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Pasta makers are kitchen appliances that can be used to make pasta dough into various kinds of fresh pasta. There are two basic design types out there on the homemade pasta machine market — the roll-and-cut design and the extruder design. Roller type pasta makers are available in hand-operated and motor-operated models. The majority of pasta machines on the market are hand-crank models that clamp onto your table or counter top with a vice. Roller type manual pasta makers are not just used for making spaghetti, they can be used to make tagliatelle, linguine, fettuccine, capellini, lasagna, and in fact, even ravioli if you want. All the pasta machines require various cutter attachments to enable you to make these different kinds and sizes of pasta. If you want a good quality reliable machine, look for models that have stainless steel and all-metal parts, and that also have at least five different thickness settings. Here you can find some of the most recommendable models.
1 – Marcato Atlas 150 Pasta Maker – I Highly Recommended
Italian Made
Chrome Plated Steel Body
Easy Adjustment
Hand Crank and Clamp
Option for Added Attachments
Double Slotted Opening
Built for Wellness
Features Of The Atlas 150 Pasta Maker
If you have that “home chef” hobby in you, then you definitely would want to always create something new for letting your family enjoy what you cook. Now it’s time to get out of your comfort and safe level by experimenting with something great – making your own pasta at home! And yes, that’s completely and conveniently possible with the Atlas 150 Pasta Maker from Marcato. This machine is no doubt the most popular pasta maker in the world, and that’s for a lot of good reasons. For one, you are to make practically all sorts of pasta you and your family wants to try out, including spaghetti, fettuccine, tagliolini, and more!
Italian Made
While we don’t really consider this as a feature, we feel like there’s that remarkable edge or advantage when someone like you shops for a pasta maker and then finds out that what you’re looking at is Italian made. Pasta is synonymous with Italy, and if you want the best machines for making pasta, go for a brand that’s made from the country that made pasta in the first place.
Chrome Plated Steel Body
If you are looking towards dependability and longevity, you should be looking at a pasta machine that is made of the most durable and long lasting material. So here comes the chrome plated steel body of the Atlas 150, coupled with rollers and cutters made using anodized aluminum. It couldn’t get any better than that.
Easy Adjustment
One of the primary disadvantages of making pasta at home is the lack of consistency and quality, especially if you’re making a lot! But the good news is that this one comes with an easily adjustable and nine-position dial that serves as the regulator for the thickness of the pasta though. As a result, what you’re getting is uniformity and consistency.
Hand Crank and Clamp
There is a good reason why hand-crank is your best bet for a pasta maker. That’s simply and obviously because it is the most preferred and popular out there. What it means is that if so many people are satisfied with this type, then you also should be.
Option for Added Attachments
We talked about flexibility of the machine earlier. Another good news is that the Marcato Altas Wellness 150 can easily be fitted with additional attachments, the main purpose of which is for you to be able to make different noddle styles. Sadly, you have to purchase them separately.
Double Slotted Opening
Another great design feature of this pasta maker are the rollers. That’s because they feature double-slotted openings for the handle.
Built for Wellness
Lastly, the Marcato Atlas 150 Pasta Maker, as the term suggests, is built and designed to promote wellness and healthy living. This comes with the fact that the rollers and double cutters (which come into contact with the pasta) are made from materials that don’t contain heavy metal and other bad stuff.
Is There a Warranty?
If you’re still undecided, just think of the fact that this one comes with a company standard ten-year warranty while the rest of its competitors only come with a one-year warranty, not to mention they use nickel-plated rollers.
Are There Any Flaws?
Unfortunately, you only get to make several different types of pasta if you purchase the compatible attachments. This is because they don’t come with the package.
2 – CucinaPro Imperia Pasta Machine
Traditional Pasta Roller
Heavy Duty Construction
Wide Roller and Double Cutter Head
Italian Made
Easy Lock Adjustment Dial
Wood Grip Handle
More Attachments
Features Of The CucinaPro Imperia Pasta Machine
With a wide roller and a double cutter head, you’re not going to compromise anything with the CucinaPro Imperia Pasta Machine. It is a manual pasta maker that allows you to make the freshest and most delicious pasta right the comfort of your own kitchen. You no longer have to settle for expensive ready-to-eat pasta or go for cooked ones in fast food chains and restaurants. This time, you can enjoy making your own and then prepare something special for the family.
This CucinaPro is considered as one of the leading and most popular pasta makers in America, and that is because it deserves the distinction. Let’s take a look at the features that also serve as proof of this machine’s remarkable functionality:
Traditional Pasta Roller
The CucinaPro Imperia Pasta Machine comes with the traditional pasta roller concept that may sound old, but is actually and still the most effective way to make fresh pasta at home. Once you try making any kind of pasta you desire, you will realize that the taste is in fact quite authentic and original.
