Check out the products Dan reviews in this episode: Perfect Cake Divider: amzn.to/2SORhWr Curved Cake Slicer: amzn.to/3yngtUa Bonviee Cake Leveler: amzn.to/2SYdwcK ZYLISS Easy Slice: amzn.to/3fr0Wu1 All products are independently selected by Epicurious editors. If you buy something through our retail links, we earn a commission.
Oh my word, everyone should Google Dan. He is actually pretty legendary in...well...life. His work is so vast that he was probably involved in at least one aspect of every person's life who watches this video.
I think a lot of people in the comments are failing to realize he is supposed to be simulating the layperson. If a tool is not intuitive for people unfamiliar with it, that is itself a design flaw that can be rectified.
remember, RUclips commenters criticize things just because they think they are superior in knowledge from watching 1 episode of hell's kitchen. viewers like you are far and few between. props to you for not hating just because!
We're now living in a world where people with google search "skills" feels more entitled and more capable than people who really learn and has the actual experience on the things. So yeah, I suppose that's why in every video Dan always say "I've been designing kitchen gadget for 40 years", and even so he probably knew there are these entitled people with google search "skills" that still won't buy his comment or recommendation.
I love how this entire series is a meta-commentary on how we've made a whole bunch of useless plastic gadgets that make problems far worse than they were to begin with
You can broaden that to many fields, showing how ineffective a company is when the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing. An example of applying this to another field would be IT. The programmer might make a program that can save the company thousands every year, but unless he takes into account how the other teams are working, and those teams are given time/put in the effort to adjust to his new methods, everything will go to waste.
I'd like more of these videos. He approaches gadgets with a skeptical attitude, which I think more gadget reviews need. He doesn't misuse the gadgets, but uses them awkwardly, which most of us do.
Glad he does the left handed test. Me as a lefty often comes across tools that just don't work with your left hand. Scissors is the most commonly known example. But things like knifes can be unusable as well. Most people don't realize this because they only know the right handed perspective
The left handed oil test (or I suppose the right handed oil test for a lefty) is also good to simulate a user with arthritis or other issues that make grip or fine motor control more difficult.
(I'm also left handed) I won't stand for scissors slander anymore. I have never, in all my years of scissors use- as both a preschooler and preschool teacher, had trouble with any kind of scissors. Dollar tree scissors, gimmicky scissors, even my scissors that are from a time before left handed people existed all, work fine and are comfortable to use. I propose we start hating on white boards and white board markers instead.
@@momsspaghetti7888 your experience is different than mine then. I had to learn to use scissors with my right hand for easier tasks because right handed scissors don't work with my left hand
@@momsspaghetti7888 the low budget ones just don't cut. They bend the paper but don't cut through it. The other thing is that I can't see the line where I want to cut it. I'd have to hold it real awkward and that is just painful
I know it seems like he's intentionally misusing the gadgets they present him but also in testing it's important to come from the the average perspective. Someone that works in the baking/ cake design industry might have been a little more intuitive with the cake leveler but that's not the average persons position. He's acting the way a person would if they saw it at the sore and just wanted to try it out.
I can easily imagine a centering machine for it too. But it would be too bulky and clumsy so that's probably why it was decided to be cut away from the design
I like how Epicurious were too stingy to give Dan a new cake for the left hand oil test, but had no problem roasting three whole turkeys for the turkey chainsaw.
I think it's not stingy but all the leftovers need to be eaten or taken home. Everyone can work will extra turkey. Not everyone wants to bring home 3 cakes
Dan just simulated what it would feel for normal people who use these for the first time! And if it's hard to use or challenging to understand how to use, then it is not an intuitive design!
The Wilton cake leveler uses just one “blade” in the form of a wire, so it’s easier to get even layers and it’s got plastic feet that allow it to easily glide over surfaces. Also uses springy wires at the edge of the leveler if you need to readjust heights. No screws to screw with.
@@Eralen00 the back half (the other side i think you're talking about, held in his hand?) is shaped so you can squeeze it together to make sure you can pick up the cake piece in the front half, all the way up and out of the cake and then release a bit so it drops out onto a plate. I don't understand why it doesn't tessellate, though! 🤷🏼♀️
@@MsWnDrLnD Yeah that's the part I was talking about. I just got an idea though, what if this slicer isn't meant to slice every piece? You'd use it as shown in the video, but instead of trying to slice the next piece adjacent to it, you "skip" a slice. Since the slicer goes to the center of the cake, the second and third slices are both cut at the same time. Not sure if I'm explaining that clearly. Using it this way doesn't leave a tiny "left-over" piece from the edge of the cake
As someone who bakes and decorates layer cakes as well as owns multiple cake layers, the cake leveler will win out every time. The bit of extra time and effort is worth the ease and speed of a knife due to the end goal being even and clean cut layers. What does need to be changed on this leveler is the handle and the blades. I find that wire works better than blades.
I think the cake leveler also could use some kind of ball bearing or wheels so that you can actually roll it over the table when cutting which might help with consistency. Also, a neat little ruler scale on both sides so that you can actually make sure you have a properly horizontal blade.
It's always such a treat to come back here and see Dan explaining product testing/designing. He's like that uncle who tells you the secret tricks of the trade from the company he works at.
