# Second Hand Pasta Machine - safety hazards from polymer clay



## chessplayer (Apr 21, 2016)

Hi everyone,
I have been pondering the purchase of a second hand pasta machine from THE AUCTION SITE - *BAY. A used Atlas Ampia or Atlas 150, currently there are some good looking units available for about $30 total cost. 
My biggest concern is that most of the vendors do not know if the unit they sell has been used for pasta or for polymer clay. I am willing to take the plunge moneywise but have no clue how to tell one way or another and I do not want to expose anyone to poisonous pasta...

How can I tell if a machine has been used for clay?

Do not want to pay full price for a new machine simply because I am not confident I shall be using it frequently enough.

All thoughts are appreciated. Thank you for your time.


----------



## Dawgluver (Apr 21, 2016)

I think, unless you trust the seller and can ask directly, you would be better off buying a new pasta maker.

I use mine for polymer clay, and it looks just fine, but I would never use it to make pasta.  Good for you to be concerned.


----------



## Katie H (Apr 21, 2016)

I have an Atlas pasta maker and love it.  I think if you review the instructions at this link for cleaning a pasta maker, you might be more comfortable purchasing a used machine.


----------



## chessplayer (Apr 21, 2016)

Dawgluver said:


> I think, unless you trust the seller and can ask directly, you would be better off buying a new pasta maker.
> 
> I use mine for polymer clay, and it looks just fine, but I would never use it to make pasta. Good for you to be concerned.


 
Thank you for your fast response Dawgluver. 
Does the polymer clay leave any visible residue? Smell maybe? Should you see a used machine would you be able to tell if it was used for polymer clay? Thanks again.


----------



## Addie (Apr 21, 2016)

Katie H said:


> I have an Atlas pasta maker and love it.  I think if you review the instructions at this link for cleaning a pasta maker, you might be more comfortable purchasing a used machine.



I think I would want to boil all the parts and then empty the water through a strainer so as not to lose any parts. Then reassemble.


----------



## Dawgluver (Apr 21, 2016)

chessplayer said:


> Thank you for your fast response Dawgluver.
> Does the polymer clay leave any visible residue? Smell maybe? Should you see a used machine would you be able to tell if it was used for polymer clay? Thanks again.




My polymer clay books all say to never use a pasta machine for making pasta once it's been used for clay.  My machine is clean as a whistle, no visible residue, no smell, but there's all sorts of ways that the parts inside can trap clay bits.

Polymer is an interesting substance.  If you boiled your machine, it would be similar to cooking the clay as you would for jewelry or dolls.  It would stick really well.


----------



## gadzooks (Apr 21, 2016)

I have a thrift store Atlas 150. Came with a ravioli attachment and two widths of noodles. Works nice. I also picked up the three piece Kitchen Aid set, different thrift store, for five bucks. Haven't used them yet.


----------



## chessplayer (Apr 21, 2016)

gadzooks said:


> I have a thrift store Atlas 150. Came with a ravioli attachment and two widths of noodles. Works nice. I also picked up the three piece Kitchen Aid set, different thrift store, for five bucks. Haven't used them yet.


 
How did you clean/sanitize? Thank you for posting.


----------



## di reston (Apr 22, 2016)

I never use a machine for making tagliatelle or pasta sheets - it's easier and quicker to do it by hand, but I would buy a pasta extruder machine so I could make pasta shapes like tortiglioni etc. 

Most of my cookery friends make their pasta by hand, and it's surprisingly easy, although, obviously, the consistency of the mix is crucial, both with egg pasta and water pasta. You have to dedicate a bit of time to do it, but it freezes (as you will all already know) like a dream, and the satisfaction factor when you've done it is amazing! The result from the pan is also better. 

Once you've got the drift of doing it, you can make hand made pasta in minutes, and it freezes well (both filled pasta i.e. ravioli and plain pasta. Put it in the freezer in trays covered with grease proof paper.

