphere, timeliness of delivery, and website usability. These eight retail chains earned top overall satisfaction scores.

ABT

94

Based outside Chicago, Abt ships nationally and sells everything from appliances to furniture. In our survey, members give Abt above-average marks for price, and top scores for selection and web usability.

EXCHANGE

93

Exchange, short for the Army & Air Force Exchange Service, operates a website plus more than 4,900 facilities in U.S. military commands around the world. It’ s open to 33.5 million activeduty military, retirees, National Guard members, Reservists, and other eligible customers and their families in the U.S. military and selected government agencies. Its website also is open for shopping to nondisabled, honorably discharged veterans. CR members rate it very well for overall satisfaction, favorable for price, and middling for selection.

COSTCO WHOLESALE

92

With a curated selection of goods and fewer models than other stores, it’ s not surprising that Costco gets dinged by our members for selection. Costco also employs no salespeople on its floor, which could account for its subpar rating for service. But it earns favorable ratings for price, delivery, website usability, and instore atmosphere.

WITH PRESSURE COOKING MODE 0 ! ZAVOR LUX LCD :

ZSELL02 MULTI-COOKER

$160

82

This 6-quart Zavor gets perfect scores in our tests for pressure-cooking ribs, steaming veggies, and slowcooking tender chili (a test most models don ’t excel at).

WITH PRESSURE COOKING MODE 0 ! INSTANT POT MAX 6QT. $150

80

The 6-quart, 1,100-watt Max is impressive when it comes to making rice and sautéing. We also had good results when cooking beef stew, and making chicken breasts using the sous vide function. Chili was less successful.

WITHOUT PRESSURE COOKING MODE 0 ! CUISINART 3-IN-1

MULTICOOKER COOK CENTRAL MSC-600

$110

78

This 6-quart model scores an Excellent rating for slow-cooking beef stew and bean chili, and Very Good ratings for sautéing onions and steaming vegetables.

QVC.COM

Our members give QVC favorable ratings for price, service, timeliness of delivery, and website usability but only a so-so grade for selection.

AMAZON

90

The Seattle-based behemoth got top marks for selection. Amazon also gets our top score for timeliness of delivery but just middling marks for price and service.

BED BATH & BEYOND

90

Our members give Bed Bath & Beyond a favorable rating for timeliness of delivery. In other characteristics—price, selection, service, in-store atmosphere, and web-site usability—it receives moderate ratings.

MACY’S

90

Macy ’ s pleased CR members with the timeliness of delivery and the usability of its website; it earns aboveaverage marks in both. Price, selection, service, and in-store atmosphere are just middling.

WILLIAMS-SONOMA

90

The only retailer to get our top rating for in-store atmosphere, it performs above average in selection, service, and website usability. Timeliness of delivery is middling. Its ranking on price, though, is below average.

Want a Better Deal? Ask for It!

Only 4 percent of small-appliance buyers we surveyed tried to make a deal by haggling. But those who did succeeded three-quarters of the time, saving a median of $51 per purchase, up from $40 in our 2020 survey.

How did they do it? More than a third (35 percent) simply asked for a deal. The vast majority who did just this (86 percent) succeeded in earning a price cut.