Why Use Bubble Tea Straws Instead Of Dowels?

Decorating By zinger60 Updated 30 Jan 2011 , 2:47am by Niki11784

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zinger60 Posted 24 Jan 2011 , 2:19am
post #1 of 39

I have heard alot about people using them but not sure what benefits would be of using these instead of dowels?

38 replies
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SwtCanuck Posted 24 Jan 2011 , 2:30am
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I just started using them. It helps alot with the cake displacement that wooden dowels do. So far so good. Haven 't had any mishaps yet (knock on wood!)
They are much easier to cut as well. Try them, you might like them!

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Kellbella Posted 24 Jan 2011 , 2:34am
post #3 of 39

Easier to cut and seem to be more stable...maybe since they are bigger in diameter than the wooden dowels??

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au_decorator_76 Posted 24 Jan 2011 , 2:46am
post #4 of 39

Where can you find them?

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KJ62798 Posted 24 Jan 2011 , 2:47am
post #5 of 39

Bubble tea straws will fill slightly with cake which makes them more stable`and since they are plastic won't absorb moisture from the cake. They are easy to cut.

Dowels are harder to cut and can go in at an angle very easily. They push the cake out of the way as they go in so are less stable.

HTH
Kristy

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cdgleason Posted 24 Jan 2011 , 2:55am
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You can buy them at Asian grocery stores! I get mine from eBay or amazon.... They're pretty cheap.... A few dollars for @ 200 Straws!

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au_decorator_76 Posted 24 Jan 2011 , 3:02am
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AH...found them on amazon. Now that I know what they are I can keep an eye out for them. I couldn't even visualize them. Thanks! icon_smile.gif

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GenGen Posted 24 Jan 2011 , 3:07am
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i found mine at our local dollar store.. quite the find too considering i live in a very rural area- an hour from even the nearest walmart/ store bought fondant etc lol..

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brensmom12 Posted 24 Jan 2011 , 3:11am
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Easier to cut. Have found them At local grocery store and at bed bath and beyond. No splinters. What more can I say?

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kimmyg87 Posted 24 Jan 2011 , 3:20am
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GenGen

i found mine at our local dollar store.. quite the find too considering i live in a very rural area- an hour from even the nearest walmart/ store bought fondant etc lol..




Which dollar store? we order online but the shipping is no fun icon_sad.gif I'd love to find them at a dollar store. We have dollar tree here.

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KatsSuiteCakes Posted 24 Jan 2011 , 3:23am
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I just picked up a pack of 50 at Bed Bath and Beyond for $1.99

Anxious to try these after hearing the good reviews versus the wooden dowels, which is all I've ever used.

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Cricketina Posted 24 Jan 2011 , 3:26am
post #12 of 39

They are so much easier to cut than wooden dowels and they do not splinter as dowels sometimes do..what section at bed bath and beyond did you find the straws..Katsuitecakes thx

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KatsSuiteCakes Posted 24 Jan 2011 , 3:36am
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They have a wall full of kitchen odds and ends which was right by all of the Wilton pans and products. They are all bright primary colors, so they're easy to spot.

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Loucinda Posted 24 Jan 2011 , 4:42pm
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One big advantage is that they do not "displace" cake like a dowel does, since they are hollow. I have used them for 3 years now, and love them. I buy mine at a restaurant supply company now.

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GenGen Posted 24 Jan 2011 , 4:54pm
post #15 of 39

the displacement problem is why i switched. i still use dowels for heavy cakes and such but tend to use more straws then not.

the dollar store we have i dont think is one of a chain. i think its just one a lady started up but i'll check when i go in to town next time.

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zinger60 Posted 24 Jan 2011 , 5:59pm
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Are some kind better (more sturdy) than others? I heard somewhere that the one at Bed, Bath and Beyond were not very sturdy compared to ones at asian markets and restaurant supply stores. How would you tell the best ones?

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kimmyg87 Posted 25 Jan 2011 , 6:44am
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I'm going to check out BB&B Thank you! icon_smile.gif That is much less than online..yay! We use a lot of them & love them! TY

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karabeal Posted 25 Jan 2011 , 7:06am
post #18 of 39

I found bubble tea straws at my local Asian grocery store where I can get 100 for $1.29. You might also consider contacting Chinese restaurants as more and more are offering bubble tea as a beverage (it originated in Taiwan). They may have an inexpensive source for straws.

As for how to tell if you have sturdy or not-so-sturdy straws, the ones I have feel pretty stiff when I try to squish them around the middle. They feel stronger than a McDonald's straw would, for example. But they are still cut-able (if that's a word) with regular scissors. I just measured one and it is about 1.2 centimeters in diameter (no longer perfectly round after I squished it!). I am very comfortable using them for stacking tiers.