My mum's a professional cake decorator and baker, the levelling gadget is so important, she calls it a harp and her one is a huge metal one that can be fixed onto a table
@@pepsithebunny2404 yeah, when my mum uses it it goes through like butter. I sometimes struggled with mega fresh cakes cos they're so soft like I was too rough sometimes, but she does it effortlessly
I'm sorry but I couldn't stop laughing when comparing to the good old knife and spatula It looks so simple the traditional way and yet this gadgets claim to reinvent the weel
When using a knife to cut a cheesecake, even with a cake divider. Have a hot glass of water. & A clean towel. You need to dip the knife in the hot water. It won't damage the icing, & cleans the blade off for the next slice.
That first one seemed more like a knife problem... I mean the device was pretty bad, but it wasn't the one making half the cheese cake stick to the knife.
Agreed, Cheesecake is one of the most messiest cake to cut. Not only that when cutting a cake and try to make the least amount of mess (Especially with cheesecake) you want to cut down and pull outwards not up like he did, now you have icing and cake everywhere.
He didn't do anything wrong. This is more of the average person perspective. You can't expect an average person to have the perfect knife all the time. Also, not everyone knows how to cut a cake a pastry chef or a baker would. So to the average person that need these gadgets, it would definitely be bad gadgets. A baker or a pastry chef wouldn't need these gadgets because they have experience anyways. So yeah. In a perspective, these gadgets are very flawed.
No, but the design of the device did greatly increase how many cuts you have to make for a given number of slices, each cut making the cake messier. Cutting into 10 pieces with the device required 2 cuts per slice, 20 in all. (Couldn't do 15 because opposite slices didn't line up.) Cutting into 10 pieces without the device would only need 5 cuts. A better tool for this job would just be a stamp that pokes evenly spaced holes in the icing, which could then be used as guides to cut the cake all the way across.
Your perspective is off. Let’s say, a normal average person used it, and they used it, the instructions don’t say to use a sharp knife for cutting cheesecakes. But I get why u think this way. This is just my opinion
Not really, they cut easily with a normal knife. The point was these gadgets were either thicker than a knife, or trying to cut multiple layers without a good handle
It isn't the solidity of the cake, it's the force required to do multiple cuts at one. The leveler was essentially cutting 3 different segments of cake, meaning the force required to regularly cut one slice is now multiplies by three. That's how math works. Now add on top of that, the blades are thin, they don't really put much of your force through the cake for decent cutting. The cakes could have been light as air, and those devices he used would still do terribly.
Does.... does no one have serrated cake servers anymore? I mean, I have my grandmother's antique one, but surely these are still a thing, right? Slice and serve all with the same utensil. This problem was solved decades if not centuries ago.
I have a cake slicer that has a single cheese wire as it’s blade (so works left or right). The single wire which is easily raised/lowered is easy to use and you can just remove the bottom slice, do the next and again (so all slices are equal). It’s brilliant.
I have a cake leveler at home but mine doesn't have that serrated blades, it only has some kind of very thin wires or strings(?) It's actually quite easy to use and I never really had a problem using them.
The two handed cake slicer really came through for us. I mean yes, it is terrible and got a 1/5 for buy recommendation, but it was the only gadget to score more than 0 in the entire video. great work, two handed cake slicer.
I just have to wonder who they hired to make the cakes. Cause if a cake is make right, a piece of floss (with the right amount of pressure) can cut a cake easily.
I completely agree. I don't even get why anyone would need left hand scissors. We all got so used to holding them with our right hand that doing the opposite actually feels uncomfortable for me as a leftie.
Oh my god me too . I get really annoyed sometimes I would have to use my right hand for things . I think that being left handed is good thing because we learn to adapt to our surroundings . Like with writing and using tools.
The two-handed cake slicer does have some advantages because it can cut, lift, and serve in one fluid process. The slice won't fall over and would still be completely food safe since there's no finger or additional tool used to transfer it to a plate. I kind of like that. I also see the flexible metal as being part of the design so the server can grip the slice and transport it to a plate more easily regardless of hand strength.
What kind of burnt sawdust cakes were made for this video? I’ve used cake levelers like that, as well as wire cutter ones, they work FINE. A cake leveler like that should slide smoothly through because it’s fluffy soft cake, not the same density of low-moisture brown bread lol.
The thin band saw like blades don't offer much for force, and with the saw teeth, they grip at the cake meaning he has to use more force to cut through. Thin wires can't catch onto anything because they're just that, a thin wire, and the simple design of them allows for easy cutting, hence why levellers come in a wired variety, and not saw blades.
Ive recently discovered these videos and I keep coming back to them not only because I like the content but especially because I enjoy all the different takes he has on these objects! Plus he seems like a good and positive person! Definitely thumbs up 👍🏻
I think he did this with the attitude of an average, awkward customer. I mean, if you're already well versed in baking, you don't really need such gadgets.
They should've tried using that giant watermelon slicer on one of the cakes, BOOM, fully cut instantly with a satisfying cylinder piece in the middle to fight over.
I have a gadget similar to the cake slicer thing that he gave zero, its really nice actually because instead of a blade its a wire and they give you numbers to match up. It is cheap, effective, and easy to use.
