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These kitchen tech splurges are worth every penny (and are on sale now)
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Amazon's Big Spring Sale is well underway, giving you a chance to upgrade your kitchen for less. I'm a frequent host who loves to cook -- if you're like me, you know that having the right tools handy can make a big difference. Kitchen tech can be expensive, though, so these annual discounts can help you save hundreds on some of these otherwise splurge items.
Also: Amazon Spring Sale live blog 2026: Tracking the biggest price drops all week
While expensive appliances don't make the chef, I've found that the right gear can make your everyday cooking smoother. I've upgraded over the years and gotten a chance to test out some different devices -- tese are my picks for the best kitchen splurges that are all on sale right now.
My favorite kitchen splurges
- Current price: $319 (20% off)
- Original price: $399
We've used our Breville air fryer toaster oven combination just about every day since we got it a couple of years ago -- and it's Amazon's bestselling convection oven for a reason. It offers 13 different cooking functions: Toast, Bagel, Broil, Bake, Roast, Warm, Pizza, Proof, Air Fry, Reheat, Cookies, Slow Cook, and Dehydrate. We use our big oven far less thanks to this machine.
- Current price: $1,199 (20% off)
- Original price: $1,499
The De'Longhi Rivelia has been a revelation for our daily coffee routine -- even for my coffee-snob husband. This machine lets you make everything from a simple cup of coffee to espresso shots, lattes, flat whites, cortados, and more, walking you through the process with a simple user interface. If you're in the market for a fancy single-serve coffee machine that can make virtually any drink, I can't recommend this one enough.
Also: This fancy automatic espresso machine made me drop my Dunkin' habit - and it's on sale
- Current price: $299 (14% off)
- Original price: $349
I'm a big soft serve fan, so when I saw that Ninja created a version of it's popular Creami ice cream maker that included a handle to dispense your own soft serve, I needed to try it out immediately. The Ninja Creami Swirl is a fun machine that lets you customize your own soft serve, fruit whip, frozen custard, frozen yogurt, and far more. It works well and is fun to have on hand, especially if you have kids -- plus, most of the pieces are dishwasher safe.
Also: I can't stop talking about the Ninja Creami Swirl - and it's on sale at Amazon right now
- Current price: $332 (24% off)
- Original price: $435
Le Creuset is a classic kitchen brand for a reason. I've been using this Dutch oven for years, and it still looks new. I use it for everything from baked pasta dishes to slow-cooked meat, and the enameled cast iron distributes heat and cooks beautifully. This is one of the rare kitchen items that I do believe will last long enough to be passed down to the next generation.
- Current price: $17 (15% off)
- Original price: $20
You may think you've juiced a lemon or lime efficiently before, but the Fluicer will prove you wrong. This little gadget truly gets every drop of juice out, and, as a bonus, lies flat in your kitchen drawer. Originally recommended to me by my colleague David Watsky over at CNET, it's the best juicer I've ever used, by far -- and I've heard the same thing from everyone else who's tried it.
FAQs
When is Amazon's Spring Sale?
Amazon's annual Big Spring Sale event runs March 25-31, 2026.
When does Amazon's Spring Sale end?
The spring sale ends at 11:59 p.m. PDT on March 31.
Facts Only
ZDNET's recommendations are based on testing, research, and customer reviews.
The editorial team follows strict guidelines to prevent advertiser influence.
Affiliate commissions may be earned from retailer links but do not affect content or pricing.
Amazon's Big Spring Sale runs from March 25 to March 31, 2026.
Five kitchen products are highlighted: Breville air fryer toaster oven, De'Longhi Rivelia espresso machine, Ninja Creami Swirl soft-serve maker, Le Creuset Dutch oven, and Fluicer citrus juicer.
The Breville air fryer toaster oven has 13 cooking functions and is Amazon's bestselling convection oven.
The De'Longhi Rivelia makes various coffee drinks and is praised for its user interface.
The Ninja Creami Swirl allows customization of frozen desserts and is dishwasher-safe.
The Le Creuset Dutch oven is described as durable and versatile.
The Fluicer is a compact citrus juicer recommended for efficiency.
The sale ends at 11:59 p.m. PDT on March 31, 2026.
ZDNET encourages reporting inaccuracies via a provided form.
Executive Summary
ZDNET's "ZDNET Recommends" label signifies product endorsements derived from extensive testing, research, and customer feedback. The editorial team emphasizes independence, with recommendations unaffected by affiliate commissions or advertiser influence. The article highlights five premium kitchen appliances currently discounted during Amazon's Big Spring Sale (March 25-31, 2026), including a Breville air fryer toaster oven, a De'Longhi espresso machine, a Ninja soft-serve maker, a Le Creuset Dutch oven, and a Fluicer citrus juicer. Each product is praised for its functionality, durability, and value, with personal anecdotes reinforcing their utility. ZDNET's model relies on affiliate revenue to support operations but maintains strict editorial guidelines to prevent bias. The piece also includes FAQs about the sale's timing and concludes with a call to report inaccuracies, underscoring a commitment to factual integrity.
The recommendations blend objective testing with subjective user experience, presenting a mix of high-end and niche kitchen tools. While the discounts are framed as opportunities for cost savings, the focus remains on long-term value and performance. The inclusion of affiliate links is transparently disclosed, aligning with ethical journalism practices.
Full Take
This piece exemplifies a common media model where editorial independence is asserted alongside affiliate revenue—a structure that, while transparent, inherently creates tension between objectivity and commercial incentives. The strongest version of this narrative is its emphasis on rigorous testing and user-centric recommendations, which aligns with ZDNET's stated mission of empowering readers. The personal anecdotes add relatability, reinforcing trust in the endorsements.
However, the pattern of blending journalistic authority with consumerism warrants scrutiny. The article employs **ARC-0024 Ambiguity** by framing affiliate links as harmless ("does not affect what we cover") while benefiting financially from reader purchases. This isn't necessarily deceptive, but it relies on the reader's trust in the editorial process. The focus on "splurge" items during a sale also taps into **ARC-0040 Scarcity Urgency**, leveraging time-limited discounts to prompt action—a classic retail tactic, though not inherently manipulative here.
Root cause: The paradigm assumes that consumer empowerment equals access to curated, "expert-approved" products, which may overlook broader questions about necessity or overconsumption. The unstated assumption is that upgrading kitchen tech is universally beneficial, ignoring socioeconomic disparities in who can afford such splurges.
Implications: Readers gain agency through informed purchasing but may also internalize a narrative that equates happiness with premium goods. The second-order effect is normalization of affiliate-driven journalism, where trust is monetized subtly.
Bridge questions: How might ZDNET's recommendations differ if they weren't tied to affiliate revenue? What perspectives on kitchen essentials are missing from this high-end focus? Would the same products be endorsed if tested by users with different budgets or needs?
Counterstrike scan: A bad actor pushing this narrative would exaggerate the "limited-time" urgency, obscure affiliate ties, and amplify emotional appeals ("you deserve this"). This article avoids those pitfalls by disclosing affiliations and grounding claims in testing. No structural alignment with manipulation playbooks is detected.
Patterns detected: ARC-0024 Ambiguity (affiliate disclosure framing), ARC-0040 Scarcity Urgency (sale timing emphasis)