I can't get the leveler to work right either. It winds up coming through the top of my cakes! Then I have to try & fix them which is really hard. SO I don't use it anymore. I also have the icer cadget with all the different shapes. I have NEVER used that. Another thing is the egg seperator gadget... don't use it it doesn't work!! The yolk will fall into the bowl every time!! I will not use it again. Cake levelers don't work for me either. I don't like them at all. Oh, last but not least the heating core. What a big waste of money!! I've used it a few times & it ruined every cake I used it on. It went to the trash a long time ago!

Good post Asiah!!

let me say, what a great thread...i was going to buy the wilton sculpting icing thingy that seems not to be any good.
my most useless item is the $50.00 wilton adjustable turntable! i got it on sale and realy excited about it, but have read so many bad reviews i am scard to even try it....dont want my cake to end up all over the table after i have worked for hours on it.
if this is a good product let me know and i may try it anyway
melody

Well, I'm glad I didn't buy the wilton sculpting thingie! LOL. I did get the large coupler and tip for frosting the cake because they told me I needed to in course one, but I can't seem to get the hang of it. Probably due to my carpo-tunnel, I just can't squeeze that much frosting all at once. I just use a bag w/out a tip and apply my frosting that way (which one of my instructors was shocked to hear saying that made it way to much work, but hey, it works for me). I also got the large leveler and OMG, what a total waste! It destroyed my cake. I used it once and there it sits taking up space now (I'm horrendous at returns). I do use the regular leveler, but I don't slide it over the cake. I just hold it steady and slide the cake through. My kids go nuts over cake top. I send all four kids outside with the pan full of cake tops and they have a party. They love when I have several cakes to make. Esp the chocolate ones.

This is a very good thread esp for newbies so we know what doesnt work even for the experienced.

I already axed the icing sculptor off the list given it's fairly dismal reviews. Axing the large leveler and the tilting turntable. And even I have already personally axed the disposable bags (and went out and bought real ones).

List to investigate: parchment cones.

PS I thought it was just a newbie thing because I didnt have the tilting turntable that I have used my lazy susan too with boarded cakes lol!

I guess I'm weird b/c I prefer the disposable bags. As long as you don't get a bad box that has aneurysms on a regular basis when working on cakes. I just can't stand cleaning up the bags and I tend to use many bags many different colors at the same time for a single project, so it's just easier (for me) to use the disposable. Am I the only one who feels that way????

I hardly ever use parchment..I use the disposables and the satin touch deco bags.

I also use the dissposable bags and the icing thing I got on clerance for $5.00 but I never used it I don't never use that much icing on my cakes.

Let's seeeee, I never use my large leveler (it's not level!!!) and hardly ever use the large couplers. I'm sure I could find more if I dug way back in my cabinet!! I bought the tilting turntable and used it for about a week and then returned it. It wouldn't lock into place and I thought my cake would fall off. I also have the heavy Wilton turn table and I never use it. It's toooo wobbly!

I, too, have the heavy Wilton turntable and agree that it is too wobbly. I thought it was just the one that I have. I begged for this at Christmas and even gave my M-I-L the 40% off coupon at Michael's to get it. It just may go on Ebay. I use the plastic Wilton on all the time and even take it when I do kid's cake decorating birthday parties.

This is a great thread....

About the disposable bags....I really don't like the Wilton kind...they seem to always break. I've bought the Ateco kind, and I've never had a break...I bought a 100 pkg, and I must have used more than half, and no break.

I don't know what it's called, but it's the impression set that you use to measure out your string work. I use the mat to divide the cake--but not the thing that you use to impress the pattern on the cake. I used it once and didnt' like how you could see the line--thought it looked tacky.

Lisa

I bought the icing sculpting triangle. It is as useless as the comb everyone is talking about. I have used it once for a paying cutomer and was not happy with the results.

I don't like the disposable bags---too many breaks. But I will use them if I only need a small amount of icing. I would rather throw it away than clean my other bag.

To level my cakes, I press them with a wet, clean dishcloth as soon as they come out of the oven. I wondered if the leveler would be a good purchase, but I now see it is not. Thanks everyone!