@@HeyNonyNonymous because that takes up significantly more storage space. Why would you keep a whole big thing when you could store a tool that's the size of a piece of sidewalk chalk
Well, you say that, but you'll still end up with a massive hole in the middle of your cake and it'll mess up the ends of every slice. If it were just for scoring then you could have a much shorter and narrower prong, then have a single plastic/metal blade to place the initial mark that's longer and deeper that this design's prongs with a semi-sharp bottom edge so it cuts slightly into the top of the cake to mark the first slice (and makes the device less likely to turn during use), then the second part can rotate freely around the centre, clicking into position at the correct angles for scoring (you could probably also have some mechanism at the top to select how many slices you want). It's hard to explain without a diagram, but I think that design would work better with less cake-vandalism and less space for human error. It would be slightly larger, but that's a small price to pay for something to be actually functional.
If you're either: Skilled enough Intuitive enough Experienced enough To understand how to use that gadget in the capacity you mentioned, you're easily capable of acquiring or already have the proper tools or technique to do it that way anyhow, thus completely removing any need for the gadget.
I think the curved cake slicer is meant to tessellate by using the 'handle' end to cut the next slice. That's probably why the smaller side isn't blunt; it's meant to flip over and also cut. Still a pretty awful design regardless!
I actually don't think that's the case. If you look, you can see the handle is dramatically thinner than the blade, and it sticks pretty much straight out instead of curving in the opposite direction. That said, can you imagine how gross it would be using it that way? You'd have to get cake all over your hands, and any residue from your hands all over the cake. XD
i feel like the mechanical advantage reminders like at 8:10 are the most useful part of these videos. its not something id ever remember to consider on my own. if anything, id probably look at that thing without any thought and be like oh three blades at once, i guess thats more efficient than the one bladed ones, cool. so dans reminders that its simple physics at work (in another one he pointed out how the placement of a fulcrum could have been way better) and they determine how hard or easy something is are really helpful
To cut an unfrosted cake into layers: use the ruler or anything else as measurement around the cake, then lightly cut into the cake all around, then take a piece of thin yarn or flossing line and lay it around, twist in front, pull It's the easiest and typical mother home way of cutting it
The wheels would have to move in 2 directions at once- up and down, for the "sawing" motion, and to the left or right, to cut through the cake I feel like little feet things with felt on the bottom would work better and probably cheaper
When it showed all the products in the intro, I thought for certain the 2-handed slicer would be the worst one. I was pretty surprised when it was the only one that wasn't terrible lol.
I love that you are giving 0s now! In a lot of your older videos there were some gadgets that were worse but you still have them 1 at a minimum. You might have been using 0s for a while I just going your series and have been jumping from recommended video to recommended video for the past day.
For the curved cake cutter, I believe the first slice is obviously a funky shape, but after, you make regular triangle cuts afterward by setting the curved side into the negative space on the cake. If you draw the shape and then draw the shape overlapping itself, you will understand what I mean.
I thought about this but first of all, you would not have even slices so some people will get less cake (the negative space) and secondly, it doesn't even look like the curvature of the lower part of the cutter matches the upper curvature.
Do ppl in America and other countries slice the cake by triangles or only some, cus u can just pre slice it into equal even parts.... Like cut it in half then again until u get the right amount, maybe even more.🤔
If the whole cake's being eaten at once, then pre-slicing makes sense. Otherwise slicing a triangle at a time preserves the freshness and keeps the cake from drying out.
More traditional cutting methods from the last 2 or 3 centuries saw you cutting individual geometrical triangles, because not everyone was gonna gorge on cake. It was seen as a special occasion type dish, and waste wasn't exactly taken light. Today we can eat cake about any time we want, and have better storage, so yes, preslicing and just devouring makes sense. But people still follow that traditional rule, and I don't see why that's a bad thing.
@5:06 that little sliver of cake goes to the person who says, "Oh, just a tiny sliver for me." There are at least 3 people in my family who say some variant of that every time cake is served. Liking the person is optional. 😉😄
That last gadget would certainly benefit from a hinge. Plus, it would allow you to store it flat (taking up less space in the drawer). It would also make it easier to clean.
When he tried the cake layer slicer and when he tried it the first time he said the top layer got destroyed and im no pro baker but most bakers cut the top layer thinly so there is a flat surface to ice the cake.
I think that zyliss easy slice should be re-evaluated. Once you push that plastic portion forward you should have a piece of the cake hanging. In theory if you put that portion on the plate then pull the plastic portion back it should come off neatly. That's why it comes in two layers. The metal portion and the plastic portion that was made intentionally smaller.
Check out the products Dan reviews in this episode:
Perfect Cake Divider: amzn.to/2SORhWr
Curved Cake Slicer: amzn.to/3yngtUa
Bonviee Cake Leveler: amzn.to/2SYdwcK
ZYLISS Easy Slice: amzn.to/3fr0Wu1
All products are independently selected by Epicurious editors. If you buy something through our retail links, we earn a commission.
I don't think anyone is planning on buying these
Why is there only 1 reply….
Now 2
Lol, and all of the products have such high ratings. Amazon is sooo corrupt.
the cake cutter looks like a bow saw
I mean…. so he says all of these cake slicers are bad, and then y’all tell us to buy them? Excuse me but why y’all shooting yourselves in the foot?
