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Progressive International Collapsible Cake Carrier, reviewed

Progressive Int'l Collapsible Cake Carrier, expanded

Cake carriers are a must-have tool for bakers who want to be able to easily transport their goodies from one place to another. You can fill them up with anything, from brownies to cupcakes, but the real advantage they offer is in their height, since it allows you to transport a fully-frosted layer cake safely in a way that no other container can match. Cake carries are large and bulky, since they have to hold large things, but one model – the Progressive International Collapsible Cupcake and Cake Carrier – comes with an interesting twist that makes it take up much less space. As you can guess from the name, it collapses to half its original height, which is a real space saver when it comes time to store it.

I’ve been eyeing one of these carries ever since Cook’s Country named it their top choice in their review of cake carriers, since the idea of a cake carrier that would be easier to store really appealed to me (as it would to anyone who doesn’t have abundant storage space in his/her kitchen!). It is over 10-inches tall, so it will hold just about any cake, and collapses down to just 5-inches high thanks to the silicone panel on the lid. It also comes with racks to hold up to 24 cupcakes securely inside.

Progressive Int'l Collapsible Cake Carrier, down

The carrier works very well for transporting goodies. It is very, very roomy and the snaps on the lid are quite secure. The handle on top also seemed very sturdy on mine, although I felt more comfortable holding the carrier from the base simply because of the size of the thing. It takes a little bit of muscle to get it to collapse, so you don’t need to worry about the lid collapsing onto your baked goods in an unwanted moment. In fact, the carrier is roomy enough that much of the time you don’t even need to expand it and it will still hold a low cake or some cupcakes/muffins.

For me, the downside is that the carrier – unlike all of my other cake and cupcake carriers – is not airtight. There are holes on the top of the lid near the handle. This design allows air out when you collapse the lid after it has been locked in place. It doesn’t affect the carrying ability of the carrier in any way, but I often store my cakes and cupcakes in carriers at home precisely because they are airtight and keep the cakes very fresh – and I can’t do that with this particular carrier. I still like it and it is much easier to fit into my storage space than any other carrier I have, but if you use yours for everyday cake storage in addition to transportation, you might want to consider a model that is airtight and a little bulkier. In that case, I highly recommend the Wilton Cake Caddy as a solid airtight cake carrying option.

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8 Comments
  • joan
    March 5, 2013

    I have had this carrier for about a year. I LOVE it! The great thing is that you can pile cupcakes high with icing, and there is plenty of clearance on both layers so they don’t get smooshed. There were some complaints about the handle on Amazon, but I have not had a problem, and I use it quite a lot. I would highly recommend.

  • Lisa
    March 5, 2013

    I have this carrier and am pretty happy with it. The only this I dislike is that the clips are on the lid. It is very easy to bump the bottom when attached and loosen the clips. I wish it was like the Wilton carriers where the clips are in the bottom tray and clip over the lid. Not sure if this makes sense. I just feel more safe always carrying mine by the bottom vs the handle. I love the fact that I can carry tall cupcakes too!

  • Linda
    March 5, 2013

    I haven’t read the Amazon complaints but I did have one where the handle snapped. I barely saved the cake but I will admit it was a very heavy load and probably too much for the carrier but I’ve never quite felt safe with a carrier since where the handle was attached rather than part of the carrier.

  • Mandi
    March 6, 2013

    I have this and LOVE it. I dropped it one time and one of the clips broke. I was really disappointed and thought I’d have to buy a new one. Then I got the bright idea to call the company to see if I could buy a replacement clip. They were incredibly helpful and courteous and sent me two replacement clips free of charge. Now they have a lifelong customer.

  • Sarah
    March 14, 2013

    I’ve got one of these, and I also had the handle snap – with, of course, 24 cupcakes in it. Bit of a mess, but the cupcake trays work well. My husband went to the hardware store, bought a metal cupboard door handle (bar style), and, using some foam board to thicken the plastic, screwed it into the top. Haven’t had a problem since (2+ years), and as a nice bonus, it reduces the size of the air holes. A little crazy glue and you could probably make it airtight.

  • Café Chick
    March 15, 2013

    I have had one of these carriers for about 3 years and absolutely love it! I haven’t had any problems with the handle or clasps. I use it mostly to transport cupcakes (I don’t store them in the carrier) and have also used it for cakes without any problems. I like knowing that each individual cupcake is held securely in place while being transported. Highly recommended.

  • cindy
    July 4, 2014

    I received one as a gift. When i went to use it a while later, i noticed one of the clips were broken. Im having a problem finding out how to get a new clip. I have no paper work on it. And i dont know who to call. Im hoping someone has the information for me. Please help. Thank you Cindy

  • Margaret
    January 6, 2015

    Cindy, I just called Progressive International at 253.850.6111 and they are sending me a clip 🙂 Awesome!

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