Tuesday, December 10, 2024

Everything Eater Staff Will Be Shopping for Black Friday

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I am a proud Black Friday shopping cart voyeur. What better recommendation is there, after all, than a friend’s actual (albeit digital, these days) basket? I jump at the chance to feel enlightened by a little striped kitchen lamp, or better equipped to host a dinner party with a set of sparkling Laguiole steak knives.

In this brave new world of endless swipe up-able shopping options, human-made suggestions have become a precious commodity within themselves. As admittedly convenient as it is to have Big Brother Bezos’s henchman Alexa propose new olive oil brands, I would much rather know which heritage EVOO is making my Eater staff kin feel like they’re living in Under the Tuscan Sun. One of the biggest benefits of having coworkers who cook and bake and eat (a lot), is that we are constantly sharing news about the best snacks, cookware, and food-related items (please see: this $270 bag for your baguette) that are sweeping us off our feet.

This Black Friday, I have mined the minds of Eater’s expert home cooks and seasoned tastemakers to bring you the best deals that they (actually) plan on shopping during this intense blow-out sale holiday. There will be plenty of kitchen accessories, buckets of Maldon salt, and chocolate babka to go around — so loosen the drawstrings on your feasting sweats, and let’s shop the best deals.



| Le Creuset


Le Creuset signature round wide oven

Prices taken at time of publishing.

Long have I coveted my neighbor’s Dutch oven, and the time has come for me to invest in not just any Dutch oven, but a Le Creuset Dutch oven. As Eater’s Stephanie Ganz explained in this Dutch oven buying guide, Le Creuset’s enamel cast iron workhorses are more than just aesthetic pieces of cookware; the attention to detail with design and functionality cuts no corners, as even those ridges on the pot’s lid serve a unique self-basting purpose.  

Francky Knapp, commerce writer


KitchenAid stand mixer.


| KitchenAid


KitchenAid 4.5-quart stand mixer

Prices taken at time of publishing.

A classic. KitchenAid’s 4.5-quart standing mixer is the perfect mid-sized mixer for your countertop, and the Empire Red colorway is both cheery and versatile (name a seasonal decor genre it doesn’t play well with). If you’re new-ish to KitchenAid, know that these mixers come with a trusty tilt-head design, 10 speed settings, as well as a coated flat beater, dough hook, and 6-wire metal whip. At $140 off, it’s one of the best deals of the Black Friday season thus far. — FK


chocolate babka with blue bows.


| Goldbelly


Breads Bakery chocolate babka

Prices taken at time of publishing.

A few years ago, I was gifted this babka trio from New York City’s Breads Bakery after a major life event, and it’s now my to-go for new parents or just general gifting season: The chocolate babkas freeze well and make for a great “any time of day” treat. During Black Friday weekend (through Cyber Monday), they (and every order on Goldbelly over $50) are 20 percent off with the code BELLYJOY20. (If you’re looking for something more savory or meal-kit inspired, I’ve also frequently gifted this fresh pasta kit from Boston’s Fox & the Knife.) — Erin DeJesus, executive editor



Maldon salt by a cutting board.


| Maldon


A 20-ounce tub of Maldon salt

Prices taken at time of publishing.

“Now I understand why kingdoms fought wars over salt” was my first reaction to Maldon’s sea salt. The flaky crystals melt on your tongue with just the right amount of zing, and transform even my most breakfasts and chocolate chip cookies into a gourmet dining experience. I can think of no greater holiday gift than a literal bucket of the stuff. — FK


Balmuda toaster oven.


| Balmuda


Balmuda toaster oven

Prices taken at time of publishing.

I am the queen of splurging on pastries at the coffee shop — you know, “for later” — and forgetting about them in my bag. But this wouldn’t be an issue if I owned the Balmuda toaster oven, which not only provides easy front-loading door access for my toasties and pastries (fishing bread out of a toaster = my personal hell), but has a rehydration feature that can resuscitate day-old croissants like a champ. — FK


West Elm wood serving tray.


| West Elm


West Elm reclaimed wood serving tray

Prices taken at time of publishing.

My new strategy with my toddler is essentially schlepping around a trough for all her snacks, which she eats happily direct from the tray. This version by West Elm is nice-looking and is large enough to hold other essential accouterments, like tubs of Play-Doh and sheets of stickers, as baby dictates. — ED


Bokksu advent calendar.


| Bokksu


Bokksu Japan Wonderland advent calendar

Prices taken at time of publishing.

For the uninitiated, Bokksu is a site offering an eclectic array of Japanese snack box subscriptions, and it is having a big 25 percent off Black Friday sale with the code BLACKFRI25. This holiday season, it has also blessed us with one of the coolest (and tastiest) advent calendars on the market: a winter wonderland-themed advent calendar filled with 17 different snacks and eight different collectibles. If the site’s smorgasbord of pickled ginger crackers and Hello Kitty jellies is anything to go by, the round-up sure will be delicious. — FK



Messermeister mini culinary torch.


| Sur La Table


Messermeister mini culinary torch

Prices taken at time of publishing.