I think designers have underestimated how dense storebought cake is.
How has no one commented on this?
I agree they didn't also they made all the edges flat and thick it makes it more difficult to glide through a cake
@@Average_Joe-b8c most people are busy finding faults in his testing methods.
Yeah-and the-uh-cake divider had over estimated it-
Ja
Oh my word, everyone should Google Dan. He is actually pretty legendary in...well...life.
His work is so vast that he was probably involved in at least one aspect of every person's life who watches this video.
I tried but I couldn't find anything T-T
@@anirudhviswanathan3986 bruh i did ;-;
@@heihey3938 he was on the design team for IBM discussing methods of creating personal computers
@@coolsoccer98 :00
Dan is huge?! He has done so much
I think a lot of people in the comments are failing to realize he is supposed to be simulating the layperson. If a tool is not intuitive for people unfamiliar with it, that is itself a design flaw that can be rectified.
👍
Finally somebody said it
remember, RUclips commenters criticize things just because they think they are superior in knowledge from watching 1 episode of hell's kitchen. viewers like you are far and few between. props to you for not hating just because!
I just wanna eat the cake lol
We're now living in a world where people with google search "skills" feels more entitled and more capable than people who really learn and has the actual experience on the things. So yeah, I suppose that's why in every video Dan always say "I've been designing kitchen gadget for 40 years", and even so he probably knew there are these entitled people with google search "skills" that still won't buy his comment or recommendation.
I love how this entire series is a meta-commentary on how we've made a whole bunch of useless plastic gadgets that make problems far worse than they were to begin with
My English teachers would love you
You can broaden that to many fields, showing how ineffective a company is when the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing.
An example of applying this to another field would be IT. The programmer might make a program that can save the company thousands every year, but unless he takes into account how the other teams are working, and those teams are given time/put in the effort to adjust to his new methods, everything will go to waste.
I'd like more of these videos. He approaches gadgets with a skeptical attitude, which I think more gadget reviews need. He doesn't misuse the gadgets, but uses them awkwardly, which most of us do.
There’s a whole series with him on this channel!
@@NaishaS I know. I'd like more.
@@Sonia-jk7lf ?
@@Sonia-jk7lf ?
@@Sonia-jk7lf are you lost?
Glad he does the left handed test. Me as a lefty often comes across tools that just don't work with your left hand. Scissors is the most commonly known example. But things like knifes can be unusable as well. Most people don't realize this because they only know the right handed perspective
The left handed oil test (or I suppose the right handed oil test for a lefty) is also good to simulate a user with arthritis or other issues that make grip or fine motor control more difficult.
(I'm also left handed) I won't stand for scissors slander anymore. I have never, in all my years of scissors use- as both a preschooler and preschool teacher, had trouble with any kind of scissors. Dollar tree scissors, gimmicky scissors, even my scissors that are from a time before left handed people existed all, work fine and are comfortable to use.
I propose we start hating on white boards and white board markers instead.
@@momsspaghetti7888 your experience is different than mine then. I had to learn to use scissors with my right hand for easier tasks because right handed scissors don't work with my left hand
@@annachase6036 how do they not work with your left hand? I'm having trouble wrapping my head around them being difficult to use with either hand
@@momsspaghetti7888 the low budget ones just don't cut. They bend the paper but don't cut through it. The other thing is that I can't see the line where I want to cut it. I'd have to hold it real awkward and that is just painful
I know it seems like he's intentionally misusing the gadgets they present him but also in testing it's important to come from the the average perspective. Someone that works in the baking/ cake design industry might have been a little more intuitive with the cake leveler but that's not the average persons position. He's acting the way a person would if they saw it at the sore and just wanted to try it out.
I'm assuming for cake leveler, the more blades it has, the more angle starts to variate from get go. Compared to just one.
Truth! As he was doing it I didn't think he was doing anything wrong until I read the comments because that is how I would do it XD
Yes this is exactly true and well put
I think he also does the slip test where he makes his hands slippery to simulate someone who has problems with their hands and arms like arthritis
I'm in culinary and i agree, but the cake slicer was stupid, just pick it off like the classic example. its the same thing lol
"How could I be in a bad mood, I'm surrounded by cake"
He's got a point.
Perfect cake divider instantly fails by not having a centering mechanism.
Yup. Testing it on a cheese cake wasn't really giving it the best chance either.
And him not using the correct knife
And by not having a knife user with functioning hands
I can easily imagine a centering machine for it too. But it would be too bulky and clumsy so that's probably why it was decided to be cut away from the design
Fact
I like how Epicurious were too stingy to give Dan a new cake for the left hand oil test, but had no problem roasting three whole turkeys for the turkey chainsaw.
I think it's not stingy but all the leftovers need to be eaten or taken home. Everyone can work will extra turkey. Not everyone wants to bring home 3 cakes
Brotherman thwy cut 10 cakes, if i were to make thjs video i wouldn't cut more than one
That's not a bad thing, there's just no purpose in using a new cake when all you're going to do is cut another piece.
Usability: *doesn't deserve to exist*
I lost it
Nice to see I have something in common with a cake slicer.
The rating masę by this guy od stupid.
