I am about to purchase a few more cake pans. I am wondering if you guys that have done it for a while would go ahead and put the money into it and purchase the magic line or just go w/ Wilton cake pans? I'm wanting to purchase both round and square (to practice icing them) but they would be 8" or 9" pans.
My personal problems with pans I have is the mountain edges (they are tapered) I get with a finished cake and this creates a problem when icing b/c I have a big glob of icing between the layers in order to create the smooth flat sides I need.
Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.
I've never used the bake even strips, but I don't have a dome I have a problem w/ the sides matching up. I invert my cakes (tops of the cakes down) when I stack them and I end up w/ an overhang on the sides. Does that make sense? Like this / \\ --just not that severe.
Any suggestions on other brands to look into?
Oh and would you go w/ a 2" or 3" & what would be the difference when cooking/assembly. Do you just torte the 3" & fill it? What is most common? Sorry I have so many questions, but I would like to start doing this more for money than I have in the past and make it as easy as possible on me 
i like two layers of 2 inch pans torted. i bought a set of 4,6,8,10 and 12 square professional pans from www.cakepans4less.com plus a 4" round pan and heating core for $61 including shipping. excellent deal. the round wilton set of 3 costs $30...i'd rather get the professional ones (the website has a no name pro pan basically the same as magicline, just cheaper$) . with the pro pans i dont have to use the bake even strips either. i love them - so glad to have spent the money wisely. having one set takes more baking time, so if you can afford 2 of each size, thats a good time saving idea.
I can only tell you what I do. I use the Magic Line pans, as they are a heavier gauge metal, and distribute heat more evenly than Wilton pans.
I use the 3" deep pans, and torte them to 1 inch layers, filling in between each, 1/4 inch frosting on top, gives me just under 4 inches of height.
What is more commonly used where you live? If you plan on selling cakes, you want to take this into consideration. Where I live, professionals and amateurs alike usually use the 2 inch pans, then just level and fill in between.
For rectangular cakes, the 2 inch deep is most often used by bakeries.
For squares, again what purpose they will be used for will determine what size you buy. The graduation cake in my pictures was done with 3 inch deep square pans, and treated as a sheet cake, in other words, not torted. I filled it using a piping bag and a 21 open star tip. I poked in at approximately the center of each serving, and squeezed a little raspberry filling in. The trick is to not fill too much, or the cake will crack.
Theresa
melysa. I just went to the cakepansforless website. It says they are parrish pans. Parrish is the company that makes magic line. I wonder what the difference is? Is it just the name "Magic Line" not being on it that makes it a couples dollars less? Rather interesting. I think I may order from them becuase I need to get a couple new pans and definately don't want inexpensive wilton ones.
Judi
All of my pans are Magic Line. Probably half are the 3". I have two of each and three of a few. Our Wal Mart is cutting back on their cake stuff seemingly in favor or stocking more wedding supplies (for bouquets etc), but now I look and they have more pans than they had before. There's no figuring out Wal Mart. But they're Magic Line pans so that's good.
Wow CarolAnn, your WalMart carries magic line pans?? Lucky you!
I agree, go with Magic Line. The cost is almost the same as Wilton's when you get them from countrykitchensa.com, or help out CC and buy them here. Either way, it's a wise investment.
I have both Wilton pans and Magic Line pans and for my money, I would buy Magic Line every day! I have one each of 4-1/2", 6", 8", 9", 10", 12", 14", and 16" square; also 6-7-8-9-10-11-12-14-16" rounds (but several of 6-7-8-9-and 10 so I can bake more layers at a time). I prefer the 2" pans, but that is personal preference. I also have a 16" round that is 3" deep, but I find it less convenient. I also have a 3" deep 18" half-round pan that I use. Not all of them are Magic Line, but the square ones (where the sides really count) are.
