MARCATO180 Pasta Device

SUPER stable on the counter! Handle is SMOOTH and EFFORTLESS! I did put it on a folded dish towel under it and wrapped it around the edge of my counter so when I tightened the clamp, it wouldn't crack my quartz counter...just in case. I think a thin piece of cork will be a permanent solution. Honestly, it is such a heavy and well made machine, it barely moves even un-clamped. The hole for the handle on the roller was initially tight, but I just lined it up and pushed it in and out a few times...fine! The hole for the cutter was fine out of the box. Love it!

After careful consideration, I elected to purchase this model based on the multiple positive reviews. That being said, my only complaint is the sparse instructions and recipes within the instruction manual. The photos were helpful but the English instructions were vague and somewhat confusing. Otherwise, I am so pleased with this device itself. I chose the larger model because it was only marginally more expensive and I'm so glad I did, as the extra diameter was more forgiving during the processing of the dough.Although I rarely indulge in pasta, I enjoy making homemade food as often as I can. With all the strange hidden & chemical ingredients added to commercially prepared food being a concern for me, I prefer the ingredients contained within the food I make myself; this makes me feel good about what I am feeding my family, undoubtedly like many of my fellow cooks.I went through the many reviews/ recipe suggestions and I drew very heavily from the review of the 150mm version by UpperDown (thank you so much!). I'd like to add a few details I found through other research as well. I was so grateful for UpperDown's recommendation of a scant 1/2 teaspoon each of oil and salt per egg, what was lacking was a definitive amount of flour expected per each egg. I followed his/ her recommendation of using equal parts 00 semolina and regular flour (also purchased together on Amazon); my research determined approximately 3/4 cup of total flour per egg. My food processor was not available at the time I made this recipe so I used my Nutribullet. With the intention of producing enough for pasta for 2 or 3 people: first I blitzed 2 eggs in the Nutribullet, added 1 tsp each of olive oil & kosher salt, blitzed. I added half of the total flour (equal parts semolina & regular flour mixed, total 1 1/2 cups), blitzed. Scraped down interior of container, added nearly all of remaining flour, blitzed. The majority of the dough appeared to be the texture of coarse sand, smaller than half pea size. I scraped it all out onto the clean kitchen counter and kneaded it all together for a few minutes until no longer sticky at all, almost Playdoh in texture. The ball was approximately the size of a large orange, or small softball.I followed UpperDown's recommendation to allow the dough to rest 30 minutes in a warm place, wrapped in plastic wrap. I'm so glad I did! The texture had changed to a more cohesive dough. I flattened the ball slightly, cut off a third, rewrapped the rest. I rolled the dough through the machine on the 0 setting, folded in half, rolled through 0 again, no additional flour needed. I repeated this process through settings of 1-5, folding in half each time, back through each setting twice. As I rolled the dough, it became less & less grainy appearance; smoother & silkier each time. Total rolling of each section of dough was approximately 12 times.I selected the larger size cutter for my pasta (fettuccine?). Prior to using the device, I had run a folded piece of parchment paper through each of the device's sections to remove any residual oil from manufacturing. I was never able to achieve a perfectly rectangular piece of rolled pasta, but it didn't matter. I just ran it through the cutting wheel and it fell into a lovely little pile! I placed the pile of cut pasta into a clean, folded tea towel. I repeated with another 3rd of the dough as above, until all dough was processed. Unfortunately, one piece of uncut dough was really long (~ 18-20 inches) and I forgot to divide it in half before I put it through the cutter. These super long pieces of pasta were unwieldy to eat. I should have used scissors to cut the strands in half before cooking, or remembered to divided it into 9 or 10 inch section of dough before cutting.I boiled in salted water for 2 minutes ONLY while I made a quick scampi style sauce. It was delicious. It readily served 2 people with 2 generous servings leftover.As UpperDown stated in her review, no additional flour was needed for processing, so the pasta machine required no real cleanup, aside from my fingerprints. UpperDown suggested using wax paper to feed through the machine to clean it, I used the parchment paper I had on hand. It worked wonderfully. I wiped the exterior down. Done!I was so pleased, I purchased this same larger model for my foodie friend, including the pasta flour set, as a gift! Highly recommend!I hope the additional details regarding the recipe are helpful, fellow foodies! Enjoy!

SITUATIONWe often make pasta by hand, which is laborious. Thus our interest in a pasta roller. The typical 15cm home size pasta roller seemed inadequate. We considered a more robust commercial grade machine, but discarded this option due to our limited kitchen space. After some consultations and considerable deliberation, we finally selected this machine with its 18cm wide rollers. This is my evaluation after about a month of continued use.ROLLER UNITThe Atlas 180 roller unit is secured to a counter top by a clamp (included). The body of the machine is chrome plated steel. There is a screw in the panel of the crank side, which we imagine to be for access to internal mechanism. The gears mesh well, with no slop. When cranked, it has a solid feel. The dial firmly locks the rollers into graduated separations. The rollers are made of an anodized aluminum alloy, and nicely aligned throughout their length (i.e. from dial side to crank side). Excellent results can be easily achieved with this little dough roller. True labor saving device. Very satisfied.CUTTERSThe Atlas 180 cutter unit slides on and off the back of the roller unit. There are screws on the chrome plated side panels, which we imagine must be for internal cleaning and access to the internal mechanism. The cutters appear to be made of the same anodized aluminum alloy as the rollers, and arrived with a little oil on them. The plastic combs underneath the cutters are detatchable, which allow the unit to be cleaned. With some cotton swabs, paper towels, a little alcohol, and due diligence, the rollers cleaned up very nicely.The cutters are more demanding to use than the roller. We found that the dough needs to be firmer for the Atlas cutter, than for cutting by hand with a knife. And as always, a light dusting of flour facilitates the process.The wide cutter produces a classic fetuccine width. The fine cutter produces a noodle width. By adjusting dough thickness to the width of the fine cutter, the final cooked noodle presents a nearly round shape. With due care, truly excellent results can be achieved with the atlas 180 cutters.SUMMARYIf you often make pasta at home, then this little machine merits your consideration. We have no problem recommending this kit for home made pasta.