Quick answer
The best Black Friday buy for most cake decorators is a stand mixer, and the KitchenAid Artisan 5 quart is the one to watch. Decide how much cake you really make first, then watch the sale for the mixer, an airbrush kit, a pan set or a heavy turntable.
KitchenAid Artisan 5 Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer (KSM150PS)
A published 9 cup flour capacity covers a two layer cake and its buttercream in one bowl, and the ten speeds run down to a true stir for powdered sugar. It is the big-ticket item sale shoppers watch most, and it takes the same attachments as every other KitchenAid.
Best for: the buy-once home mixer for cakes and buttercream
Check price on AmazonSale week is a good time to buy cake decorating equipment and an easy time to buy the wrong size. The big-ticket items are the ones worth watching: stand mixers, airbrush kits, anodized pan sets and a heavy turntable. This page lists what to look at in each category and what to check before you click. Each name links to Amazon, where you can see the current price.
What is worth buying on Black Friday
Eight picks across the categories below, from budget to premium.
- Budget: Hamilton Beach 4 quart stand mixer, a first mixer for a cake a few times a year.
- Budget: Kootek 12 inch turntable, a light turntable for learning to frost.
- Budget: Watson and Webb airbrush kit, a starter kit for color and finish.
- Mid-range: KitchenAid Artisan 5 quart, the buy-once tilt-head mixer.
- Mid-range: Fat Daddio's 3-tier pan set, anodized pans for a stacked cake.
- Mid-range: Ateco cast iron turntable, the upgrade that smooths a frosted side.
- Premium: KitchenAid 7 quart bowl-lift, built for tiers and large batches.
- Premium: U.S. Cake Supply 12 color airbrush kit, a complete kit for finishing.
Which stand mixer is worth watching on Black Friday?
The stand mixer is the single most searched item in sale week, and the one where the wrong size costs the most. A tilt-head mixer is easier to use and fits under most cabinets. A bowl-lift mixer holds a heavier load and suits tiered cakes, meringue and anyone selling from home. Bowl capacity matters more than watts: a 4.5 or 5 quart bowl handles a two layer cake, while stacked tiers want 6 quarts and up.
The KitchenAid Classic is the least expensive KitchenAid, the Artisan 5 quart is the all-rounder, and the KitchenAid 5.5-Qt Bowl-Lift and KitchenAid 7 Quart Bowl-Lift are the tier-ready options. The Bosch Universal Plus is the strong dough mixer, and the Hamilton Beach die-cast and 4 quart are the value picks. Read best stand mixers for cake decorating, tilt-head vs bowl-lift and the KitchenAid Artisan review.
| Model | Head | Bowl (qt) | Published flour (cups) |
|---|---|---|---|
| KitchenAid Classic (K45SS) | Tilt | 4.5 | 8 |
| KitchenAid Artisan (KSM150PS) | Tilt | 5 | 9 |
| KitchenAid 5.5 Qt Bowl-Lift (KSM55) | Bowl-lift | 5.5 | Not published |
| KitchenAid 7 Qt Bowl-Lift (KSM70SKXX) | Bowl-lift | 7 | 14 |
Hamilton Beach 4 Quart Stand Mixer, 7 Speeds
Under $100The cheapest entry that still has a bowl and a paddle rather than a hand mixer on a stand, sized for a single 8 inch layer cake at a time.
Best for: a first mixer for occasional cakes
Check price on AmazonAmazon prices move often, so check before you buy.
KitchenAid Artisan 5 Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer (KSM150PS)
Under $500The default decorating mixer: 10 speeds down to a stir that folds rather than throws, a 5 quart bowl rated for 9 cups of flour, and the tilt head that makes scraping a buttercream bowl quick.
Best for: the buy-once everyday mixer
Check price on AmazonAmazon prices move often, so check before you buy.
KitchenAid 5.5 Quart Bowl-Lift Stand Mixer (KSM55)
Under $500A bowl-lift frame in a 5.5 quart size, which matters for meringue and Swiss buttercream because the bowl cannot rock on the hinge while the whisk is running at speed.
Best for: heavier batter and meringue
Check price on AmazonAmazon prices move often, so check before you buy.
KitchenAid 7 Quart Bowl-Lift Stand Mixer (KSM70SKXX)
Under $1,000A published 14 cup flour capacity, which is the point at which a 14 inch tier and its buttercream both fit in one bowl instead of two batches.
Best for: tiered cakes and selling from home
Check price on AmazonAmazon prices move often, so check before you buy.
Black Friday airbrush kit deals
An airbrush gives a smooth gradient and an even color that a brush cannot, and it is the finishing tool decorators most often buy in a sale. Look for a compressor that holds steady pressure and a kit that includes food-safe colors. Clean the airbrush after every session, because dried color is the main reason they stop working. See best airbrush kits for cakes and the U.S. Cake Supply kit review.
The Watson and Webb 17 piece kit is the starter, and the U.S. Cake Supply 12 color kit adds a full set of colors.
Watson and Webb 17 Piece Cake Airbrush Decorating Kit
Under $100A cheaper complete kit with the compressor included, which is the part that decides whether an airbrush is usable, not the gun.
Best for: trying airbrushing without a professional outlay
Check price on AmazonAmazon prices move often, so check before you buy.
U.S. Cake Supply Complete Cake Airbrush 12 Color Decorating Kit
Under $250A compressor and a cake-specific colour set together, from a supplier that sells to the cake trade, rather than a hobby airbrush with food colour added as an afterthought.
