Has anyone here ever used or heard of FondX? I thought I saw it mentioned here on cc. I did an internet search and was able to locate a site that sells it. It happened to be on sale thru the end of this month so I ordered a bucket. Hoping I haven't wasted my money.

Cakedeco sells Fondx:

http://www.cakedeco.com.au/product.asp?productID=2410

I haven't used it yet but have heard good things about it! It can tolerate being put in the fridge after it has been applied to your cake...which can cause condensation problems with other brands of fondant!!

Pfeil & Holing sells it also:

http://www.cakedecostore.com/cgi-bin/webc.cgi/st_sresults.html

I ordered some, too, based on opinions I've read here and on other sites. I currently use SatinIce and I hear that the Fondx is as good, or better.

Unfortunately, the Fondx may have to knead, color, roll, and apply itself in order for me to buy it again when it isn't on sale because the shipping is OUTRAGEOUS! When I placed the order by phone, I asked for a total before completing the transaction. The woman couldn't tell me, but I've ordered Satin Ice online and found the UPS shipping to be very reasonable ($17.50 for 40lbs). Well, in the case of Fondx, cakevisions.com is charging me for $32 shipping for 30 lbs. With the sale price, that makes it about $2.67/lb. When it's not on sale, it would run about $4.27/lb and that's way beyond what I've paid for SatinIce. I've e-mailed cakevisions.com to see if this is an error--the website says that up to $49 should ship for $7 or $8

I'll let you know what I think of this stuff when I get it.

Rae

I use it, and really like it. Previously I used Satin Ice (which is good too). I prefer FondX because I think it goes on the cake better. It might be silly sounding, but there's just something different (better) about it. You can't beat all of those colors that Satin Ice offers though (I HATE coloring fondant!).

What about taste? Which is better? Or is it edible at all (like the Wilton brand nobody wants to eat!)

I used FondX once in a class. The consensus of those in the class as well as the instructor seemed to be that it was almost as good as Pettinice but not quite--in both taste and workability. It didn't get compared to Satinice. I like Pettinice just a smidge better than Satinice, but if it is true that FondX can be refrigerated after application, then that would be worth something.

I believe that Cakedeco and Pfeil and Holing are the same thing. The name of the company is Pfeil and Holing. The web address is http://www.cakedeco.com.

The price Pfeil and Holing is charging for FondX according to the website is $24.75 for 10 lbs. They have Satinice for $55.50 for 20 lbs ( so $27.75 for 10 lbs) and Pettinice for 36.95 for 15 lbs (so 24.64. for 10 lbs). It seems only fair to point out that unfair handling charges or mark-ups aside, where you are in relation to a company will usually have an effect on the cost of shipping. If you order the same weight of two different fondants from the same shipper, the shipping will be the same, but the distance you are from someone makes a difference in what it costs them to ship to you.

Please someone who is trying out the FondX, report your success or lack of it with refrigeration.

Shalom,
itsacake!

Distance from the shipper CAN make a difference in shipping costs, unless the seller has pre-set shipping costs based on dollar amounts--as is the case stated by cakevisions.com (cal-java). There is no disclaimer stating that heavy items are treated any differently than light ones--it's merely a matter of money spent.

They deal heavily in pre-made gumpaste flowers and you can imaging that it actually costs a lot less to ship $50 worth of gumpaste flowers than it does to ship $50 worth of fondant, but they rely on it to "even" out by using the $ spent shipping charges method.

I'm trying to get across the fact that had I ordered at full price from the website I would have paid $7.95 to ship 30lbs.--not $32+

The "sale" becomes much less meaningful if a company attempts to re-coup some of the sale by inflating shipping!

I'm hoping that this is an error--and I'll report back if it is, or isn't--as well as what I think of the product.