Making your pasta by hand is surprisingly therapeutic - all in all, I wouldn't have a pasta machine for all the tea in China, but we're all different, with different priorities, so all I can say is, give it a try some time. The satisfaction factor is awsome.

di reston

Enough is never as good as a feast  Oscar Wilde


----------



## Katie H (Apr 22, 2016)

di reston said:


> Making your pasta by hand is surprisingly *therapeutic *- all in all, I wouldn't have a pasta machine for all the tea in China, but we're all different, with different priorities, so all I can say is, give it a try some time. The satisfaction factor is awsome.
> 
> di reston
> 
> Enough is never as good as a feast  Oscar Wilde



I agree about the therapeutic quality of handmade pasta and bread.  I used to do both until the pain from arthritis in both my hands was unbearable.  That's where my pasta machine came into being.  I also use a bread machine to do the kneading and first rise of my bread products.  I would like to get lost in the processes of pasta and bread making but that's no longer in the cards for me.  In the last three years I have had to have reconstructive surgery on both my hands due to arthritis so those enjoyable cooking processes will have to be a memory for me.


----------



## gadzooks (Apr 22, 2016)

Took it apart, hot, soapy water.


----------



## di reston (Apr 22, 2016)

*Machine - safety hazards*

It was insensitive of me to assume that everybody could make pasta by hand.
Many apologies for that, I didn't mean to offend and I beg your pardon.

di reston

Enough is never as good as a feast   Oscar Wilde


----------



## Katie H (Apr 22, 2016)

di reston said:


> It was insensitive of me to assume that everybody could make pasta by hand.
> Many apologies for that, I didn't mean to offend and I beg your pardon.
> 
> di reston
> ...



No offense was taken.  I was just offering another point of view.  I would love to go back to the time when I could do many things with my hands, but time and good old arthritis have forced me to find alternatives or not do some things at all.

Even with the pasta machine, turning the crank handle is a bit problematic but my wonderful, capable husband attached a small electric motor to do that task for me.  I'm not down for the count by any means.  Stubborn Irish, but not a giver upper.


----------



## tenspeed (Apr 22, 2016)

All of the instructions I have read tell you to never use water to clean the pasta machine, as it will rust if you do.  How did you prevent rust?


----------



## Addie (Apr 22, 2016)

Since we know that at 212ºF water boils, and boiling water sterilizes an object.  So if we put something in an oven in a temp higher than 212ºF, would that sterilize it? It wouldn't rust. Dry heat. Right? Just thinking out loud.


----------



## GotGarlic (Apr 22, 2016)

Addie said:


> Since we know that at 212ºF water boils, and boiling water sterilizes an object.  So if we put something in an oven in a temp higher than 212ºF, would that sterilize it? It wouldn't rust. Dry heat. Right? Just thinking out loud.



Polymer clay is not a live pathogen, so the concept of sterilization does not apply.

btw, boiling water is not hot enough to sterilize. That's why a pressure cooker is necessary to properly can foods containing proteins.


----------



## tenspeed (Apr 22, 2016)

GotGarlic said:


> P
> btw, boiling water is not hot enough to sterilize. That's why a pressure cooker is necessary to properly can foods containing proteins.


  Is it a matter of time, as opposed to temperature?

  While riding the trainer this winter I watched a series of lectures on inventions that shaped the modern world.  In the lecture on food preservation and canning it was pointed out that once they learned that by adding salt to the water in the can, thus increasing the boiling point,  they could greatly shorten the processing time.  I think it was something like reducing it from 18 hours to 4 hours (I can't remember the numbers, but it was something like that magnitude).  This was in regards to vegetables, and I can't remember if the same applied to meat or fish.


----------



## GotGarlic (Apr 22, 2016)

tenspeed said:


> Is it a matter of time, as opposed to temperature?



It's both, as well as the ingredients and whether they are high- or low-acid. Salt, sugar and vinegar are all preservatives, but in order to be safe, there has to be a minimum amount, which varies with the food being preserved. 

Here's more information: http://extension.psu.edu/food/preservation/safe-methods/basic-canning


----------



## medtran49 (Apr 23, 2016)

tenspeed said:


> All of the instructions I have read tell you to never use water to clean the pasta machine, as it will rust if you do. How did you prevent rust?


 
Dry it off by hand and stick it in a 300 or so oven to finish drying (obviously not plastic parts ((if it has any)) that will melt).  Ours got really gummed up with pasta dough once, knew it was too soft to roll but tried to do it anyway.  Will never do that again.  Ours is all metal except for parts of the ravioli maker which I don't use because I would rather make them by hand and not waste filling.


----------



## chessplayer (Apr 29, 2016)

Still looking... Cannot make up my mind. 

Has anyone heard of a Mercet Ampia 150 pasta machine? Any opinions or info? I have never heard of it and I am unable to find any info on the net other than the one picture provided by the seller. Looks identical to the Marcato Ampia.

Thank you for your time.


----------

