I just learned about what bake even strips are. Anyone have an opinion of them? Do they work as they claim (no rounded tops, no cracking, even baking)? The package says they are big enough for up to a 16" round pan. Can you use two or more together on a larger pan (9x13 or 11x15) or should you only use them on rounds and stick with a heating core for larger rectangle pans? Thanks in advance for any advice!!
Angie
Those are worth their weight in GOLD! I didn't honestly think they would work, but the first time I tried them, I was forever hooked. I NEVER EVER EVER do a cake without them. There are several threads on here that you can also use cut-up towels to wrap your pans in. Make sure though, that your strips are very well saturated. I love mine!!
I also give it a thumbs up! i agree that to do have to make sure its well saturated or it wont do its job. Go for it!!
Two thumbs up from me 
... don't know what I'd do without them... I have two sets actually and never bake without them.
I have them and love them. The 16" round is big enough to cover the 11x15 and the one for the 14" round is big enough to cover the 9x13. I mark my strips with a marker to indicate which one to use for what pan. It might be over kill but I use the flower nail and baking strip on my large cakes.
I use baking strips plus a flower nail in the center. No humps for me!!!
I used to use the core religiously but I took a chance on the flower nail and it turned out wonderful. No plugging with cake in the center anymore.
Well, I must say, I never find a need to use the baking strips. I only use the flower nail when doing a cake 12" or larger. And I also thought the flower nail was used to avoid an undercooked cake in the center and the baking strips were used for an even cake, no bump. I avoid the bump by letting the air bubbles out of my cake before baking. I just "bang" the pan against the counter top to let the bubbles out. I do this maybe 3 or 4 times and problem solved. I never get a bump, EVER!
HTH and good luck.
nefgaby
The "hump" in the center is not from bubbles. It is because the outside of your cake cooks before the inside of your cake.
I use the flower nail trick but I also use the bake even strips. I still level my cakes off because I am anal, but I end up taking SO MUCH LESS cake off. My family still eats the scraps.
Some people were complaining about a metallic smell whenever they baked with the strips. I found that if I put a pan of water on the rack under my cake the bake even strips never produce the metallic smell.
i used the soaked towel strips before i bought the real kind and it works, you just have to make sure they are tightly wrapped so they dont fall off, and that they are really wet. . you can overlap the bake even strips and it wont hurt... i always use the flower nail if its 10" or larger even if you have the strips because like someone else said, the nail is to cook the middle, the strips are to even cook so there is not a mound in the middle. i still trim a bit, but waste less cake and you end up with a taller cake which is nice. i thought it was worth the money and they are nice because you pin them. you dont have to pin them by poking in, under and out (tricky) , i just stick the pin in sideways and it holds fine. that way if you forget and fill your pan before you add the strip you dont have to worry about spilling your batter while wrapping the pan. you can get them at michaels, which they have %40 off coupons every other week in the sunday paper. i usually buy my cake stuff when i get the paper to reduce the expense.
P/S: If you ever want to try before buying or find yourself in someone else's kitchen baking and they do not use them, wet paper towel, fold and wrap them completely in aluminum foil, sealing the ends so none of the wet paper towel is exposed. Fasten together strips with metal stickpins. That was a tip learned from Dede Wilson.
I just tried out mine for the first time tonight. Oh how wonderful my cakes have came out. They look so even on top. No hard crust. I made 3 cakes tonight. Wowed with each one. Even had my DH come look at them. He wasn't as excited as me though. All he cares about is the icing he will get to eat tomorrow.
I like the baking strips so much, I have a set in each size!
The first recipe I tested them on was a small batch of brownies in an 8" pan.
Usually the edges were a little dry, and the corners were really dry and somewhat shrunken. NOT with the baking strips, the entire pan was uniformly moist and level.
A real keeper, IMHO!
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