The Very Best Prime Day Deals Under $100 (Day 3)

New York Times

2 days ago

Photo: Marki Williams
AeroPress Coffee and Espresso Maker — Top Pick
Amazon deal price: $28 (deal on gray); street price: $40
What we like: Our top pick for a simple and portable single-serve coffee maker. Lightweight, compact design produces full-bodied, flavorful coffee in about two minutes. Great for camping, travel, or just a simple cup at home. Easy to use. Dishwasher-safe.
Other things to know: Also makes a great gift. Only brews one cup at a time. A solid drop, especially if you don't want or need the carrying bag that has accompanied some deals. Matches previous deals we've seen. Deal on gray.
Read more: The AeroPress is a Fast, Portable, No-Frills Tool for Making Terrific Coffee
Bentgo MicroSteel Lunch Box — Top Pick
Amazon deal price: $24 ; street price: $30
What we like: Our top pick for a streamlined stainless steel bento box. Leakproof, plastic-free, and fits neatly into a bag or backpack. Microwave-safe for up to 10 minutes. Easy to clean. Comes with a removable silicone divider. Big enough to fit a full meal.
Other things to know: Wide and shallow. Just one tier. Two-year warranty. Exterior coating on the colored versions may peel over time, especially with repeated dishwasher washing. Requires some hand-washing.
Read more: The Best Lunch Boxes
Atlas Coffee Club 2-Bag Subscription — Gift Pick
Atlas Coffee Club deal price: $13 (use promo code WCSUMMER25, two-bag subscription, new subscribers only); street price: $32
What we like: A gift-pick coffee subscription service. Delivers satisfying coffee at a low price. Plenty of customization. Sources beans from countries all over the world, so you'll always have something new to try. Each bag includes a postcard with fun facts about the country's coffee industry.
Other things to know: New subscribers can use code WCSUMMER25 for 60% off their first two-bag subscription. Street price has risen, but the free shipping effectively makes this discount cheaper than most similar promos out there.
Read more: The 36 Best Gifts for Coffee Lovers
Normcore V4 58.5mm Tamper — Gift Pick
Amazon deal price: $35 ; street price: $44
What we like: A gift pick for coffee lovers that make espresso at home. This self-leveling, spring-loaded tamper makes it easier to neatly and evenly pack espresso grinds into the portafilter. With a more-even tamping, you'll be able to consistently extract complex shots from your espresso machine.
Other things to know: Members of the Wirecutter kitchen team suggest that anyone getting our recommended espresso maker should upgrade to this tamper over the flimsy plastic one provided with the machine.
Read more: The 36 Best Gifts for Coffee Lovers
Keurig K-Express Single Serve Coffee Maker — Top Pick
Amazon deal price: $60 ; street price: $80
What we like: Our top Keurig machine pick. More compact, less expensive, and easier to operate than other Keurig machines we tested. Has a strong brew function that improves the flavor of your coffee. The removable water tank adds convenience. Makes coffee in three sizes: 8, 10, and 12 ounces.
Other things to know: One-year limited warranty but damage resulting while using non-Keurig branded pods and accessories may not be covered. Some online reviews claim that Keurig isn't the best about honoring its warranty. A larger Keurig serving is just adding more water to your cup, while using the same amount of coffee.
Read more: The Best Keurig Machine
Anyday 4-Piece Glass Round Dish Set — Staff Pick
Anyday deal price: $45 (use promo code WCROUND); street price: $60
What we like: A glass container staff pick for cooking simple dishes quickly and reheat leftovers well. Microwave-, dishwasher-, oven-, and freezer-safe. Each glass container comes with an airtight, leakproof lid with a venting knob, which can be opened or closed to capture or release steam as food cooks.
Other things to know: The cookware mainly relies on built-up steam to cook food, which makes is difficult to develop more-complex flavors. Could be a great asset to anyone that only has a microwave at their disposal. Set includes two round glass containers and their corresponding lids. Use code WCROUND.
Read more: These Glass Containers Made Me Hate the Microwave a Little Less
Anyday 4-Piece Glass Square Dish Set — Staff Pick
Anyday deal price: $75 (use promo code WCSQUARE); street price: $106
What we like: A glass container staff pick for cooking simple dishes quickly and reheat leftovers well. Microwave-, dishwasher-, oven-, and freezer-safe. Each glass container comes with an airtight, leakproof lid with a venting knob, which can be opened or closed to capture or release steam as food cooks.
