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Retailers have already kicked off sales for Labor Day weekend, with promotions on major appliances popping up this week.
Whether you’re remodeling your laundry room, your fridge is on the fritz, or you're looking to upgrade an appliance that’s seen better days, you’ll find hundreds of markdowns advertised at home centers, home-goods stores, and independent retailers.
The thing is, a deal is only a deal if the product in question aces its job.
So we set out to compare the advertised sales with our comprehensive ratings for refrigerators, washing machines, vacuums, dishwashers, and various countertop appliances.
The discounts vary. We found dishwashers up to 40 percent off, and the only time of year we see steeper discounts in that category is around Black Friday. The same goes for most major appliances.
As you shop, keep in mind that most major retailers will match a competitor's advertised prices.
Read on for our analysis of the deals for all major appliances, plus countertop appliances, OTR microwaves, and vacuums. Or skip straight to the appliance you're looking to purchase this weekend. For each category, the appliances are listed in alphabetical order.
• Countertop Appliances
• Dishwashers
• Refrigerators
• Vacuums
• Washing Machines
Use this guide as you shop. Or if you're considering buying an appliance that's not included here, be sure to cross-check the models with our full appliance ratings to see how they compare with the competition in terms of performance and price.
Best Dishwasher Sales
These highly rated dishwashers are now 30 to 40 percent off the list price. If you're looking for one of the Bosch or Thermador washers that top our dishwasher ratings, Lowe's, Home Depot, and Best Buy are offering discounts on these two brands, but only 10 percent off. Bosch and Thermador generally don’t cut prices more than that, though, so you’re unlikely to find a better deal there.
Kenmore 14543
The deal: $612 at Sears
Savings: $438
This Kenmore is one of the best performers among budget dishwashers and earns an Excellent rating for washing. It features an adjustable upper rack, stainless steel interior, and a hidden control panel. It comes up short on silverware space, though there’s a third rack you can use for overflow utensils. You also have to clean the filter yourself; some dishwashers have self-cleaning filters. We’ve seen this model priced better during Black Friday and July Fourth, but only slightly.
Kenmore 14573
The deal: $612 at Sears
Savings: $438
This budget dishwasher is also a top performer. It’s quiet, and like the Kenmore above, its filter must be cleaned manually. This model has an adjustable upper rack and a third rack for extra utensils, as well as a stainless steel interior and hidden controls for a sleek look.
KitchenAid KDTM354DSS
The deal: $698 to $699 at Home Depot, Lowe’s, Best Buy
Savings: Up to $452
KitchenAid dishwashers generally rank above average in CR's ratings, and this CR Recommended KitchenAid outperforms the brand's more expensive dishwashers. While the normal wash time clocks in at a long 125 minutes, that’s still faster than most of its competitors. This is the best Labor Day deal for dishwashers on our list.
KitchenAid KDTM404ESS
The deal: $997 at Home Depot
Savings: $402
This KitchenAid dishwasher is a very strong performer among relatively expensive models. It also has one of the shortest normal wash cycles in its class: 110 minutes. On the other hand, its drying ability is middling, which means you might deal with plastics that aren't bone dry. Features include an adjustable upper rack, a self-cleaning filter, stainless steel interior, hidden controls, and a third rack.
Maytag MDB4949SHZ
The deal: $498 to $499 at Home Depot, Lowe’s
Savings: Up to $251
This newer Maytag model is among the best at drying. It’s relatively quiet, too. This model has a self-cleaning filter and stainless steel interior.
Whirlpool WDF520PADM
The deal: $378 to $380 at Home Depot, Best Buy
Savings: Up to $200
This CR Recommended Whirlpool is a top performer, earning an Excellent in CR's test for washing. Plus, CR members give Whirlpool dishwashers top marks for reliability based on data from our annual survey.
Whirlpool WDT730PAHZ
The deal: $478 to $480 at Home Depot, Lowe’s, Best Buy
Savings: Up to $221
This Whirpool earns a Very Good rating in CR's tests for washing. Plus, according to our survey, Whirlpool dishwashers get top marks for reliability. This model has top-panel controls, which means buttons remain out of sight for a clean look. The upper rack is adjustable to fit tall bottles, and the bottom rack has adjustable tines so you can toss in even the most oddly sized pots.
Best Refrigerator Sales
Labor Day weekend is a terrific time to buy a new refrigerator, with discounts upward of 40 percent being offered by retailers. Most deals are on French-door models, but we managed to find good buys in every fridge configuration. Here are five of the best refrigerators deals we found at major appliance stores. For even more options, see the full list in our article on the best Labor Day weekend refrigerator deals.
