Regular readers know I love to cook and to find deals on new (as well as familiar) cooking gear. If you ever have craved a KitchenAid stand mixer but found the price prohibitive, read on.
Looking to expand my culinary repertoire, I realized that I needed a stand mixer. KitchenAid is the traditional go-to, but I was having trouble pulling the trigger on the $449.99 price of the Artisan Series 5-Quart Tilt-Head model I wanted.
Browsing through the KitchenAid website, I saw the "Certified Refurbished" section. The mixer I wanted was available refurbished for $299.99, with certain colors (for example, Empire Red) on sale for $209.99. I added the refurbished Empire Red mixer to my cart and pondered the purchase a few minutes more.
When I first visited the KitchenAid website, I signed up to receive emails in exchange for a coupon good for 15% off my first order. I thought the code was unlikely to work with a refurbished product that already was over 50% off, but I gave it a try anyway. It worked! The $209.99 mixer was reduced another $31.49, for a total savings of almost 60%.
I realize that some people are reluctant to buy refurbished products, but I've had good luck with them in the past. Part of that is based on choosing reliable sources. I found it reassuring that my mixer was coming directly from KitchenAid.
Several countertop products (including hand mixers, blenders and electric kettles) are available through the Certified Refurbished program, although the exact stock changes regularly. A few days after I placed my order, the Empire Red mixer was sold out, but there still were a few others available for $209 before the coupon.
If you're interested in getting a refurbished product, I suggest browsing the offerings every few days. If you see something you like that is out of stock, you can sign up to be notified when it is available again. It's probably not a bad idea to sign up for few different models and colors to improve your chances. Even the regular $299 refurbished price less 15% is a great deal. To learn more, visit kitchenaid.com, then click on the "Products" tab to see the "Certified Refurbished" link.
A matter of timing
Q: You recommended the dialogue-enhancing ZVOX AV355 soundbar, which at the time your column ran was on sale with the coupon code SAVE70 for $129, down from $299. But that deal ended before I could act. Is there any way I still can get it?
