Fresh pasta and dried noodles from a package may seem similar at first, but they differ significantly in terms of texture and flavor. You can put almost any sauce on store-bought the best pasta makers, but you can do so much more with fresh pasta. When you make your own dough, you can make noodles that are thin and eggy or thick and chewy, based on your tastes and the recipe you use. Also, making your own pasta lets you try out different herbs, veggies, and bright colors. You can cut, scrape, twist, fold, and unfold it to make it look the way you want. If you are ready to step up your pasta game, I’ll help you choose the best tools as a passionate supporter of fresh pasta.
Let’s bust the myth that making fresh pasta at home is messy and hard, because it’s neither of those things. Pasta can be made with just flour, water, or flour, water, and a few eggs. We recommend that you mix the dough by hand, which is easy to do with just your fingers or a fork on a clean surface. After the dough has rested, you can roll it out with a rolling pin if you want to give your arms a workout. Below we have mentioned the best pasta makers.
Best Pasta Makers Comparison Table
Feature | KitchenAid 3- | OxGord | CucinaPro | Oxo Good Grips | Consiglio’s |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Number of Pieces | 3 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 1 |
Compatibility | Compatible with KitchenAid Stand Mixers | Standalone | Standalone | Standalone | Standalone |
Pasta Types | Wide roller, fettuccine cutter, spaghetti cutter | Multiple pasta shapes | Multiple pasta shapes | Spiralizer attachment | Multiple pasta shapes |
Material | Stainless steel | Stainless steel | Chrome-plated steel | Plastic and stainless steel | Brass |
Operation | Manual | Manual | Manual | Manual | Manual |
Additional Attachments | N/A | N/A | Ravioli maker, angel hair cutter, gnocchi maker, and more | N/A | Five brass dies |
Cleaning and Maintenance | Hand wash recommended | Hand wash recommended | Hand wash recommended | Dishwasher safe | Hand wash recommended |
Warranty | 1 year | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Price | $$ | $ | $$$ | $$ | $$$ |
KitchenAid 3-Piece Pasta Roller & Cutter Attachment Set
Specification | Description |
---|---|
Brand | KitchenAid |
Model | 3-Piece Pasta Roller & Cutter Attachment Set |
Compatibility | KitchenAid stand mixers |
Material | Stainless steel |
Included Attachments | Pasta roller, fettuccine cutter, spaghetti cutter |
Adjustable Thickness Levels | Yes, 8 settings |
If you already have a KitchenAid stand mixer, this set of attachments makes it easy to make your own pasta. Mix the dough for homemade pasta in a machine, and then use the pasta attachments to roll out the dough and cut it into noodles. The set comes with a 6-inch roller that makes flat sheets of pasta that can be used to make lasagna or shaped by hand into other shapes. Overall, it is one of the best pasta makers that you can buy.
It also comes with two shapes for making spaghetti or fettuccine from the dough. Attachments for other forms, like a ravioli cutter, can be bought separately. Attaching the roller and cutters to a stand mixer is harder than using a traditional hand-cranked pasta maker, but you’ll have both hands free to feed and catch the pasta while the mixer’s motor does all the turning for you.
Pros
- Multiple attachments for various pasta shapes.
- Adjustable thickness levels allow customization.
- Easy to use and clean.
Cons
- Requires a KitchenAid stand mixer to operate.
- May be a bit pricey compared to standalone pasta makers.
OxGord Pasta Maker Machine
Specification | Description |
---|---|
Brand | OxGord |
Model | Pasta Maker Machine |
Material | Stainless steel, chrome-plated rollers |
Pasta Types | Spaghetti, fettuccine, lasagna, ravioli, linguini, and more |
Adjustable Thickness Levels | Yes, 6 settings |
Clamp | Tabletop clamp for stability |
Cleaning | Easy to clean |
If you are not ready to spend a lot of money on a pasta maker, we recommend the inexpensive OxGord pasta maker. It’s easy to use and a great way to start making your own pasta. This manual machine is made of strong stainless steel and comes with three attachments that let you make flat sheets of pasta in nine different widths, as well as fettuccine and spaghetti. You can hand-cut your own lasagna, ravioli, or tortellini from the flat pasta pieces. Thus, it is one of the best pasta makers that you can buy.
Even though the base has pre-drilled holes for clamping it to a work surface, the included clamp doesn’t fit around some countertops, and we found the machine to be a little wobbly when we used it. However, at such a low price, we didn’t think this was a big deal. The fettuccine and linguine cutters made neat pieces, but some of the spaghetti strands stuck together. These noodles were used to make two very popular dishes: fettuccine Alfredo and white wine and garlic clam pasta.
Pros
- Affordable and compact pasta maker.
- Versatile with multiple pasta types available.
- Adjustable thickness levels for customized pasta.
- Tabletop clamp ensures stability during use.
- Easy to clean and maintain.
Cons
- Limited to specific pasta types compared to more extensive sets.
- May require some practice to achieve desired pasta consistency.
