What Piece Of Of Equipment You Regret Buying
Decorating By pinktea Updated 24 Aug 2008 , 11:31am by CreativeGirl220
I just purchased several metal fondant cutters (butterflies, flowers, etc.) from Nicolas Lodge's store here in Georgia and was so disappointed with them.
First, they were not cheap! I used them and they worked okay, but then I washed them in hot soapy water. After ONE use, they have all pitted. It's like the finish came off from simply soaking them in soapy water. I never had that happen before with Wilton's metal cutters. Has anyone else had this experience?
And of course, my daughter asked me the night before why I paid so much for a teeny tiny cutter and I told her "they last forever". 
This is more of a question then anything but does anyone use Wilton parchment triangles? I have used them for about 12 years and always liked them, but in the past year they break no matter the consistency of the frosting. Anyone else have this problem? What does everyone else use?
I had a tough time with the parchment triangles until I cut them all in half and make smaller decorating bags with them. When I used them full sized, they always split or spit out the tip. 
My wasted $10 was on the very thin fondant mat. It wants to curl up on the sides even with wetting the under side.
LOL I broke down and spent a whopping $2 on a piece of clear vinyl that fits over my island and it works great plus I have more room for rolling and helps to keep my counter from getting dirty.
I've got that too. I so agree. I hate that mat. I tried taping it, wetting underneath it..nothing keeps that baby from rolling up. Waste of money totally. 
suz
Well I have to say my leveler also, and I dont know if you can consider this "equipment" but I hate the Wedding Cake Design software. It never works right for me and I think it was way over priced for what it could do! I have Happy Meal toys that can do more than that software!
How about the tip covers? 
You're supposed to be able to slip them over the tips on filled bags you'll be using for touch-ups. 
They don't snap on; they just sit there, or fall off, etc. Aaaarrrgghh! I still haven't found any good uses for them except to take up room in my tip drawer! 
Thanks for letting me vent.
LadyMike 
After reading the consensus, I have to agree with some items.
I never got the tilting turn table because I felt like I would lose a cake in the first day I tried to use it. lol. So I bought a nice heavy duty turntable.
Those Wilton Tip covers are total crap. I thought, "wow, this is nice"... and then I tried to use one.. so I feel your pain.
Character Pans totally suck... though I used a bunch during college to make cakes for friends. I have now boxed them up in storage. I don't get many requests for them.
OMG what a piece of crud that icing sculpter thing is from Wilton. Atleast I got it off Ebay for 5 bucks. Ugh.... I "used" (uh, what I mean is failed miserably) it once and threw it in the bottom of my decorating draw, never to be used again.
Other than that.. now I have to find out about this Agbay stuff.. cause it sounds nice.
The new Wilton "yellow" line of merchandise is actually kind of cool. I bought one of the stand mixer spatulas... it's really cool because it has an angled head on it to reach into your stand mixer. So.. that's one piece I'll be keeping, and probably getting another one.
The new Wilton "yellow" line of merchandise is actually kind of cool. I bought one of the stand mixer spatulas... it's really cool because it has an angled head on it to reach into your stand mixer. So.. that's one piece I'll be keeping, and probably getting another one.
Just curious - Does that new spatula hook inside the bowl so that it's scraping down the contents for you? TIA
LadyMike
going back to the gold gel, it is wonderful. i use it for my buttercream, fondant and g/p.
is it metallic?...do they have silver?
I bought a box of Wilton parchment triangles when I took the class in 1991. Never used them, but never threw them away either. Now, I love them for chocolate. I think the box is probably a collector's item. LOL
I have a box from 1992! 
I don't like the scroll press thingys either.
But my recent waste of money was a borders CelMould. Either I have no clue what I'm doing (which could very well be the case) or this thing is more trouble than it's worth!
My worst buy would have to be my Wilton cake leveler, I find it pulls my cakes instead of cutting them...............unless it's the way I'm using it!!!!
Worst thing I every bought - - - My Wilton Classes at Michael's. What a waste of time and money. (I think if the instructor was better, I would have a different story.)
Second worst thing I ever bought some stupid swag and ribbon molds.
