Choosing a Pasta Maker: Buyer's Guide including Reviews

There are several things to consider when shopping for a pasta maker. In this Buyer's Guide to Choosing a Pasta Maker you'll find tips, comparisons and pasta maker reviews, all of which should help you pick the best pasta maker for your kitchen.

Serving fresh pasta made from scratch is a great way to impress dinner guests, but that's hardly the only reason to venture into pasta-making. By making your own pasta you'll also have more control over the type and quality of the ingredients that make up the dough. And, contrary to what you might think, making pasta is actually pretty easy, provided that you have a good pasta maker.

If you don't have a pasta maker yet but are thinking about buying one, there are a couple of things you need to do. First, you want to evaluate the pros and cons of the different types of pasta makers on the market, and decide whether you want a manual pasta maker or an electric pasta roller/extruder. Second, you'll want to compare some of the most popular models, preferably side by side, and read reviews to find out which model best suits your needs and budget.

In this Buyer's Guide to Choosing a Pasta Maker, you will find information about the different types and models you'll likely encounter when you begin your quest for the perfect pasta maker for your kitchen. Also included are links to in-depth reviews that look at the features and functionalities of some of the most popular pasta makers in detail.

Please note that this page only covers machines that make traditional, grain-based pasta; if you're looking for information about the vegetable "pasta" makers that turn ordinary vegetables into noodle-like strips, head to the Spiralizer Reviews section of this website.

Types of Pasta Makers

When you begin your quest for the best pasta maker for your kitchen, you will notice that there are two types of pasta makers: electric and manual pasta makers. Electric pasta makers turn dough into thin pasta sheets or strips with the help of a motor, and some of them even knead the dough for you. Manual pasta makers, by contrast, are hand-crank models that require you to turn a handle while feeding dough through the rollers of the machine.

Another difference is that the electric models typically carry significantly higher price tags than the manual models. Especially the fully automatic pasta makers that also make pasta dough can be quite expensive, with many of them retailing between $100 and $200. Therefore, if you plan to make fresh pasta at home only occasionally, a good manual pasta might be the right choice for you.

Comparison of Popular Pasta Makers (Plus Reviews)

Once you know what type of pasta maker you want, it's time to start comparing different brands and models to find the right pasta maker for your kitchen. To help you with that, here's a handy comparison chart highlighting similarities and differences between some of the most popular pasta makers on the market. The chart also includes links to in-depth pasta maker reviews which provide more detailed information about the pros and cons of each model.