I have been hemming and hawing over whether or not I really need a kitchen torch (despite all the creme brulee I want to make and meringue I want to toast) but Black Friday deals are finally giving me the shove I needed to start playing with fire. — Kat Thompson, Eater at Home associate editor


Rooted Fare Chinese almond cookie butter.


| Rooted Fare


Rooted Fare Chinese almond cookie butter

Prices taken at time of publishing.

I can eat this almond cookie butter by the spoonful, but it’s also delicious spread onto store-bought croissants as an impromptu almond croissant. The taste is even sweeter at 20 percent off for Black Friday. — KT



Aura Mason digital photo frame.


| Aura


Aura Mason digital photo frame

Prices taken at time of publishing.

Consider this a kitchen must. I gifted one of these frames last year to my in-laws who keep it on display next to their coffee maker in their kitchen, and every time I come visit I find myself repeatedly delighted by long-forgotten-in-my-reel pics from adventures long gone. The app is easy, the resolution impeccable, and there’s something so homey about a framed picture in the kitchen. — Lesley Suter, special projects director



Crate & Barrel bodega glasses (set of 12)


| Crate & Barrel


Crate & Barrel bodega glasses (set of 12)

Prices taken at time of publishing.

For over a decade, I’ve been making do with mismatched mason jars as glassware, but after breaking a few too many, I decided to take a cue from my favorite restaurants and replace them with bodega glasses, which not only feel chic but also have the added benefit of being stackable. But unlike my favorite restaurants with their teeny, tiny water cups, I went for the slightly more reasonable 12-ounce size. — Bettina Makalintal, senior reporter


KitchenAid Go cordless black hand mixer.


| KitchenAid


KitchenAid Go cordless hand mixer

Prices taken at time of publishing.

I’ve written about this before: My very cool status-y KitchenAid stand mixer has been delegated to the back of the cupboards due to my lack of counter space and/or desire to craft the fussier recipes that would require it. So my strategic downgrade will be to invest in this cordless hand mixer for the (few) times some mixing muscle is required. — ED


Paris Hilton charcuterie board and serving set with pink food.


| Paris Hilton


Paris Hilton charcuterie board and serving set

Prices taken at time of publishing.

Am I adding this to cart as a sorta-gag for my fellow millennial, nostalgic for the days of Dlisted friend? Yes. But admittedly, the fact that this Paris Hilton-brand charcuterie board can be shaped into a heart is pretty cute, and I do love the pink and gold utensils. — ED




Davids Tea Forever Nuts tea

Prices taken at time of publishing.

The perfect winter evening, for me, consists of a solid book, a fluffy blanket on my couch, and this nutty and apple-forward tea — which is on sale now for Black Friday. — KT


Frigidaire stainless steel French door refrigerator.


| Frigidaire


Frigidaire stainless steel French door refrigerator

Prices taken at time of publishing.

There is a world in which I swing open my new stainless steel French door refrigerator like Marie Antoinette would swing open a balcony at Versailles, and it is more attainable than ever thanks to a whopper Black Friday deal like this. At 27.8 cubic feet, this Fridigaire powerhouse is a serious kitchen investment; aside from delivering on space and an external ice and water dispenser, it has an auto-close door feature for airheads like myself. — FK


Sur La Table electric salt and pepper mill set.


| Sur La Table


Sur La Table electric salt and pepper mill set

Prices taken at time of publishing.

For some reason I have never managed to own a salt-and-pepper set. But nevertheless there are times when I absolutely wish I didn’t have to lug my whole salt well over to the table (and despite how perfectly I try to calibrate my seasoning, sometimes things… need salt. This sleek grinder set from Sur La Table means I can still use nice salt, whole peppercorns, and is in stainless steel for easy, sanitary cleaning. It’s also over 50 percent off for Black Friday, so consider this bought. — LS


Yuzuco Yuzu Super Juice


| Yuzuco


Yuzuco Yuzu Super Juice

Prices taken at time of publishing.

One of the biggest culinary flexes you can have is always having yuzu juice stocked in the fridge. Use it for cocktails, to make curds and tarts, or to toss into comforting bowls of soba this winter. — KT


Lisa Says Gah bowtie pasta earrings.


| Lisa Says Gah


Lisa Says Gah bowtie pasta earrings

Prices taken at time of publishing.

Bowties with suits are fine, but bowtie pasta as earrings? So much better. I appreciate the material choice on these trinkets as well; a lot of food-themed jewelry can feel plastic-y and cheap, but this Lisa Says Gah set is made out of glass and gold-plated hoops. — FK


Mepal microwavable nested storage bowls.


| Food52


Mepal microwavable nested storage bowls

Prices taken at time of publishing.

I gifted a set of these to my mother last Christmas, and they’ve become her go-to food storage set, finally replacing years’ worth of accumulated reused takeout containers. She loves them so much I might get her another set in a different color this year. — ED


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