Kitchen Aid Pasta Attachment *****


 

Clark Deutscher

TVWBB All-Star
I am looking at getting the pasta attachment for the Kitchen Aid stand mixer. just wondering if anyone has any info on what to get? I see there is a ravioli maker then a cutting set, than a pasta elegance set (whatever the heck that is). I would think I just need a basic attachment with about five different thicknesses and then I could shape the pasta myself with a knife? Not sure though so if anyone could help or point me in the right direction on where to get the information that would be great. Thanks!

Clark
 
I've heard good things about the pasta roller. The ravioli attachment supposedly does not work very well. I have a Atlas pasta roller and I wish I had known about the KA attachment before I bought it.
 
I've never tried the roller. I don't like the extruder as the pasta dough must be the right consistency--dry but not too dry, moist but not too moist--or it doesn't work well. And forget semolina doughs--the extruder can't handle them though my guess is the roller would.

I have an Atlas as well. Though an extruder would be nice for penne and other tube shapes, machines with enough power and torque are quite spendy. I love the Atlas--though for years I've meant to get a motor for it and still haven't.
 
O.K. thanks for all the responses. So what would be the pasta maker of choice for all? It doesn't have to be the kitchen aid by any means......

Clark
 
Just tooled around a bit on line. Some people like the rollers; there were many caveats though about the roller axles. Apparently they are made of plastic and can break--especially if the dough is stiff (so ignore my opinion that the roller could handle semolina dough). One reviewer, though careful not to make stiff doughs (not something I would want to avoid), had hers break anyway. Another had hers break after having the unit 6 years and never using it till this first time.

See here.
 
I am pretty new at making pasta, only done it once so I'm not 100% sure. I would like to have the ability to try the most types of pasta as possible. I would be receptive to a couple different machines if that is the best way to go......

Clark
 
In January I picked up a KA Pasta Sheet Roller and Cutter Set Model KPRA. Found a new set cheap on Ebay. It includes the sheet roller, spaghetti cutter and fettuccine cutter.

First use made linguine. Plain white flour. Came out great.

Wouldn't buy the KA extruder for this purpose.

Can't speak to semolina dough. But during use and inspection seems to me it could handle it, but again I personally haven't tried it. The rollers are metal. The units are pretty heavy.

I have seen web demos though where they were using semolina.
 
Apparently the axles the rollers spin on are the problem. Are your model's plastic?

Clark-- I have used low end extruders and never really found one that I liked. The wattage tends to be low and the machines do not have to power nor torque to stand up to anything but soft eggs doughs. That might be fine (if one wants to forgo stiff semolina doughs) but soft doughs still must be carefully made for a low end extruder and copious flour often needs to be added as the pasta extrudes lest it all stick together. One can make a drier dough to begin with (recommended) but, to me, they're not worth it. I just don't make tubular pasta (which really is best made with drier, no-egg semolina dough, imo), preferring to make non-tubular pastas--using both semolina and a.p flour/egg doughs--and I use a hand-cranked Atlas. (They do make a motor for it--which I'll get some day.) An advantage to rolled pasta doughs over extruded: they absorb more sauce as they are much less dense, a big plus in my book.
 
I like my Atlas hand-crank (a motor is available). I had a motor and the noise was a distraction to the "zen," if that's the right word....enjoyment/fulfillment" of rolling out and cutting the dough. The rolling out of the dough can almost become a ballet of motions.

When I first bought and used it in the last century, I think I had flour from one end of the kitchen to the other, but as you develop an approach or method or technique for rolling out the dough, things fall into place and it gets quite simple...and less messy.

A major problem for me was how to attach the Atlas to my kitchen counter. The clamp isn't quite large enough to clamp it onto my counter, so I clamp it onto a board, then I clamp the board onto my counter. No big deal once you get it set up.

As Kevin says, I also have found that the Atlas handles semolina pasta doughs well. They would be too heavy for extruders.

I had an extruder early on, when the first ones came out. Good concept, but too finicky to get the dough consistency right. Needs to be fairly soft. Semolina doughs or firmer flour doughs just popped the extruder die right off the front of the machine. It's history for me.

Rita
 
Originally posted by K Kruger:
Apparently the axles the rollers spin on are the problem. Are your model's plastic?

Well, you can't see the axles by just lookig at them. You have to take them apart
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Pulled the end cover off the fet cutter. No axle really. The cutter/rollers are one piece with the ends turn down to fit the hole stamped in the end plates. Spag cutter is the same. Now the thickness roller I'm not taking apart - too many parts on that puppy on either end to risk it. Did the article you looked at mention the roller or cutters as having plastic axels?

Thing I like about these is that I don't need to clamp it to anything and the KA mixer makes a good, sturdy "stand" that provide nice height under the roller or cutter to give good room for feeding and catching the pasta as it comes through. Very convenient to use.
 
Originally posted by r benash:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by K Kruger:
Apparently the axles the rollers spin on are the problem. Are your model's plastic?

Well, you can't see the axles by just lookig at them. You have to take them apart
icon_wink.gif


Pulled the end cover off the fet cutter. No axle really. The cutter/rollers are one piece with the ends turn down to fit the hole stamped in the end plates. Spag cutter is the same. Now the thickness roller I'm not taking apart - too many parts on that puppy on either end to risk it.

Looks like the article you looked at mentioned the thickness roller as having the plastic axels though.

Thing I like about these is that I don't need to clamp it to anything and the KA mixer makes a good, sturdy "stand" that provide nice height under the roller or cutter to give good room for feeding and catching the pasta as it comes through. Very convenient to use. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
 
Thanks for all the responses! Just want to make sure that this Atlas is what I'm looking for. Is there anything else I need? Drying racks or anything along those lines? Thanks again.

Clark
 
The Atlas looks good, Clark. A 6-inch width is practical. Shop around for price for that specific model.

Far be it from me to make a short answer when I can write a long one:

FYI: I roll out my dough into slabs, then cut them into lengths about the width of a sheet pan. Let them dry for a few minutes in the sheet pan (on a lightly-floured linen towel if possible, flipping every few minutes) then cut them into strands. If the sheets or strands are sticky, use a dredger to sprinkle just a little flour over them (can spread the flour with your hand on the sheets...just the very lightest dusting); toss the strands lightly into a pile onto a lightly-floured sheet pan and let dry a few minutes or longer before cooking them. Fluff up the pile every so often.

Or coil the strands lightly and place in mounds on the lightly floured sheet pan to let dry. I used to have a drying rack and only used it once or twice. I use the sheet pan, lightly sprinkled with flour or semolina.

If you are going to dry the pasta completely and store to cook at another time, be very gentle. The dried pasta is very brittle and will crumble easily. Others might have more sturdy results and I'd like to know about that too.

A short, elementary course on my version of pasta making.
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I'll be very interested in how others do this.

Rita
 
I have one of the hand-cranked roller versions, but no idea what brand it is without going and looking. I've had it for >10 years and it's held up really well, although I probably use it once a month.

As far as ravioli goes, I'll agree that the attachment that comes with these things for making ravioli is just a paper weight. The ravioli are too small and they don't seal well. I always just roll out a sheet of pasta, square it off, dot the filling on one side of the sheet, and then fold the sheet over on the filling. Seal the space in between making sure to get rid of all the air, slice between the ravioli with a knife, and you're ready to cook.
 
I have an EGGE brand that I have never used. Pretty heavy duty, has multiple cutters. Like my KitchenAid attachments, so will probably never use this. If someone wants to give me $25 plus shipping let me know. Send me a PM.
 

 

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