Hi all.  Just wondering what everyone uses as a turn table when decorating their cakes?

I have the Wilton Trim 'n Turn Ultra Cake Turntable which I like but as my cakes get bigger & thus heavier, I am nervous that it won!t support the weight of the cake.  I'm also thinking that a wider diameter one would be better.

Any thoughts/comments would be appreciated.

Thanks! :-)

Hi!

I have found that the old fashion metal/cast iron turntables work best. They are what most bakeries use. I purchased my first Wilton turntable from Michaels with a coupon, but unfortunately everything they sell is plastic now. I recently had to replace that one, and purchased it an Ateco from Amazon for less than $50.

Kellien

i agree with kellian -- old school ateco all the way -- and you can turn it upside down when you need a little bitty one

*kellien oops sorry

I use my Ateco 612 for most of my decorating, and I adore it - I love the weight of it, and how it doesn't wobble.

When I'm doing a lot of piping on the side of the cake, I use my PME Tilting Turntable.  I don't use it for my "everyday" decorating because it's so tall....and I'm so short!  (I feel like I can't reach the top of the cake really easily unless I stand on my tiptoes, hahaha!)

I've a few, none of which are exceptionally good so I'll look into the Ateco one. BakerBlackCat I too have the PME tilting one but I only use it if all my others are in use bc I hate the fact that the top and base come apart. It makes me too nervous that either I or someone else will forget & go to pick it up and the cake heads in the opposite direction.

Yeah, the PME one isn't as grab-n-go as the Ateco, and there's that heart stopping moment when you first try to pick it up.  I've learned - get the angle set first, then put the cake on the turntable, commence piping, then when finished move the cake off the turntable to a safe location...

...because I almost have a heart attack when I think I'm grabbing the base and I only get the top half!

I'm so used to the heft of the Ateco, so picking anything else up is a surprise.

I used my plastic lightweight Wilton turntable all through culinary school (all the school turntables were rusted into immobility & life became easier when I dragged my own into class), but once I got my hands on the Ateco 612, I stuffed the plastic one into the cabinet, and I think it's come out of hiding exactly once in the last 3 years.

Thanks for the feedback ladies.  I looked up the Ateco 612 on Amazon & here in Canada it's $80.  It looks a lot taller than the Wilton one.  I guess you all find the height ok?  Not too tall?

I may also price up what are called banding wheels for pottery.  The lady I take classes from has several of varying heights & diameters & they are very sturdy & turn very nicely.

The Ateco 612 is a work horse and is the same one we use in culinary school.  Thing will last you foreve.  It is sturdy and also has a really nice vintage look.   I have one for making cakes and just bought another one to display a wedding cake.

I use the Ateco turntables at work and they are fabulous :) I plan to get one when I can justify to my husband why I need it. My favorite "turntable" at the moment is a marble lazy susan I got at a thrift store for $10. Marble top, marble base, the thing weighs a ton and supports heavier cakes no problem and turns so smooth. The only downside is being a lazy susan it doesn't really elevate the cakes, but it's great for basic decorating. I also have the Wilton Trim-and-Turn, and a cheap plastic lazy susan from Bed Bath and Beyond that my dad jury-rigged into a cake turntable by putting a large piece of hard foam on it to give me height. That was back when I first started taking decorating classes.

Do any of you know how much the Ateco weighs? I'm traveling to the States next week and would love to buy one but have to consider luggage allowance, I can't find the measurements online but need to be sure before I order it. Any idea?

mine weighs 5# 6.4 ounces is 5" tall 12" across the top and 6 7/8" across the bottom

hope you have a lovely trip and traveling mercies all the miles and minutes

Thanks so much K8 for the weight and height measurements and for your good wishes for my trip, the turn table seems heavier than I thought so am not sure what I'll do. Thanks again.

Naivohw, the lazy susan idea is a good one.  I'll have to start checking out garage sales etc until I can bring myself to pay the price for the Ateco one.  