Definitely my leveler as well. Also these things I bought from Pampered Chef, can't even remember what they're called. Two big handled slate-thingys you can use to move pick up and move a cake/pizza/etc.

Tried it once and the cake split in half.

Cake comb - I think these of these as too old school.
Creame Boquet, Champagne, and Almond - ick


I love my small leveler and my icer tip.

I bought my wife a cookie press last year its still sitting in the box shes never used that.

Things I have learned on this post do not buy sculpter, large couplers, tilting turntable! I do like my large spatula for my large cakes only because I was trained to use it in a store I worked at once! That helpedI am glad I am too frugile too buy the sculpter I have looked at it many of times!

Gee I'm glad this thread got started! I've had the large leveler on my wish list for a year but will cross it off after everything I've read here. My biggest waste was the large icing tip and 16" bag. I'll use it for corners on square cakes, but found that it's much easier to practice "getting the hang" of icing a cake the way I was taught in the Wilton I course.

Regarding the large coupler, my Wilton instructor taught us to use it to rest the flower nail in while making roses, if we get interrupted or just need to set it down for a minute. It's the one and only thing I've used it for, and it works pretty well for that.

By the way, I apologize for just jumping in without introducing myself. I've been surfing the forum for a while now but was shy about contributing, especially since I'm so new to decorating. You guys are great and I love logging on to see what's new!

I just bought the core a few weeks ago, but haven't had a chance to try it yet - I think I'll just take it back, because I DID get the chance to bake with the flower nail, and that worked GREAT! I don't use levelers, I just "push" the cake level when it comes out of the oven. What a great thread! it's great to get useful information like this from people who have experience with the tools that we've THOUGHT about using! Thanks!

i have to admit that i was so excited to get the sculpter set, but i tried it out twice and couldn't get it to work at all. good to know that it wasn't just me. hahaha right now its scattered all over one of my gadget drawers. i need a useless gadget bin.

Yeah I got a kitched aid HAND MIXER.. One day I will graduate up there with the big dogs....... Congrats on yours though maybe your hubby can talk to my hubby!

I'm glad to hear so many people ditched the cake leveler. I thought I was just doing something wrong. I use a knife, but will have to give the dental floss a try.

Welcome Maryanne... just jump right in cause we're glad to have you here!! Welcome!!

I never use that plastic sheet for dividing cakes. I can get about every combination I need from eyeballing halfs and thirds. I think Wilton advertises it as a fondant rolling sheet...that would be a joke considering how bent up it is from the box. I tried ironing it (under a thin cloth) and everything.

As for other kitchen items, I would have to say a potato ricer. I saw Martha using one and HAD to get it. But I learned my lesson...I never get any gadget thingies anymore until I think of needing them several times!

Guess this post also shows how different we all are.

I love my cake leveler ( I have the small one) I use it on every cake.

I also LOVE dis. bags. I rarely ever use anything else.

I also use my fondant mat all the time. I measure my fondant on it and I use it to roll out gumpaste and fondant too.

The things I am starting to realize aren't very useful are character pans. Most of mine have been used once and they take up tons of space! My cake cabinet is growing into a cake kitchen. I recently moved some of my least used cake things into the playroom closet. I am trying to talk DH into adding on and building a bigger kitchen. I guess I am just going to have to sell more cakes so I the $$$ to pay for that expansion.

LOL. I have quite the collection of character pans now too. I have not used them as much since I learned how to do the frozen buttercream transfer technique. I have a chest full of those plus the bottom cabnets in my laundry room and a box in the laundry room, and gee, I think there are some in the garage too!

I prefer my disposable bags too. But I agree with LemonDrop, Ateco is much better than Wilton. I haven't had any problems with the Ateco bags either. I also didn't have a problem with my leveler, just found it faster and neater to use the floss. I don't use the wilton Fondant mat, though. It just didn't work that great for me. It was always bent no matter what I tried and it was often too small for the cakes I make anyways. I bought a counter size (26" x 36" ?) non stick (silpat) mat. I am in love with that thing!