Frigidaire FFTR1821TD
The deal: $698 at Home Depot
Savings: $201
Budget-conscious shoppers looking for a dependable top-freezer should consider the Frigidaire FFTR1821TD. In our latest member survey, Frigidaire top-freezers rate Excellent for predicted reliability. Even without the $200 off, this model is already a CR Best Buy thanks to its combination of performance and value.
GE GNE27JSMSS
The deal: $1,292 at AJ Madison
Savings: $681
This GE French-door is going for a few hundred dollars below its average sale price. It does fairly well in our performance tests, but note that GE French-doors earn just a Fair rating for reliability in our member surveys. This model doesn’t have a through-the-door water/ice dispenser, but it does come with an internal water dispenser, an icemaker, and a full-width deli drawer.
Haier HRQ16N3BGS
The deal: $1,099 at Lowe’s
Savings: $500
This Haier is one of the most affordable four-door French-doors on the market, and you can get it for about one-third off its list price. It doesn’t offer much in terms of features, just a stainless steel finish and digital controls, but its performance is solid. Our testers give it strong ratings across the board, with the exception of ease of use, where it earns a Fair.
Kenmore 69313
The deal: $900 at Sears
Savings: $500
It’s rare to find a bottom-freezer that costs less than $1,000, which makes this Kenmore 69313 a steal. It rates Excellent for temperature uniformity and receives a CR Best Buy designation thanks to its combination of stellar performance and value. You’ll get a stainless steel finish, an icemaker, and digital controls, all of which are hard to find in the sub-$1,000 range of refrigerators.
Whirlpool WRS325SDHZ
The deal: $1,094 at AJ Madison
Savings: $405
At just under $1,100, this Whirlpool side-by-side is a worthy contender for your kitchen. It does fairly well in our performance tests and nets a rating of Excellent for temperature uniformity. When you add in a stainless steel finish and through-the-door water/ice dispenser, this fridge becomes a great choice, especially for cost-conscious shoppers.
Best Vacuum Sales
If you prefer an upright vacuum to a canister or stick vacuum, now is a good weekend to find a deal because sales on uprights are being offered at a number of retailers. We also found vacuum prices slashed on some high-end canisters, stick, and robotic vacuums from Dyson, Kenmore, Miele, Samsung, and Shark, among others. For even more options, see the full list in our article on the best Labor Day vacuum deals.
Bobsweep Pethair robotic vacuum
The deal: $189 at Walmart
Savings: $85
Looking for an inexpensive robotic vacuum? The Bobsweep Pethair is a good choice. It’s not as smart as some robotics—our testers note that it sometimes gets stuck under furniture and rolls over its charging station—but it has a big dust bin and is terrific at picking up pet hair.
Dyson Ball Animal 2 upright vacuum
The deal: $399 at Walmart, Bed Bath & Beyond, and Macy’s
Savings: $100
The 17-pound Dyson Ball Animal 2 earns an Excellent rating for removing pet hair—good thing, considering its name. It’s also a beast on bare floors and almost as good on carpet. This vacuum won’t spew debris back into the room, although emptying the bin can stir up some dust. It comes with attachments that help you get into tight spaces.
Dyson Ball Multi Floor 2 upright vacuum
The deal: $299 at Walmart, Bed Bath & Beyond, and Macy’s
Savings: $100
The Dyson Ball Multi Floor 2 is aces at cleaning bare floors and picking up pet hair. At 16 pounds it’s easy to maneuver around a room, although it’s noisier than some vacuums. It comes with some handy attachments, including an upholstery brush and a crevice tool. It’s a bagless design, so emptying the bin can be a bit messy.
Kenmore Pet Friendly CrossOver 31220 upright vacuum
The deal: $205 at Amazon
Savings: $45
At 18 pounds, the bagless Kenmore Pet Friendly Crossover 31220 is about average weight for an upright. In our tests, bare-floor cleaning was top-notch and, true to its name, it earns an Excellent rating at picking up piles of cat fur. It falls short of our top marks for carpet cleaning, but still earns an impressive Very Good rating. And unlike some bagless models, it excels at retaining the debris it picks up. One caveat: This Kenmore is noisy.
Miele Blizzard CX1 Cat & Dog canister vacuum
The deal: $500 at Wayfair
Savings: $200
The Miele Blizzard CX1 Cat & Dog canister is usually on the pricey side, so at almost 30 percent off this is a generous discount. And it's one of the best bagless canisters you can buy. It earns an Excellent rating on our bare floors and pet-hair tests. But it's not so great when it comes to cleaning carpet. This vacuum also performs well in our emissions testing, meaning it doesn’t release debris back into the air.
