6 Best Rolling Pins To Get The Perfect Pastry

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A reliable rolling pin is a must-have kitchen tool if you are a regular baker. It will give you evenly rolled out layers of dough for pies, cookies, flatbread, tarts, and other pastries. A great rolling pin will help you stretch out your dough to the perfect thickness and desired shape.

The best rolling pins are durable, comfortable in your hands, and give you great control as you roll out dough. For such a basic kitchen tool, rolling pins come in a wide selection of styles. Where should you begin? Well, our team has done the research for you to help you find the perfect fit for your baking needs.

Below, you’ll find details on great rolling pins and answers to the most common questions about this essential kitchen item.

We’ll get to those in a few seconds. First, let’s check out the different kinds of rolling pins.

Types of Rolling Pins

French Rolling Pins

A French-styled rolling pin is a cylindrical wooden pin with straight or tapered ends. Straight rolling pins are useful when you want to stretch out your dough to a uniform thickness. On the other hand, tapered pins are easier to hold and maneuver.

The best thing about French-style rolling pins is that they are uncomplicated yet they offer amazing control as you flatten dough. They’ve got no handles, no internal bearings, and no fancy ergonomic designs. Despite that, a French-style rolling pin gives you a better sense of the dough underneath it.

It’s generally considered the best choice for rolling out yeasted dough. Plus, these simple pins are sturdy, versatile, and long-lasting.

American Rolling Pins

American rolling pins feature two handles and a dowel that rotates around a shaft. These pins offer a comfortable steady grip.

Unlike the simple French-styled pins, American rollers come with different variations in style and design. Many feature internal bearings, nonstick finishes, engraved measurements, and pleasant aesthetics.

Though they require less effort to use, these pins may be a bit difficult to maneuver.

6 Best Rolling Pins

1. Overall: Fletcher Mill French Tapered Rolling Pin

by [amazon link=”B00EAHTWJO” link_icon=”none” title=”Fletchers Mill” /]

[amazon fields=”B00EAHTWJO” value=”thumb” image_size=”large” image_align=”center” image_alt=”Fletchers’ Mill French Rolling Pin”]

This versatile lightweight pin beautifully handles everything from thick yeasted dough to delicate pastries. We liked how this tapered pin efficiently rolls out thin pie crusts.

Crafted from solid maple wood, this Fletcher miller piece is designed for effortless rolling. It’s easy to manipulate and rotate when you need to roll out perfect circles. Plus, many users say that they can comfortably use this roller for extended periods of time.

Furthermore, it’s well-built, pretty, and agile. This 20-inch French-styled dowel has an excellent smooth finish. It’s great for both home bakers and professionals. 

2. American: Fletcher’s Mill Classic rolling Pin

by Sur La Table

Fletcher’s Mill Classic Rolling Pin

If you fancy a classic rolling pin, then this American roller might be the one for you. With its durable steel bearings, you don’t need to worry about rickety movements as you stretch out your dough. It’s got a nice weight and a smooth rolling action.

This multi-purpose roller is handcrafted from nonporous solid rock maple. Beautiful and strong cinnabar handles add to the length and beauty of the pin.

Plus, this American rolling pin comes with a lifetime guarantee. To extend its life, wash this roller gently by hand.

3. Marble: Marble Rolling Pin with Stand

by Crate & Barrel

French Kitchen Marble Rolling Pin with Stand

Those who love display-worthy and functional kitchen tools will appreciate this gorgeous marble rolling pin. It’s made of natural white marble. Its weight and cool, smooth surface help you roll dough with ease.

This stylish pin will come in handy when you need to tackle tough dough. It will enhance your baking and look good displayed on your kitchen counter. Apart from that, the stand prevents this pin from rolling away as you work.

Cleanup is a breeze because dough comes off the marble smoothly. Better still, this durable pin rests perfectly in the rubber stand for convenient storage.

