Best Amazon Black Friday Doorbusters and Deals 2018

For Black Friday shoppers who'd rather skip the in-store crowds, Amazon will be a go-to during the Black Friday shopping weekend. The e-commerce site has already started posting early Black Friday deals, but serious bargain hunters are patiently waiting for their Black Friday lightning deals (Amazon's spin on doorbuster deals) to launch. It's where shoppers can score huge discounts on everything from electronics to home goods to toys. Keep in mind that these deals will be available for a limited time with new discounts posted every five minutes. Expect for the best deals to sell out fast, so you won't have time to let items linger in your shopping cart if you really want them.

Amazon Prime members, who pay a $119 annual membership fee for Prime, got first dibs on many Amazon device deals when using Alexa to shop. This started on November 17 at 9 p.m. PT (November 18 at midnight ET) through November 21 at 9 p.m. PT (November 22 at midnight ET). Black Friday proper falls on November 23.

Another bonus: Amazon is offering free standard shipping on all orders with no minimum purchase amount (and, no, you don't have to be a Prime member to take advantage). Most items will ship within five to eight business days and be at your doorstep in time for holiday gift-giving.

If you're mapping out a shopping strategy now so you don't miss out on any must-have deals, we've got you covered. We asked several shopping experts -- RetailMeNot.com's shopping and trends expert Sara Skirboll, Hot Shopping Tips podcast host Lisa Lee Freeman, CardRates.com's credit strategist Brittney Mayer and Cheapism.com staff writer Saundra Latham -- to weigh in on which hot-ticket items will have the deepest discounts this year on Amazon. Here's what they had to say.

Electronics

BeatsX Headphones. Electronics accessory items are a smart buy from Amazon on Black Friday, RetailMeNot's Skirboll says. If you're on the market for a quality pair of headphones at an affordable price, check out their Beats by Dre selection, she recommends. The brand's BeatsX wireless in-ear headphones will be on sale for $50 (marked down from the current $120), Skirboll adds.

We recommend purchasing Beats by Dre headphones that are sold by and shipped from Amazon. This will help ensure you're purchasing an authentic product. You run the risk of receiving counterfeit headphones if you buy them from a third-party seller on Amazon's Marketplace. (See 7 Signs You're Buying a Counterfeit Product for more.)

Echo Dot. If you've been waiting for Amazon's voice-controlled bluetooth speaker to go on sale, smart move. The Black Friday shopping weekend is the ideal time to stock up on Amazon-branded products including the Echo Dot, Hot Shopping Tips's Freeman says. The speaker is compatible with their popular virtual assistant Alexa and allows users to make calls, send messages, stream music (via Pandora, Sirius XM and Spotify), set reminder alarms, check the weather, get the news, plus more.

There are a couple of different models that will be on sale for half-off, Freeman notes. The second-generation version (originally $40) will be a steal at $20. The third-generation Echo Dot is the latest model and currently sells for $50. Shoppers will need to be glued to their laptops to snag it at the Black Friday sale price of $24 before it sells out.

Fire TV products. Holiday shoppers will be able to buy Amazon's Fire TV products from other retailers on Black Friday. However, those retailers won't be able to beat Amazon's discounts on its own products, CardRates.com's Mayer notes. "[The e-commerce giant] can control the best pricing on these products for a limited time versus other retailers."

Expect prices on Amazon's Fire TV Stick ($40) and Fire TV Cube ($120) to be marked down between 15% to 25% off, Mayer notes . The biggest discounts will be applied to previous generation models that don't have 4K streaming capabilities, she adds.

Kindle Paperwhite. With competition from other brands offering similar products with exclusive features, such as Kora's Aura One, Amazon will be dropping prices on its popular e-reader, RetailMeNot's Skirboll says. Last year, Amazon's Kindle Paperwhite went on sale a few days ahead of the official Black Friday sale launch. It was priced at $90, marked down from $120. That's 25% off. Expect a similar rollout and discount offer with the latest Kindle Paperwhite model (10th generation). It's regularly priced at $130 (so at 25% off, it would cost you about $98) and comes with upgraded features including more storage space (8GB vs. 4GB ), longer battery life and waterproof protection (lasts up to one hour in two meters of fresh water).

Small Appliances

InstantPot Duo 8-Quart Programmable Pressure Cooker. Expect Amazon's prices on popular small appliances to match that of big-box retailers on Black Friday, Cheapism.com's Latham says. The InstantPot Duo 8-Quart Programmable Pressure Cooker, which currently retails for $100, should be on sale for about $60 in order to compete with Walmart's, Target's and Kohl's deals on the same item, she notes. That's 40% off the current price.

KitchenAid Classic Plus Series 4.5-Quart Tilt Head Stand Mixer. If you have a foodie who likes to cook on your holiday gift list, KitchenAid stand mixers are always a good idea. While there will be several models on sale at various price points, KitchenAid's Classic Plus Series 4.5-Quart mixer is one of the more affordable versions, Latham says. Originally priced above $300, Amazon's Black Friday deal price should be between $180 to $190 -- or about 40% off.

Toys

LEGO Building Block Sets. With discounts on in-demand toys such as LEGO building block sets ranging from 30% to 50% off, parents looking to score toy deals should peruse Amazon first before braving the crowds at brick-and-mortar storefronts, CardRates.com's Mayer recommends. The LEGO DUPLO Steam Train set is a must-have for pre-schoolers this holiday season, according to TheToyInsider.com's 2018 Holiday Gift Guide. The set is currently priced at $48 on Amazon. Shoppers can expect the Black Friday sale price to drop to about $33.

Nerf Foam Blaster Toys. Mayer mentions Nerf as another coveted toy brand holiday shoppers will be clamoring for. The brand's Nitro Double Clutch Inferno set is a top pick this season having been named one of the best holiday toys for kids age 5 and over by Parents magazine. It retails for $40, but Amazon's Black Friday sale price will likely be around $28. Another popular Nerf toy is the Laser Ops Pro Alphapoint 2-Pack Laser Tag set, which is recommended for children ages 8 and up and lists for $45. Amazon has dubbed it a must-have for the holidays including it on Amazon's Top 100 Toys list. The holiday sale price should be around $25.