Review on White Philips HR2370/05 Compact Pasta and Noodle Maker - 3 Interchangeable Pasta Shape Plates by Tina Harris

I have had a Marcato Atlas 150 pasta machine for a long time, so I know how to make my delicious pasta and pasta. I chose the compact Philips pasta machine (compared to its older brother) because we have empty nests and 2-4 portions are usually enough for us. My first game didn't go well at all. Rather than interpreting the liquid directions correctly, I added 80ml of water and an egg. What I got was a mixture that was too wet and wouldn't even squeeze out! It took quite a while to clean the pasta maker and get the dough off the blade and extruder. Without fear and realizing my mistake, I tried again. My second batch was perfect. I used the basic recipe of 200 grams flour to 80 ml (total) liquid and the noodles started to squeeze out after about 3-4 minutes. It's a bit drier than you'd expect if you've ever cooked pasta on a manual pasta machine, but it has the advantage of not sticking together when you cut it off and place it on a plate or bowl. In addition, the dough does not have to "rest" for 30 minutes before processing, which saves a lot of time. The cooked pasta was amazing. I cook pasta with a healthy dose of salt in the water and they have a freshly cooked flavor that pairs perfectly with homemade tomato sauce and meatballs. Cooking time until al dente was about 5 minutes. I think cleaning machine parts requires a little more work than using a manual pasta machine. With my Marcato Atlas 150, all I have to do next time is wipe it down with a damp cloth and put it away. Philips has some parts that need cleaning and the mold wheel needs to be cleaned by hand with attachments on the scraper blade. I have not attempted to use a dishwasher to wash dishes but the parts are said to be dishwasher safe. As with most kitchen appliances, I suspect I'll get better using the Philips Compact Pasta Maker. It reminds me a bit of when I first bought a Robot Coupe stand mixer many years ago. It seemed like more work than it was worth the first few times, but now the Robot Coupe has taken a coveted spot in my limited kitchen, helping me prepare meals every day. Here are some tips from one new user to another. Weigh the flour on a kitchen scale. I have a Revain Inateck Digital Electronic Kitchen Scale Multifunctional Kitchen & Food Scale Stainless Steel 0.1g Accuracy (Range 0.5g to 3kg) It takes 2 x AAA (not included) which measure grams or ounces . The plastic cup supplied by Philips is only of limited use. 200 grams of flour is sprinkled on top and an even amount when using this container is not an accurate measure. This creates more clutter than necessary.2. For liquids, another plastic ruler supplied with the machine is used. I have excellent eyesight and the markings are very difficult to interpret. Unlike Pyrex or Anchor measuring cups where the markings are printed in red on clear glass, the markings on the cup are simply fused into the container and are very difficult to read. Use a real measuring cup to measure the amount of liquid you are using and you will feel better. If you've ever made pasta dough by hand, don't trust the consistency of the dough in the machine. The recommended basic recipe is the right ratio of flour and liquid. If the dough gets too wet, it will create a mess in the machine and require too much cleaning. It's better to err on the side of less liquid than more. I'll report back when I have more experience with the application. It would be nice to have a pappardelle and lasagne maker available but I understand this is a new model for Philips and these parts will be available in the future. I weighed 200 grams, added an egg and water (80ml) and the result was excellent. It's not exactly the kind of fettuccine I would make by hand as it's definitely a bit thicker, but very tasty and disappeared from everyone's plates very quickly! UPDATE Friday November 24, 2017: I noticed that there are no other paste drives available for this machine. like the Philips HR2357. Discs made for HR2357 will NOT fit in the Compact Pasta Maker. I don't know why they are offered as add-ons on the same page, but believe me, they don't fit. Hopefully Philips will consider making this machine even better by adding a pappardelle sheet and disc. UPDATE Monday 13th January 2020: Philips has released more angel hair, ravioli and lasagna dough shapers. I bought it but haven't tried it yet. Also, I've found that using semolina makes the best pasta if you follow the recipe that came with the machine. I used all the semolina. Philips offers 150 grams of semolina and 50 grams of all-purpose flour. Having tried both, I agree. Last note. Pasta made with this machine is thicker and slightly doughier than commercial macaroni or the pasta you can make with a standard pasta machine like the Atlas. The difference is that you can control the thickness in a manual pasta machine. At Philips you can only use extruded surfaces, so there is no way to control the thickness of the penne.