I can tell you now that Satin Ice is very edible. Wendy Kromer, Martha Stewart's wedding cake designer, uses it on her cakes. It's much better than Wilton--has no chemical smell and it rolls beautifully. I pay about $3.90/lb. with shipping from Nicholas Lodge's website. Wilton's 5lb. box would cost me $4/lb--if I don't have a coupon to Michael's and there is no tax (I'm not sure how the stores handle tax on this product). No comparison!

Rae

Well....I got an answer about the shipping business. Apparently when you have to phone in an order, they treat it VERY DIFFERENTLY than when you use the website. They apply what they state as "actual" shipping costs, rather than the charge/$ spent method. The answer reads:

"There is nothing wrong with the shipping charges. We are different departments. We have our own shipping rates and sale items. That is why a lot of our bakery customers prefer to order online because it's more convinient and the shipping is cheaper.
There is absolutly nothing I can do with your phone order, I have no access to it. Their shipping rate is actually the correct rate (as Fedex or UPS charged), the one online is a set rate."

Sadly, nowhere on the website--where it tells you clearly that to get the sale price you must call in the order--does it share this information. Also, when calling in the order, the person taking the order is not prepared to share this information, either.

I did save $24 over website prices and learned something besides. Price- wise, it's still very competitive with the others mentioned, even when not on sale, so it will be nice to see if it's actually better than the others.

But if I can teach it to knead, color, roll, and apply itself.....that would really make it great.....

Rae

Thanks for the responses. I just ordered today at the sale price because according to the site, you can only order FondX over the telephone. It is not available for purchase online. It will be interesting to see if it will be available online after the sale ends on 2/28. Anyway, I believe that the girl told me it would be about 32.00 shipping for 20 lbs (2 buckets). The price really does average out but it is most unfortunate that the company has created a way to recoup its costs. I have been unable to find another site that sells FondX. Is caljava.com the same as cakedeco? I think so but I'm not absolutely sure. Hoepefully it will be worth the money. Oh, and by the way, my order will take about a week to get here so the extra shipping costs are certainly not for faster delivery. I'll let everyone know how it works.

I actually have never used fondX or pettinice...I once ordered pettinice but pfeil & holing but the were out... but I was so happy with the satin ice compared to everything else I had used I have just stayed with it...I am going to try the others tho! As soon as possible...does anyone remember the type colette peters uses? I want to try that too..it was quite pricy. but Ill bet its good!

OK, I'm new to this and was going to try Wilton's fondant but I don't think I will anymore! I imagine it's OK for practicing with, right?

lol..practice is about all I would do with it..

Cakedeco.com is the website of Pfeil and Holing. I am on their mailign list and get their catalogs. I have some cake pan and a few other things which have their name on them, but they are mainly distributors. They are in New York. They are wholesalers, but sell to anyone. I've ordered from them several times. They charge shipping by just passing on UPS rates.


Cakevision is the website of Caljava. They also manufacture some things and distribute others. According to the Caljava catalog they are the creators of FondX, which, BTW, does come in a bunch of colors. I've never ordered from them.


Nati,
Am I reading correctly that you have successfully refrigerated cakes covered in FondX? If so, did you have to follow any special procedure and had you tried and failed to do it with other brands? Pettinice is apparently a New Zealand product. Have you used it and how did you think it compared if you have? Though I like it, there isnt' enough of a difference that I wouldn't switch if I could refrigerate finihsed cakes (or I'd use both in different cases if there were a cost differential)


Shalom,
itsacake!

OK, so if Wilton's isn't very good for any purpose, what should a novice like me use and where can I get it?

I would make it yourself. You get a good flavor and a good price. The only downfall is that it takes more time, but it's not that bad.

Just an FYI for the Canadians who might be interested in this:

I emailed Caljava about shipping prices to Canada and for a 2lb bucket it would cost $21.99 global express mail or $15.99 airmail parcel post, for any Canadians that may be reading this you'll at least have an idea......

Probably the easiest and least expensive way to make a fondant product is to make marshmallow fondant (MMF) . You can find the recipe and many suggestions for working with it here on CakeCentral.

Rae

HI Again!