Samsung POWERbot R7040 robotic vacuum
The deal: $349 at Amazon, Home Depot, and Best Buy
Savings: $150
A top robotic vacuum in our ratings, the Samsung Powerbot R7040 packs a punch with how well it cleans both carpet and bare floors. It earns an Excellent rating in our evaluation for ease of use, meaning this vacuum is fairly simple to program and maintain. It comes with a remote control.
Shark DuoClean Powered Lift-Away NV831 upright vacuum
The deal: $299 at JCPenney
Savings: $300
At 50 percent off, the Shark DuoClean Powered Lift-Away NV831 is a good choice if you have a mixture of bare floors and carpeting in your home. It’s not the best bet for pet hair, though, earning only a Good on that test. The emissions from this 18-pound model are dust-free.
Shark DuoClean Powered Lift-Away Speed NV800 upright vacuum
The deal: $219 at Amazon and Walmart
Savings: $80
At 15 pounds the bagless Shark DuoClean Powered Lift-Away Speed NV800 is one of the lighter uprights on this list. It earns an Excellent rating for cleaning bare floors and is almost as good at removing pet hair. But cleaning carpet is a challenge, so it’s not the best choice for homes with rugs. Emissions are clean—no debris is released back into a room—and it handles well. The cord is 30 feet long.
Shark SharkFlex DuoClean Ultra-Light Corded HV391 stick vacuum
The deal: $189 at Amazon
Savings: $111
With a 30-foot cord, you don’t have to worry about the Shark SharkFlex DuoClean Ultra-Light Corded HV391 running out of battery charge like you would with a cordless model. You’re saving about 30 percent and getting a vacuum that aces all our main cleaning tests—carpets, bare floors, and pet hair. And it won’t emit any dust and debris back into the room you just cleaned. It earns an Excellent rating for clean emissions.
Best Washing Machine Sales
Here are seven good deals on washers from CR’s tests. We list the matching dryer if we’ve tested it, in case you’re shopping for a set. See our washer and dryer ratings for more options.
GE GTW465ASNWW agitator top-loader
The deal: $528 at AJ Madison, Best Buy, Home Depot, and Lowe’s
Savings: $127
Like many agitator washers we test, this GE earns a middling Good rating in washing performance, meaning it might have trouble with heavily stained items. Where it really stands out is in speed; it took just 35 minutes in our tests to wash a load, about half the time as some other washers. Claimed capacity is 4.5 cubic feet.
Matching dryer: GE GTD42EASJWW (electric) and GE GTD42GASJWW (gas)
Kenmore 22352 agitator top-loader
The deal: $486 at Sears
Savings: $94
This is the only washer we tested that rates high enough to be recommended, and it goes for less than $500 on sale. Cleaning is on a par with many of the agitator top-loaders, but it uses less water than most in this category, snagging a Very Good rating in this test. Wash time is a brisk 55 minutes. Claimed capacity is 4.2 cubic feet.
LG WM3500CW front-load washer
The deal: $650 at AJ Madison, Best Buy, Home Depot, and Lowe’s
Savings: $50
High-scoring front-loaders usually cost around $900 or more, so this LG at regular price is already a good deal; a $50 discount on top of that makes it a great deal. But this washer clocks in at a rather long 105 minutes using the normal wash/heavy-soil setting. Claimed capacity is 4.5 cubic feet.
Matching dryer: LG DLE3500W (electric) and LG DLG3501W (gas)
LG WT7100CW top-load washer
The deal: $599 at Best Buy, Home Depot, and Lowe’s
Savings: $122
This LG is a CR Best Buy even at its usual price of $720, offering impressive performance. At $599, it’s a great deal and one of the few HE top-loaders that snags an Excellent rating in cleaning. Plus, it’s water- and energy-efficient, meaning it extracts much of the water from clothing, cutting dryer time and saving energy. Wash time is 75 minutes, and claimed capacity is 4.5 cubic feet.
Matching dryer: LG DLE7100W (electric) and LG DLG7101W (gas)
LG WT7600HKA top-load washer
The deal: $798 at AJ Madison, Home Depot, and Lowe’s
Savings: Up to $500
This black stainless HE top-load washer costs less than the white model (LG WT7600HWA in our ratings), which is unusual. Cleaning is impressive, and it’s among the most water-efficient in this category, earning an Excellent rating. Wash time is 75 minutes, and the TurboWash option cuts wash time if you’re in a hurry. In our tests, the faster wash didn't affect cleaning. Washer capacity is 5.2 cu. ft., so you'll be able to wash a king-sized comforter.
