On Fri, 5 Dec 2003 23:31:06 -0500, "contrapositive"
> wrote:

>Hi. Thinking of purchasing a pasta maker for my wife for Christmas. I'm not
>finding as much information as I thought I could. I'm wondering, primarily,
>which is more practical: electric or manual. What are the advantages of
>each? Also, are there any features or attachments I should look for? Avoid?
>Any particular brands to look for or avoid?
>
>Thanks in advance.

I have both types, an electric extruder and a manual roller-type, with
an attachable motor.

The electric extruder s a Cuisinart, heavy in the extreme, and is
definitely up to the task of mixing and kneading stiff pasta dough.
You can't go cheap with the extruder type and expect it to knead the
dough well or to last. I recently received it because the previous
owners are moving; they used to make really lovely spaghetti with it
and I hope to do so as well, plus other types of pasta with the many
extruder dies.

If you only have one, the roller type is probably the best option.
It's cheaper, it's simpler, versatile, and better for small batches of
pasta. I finally bought a motor for it about a year ago and that is
definitely the way to go. Not only does it free up both hands, but it
eliminates the need to clamp the machine to a surface. Because of the
limited counter space I've had in all of my kitchens, I could never
find a secure and convenient place to clamp it.

Sue(tm)
Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!