He has reduced it to atoms
@@maxo7060 what were you even trying to say
Dan just simulated what it would feel for normal people who use these for the first time! And if it's hard to use or challenging to understand how to use, then it is not an intuitive design!
They should really do a video where he tries out his redesigns
that's such a good idea. especially for the gadgets that receive an overall score of 2-3 out of 5
YES!! That’s what I just said! Lol
I mean that would require big budget n this doesn’t get too many views. Sad cause he’s the best
That would require the manufacture of a prototype. Too expensive if you don't plan on marketing and mass produce for actual sale.
Hahsha yess I would love to see that
The Wilton cake leveler uses just one “blade” in the form of a wire, so it’s easier to get even layers and it’s got plastic feet that allow it to easily glide over surfaces. Also uses springy wires at the edge of the leveler if you need to readjust heights. No screws to screw with.
I can't believe somebody thought it would be a good idea to design a curved cake slicer
If it would be symmetrical it wouldn't be as much of a problem and some people just like the aestathic, but this one is garbage.
I have a feeling the other side of the slicer has some kind of function, but Dan didn't even consider it
@@Eralen00 the back half (the other side i think you're talking about, held in his hand?) is shaped so you can squeeze it together to make sure you can pick up the cake piece in the front half, all the way up and out of the cake and then release a bit so it drops out onto a plate.
I don't understand why it doesn't tessellate, though! 🤷🏼♀️
@@MsWnDrLnD Yeah that's the part I was talking about. I just got an idea though, what if this slicer isn't meant to slice every piece? You'd use it as shown in the video, but instead of trying to slice the next piece adjacent to it, you "skip" a slice. Since the slicer goes to the center of the cake, the second and third slices are both cut at the same time. Not sure if I'm explaining that clearly. Using it this way doesn't leave a tiny "left-over" piece from the edge of the cake
@@Eralen00 ya but then both sides would be covered in cake and you hands would get dirty, very flawed if that was how to use it
As someone who bakes and decorates layer cakes as well as owns multiple cake layers, the cake leveler will win out every time. The bit of extra time and effort is worth the ease and speed of a knife due to the end goal being even and clean cut layers. What does need to be changed on this leveler is the handle and the blades. I find that wire works better than blades.
I think the cake leveler also could use some kind of ball bearing or wheels so that you can actually roll it over the table when cutting which might help with consistency. Also, a neat little ruler scale on both sides so that you can actually make sure you have a properly horizontal blade.
Great ideas!
Or just cut one layer at a time.
@@yvieoluoch66 Yeah, one layer at the time sounds a lot better than pain
Oh smart.
@@yvieoluoch66 yeah i think people forgot that single level cake levelers exist and actually work
It's always such a treat to come back here and see Dan explaining product testing/designing. He's like that uncle who tells you the secret tricks of the trade from the company he works at.
Agreed!!! So relaxing and a (cake) treat! ^^
I didn’t realise, but when you google this guy he’s done a lot! He’s actually quite cool
My mum's a professional cake decorator and baker, the levelling gadget is so important, she calls it a harp and her one is a huge metal one that can be fixed onto a table
exactly! "Bonviee Cake Leveler" deserves better
@@pepsithebunny2404 yeah, when my mum uses it it goes through like butter. I sometimes struggled with mega fresh cakes cos they're so soft like I was too rough sometimes, but she does it effortlessly
I'm sorry but I couldn't stop laughing when comparing to the good old knife and spatula
It looks so simple the traditional way and yet this gadgets claim to reinvent the weel
When using a knife to cut a cheesecake, even with a cake divider. Have a hot glass of water. & A clean towel. You need to dip the knife in the hot water. It won't damage the icing, & cleans the blade off for the next slice.
Those cakes look extremely dense, almost like compacted mashed potatoes
Edit: I wasn’t talking about the cheesecake 😐
I like that
I Wil use that as insult
" You compacted mashed potatoes"😂
store bought cakes are denser than rocks
@@puritadrinkingfountain5143 trueeee people making these gadgets what us average people actually have lol
Have you never seen cheesecake before?
@@Bulls-eye4795 yes it’s dense cheese
„I‘m not even halfway through and I want to take a nap“ why is this my everyday mood?
Bc it is relaxing? Hope everything is ok with you!! Cheers
That first one seemed more like a knife problem... I mean the device was pretty bad, but it wasn't the one making half the cheese cake stick to the knife.
Agreed, Cheesecake is one of the most messiest cake to cut. Not only that when cutting a cake and try to make the least amount of mess (Especially with cheesecake) you want to cut down and pull outwards not up like he did, now you have icing and cake everywhere.
i agree 100%. that was user error. i honestly want one, because I'm terrible with math and fractions due to dyscalculia. i'd really benefit from it.
He didn't do anything wrong. This is more of the average person perspective. You can't expect an average person to have the perfect knife all the time. Also, not everyone knows how to cut a cake a pastry chef or a baker would. So to the average person that need these gadgets, it would definitely be bad gadgets. A baker or a pastry chef wouldn't need these gadgets because they have experience anyways. So yeah. In a perspective, these gadgets are very flawed.
