Hello.  I have taken some classes and do cakes primarily for friends and family.  As such, I don’t spend a lot of money on equipment that I cannot justify.  I kind of space my spending out.  I have been wanting a turntable for quite some time.  Have just an inexpensive Wilton plastic flat one right now.  I know Wilton may not be the caddilac of equipment but it is affordable and available. So, that being said, I had a 50% off coupon for Michaels and bought a Wilton Professional turntable.  Retail was $69 so I got it for $35 ish…  It has cast base and aluminum deck.  It does spin freely.  However, when it spins, it does not seem to be level.  I think it may be the deck but it looks like it doesn not spin around where cake would be completely level.  Does that make sense?  Anyway…Is it supposed to do that? I would love one like maybe an Ateco but by the time I pay around $50 (cheapest I have seen) and postage, I am back up there in cost.  Please advise.  I will take this Wilton one back if it should not be that way.  It doesn’t wobble but when you watch the deck, it just does not look flat as it goes around…. Trying to explain…LOL Please advise asap. 

I love this site!  People are so courteous and helpful.  I was on another site for a while and the behavior of the owner got rediculous.  Totally unprofessional and emotive.  People often felt downright attacked on there if they said the wrong thing like “Rose Berenbaum”.... LOL…. Anyway… I don’t go there anymore… If people are so insecure that they can’t appreciate another professional without feeing jealous and angry then they have other more far reaching problems.  Those problems should not be the problem of others on your site. LOL

Jo

I recommend the Ateco 610, as does Hector (and other great bakers on this site). Very smooth, even and solid.

Thank you.  The Ateco will be my goal… For now I just got another inexpensive one but at least it spins level.  I tried another Wilton (this time at the store) and it did the same thing.  I will wait and get quality….  Will have to shop around for best price.  I don’t sell cakes so hard to justify the cost… Thank you!  Jo

I’ve seen several of the heavy duty brands in person and they are identical in every way except for the name imprinted on the base.  My guess is that they are all made at the same place.  Anyway, the top of the turntable is brushed aluminum - the way the light bounces off of it when it spins can give the illusion that it’s a bit wonky but to be sure you can spin it and get down so that your eyes are level with the spinning table… if it’s slanted or wobbly you should be able to see it clearly.

Hey Pat, Welcome!

I found an Ateco turntable online for $49.99 and very reasonable shipping.  check it out.

http://www.intotheoven.com/shopping_cart.php

good luck

jen

Thank you all so much.  I did see that turntable Jen and thank you also.  The turntable part of the Wilton is packed in the bottom of the box with no padding of any kind.  It is likely they are as a result, easily damaged.  The one that I bought had an obvious ding and the other definitely did wobble.  They only had two there so that was all I could try. It wasn’t just the lighting although I can see where that could happen.  I put a ruler beside the turntable and you could see the variation as it turned.

Rose, you are a professional and you run this site that way. You are also very customer service oriented. I had a terrible experience on another website.  They frequently posted your recipes or their “rendition” of your recipes.  One of your mailings listed some corrections to one of your books.  I thought I would be nice and provide the link to those who obviously liked your recipes and as result had bought your book.  Well all h*ll broke loose.  I had no idea what I had done.  Thereafter, most posts I did were scrutinized and attacked.  A number of people tried to come to my rescue and explain that I meant no harm to no avail.  They ended up attacked too.  It was a sad and sick place.  And now they charge a fee to be there and access recipes, etc. I am happy to be here.  I had no idea that the mere mention of your name would turn someone so green!  Their problem not yours or mine….

Pat keep your eyes open for decorating kits on sale. That’s how I got my first turntable, in a Martha Stewart Kit. Hers no longer contain a turntable, but keep checking for sales at local stores, like Macy’s.

Jen

I’m glad you said something.  I just checked the one I bought but haven’t used yet…it was warped also! 
Thanks!

Pat, I am so glad you are looking out for a great turntable, it makes cake frosting and decorating a lot easier.  I would STOP buying things in between, and just use what you have now.  Save the in between moneys until enough to buy your Ateco 610.

Your cast base Wilton is most likelly a defective batch, it should be as great as the Ateco 610.  And YES, you should try them out, the defective ratio is rather high.

You can decorate cakes w/o a turn table, as you do even if monthly or weekly.  My main justification of having one is that it saves pain from your wrist, and it is faster to work (faster to spin your cake or tray around).  It also helps to get smooth sides, but I have done smooth sides w/o one, which is perhaps the reason that now when I use a turn table, I can achieve ultra smooth sides!

Matfer makes a $200 turntable, it is always good to have a dream.  My Japanese chefs use some made in Japan, I will check them out.

Oh, yes, I baby my turntable like nothing better.  I don’t use it as a pretty stand when not in use, nor carry it as luggage when traveling.  It is the ONE piece that never leaves me!

I find that the turntables that are typically used in our profession, raise the medium, too high.  I find it much easier to level a cake, if I can glue my upper arm to my side, and just use my hand/wrist to hold the spatula, as opposed to using my whole arm. (hard to explain) 
I use and have two. old old old, wooden lazy susans, that are on great wide bases, with ball bearings, etc.  they sit about three or four inches off the table, and provide me a sturdy base for any sized cake. one is 16 inches, the other probably 14.. they never leave my house, and are stored, when not being used. 
I would imagine that aluminum could be defective in it’s casting process, to produce an uneven/not level plate. I would suggest that you set the plate portion, upside down on a flat surface and/or a bed of flour, and see what it’s “footprint” is.  you would be able to see any flaw in surface that way..