Imperia Pasta Machine

Pros: Durable product
Cons: Too much work required; need a big workspace

I love fresh pasta which lead to me getting the Imperia Pasta Machine. Upon picking up the box, you notice that this thing is heavy! Within the box, you get: the machine itself, the crank handle, clamp (to hold the machine steady to a table) and ...

Pros: Turns out fresh homemade pasta easily
Cons: Takes longer to prepare than boxed pasta. Shelf life is shorter than boxed pasta.

I decided to purchase this Pasta Machine at the request of my daughter while we were out shopping one afternoon at Williams-Sonoma. I had received cash for my birthday and wanted to get something fun for the kitchen. As we all know, eating anything ...

Pros: Looks stunning on your countertop!!
Cons: Awkward to operate and difficult to clean completely

I have owned this machine, and found it a little difficult to use at first, until I figured out a trick -- you really need 4 hands to operate it efficiently. Once I realized that, I enlisted my husband's assistance (we enjoyed the process!) With 2 people, I could turn the crank and feed the dough into the machine, while he guided the dough as it came out of the rollers/cutters.
We enjoyed immensely the fresh pasta we had made together, but after a few years, I purchased a KitchenAid stand mixer, for which I had many uses, and added the pasta maker attachment. I am much happier with the KitchenAid machine, since the mixer's motor keeps the rollers and cutters moving, leaving my hands free to feed the dough in and catch the noodles coming out. A motor is available for the Imperia machine, but even with that, it is a single-function machine.