what are the best cake pans to use?

I really like magic line and fat daddios.

Same here, best = magic line - best for the money and with rounder corners that are easily cleaned Fat Daddio's. Just to explain further the corners are perfectly mitered but where the sides meet the top at the corners, it's slightly rounded and what a blessing to clean when you're tired late at night.

Another vote for Magic Line.

I like magic line. That is actually one of the first things we are adding to our "store"!

I love Magic Line too, but my favorite pan is a 9" oval Fat Daddio's.

I bought most of my Magic Line (rounds and squares) & the oval here: http://www.countrykitchensa.com/shop/cake-decorating-supplies/pansbakeware/38/536/

As a hobby baker, I have been just fine with the Wilton pans purchased at Michael's with 50% off coupons. (Using 50% coupons over time will result in a significant cost savings overall.) All of my pans are 2" high. I purchased TWO of each pan/set (infinitely easier when making cakes).

The pans I use 80% of the time: Performance Pans Round Pan Set
Set includes 6, 8, 10, 12 in. pans. Each pan is 2 in. deep.
http://www.wilton.com/store/site/product.cfm?id=3E314F48-475A-BAC0-5295208D75273244&killnav=1

However, for square/rectangle pans: Fat Daddio's
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If you are starting out, I'd recommend 2 each of the following:
Wilton Performance Round Pan Set (purchased with 50% coupons)
Fat Daddio's (or Magic Line) 9x13 rectangle
Fat Daddio's (or Magic Line) square pan set

Over time you may wish to add to your inventory with the Wilton sets: hexagon, heart, oval, petal, paisley, etc. [Do NOT purchase ANY Wilton square or rectangle pans!]
I would NOT recommend you purchase any of the "character pans" unless you specifically intend to become a collector. Example:
http://www.wilton.com/store/site/product.cfm?id=3E3191FE-475A-BAC0-501074C10C676BD5&killnav=1
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If I were doing this as a business, I would invest exclusively in Magic Line pans. It would easily quadruple (or more) my initial investment cost, but would amortize in the long run.

Apti: I agree with you on the square and rectangle pans! I have tossed out a set of both. I replaced the square with Magic Line and the rect with FD but then replaced some of the FD with Magic Line. I just prefer the corners on Magic line overall. I have replaced several round pans with ML but have kept the FD and Wilton in reserve for when I am baking more than one set of each. (Like the weekend I had to bake 14 layers of 6"! I used all six!) I don't have a Michael's close to me though. That may make a difference........

I've only been doing this since Feb 2010 when I wondered into a Wilton Class at Michael's on a whim. I had never set foot in a craft store prior to that, and naively thought, "Oh Boy! I'll take this class and buy this little 52 piece Wilton Tool Kit with a coupon and I'll be able to make cute birthday cakes for all the little kids in our extended family." HA!!! FAMOUS LAST WORDS! I had no idea I'd go bonkers and become obsessed/fascinated with the hobby of cake decorating.

Being me, I wanted to learn everything and purchased all the tools needed asap. Again, HA!!!!!! I thought I could nail all this "cake decorating stuff" in 3-6 months.

OP~~Buying your pans can be a big $$ investment. You did the right thing asking this question on CakeCentral. Feel free to ask any of us for more advice after you check into online/speciality cake store pricing. We can help you to avoid making the mistakes we made before we knew better.

I ended up purchasing some items with coupons that I will probably never (or rarely use). The Wilton square pan set was one of those items. [ http://www.wilton.com/store/site/product.cfm?id=3E314F67-475A-BAC0-59499C2FEC2F7DCC&killnav=1 ] I was SOOOOO disappointed in Wilton for knowingly making pans with edges that flared out! Of all manufacturers, they should know better! Fortunately, I only purchased the one set (which I am ashamed to even give away), and didn't fall for any of those awful Ultra-Gold or other square/rectangle pans.

I did a ton of online research on CakeCentral before I ended up purchasing the Fat Daddios pans. The teensy-tiny bit of roundness on the corners isn't a problem (works well with fondant and is easily made into a perfect corner if using buttercream) and it saved me quite a bit over the Magic Line. I was able to get the quarter and half-sheet Fat Daddio's on sale, so again, a significant cost savings. I don't regret going with FD over ML for my needs.

I also don't regret buying the non-square pans from Wilton. The Wilton round, hexagon, etc. pans bake up beautifully! I hand wash all my pans and do NOT put them in the dishwasher.

The pans I use the most: The 8" round. Like you, I have multiples of these sizes and use them all the time! I actually need to buy about 4 more of the 8" and 10" rounds.

Where I live, Magic Line is no more pricey than Fat Daddios. Anyway, you can get a 5 piece set of round Magic Line pans for $39.00, including free shipping, on Amazon.

You can't go wrong with either Magic Line or Fat Daddios. I have a few Wilton pans and they are fine for the hobby baker as they are less expensive.

We love Fat Daddio's in our shop. It's all we use.

Williams-Sonoma Goldtouch for all available sizes and Magic Line for the rest.