What type of pasta maker should I buy?

[carolelaine]

I would love to try making fresh pasta, I have made all kinds of bread and gnochi, and I think it would be interesting to experiment with it. I am not sure if I should get the attachments for my kitchenaid mixer, or a different appliance or what? Also, can anyone recommend some good pasta making books? Thanks

 

[vagriller]

If you have the KitchenAid already I would go with that model (might be able to get one cheap on ebay!). It would take up less space in the kitchen. If possible I would try someone else's pasta maker first. I have heard people say that they got a pasta maker, used it once and never again.

 

[Gretchen]

Get the roller attachments for your KA. They are very good.

 

[VeraBlue]

I have a VillaWare, (or something like that). I could get a motor for it, but I like cranking the pasta out. There are many attatchments you can get for the original piece, as well.

It's pasta making season, (September through April)...so go for it!

 

[bethzaring]

If you are just experimenting, you can make it by hand. It is fun. Use a rolling pin to roll it out.

 

[bjcotton]

Not to put too fine a point on it Carolelaine, but how about a tall, handsome Italian? That'd do wouldn't it?

 

[carolelaine]

Thanks for the info. on the pasta makers. Are the rollers as hard to clean as I have heard ? The tall, dark Italian or for that matter several tall, dark Italians would be great, and really great if some of them make pasta.

 

[Essie]

The rollers are very easy to clean. All you do is use the accompanying brush and clean them out. If any remains, after about an hour, use a toothpick to remove it. They're really easy to use and give you outstanding results.

 

[ChefJune]

I have a hand crank Imperia. My Italian cooking maven recommended that brand, and I have to say I used to have an Atlas, and tI like this better. I don't use it all that often, but it is fun for an informal get together with friends who like to cook... Make up a pitcher of cocktails, or open a couple of bottles of wine, and have the dough already ready to roll out and cut, and you can have a fun and inexpensive evening, and a good dinner, too!

 

[Michael in FtW]

Well, from someone with a KA .... buy an Imperia/VillaWare with the motor. It will cost you about the same or less than the KA Pasta Roller Set- and you can get more pasta cutters for it.

 

[VeraBlue]

Thanks for the info. on the pasta makers. Are the rollers as hard to clean as I have heard ? The tall, dark Italian or for that matter several tall, dark Italians would be great, and really great if some of them make pasta.

I don't clean the rollers since they never really get dirty. I have a long handled brush that I just sweep the flour out with. Getting the rolling mechanism wet would gunk up the works..

 

[mish]

I've had an *Imperia, for years, that I'm very happy with - no attachments or motors. It's very easy to cut the dough by hand for i.e. ravioli etc. The book I like is (The Good Cook - Techniques & Recipes) Pasta, by Time-Life Books (in hardcover). It covers everything from making basic or flavored dough (technique and pictures) to recipes for every shape pasta and sauces.

*The Imperia also comes with a little booklet of recipes, and I've seen many homemade pasta recipes on the web, as well. The lemon pasta is one of my faves.

A tip when making ravioli - for the zig-zag edges, use a pizza cutter, or a sewing tracing wheel. The tracing wheels are inexpensive - but keep one just for pasta.

One of the most eye-appealing ravioli I've seen are striped - a combo of three flavors of pasta, i.e. spinach, beets, lemon - whatever you like (made separately), then run thru the machine.

 

[chilichip]

Pasta maker

Hi, I have three pasta makers, the best is the Kitchen Aide for me ,

 

[Robo410]

kitchen aide stand mixer with attachments

 

[Half Baked]

I clicked on the Top Ten Pasta Makers under the blue bar on DC and here they are: http://www.splise.com/Pasta+Makers/category_2618.html

Looks like Kitchen Aid wins.

 

[Michael in FtW]

I'm always a little suspicious of sites that rank products and don't give the criteria they used for their rankings.

 

[urmaniac13]

My favourite pasta maker? My hands!!
To me, kneading the dough is less of a hassle than cleaning all the bits and pieces from the machine afterwards, my hands are much easier and quicker to wash out, too

Well, this is just an opinion of someone who detest washing up

But seriously, if you are not so exact on the shapes you produce, and if you are looking to things like lasagne, tagliatelle, ravioli etc., it is worth a try.

 

[mish]

My favourite pasta maker? My hands!!

I'm with you, urmaniac. Mixing flour and an egg, (and whatever you would like to add for a flavored pasta), only takes a few minutes. One of the reasons I like the Imperia is because it flattens the dough out for you, making it the right thickness for even cooking and to cut in the shapes you please.

Takes me back to the time I bought one of those pasta extruders made by you know who - initials RP. The pasta never extruded & the noise of the machine would wake up the dead. I can see where the motor would probably have exploded. My opinion, why spend big bucks on KA/attachments, when you can do it yourself or use a food processor any time of the year.

An important factor, other than mixing the dough is cooking time. Don't over cook fresh homemade pasta. Drying factor - When I first bought my pasta book (mentioned in my previous post), I did not have a drying apparatus -- so I hung the strands over a broomstick suspended between two chairs. Bottom line - if you've never made it from scratch before, make sure you have the proper utensils and don't over cook. Mixing the dough is only one step.

 

[carolelaine]

I am not really interested in a device that kneads for me. I just want to be able to roll it out, I have tried to do this, but I haven't ever gotten it thin enough. Mish, I ordered your book, it should be here anyday. Thank you.

 

[Andy M.]

Well, from someone with a KA .... buy an Imperia/VillaWare with the motor. It will cost you about the same or less than the KA Pasta Roller Set- and you can get more pasta cutters for it.

Michael:

Are you recommending the Imperia only because it has a greater variety of cutters or is there an issue with the KA attachment?