Best for: airbrushed shading and ombre
Check price on AmazonAmazon prices move often, so check before you buy.
Black Friday cake pan deals
Good pans are bought once and last for decades. Anodized aluminum bakes evenly and does not react with batter, and 3 inch deep pans give the height that tall layer cakes want. Buy the sizes you bake most, and use the cake servings calculator to choose a stack before you buy. See anodized aluminum vs nonstick and 2 inch vs 3 inch deep pans.
The Fat Daddio's 8 inch round is the single pan to start with, the 3-tier set covers a stacked cake, and the Nordic Ware half sheet handles sheet cakes and everything else.
Fat Daddio's Anodized Aluminum Round Cake Pan, 8 x 3 in
Under $25Straight anodized aluminum sides with no coating to scratch, 3 inches deep so a tall tier bakes in one layer rather than two, and a sharp corner that gives a square edge to frost against.
Best for: tall single-bake tiers
Check price on AmazonAmazon prices move often, so check before you buy.
Fat Daddio's Anodized Aluminum 3-Tiered Round Cake Pan Set, 3 in Deep, 4, 6 and 8 in
Under $50A 4, 6 and 8 inch ladder at 3 inches deep, which is a complete small tiered cake in one purchase and the sizes that a first stacked cake should use.
Best for: a first three tier cake
Check price on AmazonAmazon prices move often, so check before you buy.
Nordic Ware Naturals Half Sheet Pan
Under $50The commercial aluminum half sheet that everything else in a kitchen is sized against: cooling racks, silicone mats and parchment all come cut to it.
Best for: the pan every other accessory is sized to
Check price on AmazonAmazon prices move often, so check before you buy.
Black Friday cake stand and turntable deals
These are two different tools. A turntable is a working tool, and a heavy base keeps it spinning smoothly under a loaded scraper. A cake stand is for serving, and a glass stand with a dome also stores a cake for a day or two. Buy a turntable for the bench and a stand for the table. See best cake stands and the Ateco turntable review.
The Ateco cast iron turntable is the work-bench pick, the Fat Daddio's TT-123B and Kootek 12 inch are lighter, and the Libbey Selene stand with dome and Fitz and Floyd beaded stand are for serving.
Ateco Revolving Cake Decorating Stand, Aluminum Turntable with Cast Iron Base
Under $100The cast iron base is the whole point: a heavy turntable keeps spinning at a steady speed while you hold a scraper still, which is what produces a smooth side.
Best for: smooth buttercream sides
Check price on AmazonAmazon prices move often, so check before you buy.
Fat Daddio's TT-123B Revolving Cake Stand
Under $25A professional-line plastic turntable that spins true, from a maker whose pans you are probably already using, and light enough to move between bench and fridge.
Best for: decorating in a small kitchen
Check price on AmazonAmazon prices move often, so check before you buy.
Libbey Selene Glass Cake Stand with Dome Lid
Under $100The dome is the functional part: a buttercream cake left uncovered goes crusty on the surface within hours, and a dome buys you a day.
Best for: serving and keeping a cake in one piece of glassware
Check price on AmazonAmazon prices move often, so check before you buy.
Fitz and Floyd Beaded Glass Cake Stand, 10.75 in
Under $50A 10.75 inch plate takes a 10 inch cake with a margin, which is the size most pedestal stands are not, since many are sized for a 9 inch and overhang.
Best for: presenting a 10 inch cake
Check price on AmazonAmazon prices move often, so check before you buy.
Is Black Friday a good time to buy a stand mixer?
It can be. Stand mixers and premium bakeware are the kind of big-ticket gear sale shoppers tend to watch, and last year's colors and models are where deals most often show up. Check the current price on the product page. A sale is not a reason to buy a bigger mixer than your cakes need, so work out the batter volume with the batter volume calculator first, then shop for the size you have already chosen.
Shop Amazon's Black Friday deals
Amazon's deals page shows what is live right now. These searches jump straight to each category.
Questions people ask
- Is Black Friday a good time to buy a stand mixer?
- It can be. Stand mixers are one of the big-ticket kitchen items sale shoppers tend to watch, and last year's colors are where deals most often show up. Check the current price on the product page, and pick the bowl size for the cakes you really bake before you chase a discount.
- When does Black Friday start on Amazon?
- Amazon usually runs its Black Friday event over the week of Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday, and some early deals appear before that. Open the deals page to see what is live right now, and check the current price on the product page before you buy.
- Should I wait for Cyber Monday to buy a KitchenAid mixer?
- Not necessarily. Deals tend to run across the whole week, and popular colors can sell out. If you have already chosen the model, buy when you find it at a price you are comfortable with.
- Are KitchenAid mixers cheaper on Black Friday?
- Some models may be, but deals depend on the model, color and seller. Compare bowl capacity, head style and the included attachments rather than the headline reduction, because a smaller mixer on sale is still the wrong mixer for tiered cakes.
- What size stand mixer do I need for cake decorating?
- A 4.5 to 5 quart tilt-head handles a two layer cake and its buttercream. Tiered cakes, meringue in volume and selling from home call for a 6 quart or larger bowl-lift mixer.
- Do I need an airbrush to decorate cakes?
- No. Many decorators never use one. An airbrush is a finishing tool for smooth gradients and even color, and it is worth buying once you are comfortable with buttercream and fondant.
Related pages
How this page was put together
Researched from pan geometry, published manufacturer capacities, published serving conventions and university extension guidance. Not hands-on testing, and not professional advice.
Figures are labelled as derived, published or trade convention. Where no honest figure exists, the page says so rather than filling the gap.
