A Black Friday Survival Guide For The Home Cook

For Deckard, Kohl's was the needle in the haystack of Black Friday kitchen goods last year. Sign up online for email newsletters to let you in on what the sales will be in advance, and be on the lookout for the exclusive mail-in-rebate. "Last year, many smaller appliances were priced at just $10 after the rebate," says Deckard.

Macy's was on Deckard's hit list from last year, as well. Just be aware of limited-quantity products — it might be a good idea to call stores in advance to ask how many items of the product you're interested in they'll have in-store on Black Friday. "Last year Macy's had a KitchenAid Stand Mixer priced at $179.99 (normally $350 and above) after the rebate," said Deckard. "But it was a doorbuster item, and in limited quantity, so it enticed shoppers to get in the store early and buy."

If visions of big-ticket kitchen items dance through your head, Sears is a great place to start your Black Friday shopping. Consider last year's deals of 20 percent off Kenmore appliances and free delivery on appliances of $500 or more. Consumers who shopped at Sears last year could have saved more than $500 on refrigerators, $50 on microwaves, and $570 on dishwashers. Again, check flyers and sign up for newsletters and Twitter updates for this year's sales.

Never one to be outdone, Home Depot hopped on the discount bandwagon last year, offering up to 40 percent off select appliances like refrigerators, ranges, and dishwashers.

If Home Depot and Sears aren't on your Black Friday route this year, fear not — you can get many of the same deals on big-ticket kitchen items like fridges, microwaves, and ranges over at Lowe's.

"Penney's always has great deals, especially on small kitchen appliances," says Woroch. "Your choice: $8 for any cooks small kitchen electric, items which typically run anywhere from $22 to $30, including slow cookers, coffeemakers, griddles, blenders, toasters, waffle makers, toaster ovens, and hand mixers." And the best part, says Woroch, is that there are no mail-in rebates to worry about — the savings are instant.

With their already low prices, Walmart tends to outdo itself on Black Friday. Last year most name-brand small appliances went for $9.44 or less.

Check out BB&B for the possibility of 20 percent off your entire order with their coupon. Just keep in mind — to receive this offer last year, you had to be in the store and have picked up the coupon by 10 a.m.

Kmart was another retailer to offer 20 percent off last year, but it was 20 percent off anything in the store, including dining sets, small appliances, and dishware. 

Heading out to the stores can be fun and energizing (if you're into that!), but don't forget to shop online. Sites like Overstock, Amazon, and even your favorite department store online sites have been known to offer massive discounts that you can order right from the comfort of your own home. Just remember to do some research ahead of time to find out what's being offered — it'd be a shame to wake up Friday morning and try to order that new blender from Macys.com, only to find out the offer only works for in-store purchases.