Third waste of money some plastic gismo thing from Wilton to help you find the right spot to mark so you can pipe your swag strings. I was to stupid to know you just measure and mark the spots. Boy they saw me coming!!!!
Very best thing I ever bought for cakes - - - a pencil and sketch book and my library of 55 books.
Those of you having problems with the Sugarcraft guns - you know the red and black one - If you will soften the fondant with some piping gel that makes it a lot easier to use.
Piping Gel is one of my most favorite things. Royal Icing to thick - soften it with piping gel. Buttercream to thick and need it for piping string work - piping gel added works great. Softening fondant or gumpaste - add that piping gel. Gumpaste has no elasticity - basically it is just a lump - add some piping gel and you get life back into it. One of my favorite things now.
Tilting turntables - boy do I agree - worthless - just put a roll of masking tape under one edge of your turntable - lifts a little but not to much.
Definitly my electric turntable. I think it was $150 before tax and shipping and it's soo sensitive you can't frost with it because it stops it from rotating. The only thing I can use it for is borders, but I don't do them very often. I think I've used it, maybe, 2 or 3 times in the last 2 years.
My worst investment is my "new" double oven!
Got it on craig's list. $199 double oven, I took a 16" round pan with me to make sure it fit, I have had alot of big layers and can only bake 2 at a time, making me crazy, so this newer double oven can hold 4 at a time!!! I was so excited! Bought it, 3 weeks later, spent $370 for a guy to make a wheeled cabinet for it, got it hooked up and then....it won't fit 1/2 sheet pans!!!! OMG, what a dumb a$$ I was not to think about the 1/2 sheets! Thank goodness I have another oven in my laundry room but I have to put a new plug on it so I can switch it out with the dryer when needed. I feel like an idiot! Have to walk from one room, across the garage, then to another room to bake 1/2 sheets!
I am SO glad that I found this thread. I've been thinking that I was doing something wrong, that my Wilton cake leveler kept ripping up my cakes. I feel so much better. Yep, that was my stupidest waste of money. I'm also glad to know about the tilting turntable, because I had wanted that. Now I know better. You guys ROCK!
I'm definitely the minority here - but i like my wilton leveler. I only have the small 12" one. The trick to using it is to saw back and forth while slightly pulling. It has to be straight up and down or it will cut crooked.
Im with you all that I hate my Wilton Cake Turntable, what a piece of junk!!! Im so glad I only paid half price for that thing. I have a hardly used Edible Printer too that I never use but I do like my Wilton cake levelers. You do have to use the sawing back and forth motion to get it to work and I took off the legs to the larger one and just use the blade by itself, just lay on top of my big sheet pans and saw using the cake pan as your guide. Sandy
Is that the new cast iron turntable? What didn't you like about that?
I used the Ateco ones in a culinary class that I took and LOVED them, but the $70 for one is a bit out of my budget as a hobby baker. I was considering getting the Wilton version when it's 40% off.
Mine was the white plastic tilting one-it wouldnt lock into position,wouldn't hold a bigger cake and the top would keep falling off.I did see the new wilton one ,the " proffessional " version but I don't know ....Wilton has not really been very great. Does anyone have any tilting turntable reccomendations ?
Wow so glad I came across this. I was looking at the Wilton ribbon cutter/ embosser. Guess that is a no go now! What is it that you don't like and is the FMM multi ribbon cutter better?
Thanks! I have a few shaped pans that I thought I needed but have never used! Beyond that I haven't picked up too many things. (and luckily I got them cheap).
That person that made the wilton icing smoother /decorator comb plastic crap thingie - ugh - could just strangle them..... that was the biggest piece of crap.
I also was stupid and purchased the tilting turntable- I think it's collecting dust somewhere.
Also tried the wilton large leveler once - big mistake - cut myself... took it back. It also ruined the cake. The Agbay is the BEST money I've spent. I had to call my mom over to watch it work I was so impressed - it was FUN to cut through the cake! Imagine that!
I've also ended up buying a bunch of stuff I haven't had a chance to use 
I regret some of those purchases.... just b/c no one ever seems to want me to make a cake that would use any of those cool tools I got at convention......
Oh and I have some of those JEM letters that I can't use for anything... I got some tappits recently and I'm going to try those and see what happens.
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