Paul Hart's promotion chasing Forest exposed vulnerable Stoke as they notched up six goals, Marlon Harewood netting four in the opening half.
Forest came close to exposing the visitors in the opening minutes, a well worked corner taken by Andy Reid found John Thompson who headed inches wide.
The home side did not waste their second corner of the game which was again swung in with pace, and found its way to Harewood who tapped home from three yards out.
Harewood blasted home a second after 24 minutes when he received a cheeky back heel from David Johnson.
The young striker then completed his hat trick in the 27th minute with the best of the three. Most of the credit went to Reid who collected the ball from his own half and crossed to find Harewood who smashed home.
In the dying minutes of the first half Petur Marteinsson handled the ball and saw red, with Harewood scoring his fourth from the penalty spot.
A subdued Stoke came out for the second half to much of the same abuse that Forest dished out in the first.
With only eight minutes gone in the second David Johnson headed home Forest's fifth goal of the game from another well-worked cross by Reid.
Halfway through the second half Harewood nearly notched up another with his head but a reaction save from Stoke's Steve Banks denied him.
But Banks failed to stop Forest's onslaught as substitute Eoin Jess notched up Forest's sixth of the game after receiving a through ball from Mathieu Louis-Jean.
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