Thanks K8memphis for the details on the Ateco turntable.  I wish I had thought to pose this question sooner as I have friends visiting their daughter in the states.  I could have got them to bring it back for me since they are driving & weight wouldn't have been an issue for them.

Thanks to all of you for your feedback.  It's greatly appreciated :-)  So glad I joined up to have access to all your great knowledge.  

I have one that I bought from Wilton and it sucks!! I ended up buying a glass turntable at Big Lots for about eight dollars and it works perfectly. If I ever decided to buy one later on, Ateco is definitely the way to go.  I still have the Wilton but only used it once and now it sits in the cabinet. 

i made nice with a ticky venue person once because i used one of the old wilton scalloped turntables (the flat ones with the ball bearing strip) i used it to carry a cake on just as a temporary plate and forgot it there -- and she used it to cut the cake -- this way she didn't have to reach all the way over or drag the cake to the edge of the table or walk in front -- i was golden after that -- hahahaha

but the ball bearings in those rusted if you washed it...

My sister bought me the Ateco one you suggested (I shlepped it back from NY) however, it also detaches from the base which makes me so nervous about using it - it's the same problem I have with the PME one. Ugh!

Wilton brands are cheap and flimsy!! I bought a glass lazy susan and it works a lot better than  Wilton. I have a cheap Wilton that I bought a few years ago and I never use it. I am thinking about giving it away to one of my neighbors because it is a piece of junk!! Wilton should be ashamed of selling junk like that!! If and when my lazy susan breaks, I will purchase an ateco for sure!!!

claire, yes it's two pieces -- the only time it bothers me is when i'm picking the cake up off it -- just gotta be sure you don't pull it off with the cake -- but i would have no other -- in fact i am in the process of 'blessing' a long lost second cousin with a treasure trove of cake deco stuff but i won't be able to part with my ateco turntable -- she is in love with cake deco so she's the one i've been waiting for to pass my stuff onto -- she's getting an avalanche of pans, scalloped, heart, square, round the last two in one inch increments, air brush, at least one ka, a box full of piping tips/tubes the box is 9x7x6, sets of graduated cookie cutters, gum paste flower cutter sets, rolling pins, brushes, tools,whatever else in there i can part with -- dusts, gel color, air brush color, floral tape, wire-- that's just off top of my head -- oh and books, about 10-12 of those and instructional cds too -- feels good to write it all out here -- gotta get it all packaged up for shipping -- i have a ton of dummies too but i don't think i'm gonna ship those -- we'll see 

anyhow i hope you learn to love your ateco -- got a little off topic there

chocolate molds too and cooked sugar equipment and isomalt and some other stuff too and i know i'm way off topic but i'm glad i got this list made -- plus some sugar molds and a bunch of fondant molds, and decorative cutters -- wonder if you can ship a blow torch probably not...oh and a pasta roller maybe i'll send that to my brother for pierogi since it was mom's originally but i added the motor -- that's about everything i think

I have a wood laminate turntable and I absolutely love it.  I started out with the cheap Wilton plastic one and it was awful.  This one is great; nice and sturdy and it can take the weight.  It turns nice and easily.

http://www.countrykitchensa.com/shop/essentials/wooden-laminate-turntable/40/530/162/1724/

i got mine from ikea!! its huge..can fit 14" cake on it and sturdy!

K8 your cousin must be thrilled! I'm in the process of deciding what to do with stuff I bought when I first started out and thought were essential and yet have never used. I'm leaning towards waiting to see if my daughter (she's 19) will be interested in cake decorating which I doubt due to her insider knowledge of the business or just giving them away randomly or making up to meet with someone at ices in Birmingham and giving them the goods. Anyway, you're a good cousin to be shipping everything:)

(last high jack of thread i promise) thank you, claire, so far i only told her books/tapes & pans because it's hard to part with this stuff -- the mixer is a no brainer because i have several others -- i might have trouble parting with some of those ridiculously expensive molds and flower sets -- but once i get on a roll i think i can do it -- she has plenty of room though --

there's family coming right through here for a reunion next week...so maybe instead of shipping i'll be able to find enough room in a van or two passing by -- so we move on...