500 gram cake vs 200 gram cake

Last reviewed 2026-10-15.

The gram number on a cake is the weight of the firework composition packed inside, not the weight of the box. More composition means more lift and a bigger break for each shot. A 500 gram cake is the most one consumer box normally carries, and a 200 gram cake is the smaller, cheaper size.

Figures come from the Fireworks Bible catalog and are worked out from the products where a shot count or burn time is recorded. See the types guide for the method.

What you see in the sky

• 200 gram: breaks sit lower and smaller than a 500 gram cake fired beside it, and the whole item is usually over in well under a minute. Good for filling gaps between bigger items.
• 500 gram: the full range of consumer effects, with taller, bigger breaks. It is the size to build a show around, and the largest part of our catalog.
• 350 gram: an in between size that some makers build and others skip. A 500 gram cake covers the same job.

Which should you buy?

• One retailer's buying guide calls 200 gram cakes the budget pick ("a big show on a small budget") and 500 gram cakes the premium buy, often in the $100 to $300 range.
• Shot count alone says little. Read shots and running time together, then read the effect description.
• Two cakes with the same shots and seconds can still look different, because a fan spreads the sky and a straight cake stacks it.
• Anything heavier than a 500 gram cake on the shelf is usually two or more cakes fused into one carton, sold as a finale or compound cake.

Compare sizes and prices store by store in the guide, and see how long each piece runs in planning a show.