Get the best deals on small appliances for the holidays

Everyone’s gearing up for the big day—and we don’t mean Thanksgiving. We’re talking about Black Friday, that only-in-America shopping bonanza that kicks off even before the last leftover turkey scraps make it into the fridge.

The big news amid this season: small appliances. Major retailers like Target, Lowe’s, the Home Depot, Ace Hardware, and Amazon are offering impressive deals on toasters, microwave ovens, blenders, choppers, and slow cookers. Indeed, sales of small appliances are up or at least staying afloat even as big-ticket items like ranges and refrigerators are some 25 percent off their peak a few years back. Small wonder, then, that the number of visits to our small-apliances forum keeps percolating upward. We neither endorse nor pooh-pooh the Black Friday bonanza, and the information below should be helpful throughout the holiday-shopping season and beyond.

Whether you’re the type who likes to give useful holiday gifts—or just want to save money slow-cooking cheaper cuts of meat or avoiding stops at overpriced coffee shops—here are some especially good performers from Consumer Reports’ ongoing small-appliance tests. Ratings are available to subscribers, but we’ve also provided links to our free buyer’s guides.

The best big-ticket appliances? You’ll find dozens of top picks and Best Buys to choose from in our ratings (available to subscribers). We’ll also keep you posted on the $300 million cash for clunkers appliance-rebate program coming to an appliance store near you. So take advantage of the lower prices, and be careful when you shop. And remember, you’ll find more timely holiday-shopping advice by reading Tightwad Tod on our Money blog and on our Holiday Shopping Guide.

Blenders: The top-rated Blendtec Total Blender excels at a wide range of tasks (such as grinding coffee beans), but both retail regularly for up to $400 each. One lower-cost pick that did well in our tests was the Oster Counterforms BVLBO7-L, $80. See our free buyer's guide to blenders for other choices and their capabilities.

Coffeemakers: Our top-performing Cuisinart DCC-1200, $100, has been sighted selling online for as little as $74. Best Buys like the funkily styled Michael Graves 40304, $40, are also worth your dime. For more shopping and ratings information, see our free buyer’s guide to coffeemakers.

Food processors and choppers: Watch for markdowns on the Magimix Cuisine 5150, a very impressive machine with an equally impressive price of $480.The KitchenAid KFP715[WH], $100, is an excellent choice if you don’t need kneading capabilities. We also tested the Hamilton Beach Big Mouth 70573H, $80, and include its scores in our ratings. See our free buyer’s guide to food processors and choppers for more information.

Mixers: Among stand mixers, the KitchenAid Classic K45SS[WH], $200, and Hamilton Beach Eclectrics 6322[1]stood out for value. See our ratings for other standouts. And check out our free buyer’s guide to mixers for more details.

Microwave ovens: The Panasonic Inverter NN-SD697[S], $170 and Magic Chef MCD1611ST, $100, outperformed other models costing twice as much or more. Looking for extras like convection and speed cooking, which combines microwave and convection? You’ll find them on the $330 Kenmore Elite 6790[9], $330. How did Cuisinart’s first microwave, the CMW250, $245, fare in our tests? See our ratings and our free buyer’s guide to microwaves for more information.

Slow cookers: These can save you time and money by preparing meals while you attend to other tasks as well as turning cheaper cuts of meat into tender pot roasts and stews. Our tests found that the Hamilton Beach Set ‘N Forget 33967, $70, and the Rival Crock-Pot SCVC604H-SS, $50, offer lots of features and performance for the money. But a $100 model from VersaWare lets you brown meat in a stovetop-safe pot beforehand, as some recipes require.

Toasters and toaster ovens: New and retro designs abound, but the Proctor-Silex Cool-Touch 22203, $15, combined good performance and a bagel setting—provided you’re willing to give up a few features. See our free buyer’s guide to toasters and toaster ovens and look for an update on toasters in our January 2010 issue, online and on newsstands in early December.

Wine cellars and corkscrews: Worthy freestanding wine cellars included the Kenmore 9913, $500, Danby DWC283BLS, $350 and Frigidaire FWC425GS, $300. Also consider the Emerson Electric Wine Bottle Opener BO60 and its virtual twin, the Oster Inspire Collection Electric Wine Opener 4207. Both cost about $20 and provide drama-free opening of holiday wines.