Heavy Duty Construction
Unlike most manual pasta makers in the market today, this one is made out of heavy duty and shiny chromed plated steel. With that in mind, the machine is certainly something you’d expect to last long enough for you to make pasta at home for years to come.
Wide Roller and Double Cutter Head
With the addition of a six inch wide roller combined with double cutter head, there’s that guarantee of making the thinnest spaghetti possible and at the same time making wide fettuccini noodles, which by the way is the one most preferred by a lot of pasta lovers making their own at home.
Italian Made
If there is one particular attribute of a pasta maker you need to emphasize, it should be that fact that it is Italian made. Sure you can opt for more affordable ones made in China or other countries but do remember that pasta is considered to originate in Italy, and it makes a lot of sense if a machine that makes it comes from the original maker.
Easy Lock Adjustment Dial
More convenience is provided to consumers with the easy-lock adjustment dial, where you can conveniently lock and secure the machine when you’re not using it.
Wood Grip Handle
The wood grip handle on the other hand is specifically designed to handily crank out the dough when you’re done. You see, everything in this pasta maker is really intended to make your life in the kitchen a lot more comfortable and fun.
More Attachments
While compatible attachments don’t come free in the package, the good news is that there are many additional attachments you can purchase separately so that you can add in more variety or range of noodle shapes for you home pasta making. So now, you can make your desired pasta recipe with the machine’s flexibility.
How About Flaws?
As for flaws, we only observed two particular shortcomings from the Italian designers. First, we believe the overall design could use some improvement. Second, we think the metal knob is thinner than usual. But who cares, really? Provided it offers ultimate and superior functionality, there’s really no need to emphasize on design or the thickness of the knob.
3 – Norpro Pasta Maker
Three Kitchen Gadgets in One
Three Pasta Attachments
Enclosed Funnel
Recipe Booklet and Detailed Instructions
Secure Sucking Base and Locking Key
FDA Approved
Stainless Steel Blade
Features Of The Norpro Pasta Maker
Norpro has taken it to the next level when it comes to pasta making at home. This is because the manufacturer has created a remarkable kitchen device that does more than just pasta making. As a matter of fact, it is altogether a mincer, meat grinder, and pasta maker. It is seldom you get a kitchen tool that has the functionality of three in one. With it, what you are getting is utmost flexibility, not to mention maximum convenience. If you’re into meat, this one is for you. If you want some Italian style, this one is also for you.
Three Kitchen Gadgets in One
Norpro in a way is toppling competition quick – hitting three birds in one stone, as a matter of fact. Although we consider the Norpro Pasta Maker as a pasta machine, it can do two more things in the name of meat grinding and mincing. With it therefore, you are able to grind pork, beef chuck, sirloin, round, and even crush beans, nuts, and vegetables.
Three Pasta Attachments
And since it is marketed as a pasta maker, it’s expected to be one of the best out there. It comes with three pasta attachments that will certainly bring in the Italian theme in your kitchen and dishes. You now have the ability to make and cook your own fresh homemade spaghetti, linguine, and rigatoni.
Enclosed Funnel
Meanwhile, the addition of an enclosed funnel is specifically intended for enabling you to grind sausage the easiest way possible. So basically speaking, it does more than just traditional meat grinding. Count in the suction-looking pestle and plastic tray as well.
Recipe Booklet and Detailed Instructions
If you’re someone who is new to this type of kitchen machine, don’t worry because Norpro has made it a point for anyone to be able to use their product with utmost comfort and ease. Thanks to the detailed instructions that come with the package, installation and setup is quite easy. The recipe booklet meanwhile gives you some nice ideas for cooking, with the help of the Norpro Meat Grinder, Mincer, and Pasta Maker of course.
Secure Sucking Base and Locking Key
For added security and stability for a rather heavy machine or kitchen tool like this, you will definitely appreciate the secure sucking base and locking key.
FDA Approved
You actually have to be concerned and cautious when purchasing kitchen tools. Do not go for those who are made with suspect material or from other countries. These products don’t have the guarantee of quality control. For a pasta maker, you want the Norpro Meat Grinder, Mincer, and Pasta Maker because it is FDA approved, which really translates to guaranteed safety and within industry standards.
Stainless Steel Blade
For meat grinding, mincing, and pasta making functions, you’re sure you got the best tool out there in this Norpro Pasta Maker because it comes with high end stainless steel blade that’s durable, dependable, and resistant to corrosion and stain.
How About Drawbacks?