Wilton makes a decent round pan, but for squares and rectangles, I don't care for their pans; the edges are more rounded (where the bottom and sides of the pan meet), and the sides are not 90 degree angles with the bottoms of the pans. That's why your cakes look like this on the sides: / \\.
My best recommendation would be to buy what you can afford, but make sure that you are spending your money wisely. If you have to constantly be filling in with more icing, or trimming the sides so they are straight, or have more time in crumb-coating trimmed sides, etc., then the added expense of getting a good quality professional pan is worth it in my opinion.
HTH,
Odessa
I just got magic line pans from countrykitchensa.com and I was impressed with them....
one question for you all - can they go in the dishwasher? I assumed yes and put them in there.... but then i thought hmmm wonder if they're meant for the dishwasher or not....
I like the 2 in. size. I think 3 in would be great if I could torte better or if I had that awesome leveler thing that's like $200 - Ateco maybe?? can't remember at the moment..... but for me I like the 2 in size - whatever you're more comfortable with - I think the biggest thing is just the torting - I find it easier to torte once w/ a 2 in rather than twice with a 3 in size - make sense?? I hope!
I put mine in the dishwasher and they come out sparkling like new! If I put Wilton ones in the dishwasher, they get all discolored and tarnished looking.
Hey just FYI - I just compared the cakepansforless site with countrykitchensa - um countrykitchen has the pans for a lower price.... a 6x2 was $4.65 at country kitchen and $5.29 at cakepansfor less. I don't think country kitchen says specifically the pans are Magic Line - but that's what I got on the order I just placed and received Monday..... so I say go with them! Of course if CC gets the pans here - then support CC!!
melysa. I just went to the cakepansforless website. It says they are parrish pans. Parrish is the company that makes . I wonder what the difference is? Is it just the name "" not being on it that makes it a couples dollars less? Rather interesting. I think I may order from them becuase I need to get a couple new pans and definately don't want inexpensive wilton ones.
Judi
when i ordered, i ordered all of the parrish square pans but for some reason a couple were magic line (maybe the other was out of stock?) . they both look the same other than the magic line stamp. they both bake the same. i dont have to use bake even strips.
someone else mentioned the round wilton pans are decent. i agree and disagree. the shape is decent because the professional wilton pans are not angled , but the metal is not very thick/heavy so i dont think they bake as well- i always have to use the bake even strips and the results are not always the same. the pricetag on a set of 4 (6,8,10,12) is about $30, but i dont think its a good investment. i would have rather spent another fifteen to get the magic line wannabees or the magic line rounds. basically you want a heavy gage alluminum with straight sides and edges for quality baking.
All of my pans are . Probably half are the 3". I have two of each and three of a few. Our Wal Mart is cutting back on their cake stuff seemingly in favor or stocking more wedding supplies (for bouquets etc), but now I look and they have more pans than they had before. There's no figuring out Wal Mart. But they're pans so that's good.
I am sooo jealous that your wal-mart carries magic line. maybe I should do a road trip to your wal-mart!
Well, I believe you guys have convinced me to purchase the heavy duty pans. I am just going to purchase an 8 x 3" at the local cake store & then tell my dh that I want a set for my gift after I give birth in April. That may sound lame but I would rather know I'm getting something I'll use than something I hate--do it w/ Christmas & b-day too. The lady at the cake store suggested the 3" since they are more expensive & just torting them & by the time you get the filling inbetween the layers they end up being close to the same height & you don't have to worry about needing more than 1 pan.
So, I will get my 8" when the truck comes in tomorrow & use it for the cake I'm making for the weekend 
then hope for a set in April.
CarolAnn you are lucky that your Walmart carries them. Mine just carries Wilton, but my mom knows someone who works at a Walmart in her hometown & told her that they are phasing out their craft section (which makes me sad) but they are adding party stuff. So that may be why your Walmart has had more pans lately.
Well, I bought my pan today and am going to bake my first cake in it tomorrow. if it turns out I'll post a picture when I'm done.
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