Fresh homemade pasta is in a different category from dried — it cooks faster, absorbs sauce better, and has a texture that transforms dishes like fettuccine Alfredo and lasagna. In 2026 the pasta maker category splits between manual hand-crank machines for dough rolling and automatic extruder machines like the Philips that take flour and water in and produce pasta out in 15 minutes.
We evaluated ease of use, pasta quality and texture, attachments and pasta variety, cleaning difficulty, and value across these four picks.
What to Look For
- Manual vs. automatic: Manual rollers require mixing dough separately then feeding it through rollers by hand — more work but more control and a better pasta texture. Automatic extruders mix and extrude automatically — 15 minutes from flour to pasta with minimal effort.
- Roller width: Standard pasta widths are 6–6.3 inches — covers fettuccine, tagliatelle, and lasagne sheets. Wider rollers make more pasta per pass.
- Thickness settings: More settings (7–9 levels) give more control over pasta thickness. Level 1 is thickest (for filled pasta); levels 5–7 are standard for fettuccine and spaghetti; levels 8–9 are thin for ravioli.
- Attachments: Spaghetti, fettuccine, and lasagna are standard. Look for accessories or compatible add-ons for gnocchi, pappardelle, and rigatoni to expand range.
- Cleaning: Never wet a pasta machine — dry brush only. The dough cleans itself by running a dry piece through. Rolling surfaces should be stainless or chrome-plated for hygiene.
Our Top Picks
Marcato Atlas 150 Pasta Machine
The Italian-made benchmark pasta machine since 1930 — chrome-plated steel rollers, 9 thickness settings, includes Spaghetti and Tagliolini cutters, and accepts all Marcato attachments. Built to last decades with zero plastic in the working parts.
Philips 7000 Series Pasta Maker
Add flour and liquid, press a button, get fresh pasta in 18 minutes — the most effortless pasta maker available. Includes 4 shaping discs (spaghetti, penne, fettuccine, lasagna), auto-mixing, and a cleaning tool. Best for anyone who wants fresh pasta without the technique investment.
KitchenAid KPCA Pasta Roller & Cutter Set
Attaches to any KitchenAid stand mixer via the power hub — turns your mixer into a three-speed pasta roller with spaghetti and fettuccine cutters. Stainless construction, 8 thickness settings. Best option if you already own a KitchenAid — eliminates manual cranking.
Imperia 150 Pasta Machine
Chrome-plated Italian-made pasta roller with 9 thickness settings and a spaghetti cutter. Solid stainless steel construction at a sub-$55 price. Slightly less polished than the Marcato but produces equivalent pasta quality for most home cooks.
Bottom line: Marcato Atlas 150 is the best manual pasta maker — Italian-made, decades of durability, and the accepted benchmark for pasta quality. Philips 7000 is the best automatic maker for effortless pasta in 18 minutes. KitchenAid owners: the pasta roller attachment converts your existing mixer.
