I was following a thread a couple of weeks ago and people were talking about the pasta machine from michaels used for polimer clay .... I thought it was an awsome idea ...today I tried it for the first time and it didn't work ..... I was using MMF ... I did put crisco on the rollers so it wouldn't stick .. I put it on the widest setting but it breaks as it's comming out ....

did anyone try this? ... most people on the forum were talking about buying it ... did anyone have success with mmf?

Great question! I'd love to hear too! I was thinking about getting the one that attaches to the Kitchenaid mixer.

I don't think they would compare .. the one I'm talking about is from michaels and it only cost $15 vs like $100

Maybe try cornstarch or conf. sugar instead?

I'm dying to know if it works no matter what the cost - $15 or $150! I might go your way and start with the cheaper one!

Have you seen the big commercial fondant roller? I saw it on the Disney Fantasy Wedding show. Giant pieces of fondant just roll right out!!!! I was drooling.

I saw in another post that the big commercial ones cost like $6000

I'm sure it does.

I have one that I got at Ross for $18. It works great. I use cornstarch though to keep it from sticking.

I just bought the one at Michaels when they had there last 50% coupon haven't had a chance to use it yet. now I'm curious I'll have to get it out and try it tomorrow.

I took a class back in the fall from Earlene Moore, and we used a pasta machine in class, with fondant (makes excellent bows). I hadn't used one before, and loved it! My husband bought one for me for Christmas - it's by Kitchen Aid, attaches to the mixer. (I think he got it on line for about $100... maybe less?) I absolutely love it, makes rolling so much easier, you'd be amazed how thin you can get fondant... almost like paper. Great for draping too. You do not wash it, use crisco or anything. Fondant should not stick to it. You simply clean it w/ a dry brush (that comes w/ it). Very easy - I highly recommend it!

I'm soooo tempted to get the pasta roller that attaches to the KA. Is it noisy? Is it worth the extra cost? It's so expensive and I'm such a sucker for gadgets. I'd love to hear from anyone who has used both!

I also have one I bought the gift set the pasta machine with the motor for $109.00 and I love it

The one from Michaels for clay works fine too. Just make sure your fondant is the right consistency. Add a little crisco or PS to make it less sticky.
To me the only difference between the cheap one and the KA one is you have to turn it by hand. But for me and the price difference, I'll get the arm workout.

How big is the piece of fondant that comes out of the KA machine?? What is the largest size cake you could cover with it??

That's what I've been thinking: are you not limited to the size of youre pasta machine on the KA? it's only handwide.

you have to roll your fondant slightly to flatten it so that it will go through the machine, i use corn starch so it won't stick.

I'm going to take the pasta machine out of the box again and give it a second try ...you guys have pointed me in the right direction.... if I add a little crisco to the mmf and cornstarch so it won't stick maybe it will work better.... thanks for all the replies ...wish me luck

Another possiblity is to place the fondant between two parchment papers - I usually roll things like that when I roll anything sticky. Cornstarch works well too.
I have a handturning machine by Ampia, bytheway. On my machine the largest sheet is 15 cm (about 6 in) wide and as long as you like. So when decorating a cake I would put 2 or 3 sheets together, slightly overlaping and roll them do stick together.

But it's one of my favourite cooking utensils!

You might just need to soften the MMF a little to get it to go through smoothly. If the crisco doesn't help, microwave it for a few seconds and then work it in your hands. Don't burn yourself!!

I give up!!! I tried all the suggestions and nothing worked ... I guess I'm going back to the old fashioned way

Well I just bought one myself I put it away and took it out again don't give up I think I got it now. I had to add gum tex to my fondant to make a little more stretchy and form it into a long sausage but my husband held it while I cought it at the other end. It worked so next time I will figure out how to do it myself. I tried the parcement paper thing and it didn't work it just stuck to the paper even if I powdered it. I did find it worked better with mmf.

Could be that we have really different parchment paper - I'm from Europe so I don't know what kind is avalible overseas... It's true that you have to peal it very slowly and that I haven't done it with MMF because there are no white marsmallows avalible overhere...

please tell me more about the kithen aid pasta thingy!!!! i get to buy a kitchen aid soon, and was foaming at the mouth while looking at all the attachments. i wondered if the pasta attachment would work for fondant. there was an on-line sale on ka's that included a pasta attachment. will have to go back and check that out.
thanks guys!!

melody

I have made two fondant cakes with bows. Both bows using the pasta machine from Michaels I got it with a 50% off coupon. The fondant is Satin Ice. I massaged cornstarch into the fondant till it didn't feel sticky. (Old clay technique adding a little more dry clay to the overworked/wet clay or in this case colored sticky messy fondant.) Then flattened it a bit the width I was kind of hoping. Starting on the widest setting which on my machine is 7, I worked my way down to a 4 (7,6,5,4) running it through four times or so for paper thin fondant. Then cut my bows the way I wanted and I think they turned out okay. I have another drying for a cake tomorrow. What I have found though is to make sure the bar under the roller is clean. Sometimes fondant sticks there and tears up the piece you are working on.