Meat and refrigerator thermometers: These excellent stocking stuffers make for safer keeping and cooking of food. Undercooked meats are a known hazard, but sickness-causing microorganisms can rapidly increase in a refrigerator that isn’t kept below 40°F.) The extremely accurate Taylor 1448 refrigerator thermometer costs only $9; their Weekend Warrior 806, $16, topped our tests of instant-read meat thermometers. Another $40 model from Weber boasts this gee-whiz wireless feature: You can check the temperature of your roasts from up to 300 feet away.—Gian Trotta | e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook

Essential Information: Find the top gear, gadgets, and gizmos­ and avoid the worst gotchas and gimmicks with our Holiday Shopping Guide.

Tip of the Day: Find the right wines to serve for Thanksgiving and the holidays

Do a Web search for "best wines for Thanksgiving"—or "for Christmas" or "for the holidays"—and you'll find an overwhelming number of results, and some of that information might prove more confusing than edifying.

Wine choices for Thanksgiving and end-of-year celebrations are all over the map. Some folks swear by a robust Zinfandel for turkey dinners; others think a versatile Riesling is right for holiday repasts.

Whether you're an oenophile with your go-to favorites and a sense of adventure or a novice looking for some solid wine advice, we can't predict which wines you'll like. But as you'll see in our new "Holiday Wine Bargains," there are plenty of reds (Cabernet Sauvignon, Carménère, Zinfandel) and whites (Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc) that will enhance your holiday meals without breaking your budget.

Before you head to the store to shop, visit our wine buyer's guide for shopping tips and a wine glossary as well as expert advice on proper serving temperatures for wine and suggested food pairings. e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook

Essential information: Keep your wine in tiptop shape by storing it in a wine refrigerator/cellar and find the best corkscrews to open your bottles.

Tip of the Day: Find the proper temperature for serving wine and learn about wine cellars

I was at a wine dinner last night where we drank a variety of French red wines. Given the wide range of grapes in the 10 wines—primarily Syrah, Grenache, and Mourvèdre, with some Carignan and even a bit of Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir—and the somewhat warm, humid evening, I was wondering about the proper serving temperatures for the wines. Should we give some a bit of a chill? Do we need to decant any?

There are no hard-and-fast rules associated with proper serving temperature. As we note in "How to Serve Wine," optimal pouring temperatures vary by wine type and characteristics. The body of wine plays as big of a role if not more of one in determining serving temperature.

Use the chart below as a guide, and visit our wine page to find ratings and recommendations (available to subscribers) of good-value reds and whites.—Steven H. Saltzman | e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook

Essential information: Read about wine cellars/chillers and corkscrews.

 

A good corkscrew is key for any celebration

I've broken more than my share of corks when opening my favorite wines over the holidays. And it seems to happen as we sit down for dinner, a most Scrooge-like occurrence on the part of the host and the corkscrew.

One rookie mistake I used to make was storing my wine standing up in too warm a space since I didn't have a wine cellar. Proper storage would have kept the corks on older bottles from becoming dry and more likely to crumble.

I've used waiter’s, T-shaped, and wing-style corkscrews, some of which require a modicum of skill and/or a bit of strength to use. I’d have upgraded to a better-engineered manual or electric corkscrew, but some of them were even pricier than the wines I coveted.

But for our recent report on electric corkscrews, we found $20 electric models from Emerson and Oster that removed both natural and synthetic corks quickly, easily, and relatively quietly (watch the video here to see them in action). “These models are especially useful for anyone with limited hand strength, or anyone who has trouble using a traditional corkscrew,” says Adam Kaplan, a Consumer Reports project leader who oversaw the tests.

Both top-rated electric corkscrews come with a rechargeable battery, charging base, and foil cutter. We also tested some advanced manual openers that might be worth considering. And if you’re on a budget, read the report mentioned above to learn about the pros and cons and costs of classic corkscrews.­—Gian Trotta

Essential information: Find out which Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, Shiraz, and sparkling wines are good buys (ratings are available to subscribers). Then tap into our tips on proper temperatures for serving wine, saving it for later, and mastering wine lingo.