Other things to know: The cookware mainly relies on built-up steam to cook food, which makes is difficult to develop more-complex flavors. Could be a great asset to anyone that only has a microwave at their disposal. Set includes one 10-cup and one 5.5 cup square glass container with their corresponding lids. Use code WCSQUARE.
Read more: These Glass Containers Made Me Hate the Microwave a Little Less
OXO Good Grips Smooth Potato Masher — Top Pick
Amazon deal price: $11 ; street price: $15
What we like: Our top potato masher pick. Made the best rustic yet fluffy mashed potatoes. Cuts into potatoes and other foods faster and more easily than the competition. Dishwasher safe and easy to clean. Doesn't take up a lot of space.
Other things to know: Some Amazon reviewers have complained in the past that the short handle causes their knuckles to drag through the mash. Won't fit in a utensil crock.
Read more: The Best Potato Masher and Ricer
Chef'sChoice WafflePro 840 Five-of-Hearts Model Waffle Maker — Another Good Option
Amazon deal price: $49 ; street price: $65
What we like: Another good waffle makers if you like thin, heart-shaped waffles. Excellent for households that enjoy Norwegian-style waffles. Settings allow customization for preferred texture and brownness level. Compact, has locking lid, stores vertically or horizontally, and is easy to clean.
Other things to know: Besides the heart-shaped plates, it looks almost identical to our previous top pick, the similarly named Chef'sChoice WafflePro 840. That model was discontinued, and in our tests this made waffles that were equally good.
Read more: The Best Waffle Maker
Deep River Snacks Original Sea Salt Kettle Cooked Potato Chips (Pack of 12) — Top Pick
Amazon deal price: $28 ; street price: $37
What we like: Our top kettle chip pick from our guide to the best potato chips. Offers bold flavor and a tremendous crunch. Thick, sturdy chips with good, crunchy folds and many tiny bubbles.
Other things to know: No acrid or rancid aftertaste that happened in several other kettle chip taste tests. Can be a bit too thick and crunchy for people with sensitive mouths. Notably positive remarks on the flavor of the oil, as several testers mentioned the chips' similarity to McDonald's french fries 'in a good way.' Includes 12 5-ounce bags.
Read more: The Best Potato Chips
Zojirushi Stainless Steel Food Jar — Top Pick
Amazon deal price: $27 ; street price: $31
What we like: Our top pick for the best food thermos. This container keeps food hot for hours. Comes apart easily for cleaning. Easily fits in one hand. Emerged from our drop test with no dents. It doesn't leak.
Other things to know: Four-piece lid comes apart for easier cleaning. Keeping all of the parts together is cumbersome.
Read more: The Best Food Thermos
Yamazaki Home Expandable Kitchen Riser — Top Pick
Amazon deal price: $32 ; street price: $38
What we like: Our top expandable shelf riser pick for small kitchens. Expands from 10⅝ to 17⅝ inches wide, so it can fit a range of cabinet sizes. Measures 7⅞ inches deep. sturdy, heavyweight metal riser doesn't wobble like most of the thin wire-frame risers we tested.
Other things to know: Printed line on top of the shelf, which indicates how far it can extend. Area under the shelf measures 4 inches tall, so we were able to slide a stack of six dinner plates or 12-ounce mugs under the shelf.
Read more: 35 Small-Kitchen Organization Ideas That Make the Most of Tight Quarters
Nordic Ware Original Bundt Pan — Staff Pick
Amazon deal price: $23 (deal on silver); street price: $40
Target deal price: $23(free Target Circle membership required, with store pickup or Circle Card); street price: $40
What we like: A staff pick for a great, sturdy bundt pan. Bakes cake to a perfectly even golden brown. Durable without being too heavy. Handles are easy to hold. Cake ridges came out sharper and taller than with any of the others bundt pans we tested.
Other things to know: Not dishwasher-safe. Lifetime warranty. On sale in silver. At Target, free Circle membership is required to get deal; select store pickup, add to a larger order, or use Circle Card to avoid shipping fees.
Read more: My Secret to Turning Simple Cakes Into Showstoppers? This Classic Bundt Pan.
Grill Rescue Grill Brush — Also Great
Amazon deal price: $34 ; street price: $41
What we like: A great dunkable grill brush for soot-free grates. Also makes a great gift under $50. Steam-cleaning brush that's easier to use than DIY steam cleaners. Durable.
Other things to know: The cleaning pad quickly discolors upon first clean. Head is dishwasher-safe for easy cleaning. Can order replacement heads. You'll still want to use another grill brush alongside it. Not the best deal price we've seen, but still a good value. Street price has risen over the last few months.