Another not for any Canadians interested:

I just talked to a gentleman by the name of Murray from Cake Top Inc. out of Ontario and he sells a product called Virgin Ice fondant (has anybody heard of this product?). He says it's quite good and sells for $37.60 for 22lbs. I have no idea how much shipping would cost (yikes!) but you can go under the FondX site and get the phone number just click on distributors and you should see him listed there. (I thought he sold FondX but he informed me it is only an American product--shucks!)

I buy the Virgin Ice from Cake Top and it's quite good. The cake shop where I work aslo uses it. It's also the same stuff that Bulk Barn sells for $15 for 2lbs....do the math, if you are going to use fondant than the 22 lb bucket is the way to go.

Their shipping is also very reasonable. If I place an order on Wednesday I have it on Thursday. For a purchase less than $50 I think it's like $8 CAD for shipping, so much better than driving down. THey also sell the Bakery Craft colours in the big bottles, luster dusts, crimpers, almost anything you need for cake decorating.

tripletmom...

does the cake top store have a web site???

I live in Ontario and wouldn't mind knowing where I could get some hard to find stuff for cake decorating...(Michaels the the Bulk Barn don't carry everything.)
TIA

Thanks tripletmom! That is really good to know. When I was talking to him he seemed really nice! I hope to deal with him soon but am just starting out so to buy a 22lb bucket would be waaaayyy too much right now. I'm all the way in BC so it might cost a bit more for shipping.

isakov1

I know you were asking tripletmom, sorry tripletmom!
the website is caketop.ca but I don't think I saw fondant there.....might not have been looking in the right place.

thanks gibson,

I'll take a look

The website does not really give a good idea of what they sell. Pans, all shapes and sizes, colours, all kinds of Deco Pac stuff, cupcake pics, Wilton items, lace molds for fondant, all kinds of cake toppers, you name they probably have it. They are located on Carlingview Drive. Turn off of the 401 W and go north on Carlingview and they are in a little industrial plaza. They are REALLY helpful there.

Oh darn! I was going to buy from cakevisions - but the shipping is pricey!! BTW - i think Colette uses Massa Ticino.

Hey all, just read on another board that FondX is on sale for almost 50% off right now until Feb 28. Ya gotta call them directly as apparently internet orders will not work.

I believe you go to the CalJava website, find the link for FondX and go from there.

Edit to add:

Here is the link:

http://www.cakevisions.com/FondX.htm

Well if you want to look into shipping prices, there is a product called ML sugarpaste on the site www.creativecutters.com
It runs $35 Cdn for 5Kg (11 lbs). I don't know their shipping prices but they are very good to deal with from all accounts.
They have a business in Ontario and a warehouse in the U.S. Depending on which country you are ordering from, the items are shipped from Canada or the U.S.
This particular fondant can be refrigerated and apparently is very good tasting too, and handles well. I have pals that swear by it and it doesn't get wet and slimey and sticking when you refrigerate your cakes that are covered in it, in fact they recommend it.
I have used Virgin Ice, I get it at the Bulk Barn, I wouldn't refrigerate cakes covered in it. But it does taste ok.
McCalls tastes good too but definitely doesn't handle refrigeration well. Another issue with McCalls is that it has yellow oxide in it so when you colour it, it really messes up your colours.
Personally although I understand people not liking Wilton's because the hardening agent in does give it a bit of a taste, I do like working with it. I find it is very good to make decorations from because of the hardening agent and I think for beginners, it is great to work and learn with. I just don't think it is worth covering your whole cake with because of the taste factor, but it isn't really that bad. I think for most people it is really the texture of fondant that they cannot get used to, not so much the taste.
I have made fondant from scratch and don't find any cost savings in that and it is a lot of work if you have any issues with your hands.
I must be one of the few people that doesn't really like to work with marshmallow fondant. I don't find it as easy to work with, not quite elastic enough for some things. I also don't find that it tastes any better than any other fondant. But that is just my opinion, I will use it in a pinch if I have to.
Hugs Squirrelly