No, but the design of the device did greatly increase how many cuts you have to make for a given number of slices, each cut making the cake messier. Cutting into 10 pieces with the device required 2 cuts per slice, 20 in all. (Couldn't do 15 because opposite slices didn't line up.) Cutting into 10 pieces without the device would only need 5 cuts. A better tool for this job would just be a stamp that pokes evenly spaced holes in the icing, which could then be used as guides to cut the cake all the way across.
Your perspective is off. Let’s say, a normal average person used it, and they used it, the instructions don’t say to use a sharp knife for cutting cheesecakes. But I get why u think this way. This is just my opinion
“Bit hard to push through” the cakes are Rock solid mate 🤣
ya it looked it
Not really, they cut easily with a normal knife. The point was these gadgets were either thicker than a knife, or trying to cut multiple layers without a good handle
True
It isn't the solidity of the cake, it's the force required to do multiple cuts at one. The leveler was essentially cutting 3 different segments of cake, meaning the force required to regularly cut one slice is now multiplies by three. That's how math works. Now add on top of that, the blades are thin, they don't really put much of your force through the cake for decent cutting. The cakes could have been light as air, and those devices he used would still do terribly.
Haven't seen this guy lube up in a while.
Oh my goodness 😂thanks for that!
Bruh 😳
Best comment under this video by far! This one should actually be pinned on top
😆😆👏
Stop that. Get some help 눈_눈
"How can I be in a bad mood? I'm surrounded by cake."
Dan is wise.
What is the purpose of these gadgets? I just consume the whole cake in one sitting.
Ain't no better gadget than you're hands
It’s usually made for people with disabilities
Yes and those disabilites people have are mental ones. Bcus most of these just make it harder for people with physical disability.
Same
Lol
this whole episode just boils down to "if it aint broken, don't fix it"
Does.... does no one have serrated cake servers anymore? I mean, I have my grandmother's antique one, but surely these are still a thing, right? Slice and serve all with the same utensil. This problem was solved decades if not centuries ago.
Not serrated but a side becomes thinner as a blade. (That's what mine is, anyway)
Those just usually get way too messy.
@@YedidahMVO I also inherited a bladed one like yours in a set of silver. No idea how old it is.
@@adaharrisonn I don't know, mine always worked fine, I had a couple from different places, and they had the same results
I have one that I bought within the last year.
I have a cake slicer that has a single cheese wire as it’s blade (so works left or right). The single wire which is easily raised/lowered is easy to use and you can just remove the bottom slice, do the next and again (so all slices are equal). It’s brilliant.
I have a cake leveler at home but mine doesn't have that serrated blades, it only has some kind of very thin wires or strings(?) It's actually quite easy to use and I never really had a problem using them.
The two handed cake slicer really came through for us. I mean yes, it is terrible and got a 1/5 for buy recommendation, but it was the only gadget to score more than 0 in the entire video. great work, two handed cake slicer.
I just have to wonder who they hired to make the cakes. Cause if a cake is make right, a piece of floss (with the right amount of pressure) can cut a cake easily.
They look store bought to me.
True also you’re supposed to turn the cake while cutting to make it level
average store cake.
@@vivianviana5227 I don’t know how many everyday people are doing that tho
I was thinking about that too, with the right soft texture cake you can use just about anything to cut it nicely
Most thing in life ARENT made for us lefties. We learn pretty quick to adjust even if it makes us uncomfortable.
I completely agree. I don't even get why anyone would need left hand scissors. We all got so used to holding them with our right hand that doing the opposite actually feels uncomfortable for me as a leftie.
@@HeyNonyNonymous yes! I don’t even know how to use my left hand for anything besides writing! We’ve been suppressed! Lol
@@BearMarie96 I took a tenis lesson and the trainer kept laughing because I constantly switched hands instead of using a backhand stroke.
Oh my god me too . I get really annoyed sometimes I would have to use my right hand for things . I think that being left handed is good thing because we learn to adapt to our surroundings . Like with writing and using tools.
and then ambidextrous people can just CHOOSE 😐
The two-handed cake slicer does have some advantages because it can cut, lift, and serve in one fluid process. The slice won't fall over and would still be completely food safe since there's no finger or additional tool used to transfer it to a plate. I kind of like that. I also see the flexible metal as being part of the design so the server can grip the slice and transport it to a plate more easily regardless of hand strength.
Me too!!
The only problem is that the smaller the slice, the more curved the slice looks so it gets difficult to cut it
@@leonmystique9372 Yes. Maybe these should come in an array of sizes to match common pie / cake pan sizes.
The way he destroys those first cakes gives me insane anxiety
Poor Dan, I hope he got to relax and eat a bunch of cake with his loved ones after this
I wouldn't eat those concrete blocks.
Eating clay is not recommended
What kind of burnt sawdust cakes were made for this video? I’ve used cake levelers like that, as well as wire cutter ones, they work FINE. A cake leveler like that should slide smoothly through because it’s fluffy soft cake, not the same density of low-moisture brown bread lol.
That's kinda the problem with the cake leveler in the video, it didn't use a wire...
The thin band saw like blades don't offer much for force, and with the saw teeth, they grip at the cake meaning he has to use more force to cut through. Thin wires can't catch onto anything because they're just that, a thin wire, and the simple design of them allows for easy cutting, hence why levellers come in a wired variety, and not saw blades.
"Hold on, let me wash it down."