Read more: This Steamy Grill Brush Makes Me Excited to Clean My Grill
Espro P6 French Press — Upgrade Pick
Amazon deal price: $91 ; street price: $115
What we like: Our upgrade French press pick. Offers the same superior filtration as other Espro models, plus better heat retention. Double-walled carafe. No danger that it will shatter if you drop it. Designed to stop extracting once you've pressed. Coffee won't turn as bitter or sour if it sits in the press for a couple of hours.
Other things to know: All-metal carafe, but the handle is plastic. Available in matte black or brushed stainless steel.
Read more: The Best French Press
Espro P3 French Press (32 ounces) — Top Pick
Amazon deal price: $32 (deal on black); street price: $40
What we like: Our top pick for the best French press coffee maker. Elegant-looking, easy to use, and relatively simple to clean. Unique double filter makes richer, more flavorful coffee with less residue than its competitors. Dishwasher-safe.
Other things to know: You cannot make less than 24 ounces of coffee in this 32-ounce press. Matches low. Deal available in black.
Read more: The Best French Press
Bertolli Extra Virgin Olive Oil Rich Taste — Top Pick
Amazon deal price: $7 (16.9 ounces); street price: $10
What we like: Our top robust and inexpensive olive oil pick you can buy at a store. Had one of the most pronounced grassy and peppery notes of any olive oil we tried. Also one of the more complex that we tried. Felt fatty and buttery in the mouth and would be a great oil to eat with bread.
Other things to know: A global blend, which means the olives are sourced from all over the world. Sold in plastic bottles, so it's best to finish your bottle within three months to avoid any potential degradation caused by the plastic. Deal for a 16.9 ounce bottle.
Read more: The Best Olive Oil You Can Buy at the Store
Calphalon Precision Control 2-Slice Toaster — Worth Considering
Amazon deal price: $40 ; street price: $80
What we like: A toaster worth considering if you want a stylish option with a matte finish. Has all of the basic controls we look for in a good toaster, and it expertly browned bagels, frozen waffles, and sourdough bread. This deal makes the Calphalon much less expensive than our upgrade pick.
Other things to know: Typically costs more than our top pick, but doesn't perform quite as well as our upgrade pick. Lacks some of the features we've become spoiled by in other toasters. Has narrower slots that don't fit thick bagels, and takes longer to toast.
Read more: The Best Toaster
Cosori Pro LE Air Fryer — Worth Considering
Amazon deal price: $80 (deal on gray); street price: $85
What we like: Another air fryer worth considering if you want a lighter basket. Large, 5-quart square basket weighs around 2 pounds when empty, the lightest of any full-size air fryer we tested. Has sleek design with an easy-to-use interface, loud "shake" reminder. Offers good performance for the price.
Other things to know: A former budget pick. Like most pod-shaped air fryers, isn't great at cooking evenly, and the preprogrammed settings aren't very accurate. Removable tray tends to fall out when transferring food to plate. Although the street price has risen suspiciously right before the holiday sales, overall trends have noted a drop in street price over the past year. We see this reoccurring deal price at least once a month, but it's a fine time to pick it up if you want a gray one now.
Read more: The Best Air Fryer
KitchenAid Ribbed Soft Silicone Pot Holder Set — Also Great
Amazon deal price: $9 (deal on beige); street price: $13
What we like: Our pick for a bigger pot holder that comes in a wide range of colors. Larger and more rectangular than our top pick. The divided hand pocket gives you more control. Comes in a variety of muted, trendy colors as well as brighter options.
Other things to know: Its thicker material and large, square corners make it a little more clunky than our top-pick pot holder. However, the corners do add more surface area that can be helpful when you use the pot holder as a trivet. Lowest price is for the milkshake beige color, but the beet red and ink blue colors are also on sale for a dollar more.
Read more: The Best Oven Mitts and Pot Holders
YouCopia StoraLid Container Lid Organizer (Large) — Staff Favorite
Amazon deal price: $14 (deal on large size); street price: $18
What we like: A lid organizer loved we love for keeping cabinets tidy. Keeps food storage container lids organized and easily accessible with minimum human effort. Adjustable tabbed dividers for separating lid sizes.
Other things to know: Only as useful as your willingness to use it and organize. Needs large empty space to fit in cabinet. Deal for the large size, better than typical sales we see.
