Customer Reviews

Villaware V177 Al Dente Pasta Machine

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

I got this pasta maker about 2 years ago (as a gift, I would have bought a better one) and have used it 30-40 times.
I had a lot of problems at first and blamed them on this "cheap" machine.
This machine is made in China, not Italy.

Note I got the 5 piece set and not just the basic machine here.
The five piece set is a better deal. See:
V178 AL DENTE 5 Piece Pasta Set

You certainly should buy an Italian machine if you want the best, can't beat the Atlas or Imperia, but this machine works well enough for home use; and especially for the cost.

If your dough is sticking all around the rollers like the "I HAVE to wash this thing!" reviewer wrote, then you're not making your dough properly.

I HIGHLY recommend Pasta Tecnica if you're having problems with making pasta with this machine. The book pretty much solved all my issues and I found out that most of the problems I blamed on this machine were my own doing. See:
Pasta Tecnica
Follow the instructions in the book, and this machine works just fine.

I heartily agree with the other reviewer about the ravioli attachment; useless. Ravioli is just not that hard to make.
The best tool for making raviloi is here:
Pastry Crimper
Besides, it's real important to get all the air out of your ravioli so they don't burst while cooking and the ravioli attachment just can't do that.

By the way, it's true that you don't ever wash your pasta maker; if you make your dough correctly, you won't have to wash it. It's the same with ALL pasta machines and has been forever. Get a clean paintbrush to clean it.

One reviewer noted with frustration that the instruction booklet says that you aren't supposed to wash it with water. That's actually the way it is with all pasta machines--whether they say it or not. My mother has been making noodles with a machine like this for 25 years and I have had one for over 12 years. You are not supposed to wash them with water! And it is important to have the cutter because it cuts the noodles much more finely and more cleanly than you can with a knife. So, that's just a little general pasta machine info. I hope it is helpful to you!

I almost didn't buy this pasta machine because it had what looked like a scathingly bad review - but after reading said review more closely, I realized I should probably ignore it.

And I was right. This is a great little machine! I had been making pasta on my own for a little while, using only my rolling pin and and a knife, prior to ordering. This makes it so much easier. I rolled a bit of scrap dough through it to work out the machine oil, as suggested - and I highly recommend doing so.

Since then I haven't looked back. I can mix up one egg's worth of pasta dough anytime I want and roll out a great batch of noodles. It hasn't given me a lick of trouble - stays at the thickness I set, rolls smoothly, dough doesn't stick, cleans up quickly and I'm off to cook my pasta. I love it!

Sturdy and durable maker. We make fettuccine all the time, and we are getting fast at it. The ravioli make is difficult to work with and we will try making ravioli by hand next time. All in all, we love the pasta maker! Pasta tastes better this way too! I recommend Cooks Illustrated's "The Complete Book of Pasta and Noodles" to go with it.

1. NEVER buy the RAVIOLI ATTACHMENT. It may look like it works. But it doesn't. At all. Not in any way. Out come mangled mushy pieces of dough. I spent a whole day trying to hold the pasta in exactly the right place to have it come out okay, but the most it will do is one good row. The others then proceed getting stuck. (The reason I say this here is that I am unable to make comments on the Ravioli attachment site, and I figure anyone who is gonna buy it will look here first anyways)

Otherwise, the pasta machine itself, while a bit of a hassle does allow for making pasta that looks more appealing than anything you could make yourself without its help. Not being able to wash it is a little annoying, but it seems to do its job. I must agree with other reviewers and say it does not look like the sturdiest piece of equipment. But for $20... hey, I'd buy it.

My Mom and Dad gave me an AL DENTE PASTA MACHINE for Christmas several years ago. My 5 adult kids just love the noodles it makes so, this year I got them each one for Christmas. They were all very happy about them, AND they have all used them already,(guess I'll make cooks out of them yet). I love mine, use it a lot, easy & fun to use, makes the best home-made noodles ever! Cheryle M. Lansing, Mi. Update- It's been a year since the kids have had their pasta machines and they still use them. My son made the spaghetti and said it's delicious. I haven't made it because I'm so hooked on the noodles! Hint-sprinkle and mix the noodles around with flour when you cut them so they don't stick together so much. YUMMY!

