7 Best Pasta Makers of 2022, According to Kitchen Experts
Electric and manual pasta makers for every type of noodle.
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While the charm of most pasta recipes is they're fast to make, there's something special about making your own pasta dough. Yes, it takes time and patience, but you can customize the recipe based on your preference and dietary restrictions. Fresh-made pasta also has a different texture that's lighter and softer than boxed pasta and cooks much quicker. All you need is flour, salt, and eggs.
Pasta makers make it simple by allowing you to roll the dough into even sheets and cutting it into noodles of the same exact thickness. We know what makes a good pasta maker at the Good Housekeeping Institute, so we combined years of pasta maker testing and recipe developing when rounding up the best makers on the market. We considered manual, electric, and automatic pasta makers to suit different shape preferences, price points, and skill levels. We included best-selling picks and models we've tested and liked, used for endless hours, and bought for ourselves. Here are our recommended picks:
Best Overall Pasta Maker: Imperia Pasta Maker Machine
Best Value Pasta Maker: CucinaPro Pasta Maker Deluxe Set
Best Pasta Maker for Beginners: Hamilton Beach Electric Pasta and Noodle Maker
Best-Selling Pasta Maker on Amazon: Marcato Design Atlas 150 Pasta Machine
Best Pasta Maker Attachment: KitchenAid 3-Piece Pasta Roller & Cutter Attachment Set
Best Pasta Press: KitchenAid 6-Piece Pasta Maker Attachment Set
Best Automatic Pasta Maker: Philips Compact Pasta Maker
What type of pasta maker is best?
When shopping for pasta makers, there are manual and electric models to choose from that include pasta roller and cutter combinations and pasta extruders. They each have pros and cons:
Manual pasta makers are ideal for rolling out pasta and cutting into long shapes, like spaghetti or linguine. They latch onto your surface and are operated by a hand crank. They're less expensive than their electric counterparts, and most can be upgraded by buying an motor attachment. The downside is they often require two people to operate; one to hold the dough, the other to turn the handle. They also take a long time to use.
Electric pasta makers require a power outlet and, depending on which you buy, can make long pastas, rounded shapes, or both. Some work like the manual versions and have a roller and a cutter, and others are extruders, which push out shapes that need to be cut, usually by hand. Automatic pasta makers are a type of electric pasta makers that mix the dough for you and extrude it when it's the right consistency. In general, extruders are a little finicky in terms of getting the pasta dough perfect so it can extrude smoothly. A pro of automatic pasta makers, however, is they do most of the work for you so all you have to do is a little extra liquid or flour, when necessary, and be present to cut the noodles as they come out. Keep in mind that extruder plates can be hard to clean.
Imperia Manual Pasta Maker Machine
The Imperia brand has been making pasta makers in Italy since 1932, and they are distributed by the brand CucinaPro here in the states. The brand's pasta makers are made of chrome-plated, high-quality steel and no aluminum, which means they're designed to last for a very long time. The design is highly polished with smooth edges. It has a wooden handle that's easy to grip, and the cutter attaches to the roller easily.
At almost eight pounds, this pasta maker is heavy-duty and durable. This model features a six-setting roller, which some reviewers say is hard to adjust with one hand, but we found simple enough once we gave it a couple of tries. It includes a metal plate to help feed pasta sheets into the roller easier, and a cutter for spaghetti and fettuccini. Additional cutters and ravioli molds are also available for purchase.
CucinaPro Manual Pasta Maker Deluxe Set
Modeled after the classic Imperia pasta maker, this version is made with aluminum, which is cheaper, lighter, and less polished. While it's not as as smooth as some of our other recommendations, it comes with numerous attachments so you can give other pasta-making a try without spending more money. It offers nine thickness settings via a knob that pulls out and rotates. Reviewers on Amazon boast that it's easy to use.
Hamilton Beach Electric Pasta Maker
If you've never made pasta before and don't know where to start, this is the pasta maker for you. It makes the dough for you, and then extrudes it once it's formed. All you have to do is follow one of the included recipes, which is a cinch since it has an internal scale to measure ingredients. It's a good value and comes with seven dies so you can make seven different types of pasta. The dies conveniently store in the bottom drawer. The digital control panel is easy to use, and a clear face means you can see what's happening inside. Best of all, the manufacturer says that it only takes 15 minutes to make two to three servings.
Marcato Design Atlas 150 Manual Pasta Machine
This model is made in Italy and made of high-quality steel, and 10 thickness settings give you more versatility depending how you like your pasta. The settings are easy to adjust by pulling the knob and rotating it to the clearly labeled setting. You can also get up to 13 additional pasta accessories, including clearly-labeled cutters and a motor to transform the manual pasta maker into an electric pasta maker. Want to make a statement? This pasta maker comes in fun colors like blue, green, and red.
KitchenAid 3-Piece Electric Pasta Maker Attachment Set
If you have a KitchenAid stand mixer, this is the set for you. The heavy-duty attachments securely attach to the front of the stand mixer and rolls automatically when the mixer is turned on which eliminates the need for a hand crank. That means you can use one hand to feed in the dough and the other to catch it! Using this type of pasta roller is faster and easier than using a manual maker, and it also allows you to make longer sheets of pasta at once since you have both hands to work with. The setting knob is easy to use — it pulls out and turns to your desired setting. The three-piece set includes spaghetti and fettuccine cutters which both make very even cuts.
KitchenAid 6-Piece Pasta Electric Maker Attachment Set
KitchenAid's pasta press also attaches to the front of the brand's stand mixer, but instead of long strands of pasta, the attachment allows for rounded/tubular shapes (like ziti) to be made. We're particular fans of this model because of its included cutter — some others require you to use a knife, whereas this one takes the grunt work out of it.
Philips Compact Pasta Maker
Of all the Philips pasta makers we tested, this is the one we recommend the most highly. It has a small footprint but still makes about two to three servings of pasta at a time in 18 minutes. It also has a see-through compartment so you can keep an eye on the dough when it's mixing and know when it's ready. This pasta maker comes with three die to make penne, spaghetti, and fettuccine. It also comes with a colored recipe book to teach you how to make all types of pasta. When we tested this model, we found that it was easy to add liquid without overflowing, thanks to the numerous long slits on the door that allow more liquid to pass through at a time.
Nicole (she/her) is the director of the Good Housekeeping Institute's Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab, where she has overseen content and testing related to kitchen and cooking appliances, tools and gear since 2019. She’s an experienced product tester and recipe creator, trained in classic culinary arts and culinary nutrition. She has worked in test kitchens for small kitchen appliance brands and national magazines, including Family Circle and Ladies’ Home Journal.
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