I got my Agbay last week. So far Ive only had two cakes to level and torte. A tiny six inch madeira which it did beautifully with no problems. Today I did an eight inch chocolate cake and Ive run into problems with it.

The cake itself has a quite a firm crust on the top which needs to be cut off, and its domed. I used the agbay to level the top and the blade kept tilting up slightly when it went into the cake so the cut ended up uneven.

It seemed better if I positioned the cake towards the edge of the leveller, near one of the legs, but the blade in the middle seems to have a bit of give in it - do I need to adjust it or something? Im not sure if im explaining myself properly, but I found that if i let go of the leveller when I was half way through cutting the cake, the leveller was ballanced in the cake, with both legs off the table! Which makes me think the blade is tilting up when it first cuts into the cake. I seem to have levelled the cake ok now, but it took several cuts from different sides of the cake to get there....

Please help, I really want to love my agbay!!

I just got my agbay 3 weeks ago and I leveled and torted over 25 cakes last week along and it worked beautifully. If no one else has any advice, I would suggest contacting agbay.

Just a thought. it looks like there are screws holding the blade on. Check those to make sure they are tight, otherwise, the blade could move.

thanks tracycakes, I will do, Ill try the screws and otherwise contact Agbay.

I've had mine for about a year or so and it's been great! But lately I started having a similar problem--the blades seem to bend while going through the cake and I end up with an uneven cut--So frustrating! I didn't know if maybe it was time to replace the blades? I guess I'll start with trying to tighten the screws...

there should be no play in the blade tighen it up or call Maureen
753-5169 between 9:00am-6:00 pm EST.

thanks tracycakes, I will do, Ill try the screws and otherwise contact Agbay.

I purchased my Agbay a couple of months ago and I've probably only cut 20 cakes with it so far. It's been working perfectly and I've even cut very dense cakes, like cherry cake, with no problem.

The busy wedding season is just around the corner so I know there are LOTS of cakes to come. I just assumed that the blade on the Agbay is good for years. I haven't heard of anyone mentioning that the blades need to be replaced periodically.

Maybe someone who has more experience with their Agbay will comment and let us know what to expect with regard to maintenance, use and replacement of blades. That would be really helpful!

I'm sorry you're having this problem because I know that must be really frustrating. It's like Wilton leveller de je vue! The blade on mine is really firm with no flex at all so Maureen at Agbay is probably the best one to advise you if you've already checked the tightness of the screws.

Please let us know if you resolve the problem and how because as a new Agbay owner, I'm very interested in how this works out for you.

All the best!

I've had my agbay for years with no problem (i have the original) of course i don't do cakes everyday if i did i would think i might have had to replace the blade by now. But i have never heard of one where the blade twists when cutting the cake.

After checking the screws, makes sure you are holding the leveler on the table and not lifting it off as you cut in to the cake. Use a sawing motion, when going through the cake, not just dragging it through. Thats all i can think of off the top of my head. By all means contact Maureen i'm sure she would want to know whats going on and would be more then happy to help you

My chocolate cake forms a bit of a crust and occasionally my Agbay will have a little trouble getting started. Also, contrary to the instructions, and do this at your own risk, I place one hand on top of the cake being cut and grab the Agbay with my other hand in the middle of the handle and push it through. I found the hands on either side of the Agbay did not work for me.

OH LEAH THAT SCARED ME! I do that too and man I cut right thru my finger up underneath my fingernail This tool is very sharp please be careful!

Yeah, I bought a cut resistant glove for that hand after cutting myself several times. Now I'm pretty good at it.

That's why I said my method is NOT recommended and attempt at your own risk.

"Images in the mirror are closer than they appear"
"Your mileage may vary."

not to mention that I knocke dit off the counter a few weeks ago and it cut my leg pretty bad. But could have been worse!
I love my Agbay and wouldnt give it up for the world!

Leah, I do the same thing. I hold the top of the cake with one hand (or even my fingertips) so it doesn't move while I use the other hand to saw from left to right. If I don't hold the cake, the cake will shift. I've been very careful but I think I'll try to get a pair of those gloves you mentioned. Thanks for the tip!

Leah, I do the same thing too. And yes, I too have cut myself with it. NOT fun.

I do the same as Leah, holding the top of the cake with one hand and cutting with the other. I've got a pretty good rhythm when it comes to moving my hand just in time.

When I've had to cut troublesome cakes, I drive my Agbay about a quarter of the way throught the cake, pull it out, give the cake a half turn and cut again. I do this all the way around until the last thing to be cut off is the very center of the top of the cake. Kind of like we used to do with a long serrated blade before the earth cooled.

Hey I remember those days . . .

I don't usually comment on posts about our levelers, but thought I should this time. Thank you Paula for letting me know. JoJo, if your cake has a hard crust on it then the most important thing to remember is to let the blade do the work. By this I mean to be sure that you slowly move the leveler into the cake while using plenty of side to side slicing motion. You don't want to push the leveler into the cake too quickly but instead let the points of the blade get you startedl The suggestions of starting to cut the cake around the different sides before you cut all the way through can be helpful too.

A simple yet very effective way to help prevent a hard crust on the cake is to cover it with plastic wrap before it is completely cooled. The moisture in the cake will help to soften that tough top crust. Then you shouldn't have any problems.

As for the blades, they should not need any sort of adjustment and they should last for many a good many years. With over 100 lbs. of tension on every blade you should get a perfect cut every time. Every cake recipe is different and some cakes just require an extra bit of patience.

I always say to our customers "if you ever have any questions at all, no matter how simple or silly it may seem to you, please don't hesitate to call or email me." We want you to love your Agbay too! It should save you lots of time and plenty of aggravation. So if anyone would like a call, or has any questions, please just let me know. Sometimes it's just a lot easier to discuss things over the phone.

Hello Leah, Thank you for you continued support!

I SOOOO want to get one of these. I printed off the order form for my husband a few weeks ago for mothers day and he stated I could just order it myself... my only concern is space for storing.. How large is the agbay and how big of an area do you have to have to store it? Thanks!! April

I keep mine in the corner of my counter behind my mixers. No one would be reaching there except for me so no one can get hurt except for me ha ha. The total length is 26 inches and 5 inches wide.

That is no where near as large as I thought it was!! Guess I need to get my order form sent in!!

Thanks so much for that, thats really helpful, also the plastic wrap suggestion is a great idea. I think it is the crust thats causing the problems, so I will try all your suggestions. I have tried it as I said on the madeira cake, which is soft and it was magic!

Sorry, I should have emailed Maureen first, I want everyone to know that it wasn't a criticism of the product, more that I thought it might be something I was doing wrong, especially since Ive never heard a bad reveiw of the agbay!! I guess Im just used to bowling on here and asking when I get stuck on something. I do think the product its great, and well made and the customer service is very good too. I will give all the suggestions a go and I am sure that with a bit more practice I'll get there!
thanks everyone, for all your help

Thanks so much for that, thats really helpful, also the plastic wrap suggestion is a great idea. I think it is the crust thats causing the problems, so I will try all your suggestions. I have tried it as I said on the madeira cake, which is soft and it was magic!

Sorry, I should have emailed Maureen first, I want everyone to know that it wasn't a criticism of the product, more that I thought it might be something I was doing wrong, especially since Ive never heard a bad reveiw of the agbay!! I guess Im just used to bowling on here and asking when I get stuck on something. I do think the product its great, and well made and the customer service is very good too. I will give all the suggestions a go and I am sure that with a bit more practice I'll get there!
thanks everyone, for all your help