Customer Reviews

Vic Firth Maple Rolling Pins

5 star:		(80)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Sometime you just have to get back to the basics. Sometimes, it's the simplest design that works the best. Sometimes, all those fancy, additional features offered are just not worth it.

I think that this is the perfect example. This rolling pin is so simple, so basic - yet so perfect. The price is perfect too. It does the job. Period. It's light, beautiful, easy to clean, easy to store, not big and bulky. I think that it is absolutely perfect and I cannot find any faults to it. There are a lot of options when it comes to rolling pins and now they even make silicone ones that won't stick to the dough. I think those are excellent products as well. But I'm a little more traditional and here is a very beautiful and simple wood one...and in this case, I prefer the wood to the silicone. Maybe because making bread items is so basic and so traditional...so the wood in this case just "fits" into the whole feel better. If I were to splurge though, I'd have both in my kitchen...even though I see no need for two pins - I did say "splurge".

Much easier to use than traditional rolling pin because instead of gripping the handles, your handles glide over the top making rolling much less effort. The tapered thin rolling pin enables me to have more control over the thickness of the dough. I can press down hard or use a light hand.

The other reviewers are quite right that this pin will get your pie dough smooth and round without all the fuss you are accustomed to. However, you will truly feel tears of joy and gratitude welling up in your eye sockets the first time you roll out a batch of tortilla dough with this handsome little devil. Hallelujah!!! Nothing is more embarrassing than presenting your guests with unshapely flatbreads (burnt because you toiled so long on each that the previous one was neglected on the griddle). This beauty gets it done with speed, dignity, and a touch of sass.

On the current Amazon page, three Vic Firth rolling pin models are listed together -- this review is for the bakery pin, which is about 20" long and of uniform width, without separate handles.

I wanted to mention one thing explicitly that I hadn't seen in other reviews -- this is a great rolling pin for all hand sizes and strengths. If you have arthritis or a hard time gripping handles, this rolls nicely under the palm & fingers with plenty of room for your 12" dough in between. If you have large hands, the wide ends are much more comfortable to hold than the narrow, tapered ends of a French pin. Kids can get leverage on it, since there's no spinning handle axle or specialized technique required. Everyone in my family can use this rolling pin and get excellent results. That, to me, is a terrific feature.

And yes, like everyone else has said, it provides great control, is effortless to maneuver, and really attractive. It's easy to clean, and needs no more attention than your butcher block; just condition with a little oil occasionally, and don't soak it in water for long periods of time.

I ordered this without knowing the dimensions, which were not given in the description. The Vic Frith French Rolling pin was smooth and well made, but too short, too thin, and the taper began right at the middle, so that the center section was not flat, which made it difficult to roll pastry evenly. I measured the Frith dimensions as 20 inches long by 1 1/2 inches in diameter, and then ordered a larger model made by Fantes, 20 1/2 by 1 3/4 diameter, which worked much better.

If you have to limit yourself to a single rolling pin, the Vic Firth Bakery Pin is the one. Personally, I don't do a lot of baking, and a single pin is sufficient for my needs. I dislike pins with moving parts, and I have never liked the so-called French pins that taper at each end and which some bakers swear by. When I worked in France, this style of pin is all I saw. It is a basic dowel and of sufficient length and weight to accomplish what you need it to, but not so heavy or bulky as to be exhausting. It is sturdy enough to wail on your cold pie dough, but controllable enough to get it down to an excellent, even thickness. It is the best rolling pin that I have ever had the privilege to own.

I agree that this is a great rolling pin.

I have had many different types over the years including marble and ones with gears inside. I purchased this because it was "easier on the earth" with less manufactuing involved. AND, there was nothing to break. I am happy to say that I really do love it and it works better than my previous rolling pins. The only downside is that it is much longer than rolling pins with handles so finding a spot for storage might be a problem. Other than that it is perfect -- nicely made and very smooth.

For some reason, this tapered rolling pin excels at rolling out pastry dough. I think you can apply more pressure in the middle of the rolling pin and that makes the dough spread out more easily than just continuous even pressure of a normal rolling pin.

I tend to use both the old-fashioned traditional rolling pin and this one. I use the traditional one for rolling out dough I need in a square/rectangle shape and the tapered one for rolling out pastry dough and tortillas.

So, if you are wondering why it is so hard to roll out pie crust, try this rolling pin and I can promise you will have a smile on your face! French pastry makers have this one covered!

~The Rebecca Review

This rolling pin is a heaven-sent piece of kitchen equipment and I would like to send my former teflon coated rolling pin to some other non-heavenlike place...

Rolling dough with this is very easy and it stays coated with flour quite well. I usually have a ton of problems with dough sticking to my rolling pin, but not with this one... AT ALL.
Also, it rolls the dough extremely evenly - which is a nice bonus.
The shape is really simple too, so clean up is a snap.
This is a real winner for beginners and experts alike. I highly recommend it. It would make a great gift for someone who loves to bake as well.

I have only used this rolling pin to roll out dough for cinnamon rolls so far, and it worked great. I like the length and light weight of this pin. It was very easy to use and clean. I just made sure it was lightly floured and didn't have any problems with the dough sticking. It was also very easy to clean - just rinsed off with water. I prefer it over my old rolling pin with handles which is heavier and makes an annoying squeaking sound sometimes. I am very satisfied with this rolling pin, and I have the Vic Firth French rolling pin on my wishlist.