A lot of people have complained about the nastiness the meat grinder leaves behind. As far as we are concerned, any type of grinder will always leave some fat or sinew coming from the meat. It’s just a matter of cleaning the machine right after using the grinder particularly.
4 – Weston 6 Inch Traditional Style 6″ Traditional Pasta Machine
Heavy Duty Construction
Adjustable Rollers
Double Cutting Head
C-Clamp
Comes With Instructions and a Recipe Booklet
Multiple Pasta Machine
Compact Size
Features Of the Weston 6 Inch Pasta Machine
Pasta in this part of the world is always considered good food. As a matter of fact, it is more like a staple food for many Americans. You for one may actually be one of the many people out there who wants their pasta serve every single day. But how can you afford that if you are purchasing it from the grocery store? It isn’t really practical, right?
But what if you had the chance to make your own pasta at home? What if you had the opportunity to enjoy pasta, all kinds of it, every moment you want? This is all possible with the Weston 6 Inch Pasta Machine. Traditional pasta making has been around for many centuries in Italy and Europe. But now, you can enjoy making your own pasta right at the comfort of your own home.
Heavy Duty Construction
The Weston 6 Inch Pasta Machine is made with metal housing and heavy duty construction. What you therefore get from it is practically a life of use because it will never easily get broken. With a sturdy construction, you also expect for it to withstand constant pasta making at home.
Adjustable Rollers
With fully adjustable rollers, your pasta making experience is taken to the next level. They are specifically designed to allow you to make pasta with multiple thickness and quality. The multiple thickness settings in turn provides flexibility and more fun.
Double Cutting Head
The double cutting head feature meanwhile allows making fine fettuccini as well as spaghetti. Obviously, a typical pasta making machine like the Weston 6 needs to make the two most popular and known pasta types – spaghetti and fettuccini.
C-Clamp
Furthermore, the addition of the C-Clamp is a very remarkable thing for avid pasta lovers because they can easily attach the same pasta machine to the countertop without any issues of stability whatsoever. It gives both stability and safety when in use.
Comes With Instructions and a Recipe Booklet
It’s not enough to just have your traditional style pasta maker sit there in the countertop, in a way using it merely as a kitchen decor. Of course, you purchase it to use it. The good news with the Roma 6-Inch Pasta Machine is that it comes with a recipe booklet for ideas on how you can enjoy your freshly made pasta. The convenient instructions meanwhile are intended to make the setup and operation as smooth and easy as possible.
Multiple Pasta Machine
Unlike other pasta makers that’ll only allow you to make the usual spaghetti and fettuccini, this product will give you more, including angel hair, lasagna, linguine, and half-moon and square raviolis. Therefore, you will never ever run out of pasta options.
Compact Size
Measuring at mere 7.8×8.3×6.5 inches and with an accumulated weight of one pound, you’re getting something that isn’t really too much of a burden to use and even carry around. It’s compact design is intended for people who want to take it with them.
Is There a Warranty?
The manufacturer of this pasta machine offers a convenient and rather reassuring warranty of one year from the date of the original purchase.
How About Flaws?
We do have to admit that upon reading hundreds of reviews about the traditional style pasta machine from Weston, we found out that several people experienced problems with gear mechanism. But aside from, there’s really nothing worthy of sounding the alarm button.
Shopping For A Pasta Maker
So assuming you’ve already decided you’re going to make your own pasta at home, your next move would be to purchase a pasta maker. However, you will encounter disappointments along the way seeing that most of them are priced around $100. But don’t worry, there will always be that sensible price out there. Now here are some important bits of advice when shopping…
Know that majority of pasta makers sold in the market these days are hand crank models. They work by clamping on the table or countertop with a vice. The crank arm will be slipping into a socket on the side of the pasta maker and then it’s your job to turn it manually in order to allow the rollers to start making pasta. The distance between the rollers are adjustable (with a knob) so that you can adjust the thickness of the pasta you’re making.
It makes a lot of sense if you go for models and brands that are made from metal and stainless steel. This ensures that the machine will last long and won’t succumb to rusting and deterioration that easily. Also, we recommend you get at least five different thickness settings so that you can get utmost flexibility in pasta making.
Be reminded that you only get to effectively use a hand crank type of pasta maker if you have a few inches of lip in the counter. If you don’t have that luxury, a stable table will do.
Also know that even if some of the choices you have are quite impressive in features, do not assume that the most expensive ones are also the best options for you. The thing is some of them may just be too expensive and loaded with so many useless features that you end up wasting your money.
So in the purchase of a pasta maker, make sure you do your own extensive research. You can’t afford to buy something that you don’t really use because you’re disappointed with it.
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