Read more: This $20 Lid Organizer Has Tamed the Chaos Inside My Kitchen Cabinets
Rubbermaid Brilliance Pantry Food Storage Containers (10-Piece Set) — Top Pick
Amazon deal price: $48 (10-piece); street price: $60
Target deal price: $48 (free Circle membership required, 10-piece); street price: $60
What we like: Our top dry food-storage container pick. Durable Tritan plastic containers with a tight seal. Held up through multiple drop tests and trips through the dishwasher. Stack neatly and efficiently into cabinets.
Other things to know: Only recommended for storing dry ingredients. Includes two half-cup, two 1.3-cup, two 3.2-cup, one 6.6-cup, one 7.8-cup, one 12-cup, and one 16-cup container with corresponding lids. At Target, free Circle membership is required. Target Circle cardholders get an additional 5% off.
Read more: The Best Dry Food Storage Containers
Starbucks Blonde Espresso Roast Nespresso Pods (Pack of 50) — Top Pick
Amazon deal price: $23 (pack of 50); street price: $33
What we like: Our light roast Nespresso pods top pick. A mild, rich espresso. The only unanimous favorite in our tests. Notes of brown sugar, citrus, and chocolate. Toasty yet bright. Makes a well-balanced shot. Good for light and dark roast lovers (especially if you're working late cause you're a singer).
Other things to know: Starbucks pods are the only third-party pods we tested that are actually manufactured by Nespresso, which might have some advantages. Not the same light roast you'd expect from a third-wave roaster. Deal is for a 50-pack.
Read more: The Best Nespresso Pods You Can Buy at the Grocery Store
Cafflano Klassic All-in-One Pour-Over Coffee Maker — Gift Pick
Amazon deal price: $48 (with clipped on-page coupon); street price: $60
What we like: A gift pick for coffee lovers who like convenience. An all-in-one ceramic burr grinder, brewer, and insulated mug. Works well anywhere — just add beans and hot water. Recommended by Yuki Izumi, coffee director at Hi-Collar, a café and sake bar in New York City's East Village.
Other things to know: Comes with everything needed to brew and hold your java, including a kettle, stainless filter dripper, insulated tumbler, and lid. Clip on-page coupon. Recurring deal.
Read more: The 36 Best Gifts for Coffee Lovers
Swissmar Börner VPower Mandoline — Runner-Up
Amazon deal price: $51 (deal on white, red, or orange); street price: $63
What we like: Our runner-up mandoline pick. A solid backup option, especially if you need julienne and dice cuts. Sturdy, with a sharp V-shaped blade and a thoughtfully designed hand guard. Can handle wide, round vegetables with ease.
Other things to know: Significantly bulkier than our top pick from Benriner. Its V-shaped blade left potatoes and sweet potatoes mangled in our tests. Blade is not replaceable. Available at the deal price in white, red, or orange.
Read more: The Best Mandoline
Hoopoton Store Magnetic Spice Rack (Set of Two) — Top Pick
Amazon deal price: $19 (deal on black); street price: $22
What we like: Our pick for strong, magnetic spice shelves for small-kitchen organization. They create space on the side of a fridge for spices, bottles, or pepper mills. Lip extends around the entire perimeter of each shelf, keeping pepper mill dust contained. Impressively strong magnets.
Other things to know: Big enough to hold eight standard spice jars per rack. Set of two. When our shelves arrived, the metal arms were bent slightly downward, but bending them back in shape was easy. Deal price available in black.
Read more: 35 Small-Kitchen Organization Ideas That Make the Most of Tight Quarters
Lavatools Javelin Pro Duo Thermometer — Also Great
Amazon deal price: $34 ; street price: $47
What we like: An instant-read pick in our guide to the best meat thermometers. Fold-out probe offers many angles and great maneuverability. Fast and accurate temperature reads. Backlit display is sharp and clear. Offers temperature alerts and temperature holding. Turns on automatically.
Other things to know: Has a built-in magnet so it sticks to fridge, stove, or grill. Display does not rotate 90 degrees to vertical.
Read more: The Best Meat Thermometers
Yamazaki Home Expandable Kitchen Riser — Top Pick
Amazon deal price: $32 (deal on black); street price: $38
What we like: Our top expandable shelf riser pick for small kitchens. Expands from 10⅝ to 17⅝ inches wide, so it can fit a range of cabinet sizes. Measures 7⅞ inches deep. sturdy, heavyweight metal riser doesn't wobble like most of the thin wire-frame risers we tested.
Other things to know: Printed line on top of the shelf, which indicates how far it can extend. Area under the shelf measures 4 inches tall, so we were able to slide a stack of six dinner plates or 12-ounce mugs under the shelf. Deal on black.
Read more: 35 Small-Kitchen Organization Ideas That Make the Most of Tight Quarters