Hello all...I just splurged and got a large Ateco work mat...the one that has the grid and brown "weave" embeded in it with blue on the edges. I was shocked when I opened the package with the smell...it is terrible!! Anyone else have this mat? Is it OK to use despite the smell? Will it fade over time? Also, when I rolled a little test piece the weave pattern actually appeared on the fondant...didn't have time to experiment to see if I could smooth it out...but this seems a little silly and like it is going to take me more time! Comments on this mat and whether I should return it??

I have the largest on but without the grid and yes, it smells. Eventually, after washing it so many times, it has faded away.

I'm not sure about the weave pattern, don't have that in my mat.

I have the grid mat--the one you're referencing--and the solid blue mat (both by Ateco).

I no longer use the grid mat for rolling--it's essentially a large silpat with fiberglass threads sandwiched between silicone sheets)--because over time, the blue printing comes off (and sometimes ON fondant that's being rolled out) AND I don't like the impression that the grid makes on stuff rolled thin. The impression isn't a problem on fondant for covering a cake because I was taught to never put the "back side up" on a cake.

I much prefer the large blue sheet. It has no markings on it and it's lighter weight.

In your shoes, I'd return it and get the solid blue mat. If the supplier carries both, maybe you can arrange an exchange. Both will smell right out of the packaging, but the smell goes away over time. They're food safe products, so the smell is just a side effect and not an issue.

HTH
Rae

Great feedback...thanks! Unfortunately they don't carry both, so maybe I will just try to return it (don't know if they will take it back though, since I did use it once...ugh!!). Hope I'm not out $50...that would really suck! I will have to try and find someone that carries the blue one...maybe online, since that is the one I wanted anyways! Thanks again!

That is so disappointing to hear about the brown Ateco mat! I just placed an order for one a few days ago. Ugh!

even if you used it... return it... tell them just what you said... you can't roll your paste as you need it because the mesh pattern appears on your paste... it's not supposed to be like that... I also have the all blue one from them and I like it a lot...
HTH & Good Luck

my guess is that the grid mat is better to be used with pastry dough as it wouldn't really matter if it imprints a pattern onto the dough. Anything with a texture will leave an imprint. I have some mats that I use that are silicone but they have ridges on the back and it always leaves a ridge imprint on my fondant. I just can't use it to roll things very thin. I found a mat at IKEA that I use to roll my fondant on. It is thicker and more rigid. I think it was intended to be used as a desk blotter but I've only used it for fondant. One side has a leather-like texture but the other side is smooth and it is thick enough that the texture doesn't transfer to the fondant. It isn't a self healing mat so if you use an exacto knife to cut things it leaves marks.

I just didn't want to invest a ton of money into something if I didn't use it all the time.

I have the large solid blue mat. It has worked great.

-Debbie B.

Thanks for the advice everyone! I decided to give it a try for my latest cake, and it didn't end up being all that bad. I just couldn't use it to "lay" the fondant on the cake...had to use my usual technique of rolling it on the pin...the texture on the back didn't come through to the front. I think I may still try to return it, I like the idea of the large blue one instead. Here is the cake I used it one...can't see any grid pattern...hope you can't either!

http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1625018

Thanks again!

I just looked at your cake - the only thing I can see is: IT'S BEAUTIFUL!!!

Thanks DreamMaker2!! I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out! And the mat was a whole lot better than the Wilton one I was using before!

Woweeeeewow! Guess I'll just have to add your cake to my favorites.

I bought a new mat today that is made by FMM. It's plain white and I was told by a fellow decorator that has one that NOTHING sticks to it even without dusting the surface with cornstarch or powdered sugar. It was only $30 and it is pretty good size but not quite as large as the Ateco one.

Love my Ateco blue mat and it's only $18 ish thru Decopac!

I use a yard of heavy clear plastic tablecloth material from walmart and it works fine.....why were you taught to never put the down side up on fondant blakescakes? I like to flip over my plastic and peel it back and place fondant on the cake right where I need it to be....is it because thee may be an imperfection you can't see? but you can work that out...I am curious to know the reason for this, thanks

I was curious about this too madgeowens/blakescakes...since I have seen a lot of the "pros" use the flipping method, and wanted to try it (which is why I got the large mat in the first place. I will have to look into some of the other suggestions for mats...thanks all!

I have the grid one... it actually put blue stuff all over my fondant when I used it the first few times. I contacted Ateco and they mailed me out more fondant. It doesnt do that any more, after washing it like a gazillion times, however it DOES still leave the weave imprint in my fondant. I didn't contact them about it though, because i didnt want to seem like a pain in the butt, esp after they sent me more fondant and were so nice about it.

Yipes!! I'm glad mine didn't do that!! I'm still humming and hawing over what to do with it, as it is soooo much better than the one I had, and I don't know of where else to get another one in my area. Maybe I should take a page from your book and contact them directly and see if they will exchange it for me...I want one of their big blue ones!

I have the brown and blue Ateco mat, and have never noticed the weave pattern transfered to my fondant, nor the blue printing. I love my mat and don't know how I rolled out fondant before getting it.

I have the brown Ateco mat as well and I HATE IT! My fondant doesn't roll out as smooth and it seems as though PS stays all over it. It's very hard to remove.
Do you guys recommend the 18X18 or the 36X24? Is one thinner than the other? I like the fact that the 18X18 has the cake sizes for measuring. What do I do?

I have the newest Ateco Mat, the one with the weave in it, and quite frankly, I love it. When I first got it, it didn't smell but when I rolled out my fondant and put it on the cake, because I do flip mine over on the cake, it had a little bit of an impression, but it smooths right out and goes away. No Problems. I had the other one, not the all blue, and it was quite flimsy and this new one will last forever I am sure, much better product. Personally, I would keep it, I think you will really like it.

Dcabrera...I didn't use PS when I rolled out my fondant, and it came off just fine. Maybe try it that way before getting the other one? I ended up modifying my original impression once I used it "for real"...if I can just get past the smell!

MissRobin...I certainly liked it once I decided to go ahead and use it anyways. Glad to hear that the impression just smooths out...I may go ahead and try the flipping technique now!