Making fresh pasta at home is a rewarding culinary experience, but kneading and rolling dough by hand can be time-consuming. An electric pasta maker simplifies the entire process, turning a labor-intensive task into a simple, enjoyable activity. These machines handle the hard work, allowing you to create perfectly textured pasta with minimal effort.
Whether you prefer the classic rolled sheets for lasagna or extruded shapes like spaghetti and penne, there is a machine designed for your kitchen. From compact models for small batches to high-capacity units for family dinners, this roundup covers the best electric pasta makers to help you find the ideal appliance for creating authentic, fresh pasta at home.
The Best Electric Pasta Makers for Your Kitchen
- MARCATO Atlas Pasta Machine Electric Motor Attachment
- Philips Pasta Maker Plus, One Size
- Philips Compact Pasta and Noodle Maker, Viva Collection
- Shule Electric Pasta Maker Machine, Stainless Steel
- Philips 7000 Series Pasta Maker, ProExtrude Technology
- Philips HRM7600/90 Viva Collection Automatic Pasta Maker
- Marcato 8320 Atlas Pasta Machine with Motor
- Shule Stainless Steel Electric Pasta Maker Machine
MARCATO Atlas Pasta Machine Electric Motor Attachment
The MARCATO Atlas Pasta Machine with its Electric Motor Attachment brings the authentic Italian pasta-making experience to your countertop. This attachment is designed for the world’s most popular pasta machine, offering a hands-free way to roll out smooth, consistent sheets of dough. Its solid construction ensures durability and reliable performance for years of use.
You have complete control over your pasta’s thickness with an adjustable dial featuring nine precise settings, ranging from 2½ mm to 0. This versatility allows you to create everything from delicate angel hair pasta to sturdy lasagna sheets, providing the foundation for countless pasta shapes and dishes.
Philips Pasta Maker Plus
The Philips Pasta Maker Plus is built for speed and convenience, automating the entire process from start to finish. Its powerful system handles the mixing, kneading, and extruding, producing a full pound of fresh pasta in approximately 10 minutes. This makes it an excellent choice for busy home cooks who want fresh pasta without a significant time investment.
By automating the most labor-intensive steps, this machine simplifies pasta preparation. You can add your ingredients and let the machine do the work, resulting in consistently textured pasta every time. It’s a straightforward solution for incorporating fresh, homemade pasta into your regular meal rotation.
Philips Compact Pasta and Noodle Maker
Part of the Viva Collection, this Philips Compact Pasta and Noodle Maker is designed for smaller households. It automatically kneads and extrudes 2-3 servings of fresh pasta in about 18 minutes, making it ideal for couples or individuals. The machine comes with three classic shaping discs for spaghetti, penne, and fettuccini.
A unique double extrusion process ensures the pasta is consistently smooth. This model also encourages creativity, as you can use different types of flour and add ingredients like herbs, spinach, or carrot juice to create a variety of flavors and colored pasta. An included recipe book provides inspiration to get you started.
Shule Electric Pasta Maker Machine
The Shule Electric Pasta Maker features a durable stainless steel construction, offering a reliable and easy-to-clean surface for your pasta-making sessions. This machine functions as a roller, taking your prepared dough and turning it into smooth, thin sheets ready for cutting into various pasta shapes.
Its attached motor set provides the power to roll dough consistently, eliminating the need for manual cranking. This is a great option for those who enjoy the process of making their own dough but want assistance with the rolling stage, ensuring even thickness for professional-looking results.
Philips 7000 Series Pasta Maker
The Philips 7000 Series Pasta Maker represents the high end of automated pasta making. Featuring ProExtrude Technology and a 150W motor, it can prepare fresh pasta in under 10 minutes. Its large capacity is a standout feature, capable of making up to eight portions at once, which is perfect for family dinners or entertaining guests.
Beyond pasta, this model includes a versatile mixing function that can be used for other kitchen tasks like preparing cookie dough or kickstarting pizza and bread dough. With eight included discs and connectivity to the HomeID app for guided recipes, it offers extensive variety and modern convenience for the enthusiastic home chef.
Philips HRM7600/90 Viva Collection Automatic Pasta Maker
This model from the Philips Viva Collection is designed to make automatic pasta creation accessible. It handles the complete process of mixing, kneading, and extruding, requiring you only to add the ingredients. This streamlined approach is ideal for those who want homemade pasta with minimal hands-on effort.
The machine is built to produce consistent results, ensuring your pasta has the perfect texture every time. As part of the Viva line, it focuses on core functionality and user-friendly operation, making it a strong contender for anyone new to electric pasta makers.
Marcato 8320 Atlas Pasta Machine with Motor
The Marcato 8320 is a complete kit that includes the renowned Atlas pasta machine with a built-in motor. This integrated system is crafted in Italy and is celebrated for its durability and professional performance. It is designed for those who are serious about making traditional rolled pasta.
