Pasta Machines

[Banco]

Does anyone in DR-land have experience with both the traditional hand-cranked pasta machine and the Kitchen-Aid stand mixer pasta attachments, and if so, which do they prefer and why? Grazie tante.

[lperry]

I do. I have an old hand-cranked Atlas, and my Mom has the KA. For a nice, relaxing, nostalgic bit of pasta making, you can't beat the Atlas. The KA, in contrast, is fast. Really fast. The dough goes flying through the rollers and you have to pay close attention or stuff ends up on the floor. It does, however, make pasta just as well as the Atlas. Both make nice, thin, even sheets. I like my old one, but I wouldn't turn away the KA attachment.

[Mrs. B]

I have the KA rollers and cutters. The rollers work great - thin even pasta sheets quickly produced. I've had some difficulty with the cutters getting pasta stuck in them and then giving up the ghost even with dilligent use of the cleaning brush.

[monavano]

I have the KA rollers and cutters. The rollers work great - thin even pasta sheets quickly produced. I've had some difficulty with the cutters getting pasta stuck in them and then giving up the ghost even with dilligent use of the cleaning brush.

Can you post a link to the cutters? I'm not picturing what they are.

I've been wanting the KA pasta roller attachment for awhile, but since we have the Delux Atlas Pasta Queen, I can't see justifying the cost until I make darn good use of the Atlas (which I don't, but it is a goal to do so).

Also, does the KA attachment make the pasta making easier for 1 person?

[Mrs. B]

Can you post a link to the cutters? I'm not picturing what they are.

I've been wanting the KA pasta roller attachment for awhile, but since we have the Delux Atlas Pasta Queen, I can't see justifying the cost until I make darn good use of the Atlas (which I don't, but it is a goal to do so).

Also, does the KA attachment make the pasta making easier for 1 person?

The linguine and fettucine cutters come with the roller attachment. Do you need to crank the Atlas? I would think that not having to crank and push and catch the pasta - only push and catch - would make it easier for one person. Still, unless you manage the length of your pasta carefully, two people will always be better even with the one task eliminated.

[catharine]

I have an old fashioned crank pasta machine. I like it, but it can be tricky to crank, push the pasta through, and catch the extruded pasta. Also, not sure if it is just me or my machine, but I find that the handle occassionally falls out.

I used the Kitchenaid rollers at a friend's house and it worked really well. I've been coveting it ever since. That is, until I learned about this baby.

The reviews are good and I'm hoping to get lucky for my birthday next month.

[monavano]

The linguine and fettucine cutters come with the roller attachment. Do you need to crank the Atlas? I would think that not having to crank and push and catch the pasta - only push and catch - would make it easier for one person. Still, unless you manage the length of your pasta carefully, two people will always be better even with the one task eliminated.

Thanks! Generally, I've made pasta with the Atlas with Mr. MV (with crank) because we both are interested in making our own pasta, and you know, it's fun with a glass of wine.

[mdt]

It really all depends on how often you want to make pasta and $$. I have used both and I echo the thoughts above that the KA attachments are great.

[zoramargolis]

I used the Kitchenaid rollers at a friend's house and it worked really well. I've been coveting it ever since. That is, until I learned about this baby.

This is an extruder, and does not appear to have the ability to roll out sheets of pasta, so you would not be able to make ravioli or other stuffed pastas with it.

[catharine]

This is an extruder, and does not appear to have the ability to roll out sheets of pasta, so you would not be able to make ravioli or other stuffed pastas with it.

True. Though I don't plan to give up my manual machine, just add to the kitchen gadget collection.

Now that you mention in, it all of the years I've owned my current machine, I've only made ravioli once. I think if I had to choose one I'd go for the extruder.

[lperry]

I used the Kitchenaid rollers at a friend's house and it worked really well. I've been coveting it ever since. That is, until I learned about this baby.

The reviews are good and I'm hoping to get lucky for my birthday next month.

I had an extruder machine that I eventually gave away. Be aware that, without commercial equipment, it is not possible to use the hard semolina flours and get pasta like you can buy at the store. With regular flours, even penne, rigatoni, etc. will be soft in texture. The machines are fun, though. Like the Play Doh barbershop my cousin had when we were kids.

[catharine]

I had an extruder machine that I eventually gave away. Be aware that, without commercial equipment, it is not possible to use the hard semolina flours and get pasta like you can buy at the store. With regular flours, even penne, rigatoni, etc. will be soft in texture. The machines are fun, though. Like the Play Doh barbershop my cousin had when we were kids.

I've read a lot of reviews and it seems that this extruder works better than the previous KA models. Who knows. Maybe I'll get it and report back.

PS - I loved the Play Doh barbershop! I've mentioned it to a few people over the years and no one has heard of it. Funny.

[lperry]

I've read a lot of reviews and it seems that this extruder works better than the previous KA models. Who knows. Maybe I'll get it and report back.

Please do report back. I would use one if it worked how I want it to.

[goodeats]

PS - I loved the Play Doh barbershop! I've mentioned it to a few people over the years and no one has heard of it. Funny.

Saw some at Target, though it was awhile back.

Sort of along similar veins: how do you all feel about buying a used pasta machine? How can you see if the quality is still there for a hand-cranked one?

[Banco]

Thanks for all the helpful comments. I ended up getting an Atlas 150. I think with kids the cranking action will be fun. Perhaps they'll even cry "porca miseria" when the dough tears.

[zoramargolis]

Sort of along similar veins: how do you all feel about buying a used pasta machine? How can you see if the quality is still there for a hand-cranked one?

I got rid of an old one of mine after it got rusty--I think that a combination of use, salt in the dough and dampness (I was living just a few blocks from the ocean) compromised the chroming enough that it rusted.

If all of the parts are there, it is not scratched up, dinged or dented, the body is nice and shiny and the rollers and cutters turn easily, you are getting a good one. I think a lot of people buy them or are given them as gifts, and then rarely or never go to the trouble of making fresh pasta, and so decide to get rid of them to free up needed storage space. I used to make fresh pasta all of the time, but then I moved on to other culinary interests, so that after I noticed that my pasta machine had rusted I didn't replace it. I found a perfect, brand-new looking Atlas at a second-hand sale a couple of years ago and bought it, super cheap, just so I'd have one if the impulse ever struck me to make pasta again.

[smokey]

I have an Atlas hand crank and really like it. I don't think it's difficult to use alone, but I 'helped' my mom make pasta with a hand crank when I was a kid so have been making pasta for years. The handles definitely fall out, and that's annoying, but you get used to it and learn to use it in a way that minimizes that happening.

Glad you got one, Banco--hope you and kids enjoy it!