Matching dryer: LG DLEX7600KE (electric) and LG DLGX7601KE (gas). Note that we show this dryer in white in our ratings because that's what we tested.
Maytag MHW6630HW front-load washer
The deal: $748 at Best Buy, Home Depot, and Lowe’s
Savings: $152
Maytag front-loaders earn a Very Good rating in predicted reliability based on our member survey. This front-loader aces cleaning but isn't so gentle on fabrics. Wash time is 95 minutes, and claimed capacity is 4.8 cubic feet.
Matching dryer: Maytag MED6630HW (electric) and Maytag MGD6630HW (gas)
Maytag MVWB865GW agitator top-loader
The deal: $698 at AJ Madison, Best Buy, Home Depot, and Lowe’s
Savings: $201
This agitator top-loader earns a middling Good rating for washing performance. But at 5.2 cubic feet, its capacity is impressive, allowing you to do more laundry in one load or wash a king-sized comforter. It also uses less water than most agitators we tested. Wash time is 70 minutes.
Matching dryer: Maytag MEDB835DW (electric) and Maytag MGDB835DW (gas)
Best Countertop Appliance Sales
If you’re in the market for a new blender or food processor, there are some decent deals on some of CR’s top-performers.
Blenders
Midea CyclonBlade High-Speed MBL17HS Blender
The deal: $110 at Home Depot
Savings: $30
With a large 8.5-cup plastic container and 1,400-watt motor, this blender garners an Excellent rating in our purée test. It’ll render roasted vegetables into creamy soup in minutes. A tamper is included to help push ingredients down into the blade, along with two personal-size cups for on-the-go smoothies or small-batch baby food.
Ninja Personal Blender BL480
The deal: $79 at Walmart
Savings: $60
Ninja’s Auto-iQ technology features preprogrammed smoothie settings that deliver consistent results, no guesswork required. This CR Recommended model comes with a 24-oz. blending cup and earns Very Good ratings across the board in our personal blender tests for icy drinks, purées, and ice crushing.
Ninja Smart Screen DUO with FreshVac CT661V Blender
The deal: $160 at Lowe’s
Savings: $10
This CR Best Buy garners an Excellent in our icy drinks test. The 1,100-watt blender comes with a vacuum attachment, which removes oxygen from the jar before blending so your smoothies have less foam and separation. In addition to the extra-large 9-cup container, the set comes with a 20-oz. personal blending cup. You might also see the Ninja Chef High-Speed CT805 on sale for Labor Day, but that model is pricier, noisier, and scores much lower in our tests.
Vitamix Explorian Series E310 Blender
The deal: $300 at Wayfair and Macy’s
Savings: $50
Vitamix’s entry blender aces the purée test and garners a Very Good rating for smoothies—at nearly half the price of the brand’s top-tier models. The high-powered motor can handle grinding nuts into creamy butter and heating up soup you’re blending by using just the friction from the whirling blades. We rarely see discounts on Vitamix blenders, so even 17 percent off is a pretty good deal.
Vitamix S30 Personal Blender
The deal: $300 at Walmart
Savings: $100
The S-series is Vitamix’s space-saving blenders, which provide the same quality blending as their full-sized blenders but with a compact design. It comes with a 5-cup blending jar and a 2.5-cup portable blending cup. The S30 scores Excellent ratings in both our icy drinks and puréeing tests. In addition to Vitamix discounts being rare, we know this series is being phased out, so this may be your last chance to get this top-rated personal blender at any price.
Food Processors and Choppers
Cuisinart Custom 14 DFP-14BCNY Food Processor
The deal: $154 at Wayfair
Savings: $46
This CR Recommended food processor has a huge 14-cup capacity and performs exceptionally well in our tests. It scores an Excellent rating for chopping and Very Good for slicing, shredding, and grating. It also rates Excellent for noise, an uncommon finding among these inherently loud appliances.
Ninja Precision Processor NN310 Food Chopper
The deal: $90 at Walmart
Savings: $10
This CR Recommended food chopper has a 3-cup capacity and two spiralizer attachments for making vegetable noodles. It scores Very Good ratings for chopping, puréeing, and grating. It also comes with a cleaning brush, which comes in handy for stubborn food scraps that get stuck in crevices.
Consumer Reports is an independent, nonprofit organization that works side by side with consumers to create a fairer, safer, and healthier world. CR does not endorse products or services, and does not accept advertising. Copyright © 2019, Consumer Reports, Inc.
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