Officially disappointed with 'The Mat'. - Page 6

I guess it only works with Satin Ice?

But we all have to remember that Satin Ice rolls on anything, easily. No powdered sugar needed, no cornstarch. I've rolled Satin Ice with nothing, on parchment for small jobs, and on the beautiful silicone blue mat, the one that's been used successfully by top-notch decorators for how many years now?

I don't know about satin ice bc I've never used it and am not about to start bc I'm happy with my homemade MMF. Tastes delicious and works beautifully (unless I'm trying to use the Mat) every time. I'm very disappointed bc I live in France and had to pay more than the mat costs in postage but figured it would pay for itself and well....

I have had my mat for 9 months now and would never use anything else. They just came out with one with sizing on it and when I get through writing this I am ordering it. Dont know why some people have had trouble. I always make sure I keep my 2 sheets together(inside to inside) after I lay the fondant on my cakes, so if something is flying around it dosnt adhere to the inside. The only time I have to re-season it is when I give it a good cleaning. If you have had trouble with it I hope you will give it another try because it is great. I tried the vinal from wal-mart once and one it didn't work and 2 it smelled like chemicles which I didn't want to pass on to my customers.
Cheers

I have the 'pock marks' trouble with The Mat. I clicked on the video link that's suppose to show how to eliminate the problem. The link didn't work. Anyone know where to find the video

OMG! I love my mat! Can't wait to get the new one with the markings. Then I will cut the other one into smaller pieces to use for smaller projects.

I use mine with Michelle Foster's Fondant Recipe.

Lynn3

Here is the link you were looking for. By the way, I have the Mat and cannot rave enough about it. I don't use a commercial fondant, as all I ever use is MFF, so I don't have any experience with the others. It sure does make "fondanting" easy for me now.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K996n3hYds4&lr=1

Jan

I purchased the Mat a year ago but have not used it, I can not get the wrinkles and ripples out of it no matter what I have done..so, as with many other too good to be true items that I have purchased...it sits in my supply closet. I think I can use it to cover my table when the Grandkids do crafts

imcwilli, did you happen to view the link I attached above? She addresses some of the difficulties a few have encountered. Your particular issue was mentioned in one of the comments below the video. I'v copied it in the event you missed it. I hope it helps you move The Mat from the kids' craft closet to its place of prominence in your cake room!

Quote:
It said you were going to explain how to get the ripples out of the mat, but you didnt explain it. So how is this done, because I have quite a few in my mat. Thanks!!

Sorry for the delay! I DID leave that out! Sorry! Well, we will be re-filming a lot of these and will make sure it gets in next time. Depending on how bad they are, if not too bad (just from rolling it up), you can likely get them out by simply rolling The Mat in the opposite direction of the ripples. You can also roll up one sheet tightly, then the other one around it. The vinyl memory works for you here. If still bad, try soaking in hot water in the sink to soften it, wipe dry and roll tight.

SweetWise

The Mat saved my fondant career. I've been using fondant for 10 years (Wilton, satin ice, homemade) and I've never found it easy to use. Re-rolling, ripping, stretching, air pockets, I was going to rip my hair out, but The Mat saved me. I wish I had one of these years ago.

Simply wash in the sink with warm soapy water, rinse well. Wipe dry with a dry paper towel, then also AIR DRY, flat. The Mat needs to be very dry, nothing for the fondant to stick to. The sheets should be fine now, no need to season again, but if you do have any bit of static electricity, instead of shortening, this time use a light spritz of vegetable spray (NO FLOUR!). I do see people do this often; we think we'll make a new video to prevent it! Tks!

End quote.

I've taken the liberty to cut and paste the comments, as I've only recently gotten satellite internet service. Prior to that I had a ridiculously slow dial-up and seldom had the opportunity to view videos. I do think that watching it will help you gain confidence in The Mat.

Jan

Can't wait to try it. I ordered months ago and am still waiting for my MAT to be shipped.

I was so excited to buy it too and I constantly use it in the hope that it will get better. The issue I have is that little bits of the fondant stick to the mat and so when I drape it over my cakes it has little holes which no amount of rubbing can fix perfectly. I've tried it with and without shortening and find the result is the generally same. I'm hoping with prolonged use that I may be able to break it in?

denise, that would be so frustrating!

 

and you are kneading your fondant really well before rolling it out

 

so that the whole ball of fondant is all equally warmed up & primed for battle

 

like 50 kneads or something

 

(disclaimer--i don't have the mat--i use an older one sided version of that idea but i'm gonna get one any minute now ;)

 

i just wanted to offer a possible idea because i want it to work for you

I also purchased the full size Mat and the smaller size for smaller projects. I  had an awful time at first with sticking and rippling. Using drier fondant works better for the sticking for me but does make it much stiffer to roll out.  I still get rippling. As a novice I do find it easier to manage covering the cake using the mat and letting it fall away from the mat. Hoping as I get more comfortable working with it, I will have more success with it.

I would knead the fondant as much as I would have before I purchased the Mat K8memphis (cute doggie pic by the way) but I'll certainly try giving it an extra workout on a dummy cake tonight in case thats the issue! Thanks so much for responding!
 

 i hope it starts being a nice reliable tool for you

 

re: the pic--thank you!! he curls up around your neck--

 

we have both our best head shots there including the back of mine

 

No joy with the extra kneading. It turned out as bad as previous attempts and I ended up rolling the old fashioned way on my worktop. I'll keep checking

out other folks posts to keep up with tips. I do want it to work it has great advantages over using a worktop. Thanks! X