I remember a topic previously about the best brand of pastry bags to buy but I can't find it now. I use the wilton disposable bags right now but wonder what everyone else is using or have tried out. Thanks for all responses!
Coreenag

I use Kee-seal.

Normally I am anti-disposable anything, but with just piping bags I find the thought of canvas bags icky. I tried using them at first and thought it was a real PITA to clean, and they were hard to clean and it felt like they were never really clean, no matter how thorough I was. The thought of someone less thorough than myself using non-disposable piping bags is gross!

I use parchment for RI and Wilton disposable for BC ( I wash the plastic ones out and recycle so I don't feel as bad about using them)

wilton disposables for me...buy them by the 100 roll

I use disposable bags, too. It is so hard to clean out other bags and clean up is easier! I am big on recycling so I it is hard for me to just throw them away. But, knowing that I have clean sterile equipment to make cakes for people makes me feel better about it.

I use bags that I get from CK Products. They are made of some kind of
polyethylene or something like that. But mostly I use disposable bags from Kopy Kake.
They are only 10 inches but they don't burst open like wilton's plastic bags
do. They also make a 20 inch bag that's disposable and I use my icer
tip with this one. They're great.

The best... BEST bags are one way piping bags! Once you have used them you never go back to anything else. You can get them for hot or cold. They are soooo GOOD!
100 in a box.

http://onewaypipingbags.com/

Let's see...I started off as a good girl, saving the environment with my reuseable bags. But cleaning time was murder, and I just wanted to make everything was hygienic for my projects. Like chutzpah says, what if someone else wasn't as deligent about cleaning as I was - grossed me out.

Now, I use One Way brand & sometimes Wilton for buttercream on cakes. For RI on cookies, I use snipped freezer bags (non-Ziploc), with and without tips.

The One Way brand is available here in Europe, not sure if it is elsewhere, but it has the loveliest outside texture on bags to help prevent slipping. My only complaint about them is that *I* accidentally bought a roll of Large, whereas really Medium would have done! LOL

Anyone interested, check out their website: www.spuitzakken.nl - you get the choice of language/sites.

Tanja

I use my feather weight bags for piping, disposable for small jobs (like writing), & I use parchment bags when I do color flow & royal icing. A fantastic tip that I learned on CC.. when you use feather weight or disposable bags wrap your icing in saran wrap, tie a knot at one end & stick it into your bag. No messes!! It's one of the best tips I have ever learned on CC I hope I explained that good enough~

[quote="tcturtleshell") A fantastic tip that I learned on CC.. when you use feather weight or disposable bags wrap your icing in saran wrap, tie a knot at one end & stick it into your bag. No messes!! It's one of the best tips I have ever learned on CC I hope I explained that good enough~ [/quote]
Yes I use the saran wrap methos since learning it on cc too! Thanks to whoever posted this. It is a great mess saver!
Does anyone else have the problems with the wilton bags popping near the tips?

YES! I have problems with the plastic bags busting right at the tip! During every Wilton class that I have taught I have had 1 persons bag bust at the tip. It's very aggravating too

The One Ways do not do that! I have never had a problem with them! Trust me they are worth every penny. Again they are the BEST!

Ok they are a bit of money... I get mine from a small cake business... for 100 I pay $30.00 maybe a bit more with tax.
I think if you contact them on the website and have a large order they are cheaper.
But they are so worth the money!
With all the bags that break under pressure... messy clean ups... and to pull another out and do it all over again well.... THAT NEVER HAPPENS WITH THESE BAGS!
I have filled mine up to the top with thick heavy icing and they have still held up.
As you can see I am a BIG fan!

Maybe it is the fact that I am really tired from a huge catering job last night, but am I to understand that you put all of your icing in a big piece of saran wrap, tie it up so it looks like a "hobo sack", and then do you poke a hole in it before you put it in your decorating bag? What is the next step after tying it up? Please advise.

I like Kee-seal bags. They've never popped on me and have a nice grip to them.
http://www.cakesbysam.com/store/cart.php?target=category&category_id=264

I use HUGO. I love them. I've never had them break open on me. I started using them after SugarShack recommended them.

My favorite are Kee-Seal bags also. You can order direct from the company and save a lot of money too!

www.keeseal.com

I have used their ultra (which has more grip on them) and their originals, I love them all! The 18" are my favorites.

Ok, I'll try to explain it better Lay some saran wrap on the counter top. Put icing on top of the saran wrap, don't put too much but you can put a good bit. Fold each side over the icing. Twist one end & then tie that end of the saran wrap in a knot (you will have to stretch the saran wrap a little to be able to tie a knot in it). The other end will be left open. You will stick that end into the piping bag first. The end with the knot is at the top of the piping bag. That's it! Just start piping No messy bags AND a bonus... the icing doesn't run out of the top of your piping bag! If you stick the bag in the piping bag far enough you won't get a bit of icing on your bag, it will only be in your tip~ You gotta try it! Hope I explained that better~

tcturtleshell you described it perfectly. I love that you have no mess with this method and it is even easy to switch out your colors if you need to!

Good, sometimes I don't describe things very well Glad I could help~

I hate clean-up so I use Parchment paper.
When I'm done just toss! and I only have to worry about cleaning the tips.

How do you fold the parchment paper? I always have a hard time with that (picture the icing coming out from the seam, the whole thing opening up...not good)

I use wilton reusable bags now...I used to have boxes and boxes or keeseal disaposable bags but I have since run out.They are quite expensive so I decided just to use cloth bags.I have about 20 of them.I know it is a pain in the butt to wash them out but considering what I was spending on disposable bags...it is worth it!

I use Wilton as well but have been looking for something different. Thanks for the post!

Try Ateco bags.You can also go onto some of the online baking supply sites as they sell different brands of decorating bags.

Another happy kee-seel user here.. My exception is for candy melts and royal icing, then I use parchment.

I also use an insert w/ saran wrap just like Tcturtleshell does. I actually will make several of these buttercream inserts and leave them twisted untill I need to use it. Then I just snip off one end and drop it into the bag. If I have a big project with lots of colors, I will make the colors in inserts as well. Saves time when you get down to actually decorating. You don't have to stop to fill up your bags. I've even put two inserts of diff. colors inside one bag in order to get that two-toned effect. Works like a charm!!!

I use the CK brand disposables. I just hated cleaning a whole bag just for a dab of green for a couple of leaves. If I used 200 bags a day, then I'd probably use reusable bags. Never had a popping problem with the seams on these, either.

I'm not a tree-hugger, but I am starting to notice how much plastic goes into the trash. For example, the first year I did the fraternity caterings, I used plastic plates for convenience. 3 meals a day for 3 days = 900 plastic plates and 2700 plastic pcs of silverware in the dumpster! Even *I* couldn't ignore the volume on that. So we started using my real plates the next year.

plus it's a bottom line thing. It's cheaper for me to pay someone to wash dishes (in a comm'l dishwasher) than it is to buy plastic plates. With the bags, it's cheaper for me to use the disposables than it is to pay someone to wash the bags. If I ever start using 200 decorating bags a day, I may change my mind simply for the cost difference.