Pasta Maker Machine

Okay, so if you are lucky enough to own a KitchenAid mixer why bother buying a pasta maker machine when you can simply buy KitchenAid Pasta Maker Attachments?

Now, obviously here at the Pasta Maker site we’re pretty enthusiastic about good, old-fashioned pasta maker machines.  The sort that roll out traditional fresh pasta dough easily and finely.  What we tend not to be so enthused about are those ‘promise everything, delivery very little’ automatic pasta makers.  The reason is that to get to grips with a pasta extruder really does take a while.  Yes, in theory they’re great, but for many (myself included) they are nothing but messy contraptions that are impossible to clean!

So, what am I doing talking about KitchenAid Pasta Attachments then?  Well, there are several different attachments produced by KitchenAid that will help you convert your stand mixer into a pasta machine.  And some are far better than others.

First of all there is a whole kit that mixes, extrudes and rolls your pasta.  Personally we would avoid these like the plague.  You’ve got a mixer, so use that to mix, but don’t get too bogged down with asking machinery to do everything.  The thing is unless you fork out for either a course in pasta making, or to buy pasta manufacturing equipment you are likely to be sadly dissapointed if you expect a small household appliance to cope with turning your possibly imperfectly prepared dough into something spectacular.

Oh yes in theory you can produce all sorts of exciting pasta sheets such as macaroni tubes.  But in practice it is terribly difficult to get to grips with.  Personally we think it is far better to learn to make fabulous textured, fabulous tasting fresh pasta even if the shape it is served in is not so ‘exciting’.  Think traditional and you’ll be making great fresh pasta!

Now, that’s one gadget dismissed but what about the picture at the top?  Those are pasta rollers, just like you find on any common Italian Pasta Maker but with the advantage that they fit snugly onto your KitchenAid stand mixer.  Really there is nothing that could go wrong with these simple bits of shiny kitchen equipment and that is why we just love them.  The three attachments included in the great KitchenAid Pasta set are of course, a pasta roller, plus a fettuccine cutter, and a linguine fini cutter.  That’s all you need to produce a wealth of great pasta shapes without all the fuss of extruding it in anything too convoluted.

If you still have a burning desire for a new electronic kitchen gadget, forget automatic pasta makers that do struggle to offer the best results.  Try instead a Zojirushi rice cooker as these really are fool-proof in producing fantastic results for the home cook.

Sometimes simple is best and that’s what you get if you buy the right KitchenAid Pasta Maker Attachments.

If you want to buy one Pasta Maker Machine that includes just about everything you could need to get creative in the kitchen and make all sorts of great homemade Italian Pasta, theCucina Pro 178 Fresh Pasta Set is certainly worth a look.

It’s true you don’t need too much when you first start making your own fresh pasta.  But a few extra cutters and attachments can really motivate you into trying new ideas and new recipes.  This is an inexpensive piece of kitchen equipment.  But when you are starting out it seems a waste to buy anything too expensive.  With this kind of budget pasta maker you can get to grips with the techniques involved in producing great quality fresh pasta without having to invest too much to begin with.

For the occasional or new pasta cook a budget machine is more than adequate.  The fact is the basic mechanism for them all is pretty standard.  You are looking for, after all, a glorified rolling pin!  There may be heavier machines and better looking ones around.  But to roll simple pasta dough all you need is the rolling mechanism itself and they are all pretty similar.  So long as you look after the machine, keep it dry and create dough that is not too dry, you should have no problems with this particular model.

We have to be honest here, there are perhaps, better machines around.  But you pay for them!  And, if you are a beginner or merely an occasional fresh pasta creator this budget pasta machine will certainly keep you going.  However, if you do not need the inspiration of so many cutting attachments we would recommend instead teh CucinaPro 159 Imperia Pasta Machine, for just a touch more solidity.

Made from chrome plated steel it is pretty solid and since there is actually very little that complicated in the design, very little can go wrong with such a product.   The rollers and cutters are stainless steel so once cleaned these will keep good for a long time to come and prove a sanitary design for the parts actually in contact with food.  On the whole the customer reviews confirm that this is low priced but built to last, and with a little care and attention will help you produce great pasta.

The fact that the CucinaPro 178 Pasta Maker has seven thickness settings for the pasta to be rolled out to is great.  Gradually winding your pasta dough through to become thinner and thinner is the key to success and this particular machine makes that bit as easy as it can be!  The cutter attachments mean you can easily create spaghetti, fettuccini, angel hair, ravioli and lasagnette.

Because it comes with such obvious necessities like a ravioli cuter, the CucinaPro 178 does make an exceedingly economical choice for a new pasta maker machine.  A good gift idea for someone that is toying with the idea of creating fresh pasta but has yet to have a go!