This Is the Cadillac of Pasta Makers, According to Our Rigorous Tests

There’s a myth that making fresh pasta at home is too much of a hassle, but we’re here to tell you that it’s more than possible, especially with the right equipment. That’s why pasta makers are a kitchen unitasker worth their salt. The best one should be simple to use, easy to clean, and efficient, and able to consistently produce thin, intact sheets of dough. Throughout our tests of 12 pasta makers, the Marcato Atlas pasta machine rolled past the competition. It impressed us with its ease of use and consistency in rolling out thin pasta sheets. It’s also a sturdy piece of equipment that will last through years of pasta-making.

Marcato Atlas 150 Pasta Machine

Why It Won Our Review

In our tests, the Marcato Atlas pasta machine was easy to assemble and use thanks to its manual hand crank, and thinned pasta dough down just 0.5-millimeter sheets—the slimmest we were able to get out of all of the machines we tested. While you’ll only need to get your dough sheets down to one millimeter for pastas like fettuccine, the thinnest setting is necessary for making filled pastas like ravioli. The Marcato Atlas is versatile, offering 10 thickness levels to choose from for all your pasta needs.

Most importantly, the Marcato Atlas was able to roll out smooth, thin pasta sheets without any rips or wrinkles. The machine’s teeth are also super sharp, making it effective at cutting clean, completely separate strands of spaghetti.Since the Marcato Atlas rolled and cut pasta so cleanly, there was barely any cleanup. Throughout all of our tests, there was no sticky dough residue to remove from this model. All we had to do was brush off the excess flour and wipe it with a dry cloth. Its clamp also kept it stable during our tests, so there was no rocking while rolling.

FAQs

How do I get started with making fresh pasta at home?

A pasta maker and a fresh pasta recipe will put you on the right track.

How do I clean the Marcato Atlas pasta maker?

Thanks to its excellent performance, the Marcato Atlas is a low-maintenance piece of equipment. All you have to do is brush off the excess flour and wipe it with a dry cloth when you’re finished using it.

Why We’re the Experts

• An Uong is a commerce writer for Serious Eats and Food & Wine.
• An loves fresh pasta and has used her own manual pasta maker for years to make pasta at home.