Best Pasta Makers

Buying guide for Best pasta makers

Making pasta from scratch is generally a superior option. It's fresher and tastier than store-bought pasta, and it has an irresistible texture. Plus, if you have allergies, you can be 100% sure that your food is not contaminated. It’s difficult to make pasta without a pasta maker, though.

A primary concern is purchasing a durable, high-quality pasta maker that allows you to make the types of pasta you love most. The best models are easy to clean and come with a number of attachments so you can have greater freedom when it comes to expressing your culinary creativity.

The best pasta is made from durum wheat, 73% of which is produced in North Dakota.

What is a pasta maker?

There are some wonderful electric appliances that spool out lovely angel hair, fettuccine, and spaghetti. 

Pasta makers not only roll out dough into flat sheets but also convert sheets of dough into noodles of various sizes and shapes.

As your mastery increases, flattened dough can be transformed into ravioli, tortellini, and many other sumptuous pasta shapes.

Pasta makers have two functions: they flatten dough into a sheet with a set of flat rollers, and they slice the sheet with special cutters.

Francois advises that different pasta makers have different numbers of cutters. “Choose a pasta maker with the cutter attachments you’ll want to use,” he says. “Some might only cut one width, while others might offer a ton of options.”

So ask yourself how much variety you want before you start shopping, and choose wisely.

Step by step: how to use a pasta maker

Step 1

Divide your dough into about four equal pieces. Set your pasta maker on the lowest setting. Place the dough into the flat rollers, and turn the hand crank to push the dough through. Repeat this process, increasing the setting on the dough roller until the pasta sheets are the consistency you desire. In general, after a setting of “6,” you are ready to cut the pasta.

An extra pair of hands could be helpful at this stage. Says Francois, “Rolling out dough into pasta sheets takes practice and can become a two-person job. The thinner you roll out your dough, the longer it gets. You could end up with pasta sheets that are six feet long!” Having an assistant available to feed the machine and take the dough out the other end can be a godsend.

Step 2

Most pasta makers allow you to adjust the cutters to make various widths, from fettuccine to angel hair.

Feed the sheets of pasta through the cutters, and catch the finished noodles in your hands as they make their way through.

For ravioli, tortellini, and other folded shapes, either cut the shapes by hand from the pasta sheets or use a ravioli form and press it into the dough.

Be careful not to make the ravioli too large, as they will be difficult to cook. Also, try to avoid overfilling the pasta pouches.

Step 3

To ensure your noodles don’t stick to each other, place them on a baking sheet generously dusted with flour or cornmeal and lined with parchment paper.

Once you have processed all your dough, you can transfer the cut noodles to a drying rack.

There are specific racks made for this purpose, but you could also use a laundry rack, dish drainer, or any similar item already in your kitchen.

Pros and cons of homemade pasta

Anyone can pick up a carton of pasta, empty its contents into a pot of boiling water, and cook it according to the time on the box. After reading the deliberate steps it takes to make homemade pasta above, that may sound preferable to the longer process of making homemade noodles.

Here’s a look at the pros and cons of making your own pasta.

Pros:

• You can make any color pasta you want. For example, add a little beet juice to your dough to make red pasta. Or add some basil and garlic to make a lovely green linguine.

• You have flour choices, too. In fact, Francois tells us that most pasta recipes specify the kind of flour you should use. You’ll find recipes that call for buckwheat, almond, or green pea flour. Some recipes call for the imported “00” flour that is used to make gourmet pizza. Try them all.

• When it comes to cooking, homemade pasta is faster and easier to cook than dried pasta. You can go from boiling water to finished product in a few minutes, especially if you like your noodles al dente.

• If you want to have a fun few hours with your kids — and teach them a cooking skill —  making homemade pasta is hard to top.

• Making homemade pasta can be a wonderfully creative experience. Once you have flattened your dough sheets, try cutting your noodles by hand, dreaming up imaginative shapes.

• Even the leftovers from homemade pasta are better than the store-bought variety.

Cons:

• Making your own pasta is a time-consuming procedure, and for newbies, it’s often met with failure. For example, the dough may be too thin or the noodles may stick to the rollers.

• Pasta makers can be difficult to clean. These devices have many nooks and crannies.

• There are costs involved in buying drying racks and other accessories, such as specialized extruders.
   

Caring for your pasta maker

There may be some residual oil from manufacturing, so before you use the machine for the first time, clean the rollers of your pasta maker with a dry cloth. Put some dough through the cutters to capture any residue and throw that dough away.

Never wash the machine with water or in the dishwasher. Clean the machine after every use with a brush (included with most pasta makers) or a small specialty wooden rod. The simplest way to clean is to let the residue on the machine dry. It will then brush off easily.

If the machine’s rollers or cutters get sticky, put several drops of Vaseline or mineral oil on the ends of the cutting rollers. Never insert knives or cloth into the rollers.

After each use, put the machine and its accessories back in the original box to make sure you have all the parts next time you get the pasta urge.

Fun facts

• Orecchiette, which means “small ear,” is a pasta shape that resembles an ear. Some of the more exotic pasta shapes include gemelli, cavatappi, tripolini, and fideo.

• Pasta was invented in China and brought to Italy by Marco Polo in the 13th century. Thomas Jefferson, the foodie of his era, brought pasta to the U.S.

• Black pasta can be made by adding squid ink to the flour. Squid ink is a rich additive that can be purchased at most gourmet grocery stores.

• For a basic pasta dish of red sauce and spaghetti, romano cheese is the recommended accompaniment.

• While pasta is low in fat, one cup of cooked pasta has 40 grams of carbohydrates, placing it high on the glycemic index.

• The average Italian eats 51 pounds of pasta per year. Americans eat a bit more than 15 pounds per annum.

Several models come with a clamp. That might seem odd at first, but being able to work off the ledge of your countertop is actually the most efficient way to feed dough in and pull sheets out of the pasta roller.

Pasta maker FAQ

Q. If my dream is to be a professional pasta maker, are there schools that teach that skill?

A. You could fly to Florence and take a class. Or, you could simply go to YouTube where there are close to two million tutorials on the subject.

Q. How long should I cook homemade pasta?

A. After the water comes to a boil, cook homemade pasta for no more than three minutes. Once the pasta floats to the top of the water, it is ready.

Q. Why does homemade pasta seem to taste so much better than store-bought pasta?

A. Homemade pasta is fresh food, whereas boxed pasta may have been sitting on a store shelf for weeks or months. When it comes to pasta, fresher simply tastes better.

Culinary experts also advise that homemade pasta absorbs the flavors of whatever sauce you’re using much more readily than boxed noodles.