Officially Disappointed With 'the Mat'.

Decorating By MrsNancyB1 Updated 24 Feb 2018 , 6:15pm by jchuck

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johnson6ofus Posted 16 Feb 2014 , 10:38pm
post #121 of 135

Not sure if I believe a very long first post for a member advertising the mat, Sounds like a set up....

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mommiespoppies Posted 22 Feb 2018 , 5:13am
post #122 of 135

I have used the mat for about 6 years and the first time until my mat was seasoned it was frustrating.. I am now using a new one as my old one finally  went to cake heaven.  Well not actually..I cut it into 4 pieces to use for smaller items.  I love the mat and could not see how I would get anything done with out it.  I am so sorry for anyone who has had difficulties with it because it makes rolling fondant a dream for me.  Esp like the fact if you find out after starting to roll you need more fondant you just add it to the middle and go..I have even added a different color if I did not have the exact match and until you cut the cake to eat you would never know that you extended the amount.  If you want to see some of my cakes my web site is www.thebloomingbakery.com and every cake was made using the mat

Kindly, Melanie

The Blooming Bakery

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yortma Posted 22 Feb 2018 , 2:12pm
post #123 of 135

This is an old thread, and I can see I posted a few years back when I loved the mat.  I did love it for a few months.  I stored it carefully rolled in the tube, seasoned it with shortening, took good care of it, but within a few months it was warped and wrinkled and puckered enough that I couldn't smooth the irregularities out of the fondant after applying.  I eventually threw it out.  Now I just use my 2 extra large silpat mats which work great.  I still think it is a good idea, but unless one is willing to replace it every few months, the plastic needs to be improved upon so it has a longer useful life.  Either that, or different storage ideas to prevent the puckering. Is it even still available?  How do others store it?

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-K8memphis Posted 22 Feb 2018 , 5:13pm
post #124 of 135

i have this lovely mat i bought eons ago from the lady in canada whose name slips my flu infested brain -- the mat has just been a work horse -- i need to get all this sh*t on ebay...

her name is like bernadette or something a little unique...

i think it cost sixty or seventy bucks new -- but i really can't remember for sure -- i know it was a lot -- and i think it's in pristine condition -- it's when silicone first came out and she had these mats made and i remember her husband was particularly happy i bought one -- it's a real thick weight but it's a great mat i've used forever and it's big too --

any minute now i'll get this stuff on ebay...

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-K8memphis Posted 22 Feb 2018 , 5:20pm
post #125 of 135

wait i said "the mat" i mean mine that is not a "The Mat" -- i meant the one i use that i bought years before


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MBalaska Posted 22 Feb 2018 , 6:44pm
post #126 of 135

Hmmm Yortma, you got me thinking about this one.  I don't have 'the Mat', and have only used silpat mats.

When you look at the 'silpat' mats, such as the big 'Ateco' mat ;  these mats have threads woven into them.  The threads are easy to see on some of the mats.  It's possible that the weaving is what keeps these type of mats from never going out of shape or warping.


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-K8memphis Posted 22 Feb 2018 , 7:54pm
post #127 of 135

yeah that makes sense

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maybenot Posted 22 Feb 2018 , 10:55pm
post #128 of 135

I love the Mat, but I don't use it the way it's advertised.  I only use it to roll on and I don't use the second piece on top.  I also don't flip my fondant because I pick it up on my rolling pin and place it wet side down on my cake.

I have a dedicated corian pastry counter and I affix the Mat to it using water.  I clean it with warm soap & water on the top and under the edges every time I use it, but I don't take it up for maybe 6 months to a a year.  It stays perfectly flat.

The Mat is relatively thin vinyl.  It will actually stretch a bit every time you roll on it just from the pressure.  Heat will also deform it.  It's just the nature of the beast.  It has no "memory".  Silicone has memory, so it returns to its formed shape every time.  It's also usually thicker than the vinyl of the MAT.

I think the Mat's a pretty cheap, food safe tool.  Since I only use 1 piece of the 2 part system--and I stabilize that piece so as to minimize stretch--I get great value for my $--and if I accidentally cut it, I'm not out a lot of $. 

I've never liked silicone mats.  I have the large Ateco blue and also the Ateco gridded mat........I hate both of them.  They never feel clean no matter what I do and they develop static.  But, in the end, to each her/his own.


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jchuck Posted 23 Feb 2018 , 3:11am
post #129 of 135

Well...Well... Yortma  "I stored it carefully rolled in the tube, seasoned it with shortening, took good care of it, but within a few months it was warped and wrinkled and puckered enough that I couldn't smooth the irregularities out of the fondant after applying.  I eventually threw it out."   This totally described what happened to me. But it was more like a year than a few months. I contacted Sweetwise, absolutely no response. Very disappointing. And being in Canada, with shipping, wasn't cheap. I have a large silicone mat I purchased and I bet I've had it close to 8 years. Still going strong!! I think The Mat is still being sold.

And K8memphis You have me intrigued. Buying your mat in Canada. I'm Canadian (Ontario) and never found a supplier here, brick and mortar or online that sold anything like the mat. 

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-K8memphis Posted 23 Feb 2018 , 3:29pm
post #130 of 135

got it -- geraldine randlesome's creative cutters -- she was a vendor at the las vegas ices -- that's where i bought it --

https://store.creativecutters.com/home.php

she's apparently having a monster sale -- they ship from canada and the  us -- cool that she's still in business

https://store.creativecutters.com/product.php?productid=19252&cat=575&page=1

this is today's version ^^^ of her mat -- mine is 30x30

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jchuck Posted 23 Feb 2018 , 11:10pm
post #131 of 135

Ahhhh K8memphis.....Geraldine...yes, yes. Creative Cutters. Hmmm, I’m surprised Geraldine is still in business. She had talked about retiring. I think she stopped teaching/running decorating courses, think she’s sticking to just selling cake decorating supplies.

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-K8memphis Posted 23 Feb 2018 , 11:52pm
post #132 of 135

she's cool -- she is the first person i eve knew to start making some of those elaborate lace making stencils and impression mats and some pretty cool ground breaking decorating items -- i always admired her --

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jchuck Posted 24 Feb 2018 , 12:03am
post #133 of 135

My former cake club leader has been in business 42 years +. She said she bought her cutters, especially flower cutters molds etc from Geraldine long before they were readily available everywhere. She brought a lot of decorating hardware to Canada that was previously only available in USA and UK.

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-K8memphis Posted 24 Feb 2018 , 1:49pm
post #134 of 135

yeah she's way cool -- go canada

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jchuck Posted 24 Feb 2018 , 6:15pm
post #135 of 135

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