MARCATO Made in Italy Atlas 150 Classic Manual Pasta Maker Machine, Chrome Steel. Makes Lasagna, Fettuccine & Tagliolini .

I first learned how to make pasta decades ago by the amazing Marcella Hazan who answered a question from a student who wanted to know the difference between this machine and an extruder for making spagetti. Her answer still makes me chuckle and I tell the story often. This was her answer: "You live on the third floor of an apartment building and you need to get down to the street, you can walk down the stairs or you can jump out the window...both get you to the street but in different states...the extruder is jumping out the window, this machine is walking down the stairs".There is no better way to make pasta than with this machine, known by all the best chefs...I've never known one to break. Now in full disclosure I have been using my KitchenAid pasta attachment for years as I like having both hands free, but miss the simplicity of the non electric option and my atlas remains with my previous employer...I like knowing if the lights go out I can still make pasta. Although the 180 model is wider, I find all my ravioli molds, like the norpro are the perfect width for this machine. It would be useful for those that use the ravioli rolling pin, as they are about 18 inches wide, but for most people the 150 model is just perfect.As most other reviewers will tell you, making the perfect pasta does not mean mastering this machine...it's really very easy to use...it's mastering the perfect pasta dough. If your dough is the perfect consistency it will go through the machine effortlessly. Although there is a learning curve involved...your not breaking the genetic code here...you just need trial and error and some patience. Youtube videos are great but nothing but trial and error will teach you the "feel" of perfect pasta dough. The best advice I can give you is to tell you the dough is a lot dryer than you would think...in the bowl it's granular the size of peas or smaller but if you take a handful and squeeze a fistful it will hold together. I will also tell you that even with my KitchenAid with the 475 watt motor, the dough hook will strain when kneading and I do most of my kneading by passing it through the number one setting multiple times (10-12). The first few times you pass it through you will think you are a failure...it will not come out in one piece but in various jagged pieces and look like a mess...that's okay, the gluten has not fully formed yet even if you DID knead it and let is rest 30 minutes. Just do your best to put the pieces together and keep passing it through...after many passes...maybe a dozen more or less you will see the dough change as the gluten develops. A slight sheen to the dough and more uniform and pliable. Once you can form one piece of this dough through the number one setting, you can go on to number two...some people go through number two twice...sometimes I do, sometime I don't and I have no reason as to why...just my mood of the minute. After that go through each setting only once. I strongly suggest looking at some youtube videos to give you more confidence before trying. The following are just some various tips:I don't use the automatic ravioli machines from any makers because the pasta must be thick enough not to tear apart (usually setting 3) and I find that too thick for good ravioli (I usually use 4). The Ravioli makers with a press like the norpro are easy to use and make a better ravioli.I make big batches of dough at one time and freeze my fresh ravioli or pasta...if you do this you will need to work with small balls of dough...if they are too big your sheets will be too long to handle. Make sure to keep the other pasta dough from drying by covering with a damp paper towel and check frequently because it will dry quickly...I usually redampen the towel after each sheet. For a sheet of ravioli that will give me a top and a bottom for my mold I use a piece of dough about the size of a tangerine. Three cups of semolina flour with three eggs ect...give me four balls of dough and I gather the scraps from each tray and it gives me enough for another full tray when I'm done.Check your roller each time before adding the dough to it...even the smallest crumb of dough left behind will cause your dough to rip.If you don't have a pasta drying rack but you have a dishtowel rack, the kind with three long bars you attach to the wall to hang multiple dishtowels to, it works better than most racks because your pasta can be really long.Add ins to your pasta are great but many will cause tears at thinner levels, especially fresh cracked pepper. Even if you buy chopped spinach, put it through your food processor in small batches for best results.When you get the confidence to try ravioli, ignore all the OCD comments about making sure all the air is out of the "pillow", I read where once reviewer actually used a toothpick to get out air bubbles. I gently press the top layer of dough over the filling once in the tray, but I have never gotten anal about it and never had a ravioli burst on me. Also when cooking use a gentle boil not a rolling boil for ravioli, this will also prevent bursting. I have used water to seal my edges before going over with a rolling pin and I have used nothing...I found no difference. When using a mold like the norpro, put in more filling than you would think...once you press down it will fill in the voids and give you a nice filled "pillow".Please learn this lost art and teach it to your children and grandchildren...it is a wonderful way to spend a weekend day and you can make tons to freeze in serving portions for later use (freeze first on cookie sheet than transfer to plastic bag or foodsaver). Nothing you can buy is as good as you can make for a fraction of the price.

