Just Tried Bake-Even Strips For The First Time....
Decorating By makeminepink Updated 4 Apr 2010 , 1:12am by glendaleAZ
and they worked great! If you have trouble with your cakes baking even, try them! The cakes were so flat! Why did I wait so long?!
I love them too!
My mom decorated cakes when I was a kid, and she used to cut old dish towels into strips and used them the same way. Eventually, they would get browned and crunchy and have to be tossed, so I love that the bake even strips last longer. (although they do eventually lose all the silver side stuff)
Old towels, cut to manageable sizes and wet as you would the strips, work well, too. I read about it here on CC I think, but can't recall who mentioned that tip. It was a great one 
You guys will never believe that I have a version of these that are over 50 years old, been used tons (they were my grandmothers) and they show minimal wear...they are so awesome, just like the ones you buy nowadays, but apparently very high quality by the condition they are in!
They are great.
I just started using them as well, and I love them too! :] I asked myself the same exact question "why on earth did I wait so long!!" :]
I love them too!
My mom decorated cakes when I was a kid, and she used to cut old dish towels into strips and used them the same way. Eventually, they would get browned and crunchy and have to be tossed, so I love that the bake even strips last longer. (although they do eventually lose all the silver side stuff)
That's what I've just started using and it works wonderfully (I wet the towels first though). I've cut several strips from one towel and keep them with my pans for whenever I need them. The last cake I baked didn't need any levelling at all.
makeminepink,I'm glad the bake-even strips worked for you!
Has anyone tried the pink silicone Rose Levy Beranbaum strips? I'm wondering how they compare to the silver ones. Although, I must admit that I really like eating the cake tops.
How do you make the strips stick so they don't fall off? I used a straight pin when I did it but wondered if there are different ways.
i have the small set with velcro but just bought the lager sizes and use a SS paperclip thing to keep them in place
i bought them after reading about them on this site and completely sold on the bake strips
Could someone please explain how to use the towel strips?? I've never used the store bought strips, so I have no idea. I would definitely love to try the towels though!! TIA
Honestly, I use a rose nail in the middle and you don't even have to have the strips. And no labor whatsoever. : )
Which way does the rose nail go in? So that the top of of it is lying on the bottom of the pan, and then batter poured on top? And does it change the bake times at all? Just curious, because it does sound a tad easier than the bake strips.
I use paper towels or the towel strips. depending on whats on hand...I prefer the paper towels, I just roll them the size of the pan soak them enough without them dripping and then press them to the side of the pan. I use them till I finish baking all cakes I need for the project, then toss them.
Could someone please explain how to use the towel strips?? I've never used the store bought strips, so I have no idea. I would definitely love to try the towels though!! TIA
You just take an old towel, cut a strip long and wide enough to fit around the side of your pan, soak it in water (ring out excess so it's not dripping wet), wrap it around the pan and pin it with a t-pin (any other pin would probably work as well) so it stays in place. It's ok to make it a little tighter if it's falling off of the pan. Once the cake is done you can re-use the towel, just make it wet again before you bake the next cake.
I used a flower nail for the first time a few weeks ago and I must say it worked wonderfully. The cake came out really flat. I'll definitely be using again.
For those having problems pinning or keeping them on the pan, I would suggest to NOT try to pin it while it's on the pan.
I get my baking strips on the pans as part of my pan prep. Wrap the strip around the pan; holding it in place, slip it off of the pan and THEN pin it. Then slide it back onto the pan. I usually pinned it just a smidgeon snugger before sliding it back on the pan.
It takes some practice to be able to pin it nice and snug on the pan ... you'll get there.
(Or maybe it's we moms who remember diapers you had to pin while the diaper was on the baby who have the advantage! They had to be snug .... couldn't slide it on afterward! 
Could someone please explain how to use the towel strips?? I've never used the store bought strips, so I have no idea. I would definitely love to try the towels though!! TIA
You just take an old towel, cut a strip long and wide enough to fit around the side of your pan, soak it in water (ring out excess so it's not dripping wet), wrap it around the pan and pin it with a t-pin (any other pin would probably work as well) so it stays in place. It's ok to make it a little tighter if it's falling off of the pan. Once the cake is done you can re-use the towel, just make it wet again before you bake the next cake.
Thank you so much!! I can't wait to try this! I've used the rose nail and it didn't help
For those having problems pinning or keeping them on the pan, I would suggest to NOT try to pin it while it's on the pan.
I get my baking strips on the pans as part of my pan prep. Wrap the strip around the pan; holding it in place, slip it off of the pan and THEN pin it. Then slide it back onto the pan. I usually pinned it just a smidgeon snugger before sliding it back on the pan.
It takes some practice to be able to pin it nice and snug on the pan ... you'll get there.
(Or maybe it's we moms who remember diapers you had to pin while the diaper was on the baby who have the advantage! They had to be snug .... couldn't slide it on afterward!
Debi,
I wasn't a mom yet when we still had to pin diapers, but I changed more than my share of my younger brothers' diapers, and poked my fingers MANY times I had to smile when you brought back this memory!
I pin mine on before I put the cake batter in them so I turn them sideways and pin them and they are nice and tight!
I also place them around the pan , slide them off & make them a little snugger then pin & slide back on, I always make sure the strips are not too close to the bottome of the pan, that way they last longer as the don't burn on the oven rack. I also use a nail on a 10" & up. I never have domes!!! thank goodness. I have also use strips of wet towel & that works very well too.
Well, I forgot to put my flower nail in my pans, so I tried the wet paper towel method. Well about 20 minutes into baking my cake I started smelling something burning. I went over to the over and found that a piece of paper towel fell off and hit the heating coil. My oven was full of smoke. My kitchen now smells like a campfire. LOL I won't be doing that again. Man, I hope my cakes dont taste like campfire food.
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