This story is part of Amazon Prime Day, CNET's guide to everything you need to know and how to find the best deals.

Short answer: It depends. Some coveted small appliances may see near-all-time low prices, while other Prime Day deals are simply smoke and mirrors. This guide should help you to be a smarter shopper during the sprawling two-day sale that starts July 12.

If you're looking to score an excellent upgrade on home essentials, you might be wondering how good the Amazon Prime Day deals are for blenders, vacuums, coffee makers, air fryers, cookware and other home and kitchen classics. The answer is complicated since Prime Day deals vary from year to year but there are always small kitchen appliance deals that reach all-time lows (or very close to all-time lows) and are worth a gander for aspiring home chefs. (You can also check out the best early Prime Day deals now.) 

Read more: Should You Buy a New TV on Amazon Prime Day?

Best Prime Day kitchen and home deals to look for

This all depends on what you need for your own home and kitchen, of course, but I always look for those high-end kitchen and home brands on Prime Day to score the best discounts. Pricey Vitamix blenders, for instance, often go on sale on Prime Day -- both refurbished and new models. There are typically limited supplies so I'd suggest bagging one as soon as you see it if you're hoping to score one. Other blenders CNET loves, including the top-rated models from Ninja and Breville, will also likely see price drops during the sale.

The KitchenAid stand mixer is one cult-favorite appliance that's been in relatively short supply in 2022 thanks to supply-chain woes, and thus there have been very few sales or deals this year. We're hoping to see the stalwart baking and cooking companion on sale for Prime Day and will be watching closely for KitchenAid deals. 

Trendy air fryers, countertop ovens and toasters are also likely to drop in price for Prime Day. With so many air fryer models and brands to choose from, we've published a helpful guide to help you pick the best air fryer in 2022. We'll be chasing the best Prime Day air fryer deals since it continues to be a highly sought-after kitchen tool. 

Other kitchen gear including chef's knives and cookware can be more of a wait-and-see situation. There are dozens and dozens of cookware brands but not all are created equally or worth your money, even at a deep discount. We'll be watching to see if cookware brands we love like Le Creuset, All-Clad, Calphalon, Zwilling and Misen drop in price versus the budget brands that are already pretty cheap or not recommended. 

Consider what you want beforehand and check back often

Instead of just adding things to your cart at random, consider what you really want or need and be on the lookout for those items on Prime Day. The best deals often hit in the early part of the day and can last as short as a few hours. But more flash deals are always released throughout the day so if you don't see what you're looking for right away, be sure to check back in the afternoon. 

Prime Day deals and price tracking

We use several trusty price-tracking websites to keep an eye on popular home and kitchen essentials throughout the year. We'll be sure to make it clear anytime a popular appliance brand or model either reaches or nears an all-time low price. In short: If it's not a good deal, you won't see it in one of our stories or roundups.

If you don't want to wait for Prime Day to upgrade one of your kitchen or home essentials, we've tested to find the best in nearly every category. We include a budget pick in almost every list we curate. 

Here are some of the best kitchen tools and small appliances to peruse ahead of Prime Day 2022, all reviewed and tested by CNET: