How Much Should You Spend on a Pasta Maker Machine?

When looking for a manual pasta maker the price ranges you can choose are extremely varied.  You can get a halfway decent pasta machine such as those from Villaware for as little as twenty dollars.  But should you spend more and get a more well known brand of Italian style manual cranked model such as the Imperia Pasta Maker?

Well firstly I would suggest you set yourself a budget.  If you have lots of cash to spend, hey go for it and buy the most expensive model you like.  But if you have say $50 that you could comfortably afford to splash out on a new kitchen gadget you can definitely find one for that or indeed far less.

The key is to set a budget and stick to it.  Just be sure to read customer reviews as a few cheaper models have a few quirks when used a lot.  There are though some great budget buys that are built to a high spec and made from a decent quality stainless steel.

If you choose a mid-range model such as the Atlas Pasta Machine though you will be far better catered for.  These tend to be a little more sturdy and are far easier to buy both replacement parts, and additional cutter attachments for than the cheapest versions.

I would never recommend paying more than around $100 for a home use pasta machine as there simply isn't really any point.  Unless of course you want to buy something more unusual than an ever-reliable Italian style hand-cranked machine.  For automatic versions that will mix and extrude the dough for you, you will need to pay considerably more.  But unless you are catering for massive numbers there is absolutely no need in getting anything so complicated.  A simple stainless steel roller that clamps onto the kitchen counter top is a much cheaper and a far more reliable option.  There is hardly anything on them that can really go wrong, since they follow an age-old design.

So how much do I think you need to spend on a pasta maker machine?  Well, if you do not plan on making an awful lot of home-made pasta $30 to $30 should suffice.  If you plan to use the machine more regularly $60 is the benchmark price to ensure you get something solid and that will probably outlive you!