Are you among those people who can’t resist the corner pieces of a brownie?
Mathew Griffin, who was a graduate of the Ball State University of Indiana, also loved the corner pieces of a brownie and came up with an idea to create a pan that only bakes corner pieces. With a lot of hard work, study, and effort, he and his wife Emily introduced Baker’s Edge.
What is Baker’s Edge?
Inspired by the middle school student Abbey Fleck, who appeared on Oprah to talk about her success in inventing a microwave bacon wrack, Mathew thought he could also create a pan that would produce only edge brownies. However, he assumed that since it is such an obvious idea, something like that might already be on the market. But to his surprise, he was the only one who came up with the idea.
While he came up with the idea in 1998, it was not until 2005 that the first Baker’s Edge pan was produced. As soon as the product was launched into the market, Baker’s Edge saw huge revenue from sales. They made almost one million dollars in only the first month of the launch, and the success continued up until a few years ago.
They needed to bring in new products and needed investment to continue to grow their business, and therefore, they decided to seek an investment from the sharks.
Baker’s Edge on Shark Tank
Mathew and Emily enter the Shark Tank on the final episode of the 5th season, looking for a $400,000 investment in return for 20% ownership in their company. They start their pitch and explain how they came up with the idea of the edge brownie baking pan. They continue explaining to the sharks how they can improve existing bakeware and intend to launch their own line of traditional bakeware.
They proceed to tell the sharks that they will be launching a Better Muffin Pan priced at $35.95, and just like the brownie pan, the better muffin pan is also an improvement to traditional muffin pans. When questioned about the high pricing of their pans, Mathew tells them that they have patents and their product is very good quality.
Mark believes that they require fresh perspectives to develop, but he rejects the Better Muffin Pan as the solution and therefore refuses an investment. Robert doesn’t like the fact that both Mathew and Emily seem comfortable about their recent reduction in sales and aren’t doing much about it, and therefore he too opts out. Kevin is out because he doesn’t believe the muffin pan will make a difference. While Lori loves the brownie pan, she doesn’t believe the muffin pan is the next big thing, advises the couple to look for better, more innovative ideas, and refuses an investment. Finally, Barbara, who is also not convinced about the products, opts out, leaving Emily and Mathew without an investment.
Our Review of the Baker’s Edge
The brownie pan from the Baker’s Edge line certainly is a one-of-a-kind product, perfectly addressing the need of all those edge brownie piece lovers. It is engineered in a way that all pieces are exactly the same, with 2 edges on each piece and making the brownies chewy and gooey with a perfect caramelized taste. However, their drop in sales meant that they needed to introduce something better to the market, almost as good as the original brownie pan. The muffin pan might be good but doesn’t seem worth the bargain since it isn’t necessarily fulfilling a need.
Pros of Baker’s Edge
The baker’s edge brownie pan is an excellent product that helps you bake all edge brownie pieces, and you won’t have to waste the center of the brownie.
Cons of Baker’s Edge
Although the Baker’s Edge bakeware is a unique and good quality product, it is priced higher than other basic bakeware. But if you’re a die-hard fan of the edge brownie pieces, it might be worth the price. We can’t say much about their muffin pan since we are not a fan but if you have used it and know about any pros and cons of the product, feel free to let us know in the comments below.
Who is the Baker’s Edge for?
Baker’s Edge is targeted at all those people who have a passion for baking and cooking. They love their brownies to be just perfect and would also be willing to spend extra for irresistibly soft and gooey muffins.
Are There Any Alternatives?
While the bakeware industry is not a very big one, there are still several products you can find to bake your brownies, muffins, and cakes. However, for all edge brownie pieces, there is only the Baker’s Edge brownie pan.
Our Final Thoughts
Although Mathew and Emily couldn’t get an investment, they worked hard and still managed to improve their sales and keep their business afloat.
And who said the Baker’s Edge baking pan was only limited to brownies? You can bake anything in them, from cakes to brookies (brownie + cookie) to lasagnas. They even added a lasagna baking pan to their line and are doing pretty well selling their products through their website and Amazon.