I and my family have always loved pasta dishes, especially homemade. I have always made homemade sauce and meatballs but never pasta. I tried homemade pasta a few times and loved the difference it made to a dish compared to boxed pasta. I have wanted to make my own homemade pasta but thought the machines were too expensive, big, and too difficult to use. I received a gift card to Amazon.com and was searching for items to purchase when I came across pasta machines. I was pleasantly surprised to find the prices reasonable, so I decided to take the plunge.
When the package arrived, it was it great condition and of better quality than I expected compared to the price. I am still a novice and have much to learn before I can perfect my pasta, but the machine is easy to use and I have already experimented with some recipes. Even my 2 1/2 year old granddaughter loves using the machine. When she visits, the first thing she says is, "make some pasta?". I love the machine. The only thing I wish was included is how to handle the pasta after you make it but are not going to use it right away. I really could use a more detailed explanation. Other than that, I really enjoy using the machine.

This is what I expected, however one of the non-slip pad screws was inside machine because the outter nut came off of the screw that came through the pad. The machine rattles because of the screw. Since it was a bargain at under $20, it was something I could live with. I didn't care for the main recipe as I prefer my grandmother's. 3/4 cup semolina flour to each egg- don't forget salt too. Let the dough rest in a plastic bag for at least 30 minutes in fridge and the roll will be smoother. Remember, never wash and dust with flour if any sticking.
I would buy again.

Being new to pasta making, I decided to buy the VillaWare pasta machine instead of a more expensive brand just to test the waters and see if this was something I'd really do in "real life". I figured if I use it at least once a month, I could buy a better one next year. The machine arrived yesterday, and I've used it once, so I can't say anything about longevity (at least not yet - I'll update later), but here are my first impressions. It's heavy. Most of the heft comes from the detachable cutting heads, but even the roller unit felt pretty durable. I was relieved that this was not the flimsy piece of chrome plated nonsense that some reviews would have you believe. Since I had already read the manual online I got right to work. I made a simple egg dough in my bread machine, which I find gives it a very workable texture without much effort. I used about 6 ounces of dough to clear out the machine oil as recommended, and then tried it for real with some fresh dough. I had no trouble at all rolling my dough progressively thinner until it was very long and very thin. Passing through the cutters was very easy (fun even), but the noodles were still somewhat attached to each other. The solution for me was adding more flour to the dough, dusting the rollers with flour, and turning the crank slower. That did the trick and things went quickly from then on.
Some reviews mention flakes of metal in their dough, but I really don't see how that is possible. It does not have the kind of cheap chrome plating that would do that. Maybe they were just seeing the residual factory oil, or maybe VillaWare fixed the issue? Another review said you can't clean it. The thing comes apart very easily and I had no trouble brushing it clean. As someone who loves cooking with cast iron, maybe I'm just over the OCD need to scrub everything with bleach any time I cook. A couple reviews said they had theirs fall apart or screws were loose. Everything was tight on mine. If a screw did come loose, it did not seem like it would be that hard to access it with a wrench and fix it. One review complained about the four footing pads on the machine, and that one I have to agree with. The pads are just hard plastic, so while they may keep the metal from scratching your counter, they do nothing to keep the unit from slipping around. The clamp also has a couple issues as it can only hold down one side, leaving the other to slide around while you're trying to crank. I'll probably end up replacing the feet with something slip resistant. Then the clamp should work fine.
Overall I think this a great machine and I'm glad I got it. In retrospect I wish I would have got the one with extra attachments. One side note, the nicer one I was looking at was the one by Imperia. According to the VillaWare manual, they also make the Imperia brand too. Another side note: I was also looking at the Atlas(Marcato) brand, which I recently saw being used on Iron Chef .It broke on that episode, but probably because the challenger's dough was WAY too dry. He also broke the KitchenAid mixer with that dough :0)

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With the help of an online video http://www.dvo.com/pasta-machine.html I quickly got the knack of using this tool. The pasta machine stays attached to my counter all week for quick and easy access. Although the recipes call for egg, I use whole wheat flour and water and enjoy a side dish of healthy, economical, homemade pasta every night. Homemade pasta cooks in two minutes - literally! I found the crank to be loose and sloppy in the slots, but a little tape around the end created a comfortable, snug fit. Dusting the dough with flour before putting it into the machine allows it to slide without sticking as a one-person project. Suggestions: Do not ever crank backwards with dough in the machine; dust with flour; a drop or two with mineral oil only if ever you find the need; do not ever submerse in water; clean with a basting brush and/or forced air like canned air or an ear syringe.