This is a question for the Aussie cake decorators out there. Usually I use Satin Ice fondant to cover my cakes but I received a call this morning from my supplier and they're out of Satin Ice so sending me Orchard brand fondant instead. I'm pretty annoyed about this since I know that a lot of the cheaper brand fondants out there taste terrible (Wilton anyone??!) but the call caught me at a bad time so I just agreed to get them off the phone.

Now I'm worrying about the fondant. Has anyone used Orchard brand before? Does it taste as bad as Wilton does? What's it like to work with (specifically in comparison to Satin Ice)??

I'm fairly new at using fondant so any help is appreciated! Thanks :)

I use Orchard all the time. To me it tastes like chewy sugar instead of commercial playdough like Satin Ice. Seriously, I couldn't put that tsuff on a cake. Plus in my area, it's cheaper!

I can't vouch for its usability in comparison because I didn't even bother with the Satin Ice.

AI have used both Satin Ice and Orchard, and to be honest I can't say one tastes better than the other, they are just different. I find Orchard a little easier to use, a little firmer and doesn't mark as easily. I've been using Satin Ice lately because it's supposed to be "the best", but I wouldn't hesitate to use Orchard. Aussie cake decorators have been using it successfully for 50 years or so.

I used Orchard for years but have recently swapped to Satin Ice.  Whilst I personally do not like the taste of either, no-one I have fed my cakes to have commented on the change and they all seem to love fondant (I am a hobby baker).  The Satin Ice does have a much nicer smell because of all the vanilla.

To work with I personally would go with the Satin Ice any day.  It is softer and more pliable than the Orchard and does not seem to get that rhinoserous skin on the edges and corners of the cake that I seemed to have problems with when using the orchard.  I also find I can roll out the Satin Ice much thinner without it tearing or stretching.

Each to their own, though, and I will be interested to hear how you go with the Orchard.
 

AI've used both. I would choose Orchard over Satin Ice any day. I've had serious issues with SI in recent months, so I've switched back solely to Bakels RTR for white and ivory, and SI for colours.

I can't buy Orchard in big enough quantities to make it cost effective for me.

I find Bakels (Pettinice) softer than Orchard to work with.

HTH!

I have used Orchard for years as 500g boxes have been sold in supermarkets for as long as I can remember.  Yeah, I found a local supplier selling larger quantites (and they now sell FondX - is this worth trying?). 

I have not had a problem with Satin Ice but would now only use if I want a pre-mix colour. Orchard is a few dollars cheaper plus I'm not a fan of the SI smell.

Pettinice is soft which I found great for shaped cakes.  I recently used a pack which was 2 years old.  It was for a fun cake that my son wanted to make for his mates birthday and I had a pack of Orchard at the ready just in case.  Not a problem, smooth and extemely pliable around the shaping of the cake.

I find if people like eating fondant they aren't too fussy about the taste, they're going to scoff it down. My opinion only as I can't work out why people get so excited over eating so much sugar.

Satin Ice is nice to use, and I found easy in the humid weather. I haven't tried Orchard, but would like to give it a go if it is cheaper (and doesn't use palm oil.) I used Bakels, both black and blue, but found them to become sticky very quickly - which is no good in the Brisbane weather.

I have used Orchard, it's fine for smaller jobs, or if you run out of your regular, nice that the supermarket always has it, and it is way cheaper per KG than Satin Ice (at retail) if you work it out, just a pain in the little itty bitty packs.

I would prefer to use Bakels RTR over Satin Ice which I find to be very soft.

AGosh I feel really bad for not posting back earlier, I guess I just got so distracted I completely forgot about this post! So I used the orchard fondant to cover my cake and I was really happy with it, I had a much easier time with the orchard fondant than the satin ice!! It's the white and yellow cake in my profile pic. I should probably clarify that when I said that I use satin ice I should have said that I've used satin ice for the only two cakes I've ever covered in fondant lol! My bad :/ Anyway thanks for giving me your advice/input, even though I forgot to respond it definitely made me less nervous!!

AI only use orchard from the supermarket, Im new to cakes tho and just get it from the supermarket. Can anyone tell me where I can buy larger packs of it?? I much prefer it over some of the other ones I have tried.

AI just reread what i wrote, haha I guess I really wanted you guys to know I get it from the supermarket!!

Information:

http://www.orchardicing.com/products/products.htm

AThankyou!!