I legit snorted at that
W H E E Z E
That was too funny!! The editing was impeccable
Ive recently discovered these videos and I keep coming back to them not only because I like the content but especially because I enjoy all the different takes he has on these objects! Plus he seems like a good and positive person! Definitely thumbs up 👍🏻
If Dan Formosa started a channel, I would watch it every time he posted, thanks
Omg I didn't notice a cake themed Well Equipped episode was uploaded on my birthday, what a great belayed present!
These cakes look awfully overcooked, dry and tough. Also used the wrong knife for a cheesecake...
Exactly, I think that gadget would have worked if he had the proper knife
I think he did this with the attitude of an average, awkward customer. I mean, if you're already well versed in baking, you don't really need such gadgets.
Soo
It's store bought, cause I'm pretty sure majority of people who would purchase this gadgets don't bake
Cheesecakes have an special knife??? Oh lord,,
They should've tried using that giant watermelon slicer on one of the cakes, BOOM, fully cut instantly with a satisfying cylinder piece in the middle to fight over.
Those cakes are like bread with glazing on top.
I have a gadget similar to the cake slicer thing that he gave zero, its really nice actually because instead of a blade its a wire and they give you numbers to match up. It is cheap, effective, and easy to use.
The first thing is perfect for _scoring_ the top of the cake first. Although good luck centering it
But if that's all you want, why not use a simple devided ring? Center it using the edge of the ring, press to mark, put it aside, use knife.
@@HeyNonyNonymous because that takes up significantly more storage space. Why would you keep a whole big thing when you could store a tool that's the size of a piece of sidewalk chalk
@@ellieblunden1463 hmmm does there exist any collapsible ones?
Well, you say that, but you'll still end up with a massive hole in the middle of your cake and it'll mess up the ends of every slice. If it were just for scoring then you could have a much shorter and narrower prong, then have a single plastic/metal blade to place the initial mark that's longer and deeper that this design's prongs with a semi-sharp bottom edge so it cuts slightly into the top of the cake to mark the first slice (and makes the device less likely to turn during use), then the second part can rotate freely around the centre, clicking into position at the correct angles for scoring (you could probably also have some mechanism at the top to select how many slices you want). It's hard to explain without a diagram, but I think that design would work better with less cake-vandalism and less space for human error. It would be slightly larger, but that's a small price to pay for something to be actually functional.
If you're either:
Skilled enough
Intuitive enough
Experienced enough
To understand how to use that gadget in the capacity you mentioned, you're easily capable of acquiring or already have the proper tools or technique to do it that way anyhow, thus completely removing any need for the gadget.
"hold on let me wash it down" I lost it at that cut THAT WAS GREAT
That first one was impressively off-center, for centering it as “perfectly as possible”.
the best way to cut a cake is not at all you grab a fork and just start eating
That's just wrong.
Use a spoon.
@@TheFreeBass i prefer free hand now
You actually handle your cakes? No face first "Tony Montana face pounding a pile of cocaine" diving into cakes?
I think the curved cake slicer is meant to tessellate by using the 'handle' end to cut the next slice. That's probably why the smaller side isn't blunt; it's meant to flip over and also cut. Still a pretty awful design regardless!
I actually don't think that's the case. If you look, you can see the handle is dramatically thinner than the blade, and it sticks pretty much straight out instead of curving in the opposite direction.
That said, can you imagine how gross it would be using it that way? You'd have to get cake all over your hands, and any residue from your hands all over the cake. XD
I think That really wouldnt work either. The curvature of different parts of that slicer don't fit together.
"I am not even half-way through, and I want to take a nap" sounds like me on working days...
Frank is still molding his tools
@@majoroldladyakamom6948 Someone missed the obvious joke
@@majoroldladyakamom6948 I bet Frank made the website for scratch. Maybe even developed his own internet.
i feel like the mechanical advantage reminders like at 8:10 are the most useful part of these videos. its not something id ever remember to consider on my own. if anything, id probably look at that thing without any thought and be like oh three blades at once, i guess thats more efficient than the one bladed ones, cool. so dans reminders that its simple physics at work (in another one he pointed out how the placement of a fulcrum could have been way better) and they determine how hard or easy something is are really helpful
This is a pure score massacre
Not one of it get a decent score (Overall)
Probably the lowest score in average in this entire series
Loving how Dans shirt pattern foreshadows what he thinks of these gadgets! nice touch!
12:25 my teacher giving out zeros to the entire class 😂
To cut an unfrosted cake into layers: use the ruler or anything else as measurement around the cake, then lightly cut into the cake all around, then take a piece of thin yarn or flossing line and lay it around, twist in front, pull
It's the easiest and typical mother home way of cutting it
Wow. This is a roughest one yet! Can't wait for more!
I just love this series. Watching Dan is the Best decision I’ve ever made this week
If you put wheels on the saw thing it will be like 10× better. You wouldn't need to lift it at all while using side force
The wheels would have to move in 2 directions at once- up and down, for the "sawing" motion, and to the left or right, to cut through the cake
I feel like little feet things with felt on the bottom would work better and probably cheaper
@@momsspaghetti7888 roller balls/ballbearing style
I discovered your kitchen gadget review videos a couple months ago. Now I can't seem to stop binge watching.