CucinaPro Pasta Maker Deluxe Set
Specification | Description |
---|---|
Brand | CucinaPro |
Model | Pasta Maker Deluxe Set |
Material | Chrome-plated steel |
Pasta Types | Spaghetti, fettuccine, tagliatelle, ravioli, and more |
Adjustable Thickness | Yes, 9 settings |
Attachments Included | Pasta roller, fettuccine cutter, tagliatelle cutter, |
This pasta machine has a low price and comes with a lot of different cutters, so it’s great for people who want to make a lot of different kinds of pasta right away without having to buy extra tools. With the cutters that come with the machine, you can make spaghetti, fettuccine, angel hair, lasagnette, which is ribbon pasta or slightly thinner lasagna, and ravioli, even though the pieces are on the small side. Still, it is one of the best pasta makers that you can buy.
This maker is easy to use, and while the noodles didn’t come out as perfectly cut as with some of the other machines on this list (some needed to be separated by hand), they were still tasty. Another thing to keep in mind is that this machine is not as sturdy as some of the others we tried. On smooth surfaces, it tended to slide while in use, but it’s made in Italy from chrome-plated stainless steel, so it’s best to have someone else there to hold the base while you turn the handle. Still, it did what it was supposed to do, so we didn’t think this was a big deal.
Pros
- Deluxe set with various pasta types and attachments.
- Sturdy construction with chrome-plated steel.
- Adjustable thickness for precise pasta thickness.
- Easy to use and clean.
- Comes with a hand crank and clamp for stability.
Cons
- Relatively higher price compared to basic pasta makers.
- May require additional storage space due to multiple attachments.
Oxo Good Grips Tabletop Spiralizer
Specification | Description |
---|---|
Brand | Oxo Good Grips |
Model | Tabletop Spiralizer |
Material | BPA-free plastic, stainless steel blades |
Spiralizing Types | Noodles, ribbons, and chips |
Compatibility | Suitable for a variety of fruits and vegetables |
Cleaning | Dishwasher safe |
Additional Features | Removable blade box, suction cup base |
With a spiralizer, you can cut food into long pieces that look like pasta. They are a great tool for people who want to eat more veggies or who can’t eat regular pasta because of their diet. Even though tomatoes are too soft to be made into pasta, there are plenty of other foods that can be. The most famous veggie pasta is probably zucchini noodles, which are sometimes called “zoodles.” However, you can spiralize carrots, cucumbers, or even potatoes to make curly or shoestring-style french fries in a matter of seconds. For now, it is one of the best pasta makers that you can buy.
The three cutting blades on the Oxo tabletop spiralizer let you make thin spaghetti, thicker fettuccine, and wide ribbon noodles. The blades come with a case to keep them safe, and the case can be attached to the spiralizer to save room. The bottom of the stabilizer has a big suction cup that sticks to countertops and gives you more support while turning the crank. We liked how strong the spiralizer was and how easy it was to use and clean (all of the parts can go in the dishwasher, but the blade storage box should be washed by hand). There are cheaper spiralizers out there, including some that you can hold in your hand, but they don’t usually work as well.
Pros
- Versatile spiralizer for creating noodles, ribbons, and chips.
- Can handle a variety of fruits and vegetables.
- Removable blade box for easy cleaning.
- Suction cup base ensures stability during use.
Cons
- Limited to spiralizing tasks only, not suitable for making traditional pasta shapes.
- May not be suitable for larger quantities of produce.
Consiglio’s Premium Pasta Extruder With Five Brass Dies
Specification | Details |
---|---|
Brand | Consiglio’s |
Model | Premium Pasta Extruder |
Material | Brass |
Number of Dies | 5 |
This classic pasta press, made in Italy, clamps to the edge of a bar or tabletop. With one hand, you put thin rolls of pasta dough through the funnel-shaped hopper, which is made of anodized aluminum. With the other hand, you turn the long crank handle, and the pasta is pushed through one of the five solid brass dies that come with the machine to make different shapes. It can make spaghetti that is round or square, casarecce that is bent, or maccheroni and bucatini that are in the shape of tubes.
Even though the press can’t go in the dishwasher, it can be taken apart so that, unlike the stainless steel cutter tools, the parts can be washed by hand with dish soap and water. Most hand-cranked machines are bigger and heavier than the press, and the handle can’t be taken off to make it easier to store. The dies are made of solid, thick brass, so they will last longer than dies made of plastic or metal. Overall, it is one of the best pasta makers that you can buy.
Pros
- Premium quality pasta extruder
- Made with durable brass material
- Comes with five brass dies for versatile pasta shapes
- Allows you to create homemade pasta easily
- Offers consistent and professional results
Cons
- May be expensive compared to other pasta extruders on the market
- Requires some practice and experimentation to master the art of pasta making
FAQs
A pasta maker is a cooking tool used to make fresh pasta at home. It is also called a pasta machine or a pasta roller. It usually has a roller that flattens the dough into thin sheets and a cutter that cuts the sheets into different forms of pasta, like spaghetti, fettuccine, or lasagna.
The roller device in a pasta maker is usually moved by a hand crank or an electric motor. The dough is fed through the roller, which slowly flattens it into thin pieces of pasta. Often, a dial or lever on the machine can be used to change the width. Once the sheets are the right thickness, the cutting tool can be used to cut them into different shapes.
With a pasta maker, you can make spaghetti, fettuccine, linguine, lasagna, tagliatelle, ravioli, and many other types of pasta. The forms that can be made depend on the attachments or accessories that come with the pasta maker. Some pasta machines have extra parts that can be used to make gnocchi or pasta with different sizes.