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motherofgrace Posted 25 Jan 2011 , 8:28am
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I get 600 for $7 at the real canadian wholesale

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suzied Posted 25 Jan 2011 , 11:36am
post #20 of 39

looked up on google and there are different sizes of straws. can someone tell me whether there is a specfic size (diameter, etc, thickness) if you have a pic please send me. at our grocery store, there are about 3 different sizes. are the broader ones better?

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Claire138 Posted 25 Jan 2011 , 12:06pm
post #21 of 39

My question is (I have recently brought bubble straws but have not yet used them), when doing a double or triple cake the bubble straws are much shorter than the dowel rods so therefore I can see that they will be alright for the first layer but be too short for the second layer or third layer. Can someone let me know?
Thanks in advance!

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artscallion Posted 25 Jan 2011 , 12:12pm
post #22 of 39

Standard bubble tea straws are 1/2" in diameter. Make sure you get the ones that are long enough to get two when you cut them in half. some are under 8" long and one end has a slanted tip. I look for ones that are longer than 8" so that I can cut them in half to make two 4" lengths. Many are only 7" long. Avoid these unless your cakes are generally 3 1/2" tall or less. Otherwise you get half the value from a straw.

They should be very very sturdy. Not like a milk shake straw. They should be a little difficult to squeeze, and go right back into shape when you release.

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Claire138 Posted 25 Jan 2011 , 12:16pm
post #23 of 39

Ok, thanks!

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artscallion Posted 25 Jan 2011 , 12:22pm
post #24 of 39
Quote:
Originally Posted by Claire138

My question is (I have recently brought bubble straws but have not yet used them), when doing a double or triple cake the bubble straws are much shorter than the dowel rods so therefore I can see that they will be alright for the first layer but be too short for the second layer or third layer. Can someone let me know?
Thanks in advance!




Are you talking about layers or tiers? I use about 4" of straw (the height of the tier) for each tier, whether it's the first, second or third. You should have 4" of cake with 4" straws in it, then a cardboard circle, then the second tier of 4" of cake with 4" straws in it, etc... Not sure what you're seeing as a problem.

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Claire138 Posted 25 Jan 2011 , 12:26pm
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You're right! I was talking of tiers and of course with the cardboard circle between the tiers there is no problem - I've been checking this site with very little sleep!
thanks again

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suzied Posted 25 Jan 2011 , 1:03pm
post #26 of 39

Thank you artscallion. shall go looking for them.

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sccandwbfan Posted 25 Jan 2011 , 5:58pm
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I just measured the ones from BB & B and they are 1/2" in diameter; that means that they are a good choice right?

Thanks.

Christy

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artscallion Posted 25 Jan 2011 , 6:25pm
post #28 of 39
Quote:
Originally Posted by sccandwbfan

I just measured the ones from BB & B and they are 1/2" in diameter; that means that they are a good choice right?

Thanks.

Christy




Can't really say without seeing them myself. What are they called on the package, Bubble Tea Straws or something else? There are lots of straws out there that are big, but flimsy. I order mine online from Amazon or ebay. But next time I'm in BB&B I'll make a point to look at them. Maybe someone else who knows real bubble tea straws has seen these and can answer.

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zinger60 Posted 25 Jan 2011 , 7:25pm
post #29 of 39

Someone said the straws should be put 1-2 inches apart. If each straw is filled with cake, I'm thinking that most of the inside area of the cake will be taken up with the straws and there won't be much cake left to eat. Am I right? Maybe someone has a picture showing the top of a tier right after they put the straws in to show what it would look like.

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artscallion Posted 25 Jan 2011 , 7:52pm
post #30 of 39
Quote:
Originally Posted by zinger60

Someone said the straws should be put 1-2 inches apart. If each straw is filled with cake, I'm thinking that most of the inside area of the cake will be taken up with the straws and there won't be much cake left to eat. Am I right? Maybe someone has a picture showing the top of a tier right after they put the straws in to show what it would look like.




I would say that's too many, too close. You don't need to use any more straws than you would dowels or any other support. I will generally use 4 straws total under a 6" cake(placed in a square)... 5 straws under anything between 7" and 9" (4 placed in a square plus one in the center)...I generally don't have anything bigger than that except as a bottom tier. But, if I did, I might use 1-3 more.

In addition, when I've removed straws for cutting, the cake doesn't generally come out with the straw. But that may depend on the kind of cake you use.

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