These pans have a nice weight to them. I ordered the champagne color because some recipes advise that dark or nonstick pans require alteration of the baking times and I'm often uncertain whether that recommendation applies to my pans. I figured with a light colored pan, even nonstick, I could just use standard baking times. I've found that to be true. In addition, the color just seems fancier, even next to my pricier William Sonoma, "gold," finish pans. I recently baked four cakes using these, and I was very pleased with the result. Prior to this purchase, I was having issues with the tops of the cakes not being flat or even perfectly domed. My solution was these Cuisinart pans PLUSRegency Evenbake Cake Strips Standard , which I chose specifically because they were 1 and 3/4" wide (most other aluminized fabric strips are 1 1/2" wide even though standard round baking pans are 2" deep). The combination of these items produced unbelievably evenly baked cakes with perfect tops. The tops were absolutely level. I ditched my wire cake-leveler, without shedding a tear! Only one minor complaint with the manufacture of these pans. While a rolled edge does simplify moving the filled pans into and out of the oven, these have a rolled edge that is not welded to the pans on the underside. This was mildly annoying when baking several layers in tandem because water gets trapped in the rolled part and leaks out when the pan is inverted back to right-side-up after washing. I can't really say that this is a major hassle, since the water isn't really difficult to untrap. I only mention this because of the workmanship issue; the problem would have been simple to prevent with a minor design modification. Also, They are VERY sturdy. Obeying Murphy's Law, I washed these pans, eager to use them for a very special celebration cake, and immediately dropped one on the floor. Yes, it did land at the perfect angle to produce a dent. I was pleasantly surprised to find the abused pan completely undamaged, though I may have muttered a few colorful phrases before realizing that it had escaped unscathed! Pros include : 1) Color - no ambiguity re:baking times with light color AND just fancier looking 2) Sturdy design - takes a beating without denting 3) Rolled edge - for ease of handling 4) Price - unbelievable for this quality 5) Name - well . . . Cusinart did bring the food processor to the masses Cons are : 1) Color - if you want all your pans to match and you don't own champagne pans 2) Rolled edge - traps water, but not too hard to dry 3) Name - well . . . Cusinart . . . see my review, "Twenty Bucks A Pop," under Cuisinart CPM-950 Easy Pop Plus Popcorn Maker-Black, Most Helpful Reviews,B004VS321Q Cuisinart CPM-950 Easy Pop Plus Popcorn Maker-Black In summary, for me, the Pros greatly outweigh the Cons. I highly recommend these pans, but also recommend the use of the aluminized baking strips for PERFECT cakes that do not require leveling before decorating. Update May 11, 2013, COMPARISON : Because I needed a pair of 8" pans and couldn't find this same pan in that size, I orderedChicago Metallic Commercial II Traditional Uncoated 8-Inch Round Cake Pan from Amazon. I decided on them because I read, somewhere else, that they contain steel rods to prevent warp. I decided on the uncoated version, since most of my recipes call for greased and floured pans. Although the Chicago Metallic pans are fine, the Cuisinart pans are MUCH better at producing an evenly baked and flat-topped cake. Now I love my Cuisinart pans even more. As an aside, whether using coated or uncoated cake pans, I highly recommend getting your hands on theseRegency 9 Inch Round Parchment Paper, Set of 24 and theseRegency Parchment Paper Rounds 8" for round cake pans . They provide the easiest cake release I've experienced and are more economical than tracing and cutting circles from a roll of parchment. I usually just spray the bottom of the pan (I usePam Cooking Spray, Baking, 5 oz , which has the same effect as greasing then flouring and also has a sweet smell to it), then drop in the parchment round and respray, this time including the pan's sides. Gives me great results, but again better with the Cuisinart pans than with the Chicago Metallics.