With the motor permanently attached, you get a seamless and powerful rolling experience. This machine is perfect for creating sheets of dough for tagliatelle, lasagne, ravioli, and many other classic pasta forms, giving you a timeless tool for authentic pasta preparation.
Shule Stainless Steel Electric Pasta Maker Machine
The Shule Stainless Steel Electric Pasta Maker is a robust machine built for rolling pasta dough with ease. Its stainless steel body promises longevity and is resistant to stains and odors, making cleanup simple. The electric motor provides consistent power for rolling dough to your desired thinness.
This machine is a practical choice for home cooks who appreciate the quality of rolled pasta and want a dependable appliance to handle the task. It supports the creative process of making various pasta shapes from a single, perfectly rolled sheet of dough.
Buying Guide: How to Choose an Electric Pasta Maker
When I started looking for an electric pasta maker for my own kitchen, I quickly realized there’s more to it than just picking the shiniest model. To find the right one for you, it’s helpful to think about a few key features that will impact your pasta-making experience.
First, consider the machine’s primary function. Do you want a dedicated extruder or an all-in-one model? Extruders push dough through a shaped disc to create pastas like penne, fusilli, and macaroni. They are fantastic for those specific shapes but usually can’t make long strands like spaghetti or fettuccine. All-in-one machines, on the other hand, often mix the dough, knead it, and then extrude it through various shaped dies. They offer more versatility in a single appliance, which is great if you have limited counter space.
Next, look at the construction material. The body is often plastic to keep the weight down, but the internal parts that handle the dough should be durable. Look for sturdy metal augers (the screw that pushes the dough) and high-quality die plates. These metal components are less likely to wear out and can handle stiff dough without straining the motor. Speaking of the motor, a more powerful one (measured in watts) will be able to handle denser, whole-grain flours without jamming. A weak motor might struggle and overheat.
The variety of pasta shapes is a big selling point. Most machines come with a few standard dies, but check what’s included and what additional dies are available for purchase separately. If you love a particular shape, make sure it’s an option for that model. Also, think about cleanup. Pasta dough can be stubborn when it dries. Machines with dishwasher-safe parts, especially the dies, will save you a lot of scrubbing time. Some models have a reverse function for the auger, which can help clear a jam or push out leftover dough, making cleanup a bit easier.
Finally, size and storage are practical concerns. These are not tiny appliances. Measure your counter space and think about where you’ll store it when not in use. Some models are designed with a more compact footprint, while others are built to be left out on the counter. By considering what types of pasta you want to make, how often you’ll use it, and how much effort you want to put into cleaning, you can find the perfect match for your kitchen among the many electric pasta makers for home use.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between an extruder and a sheet-and-cut pasta maker?
This is a fundamental difference. An electric extruder, which is what most home electric machines are, works by pushing a stiff, dry dough through a metal die to create shaped pasta like rigatoni or fusilli. A sheet-and-cut machine, often manual like the classic Atlas, rolls a softer, wetter dough into thin sheets that you then cut into tagliatelle or fettuccine. Electric extruders are great for short, shaped pasta, while manual machines excel at long, ribbon-like pasta. Some high-end electric models try to do both, but they are less common.
Can I use regular all-purpose flour in an electric pasta maker?
You can, but I don’t always recommend it for extruder models. Electric pasta extruders work best with semolina flour, or a blend of semolina and “00” flour. Semolina is made from durum wheat and has a coarse, granular texture that creates a firm dough that extrudes cleanly and holds its shape. All-purpose flour produces a softer, stickier dough that can easily clog the machine. If you only have all-purpose flour, you might need to use significantly less water and be prepared for a higher chance of jamming.
How difficult is it to clean an electric pasta maker?
Cleaning is often the most tedious part of the process. The dough hardens as it dries, so it’s crucial to clean the machine soon after you’re done. The key is to disassemble it completely. Most dies, augers, and mixing paddles are removable. I find it’s easiest to rinse these parts under warm water immediately and use a small brush (many models include one) to scrub the tiny holes in the dies. Some parts are dishwasher-safe, which is a huge time-saver. Letting the dough dry inside the machine is a sure way to make cleaning a nightmare.
Why is my pasta coming out too soft or breaking?
If your pasta is too soft or mushy, the dough is likely too wet. Pasta dough for extrusion needs to be quite dry and crumbly—it should feel like damp sand. If it’s sticking together easily in your hand, add more flour. If the pasta is breaking or cracking as it comes out, the dough is probably too dry. Try adding a tiny bit more liquid, one teaspoon at a time. It’s a learning process to find the perfect consistency for your specific machine and the flour you’re using.
Are electric pasta makers worth the cost and counter space?
This really depends on how much you love fresh pasta. If you buy fresh pasta regularly from the store, then an electric maker can pay for itself over time. The quality of homemade extruded pasta is exceptional, with a texture and ability to hold sauce that’s hard to find commercially. It’s also a fun activity, especially with family. However, it is a single-use appliance that takes up a fair amount of space. If you only make pasta occasionally, a simple manual roller might be a better, more compact choice.