so far I am very pleased. Never made pasta before and am learning. Never realized the taste of homemade pasta is so good; plan on never buying pasta in the market. I note the specs indicate 15 settings; the machine I received has 10. I'm sure 10 is plenty but wondering about the discrepancy. One challenge was attaching clamp to counter; my counter overlap was too narrow so I bought a large cutting board to attach machine with clamp and that works well. Thank you Marcato.

Awesome for sheet pasta. Attach to counter easily and make pasta sheets quick

Impressive

nice

This pasta maker is seriously well-made. The chrome steel feels solid and durable, and the whole machine has a timeless, classic feel to it. It was easy to set up and even easier to start using — I was rolling out pasta dough within minutes!So far, I’ve used it for lasagna sheets and fettuccine, and the results have been excellent. The rollers are smooth, the crank turns easily, and the thickness settings are intuitive. Cleanup is also simple if you follow the dry-cleaning method (no water!).That said, I do wish it came with a few more accessories right out of the box — maybe a ravioli attachment or a spaghetti cutter. You can buy those separately, but it would’ve been nice to have a bit more variety included, especially at this price point.Overall, I’m really happy with the performance and craftsmanship. If you're serious about homemade pasta and okay with adding attachments over time, this is a great machine to start with.

Have made homemade pasta four times so far. Works well for ravioli and fettuccine.

First a sellers note: They sent me this broken. The ring bearing on the fettuccine roller was detached and clanging inside the machine. I didn't know that when I first used the machine, when I tried to roll pasta through the fettuccine part of the machine and it didn't roll, I just thought I didn't know how to use the machine well enough. Fortunately, I was able to unscrew the machine, get to that part, and fix it.After my first use of this machine I was ready to give it away and buy an attachment for my Kitchen aid. It was my first time ever making homemade pasta so I had zero experience with pasta dough, or this pasta maker. The whole experience was daunting. Rolling the pasta dough was awkward, and the noodles I did get out were sticking together and not at all beautiful. Recently I started researching attachments and gadgets to replace the Atlas. I read so many reviews and a lot of them gave suggestions about the pasta dough. I decided to give my Atlas one more try. This time I focused on the dough. I weighed the ingredients (10oz flour, eggs-2 whole eggs weighing 4.0 oz and 4 yolks 2.5 oz) to make sure I was precise, and this time rather than add water because the dough appeared dry, I kneaded the dough by hand until all the ingredients came together. Trust me on this: My dough seemed to be way too dry. But I kneaded through my doubts without adding anymore water and the dough came together perfectly. After letting the dough rest for about an hour, the dough was smooth perfection! I couldn't believe it! I set up the Atlas this time I anchored it to my counter top (I didn't do that the first time), and then began rolling the dough 3 times on each setting starting with 0 and ending with 6! The rolled sheets were a thing of beauty! I couldn't believe how different the entire experience was. Rolling was daunting the first time I tried it on this machine, but with the right dough, it was easy and effortless. In fact, I remember thinking the first time I used the Atlas that I needed three hands to even make rolling pasta comfortable. But this time, it was so easy and smooth, I rolled and passed the rolled sheets through the fettuccine and spaghetti rollers in less than 30 minutes. Two hands were more than enough. The pasta turned out beautiful and delicious! I'm still going to buy the 3 piece Kitchen aid roller attachments, but only because I think it will speed up the process. But truth be told, if time were not a commodity in my home, the Atlas is really all I would need. If you start with a good dough, the machine really does all the rest. Clean up is easy with a perfect dough nothing sticks to the machine. I love this machine, I've used it 3 times this week alone! In fact a friend of mine came over for dinner last night and after having the pasta that I hand rolled on this machine she begged me to host a pasta making party with her, her 4yr old daughter, and my 4yr old, so I am. I have no doubt that our girls will be able to roll the dough on this machine.