Why would they have him cut with that knife spatula thing? My god dude, use a different kind of blade
Yeah that first one wasn’t ruined by the gadget necessarily, he was cutting in with a blunt edge that wasn’t made for cutting.
Seriously, a better knife and with a cheesecake dipping the knife in hot water can help with cleaner slices.
I kinda feel like this is what most average people would do though.
@@lawrencescales9864 Yeah, I agree, but they should teach viewers better techniques.
@@lawrencescales9864 ㅣ
Who made those cakes cuz not even the ones I get storebought are that dense lol
Really! Boxed cakes are super soft too!
I want to know where you live. The store bought cakes here serve better as body armor or door mats than an edible confection.
there needs to be a series of this where he only tries terribly designed gadgets and doesnt even bother with redesign, just tells why its so bad.
I wish this guy would do one of these but for things he’s made
These cakes are made of what, concrete?
lmfao
I liked when they drew on the product, it makes it more clearer to see tbh
When it showed all the products in the intro, I thought for certain the 2-handed slicer would be the worst one. I was pretty surprised when it was the only one that wasn't terrible lol.
i love this guy omg i could watch his videos all day
Cake leveler- while not level- Frank’s slices were super wobbly. At least the levelers slices had straight (but not level) lines
I love that you are giving 0s now! In a lot of your older videos there were some gadgets that were worse but you still have them 1 at a minimum. You might have been using 0s for a while I just going your series and have been jumping from recommended video to recommended video for the past day.
My favorite series on this channel!
I am not half way through and I want to take a nap.
he is killing me with his jokes lmao.
I think the curved cake slicer could also benefit from having sharpened bottom edges to make it cut into the cake with a little less pressure.
Yes
I really enjoy him as an inventor in general I think he would make the best mentor.♥️
i feel like he is just flexing how much cake he has
For the curved cake cutter, I believe the first slice is obviously a funky shape, but after, you make regular triangle cuts afterward by setting the curved side into the negative space on the cake. If you draw the shape and then draw the shape overlapping itself, you will understand what I mean.
I thought about this but first of all, you would not have even slices so some people will get less cake (the negative space) and secondly, it doesn't even look like the curvature of the lower part of the cutter matches the upper curvature.
5 products that no one needs or asked for!
the cake leveler he used is bad but other cake levelers ar usefull for cake decorating i have 1 myself and i use it all the time
Ngl the cake divider is good if you've made a great cake and you want it to present better.
*if it was made well
Do they require your permission and wait... why are you even here?
They would've all worked if the cakes weren't made out of rocks...
I bet this was the best video for staff at Epicurious. So much cake!
I am a simple person.
I see Dan testing gadgets, I hit the like button.
His shirt with the skull and crossbones tho... just when I thought he couldn't get more iconic
I actually use that cake leveler in doing my cakes. It works well for me.
This man speaks to me - I have no idea who would want any of those.
Dan the man !!! Hope he’s doing well, I always learn so much from these videos 🙂
Wow I've never seen so many zeros given in one episode! 🤦🏾♀️ Great points made.
Do ppl in America and other countries slice the cake by triangles or only some, cus u can just pre slice it into equal even parts.... Like cut it in half then again until u get the right amount, maybe even more.🤔
Only some, most people are smarter than that :)
If the whole cake's being eaten at once, then pre-slicing makes sense. Otherwise slicing a triangle at a time preserves the freshness and keeps the cake from drying out.
More traditional cutting methods from the last 2 or 3 centuries saw you cutting individual geometrical triangles, because not everyone was gonna gorge on cake. It was seen as a special occasion type dish, and waste wasn't exactly taken light. Today we can eat cake about any time we want, and have better storage, so yes, preslicing and just devouring makes sense. But people still follow that traditional rule, and I don't see why that's a bad thing.
@5:06 that little sliver of cake goes to the person who says, "Oh, just a tiny sliver for me." There are at least 3 people in my family who say some variant of that every time cake is served. Liking the person is optional.
😉😄
That last gadget would certainly benefit from a hinge. Plus, it would allow you to store it flat (taking up less space in the drawer). It would also make it easier to clean.
When he tried the cake layer slicer and when he tried it the first time he said the top layer got destroyed and im no pro baker but most bakers cut the top layer thinly so there is a flat surface to ice the cake.
They could’ve put the cake divided on a track and more rigid blades along with grip pads on the bottom for a redesign
16:30
Why not make an axis of rotation in the end? With unflexible blades...
I didn't understand why you would like to bend the metal.
I actually use the cake leveller and IT WORKS WORDERFULLY!
I think that zyliss easy slice should be re-evaluated. Once you push that plastic portion forward you should have a piece of the cake hanging. In theory if you put that portion on the plate then pull the plastic portion back it should come off neatly. That's why it comes in two layers. The metal portion and the plastic portion that was made intentionally smaller.
OH MY GOD IS THAT CAKE YOU CUT WITH THE GREEN THING IN THE BEGGINIGN BOUGHT FROM A STORE ANYWAYS IT LOOKS DELICIOUS
The cake pieces look worse when he's cutting them with the knife than with the cake leveler.
I believe the technical term for what you're experience with the Perfect Cake Divider is called "stacking tolerances.".