There is a fascinating variety of pasta making machines on the market, but they all perform the same basic task. But then, all cars perform the same basic task. Yet some get you there in style, while others merely take you from place to place.

Once you have a mound of pasta dough, to turn it into real pasta it needs to be flattened, shaped and cut. Considering the enormous variety of pasta shapes and styles, that task is a good deal more demanding than it sounds.

One day you’ll need a lasagna for, well, lasagna. Another day it will be spaghetti for a spaghetti dish. But on those special occasions you’ll want ditalini or farfalle, ziti or mostaccioli. A good pasta maker will do them all.

Since you want to be able to use your machine for any dish you might consider now or in the future, look for one that is flexible enough to do the job. Most will do a few basic shapes, extruding vermicelli or slicing fettuccine. But look for one that can accept extra attachments to churn out those little thimbles or butterflies, bridegrooms or small mustaches as well.

To achieve that, it will need the standard rollers and cutters for making flattened and sliced strips. But it will also need to accommodate special dies and circular slicers to curl, shape, extrude tubes and more.

Having one made of stainless steel is a must, so it will last and look good. But it’s equally important that it’s easy to disassemble and re-assemble for easy cleaning and good health. Bacteria in the air readily attach themselves to food left on metal surfaces. Look at the cutting mechanism on your electric can opener sometime… Check to ensure you can take apart and put together yours without endangering your hands.

Prices range from about $20 to over $100 and in the case of pasta makers you usually get what you pay for. The more expensive units offer electric motors, more ways to roll and slice and ease-of-use features. But even a manual one with a single 6-inch wide roller will be a big step up if you’ve been flattening and cutting the dough by hand.

In general, the more types of pasta it will shape and cut the better. Many will cut only spaghetti or tagliatelle. But others will make squares for ravioli, while still being able to make capellini, linguini, trenette, fettuccine and others.

Top of the line models, which are often not much more money, incorporate bowls, stirring rods, kneaders and other features to allow making the dough as well. That puts the whole operation together in one unit. Not bad!

It isn’t mandatory to get one that is made in Italy, but many of the best units are manufactured there. They have generations of experience that are incorporated into the designs.

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