4. French: JK Adams French Rolling Pin

by Crate & Barrel

JK Adams French Rolling Pin

This affordable versatile pin is great for those who want to try out a French rolling pin, especially after reading about the pros of tapered pins.

This 22-inch hardwood pin features a simple well-balanced design. It makes it easy to adjust the amount of pressure you use as you stretch out your dough. This lightweight roller is excellent for rolling out pasta dough and crusts for pies.

Additionally, its unfinished crack-resistant wood takes on flour and becomes less sticky over time.

5. Straight: JK Adams Dowel Rolling Pin

 by Sur La Table

JK Adams Dowel Rolling Pin

With this straight rolling pin, you’ll experience a real difference when rolling cookie dough, pie crusts, and pastry dough. It’s great for when you need your dough at an even thickness. And it’s long enough to stretch out large sheets of dough without the need to pass over the dough too many times.

Plus, this pin is smooth, sturdy, and heavy enough to efficiently tackle dough. Moreover, it’s made of durable sustainably-sourced hard maple.

You can use it to crush spices, ice, or chocolate. With its basic design, this versatile wooden pin proves that sometimes simpler is better. To clean it, use warm soapy water and towel dry.

6. Steel: Stainless Steel French Rolling Pin

by [amazon link=”B07SPBXRTP” link_icon=”none” title=”QUELLANCE” /]

[amazon fields=”B07SPBXRTP” value=”thumb” image_size=”large” image_align=”center” image_alt=”Stainless Steel French Rolling Pin”]

Due to its seamless texture and nonstick smooth surface, this stainless steel rolling pin is easy to use and clean. It does not absorb flavors, odors, or color.

It features an ergonomic French rolling pin design that lets you sense how much pressure you should use as you press your dough. And you can toss this sleek rolling pin in the freezer to help keep your dough cool as you press it. 

It’s great for rolling pizza crusts, cookies, ravioli, dumplings, and much more. Plus, its flat ends make it useful for other tasks such as mashing potatoes, grinding spices, and crushing nuts.

Additionally, it’s lightweight, rust-proof, and dishwasher safe.

Other Ways To Use A Rolling Pin

Rolling pins are multi-purpose kitchen tools. Other than preparing your dough and crushing ice, you can use rolling pins to:

  • Grind Spices & Herbs – Chop whole spices into smaller pieces. Wrap the spices in saran wrap. Use a rolling pin to apply pressure and grind the spices on a flat surface. You can use the same process to smash herbs such as garlic and ginger.
  • Crumb chips, crackers, & cookies – Place chocolate chips, cookies, or crackers between wax paper. Roll your pin over the wax paper to make crumbs. Keep rolling until you have the desired size of crumbs
  • Tenderize meat – Put the meat in a Ziploc bag or wrap it in cling film. Ensure that the meat is secure. Place the meat on a cutting board or your countertop. Use a rolling pin to gently whack the meat until it flattens. Turn it over and beat it on the other side. Keep flipping the meat over until it gets as tender as you want.

Rolling Pin FAQ

Why is a French rolling pin better?

Many professional bakers will agree that French rolling pins are better. French pins are easier to maneuver compared to traditional rolling pins. And because they have no nooks or crevices, they are easier to clean. Additionally, they offer more control and let you evenly apply pressure to the dough. Even better, they feel comfortable in your hands are easy on the wrists.

How do you use a rolling pin with no handles?

You use the palms of your hands to press and rotate a French rolling pin back and forth over dough. You can control the amount of pressure needed to get the dough to a desirable thickness. With a tapered pin, you can focus on specific areas of the dough. To work on a specific spot on the stretched dough, use one hand to anchor the pin and use the other hand to roll the pin over the problem area. With a straight rolling pin, you may need to rotate the dough to achieve even thickness.

How do you keep dough from sticking to rolling pins?

Here are a few ways to keep dough from sticking to a rolling pin

– Chill the dough for about half an hour before stretching it out.

– Center the dough between two layers of wax paper. Use a rolling pin over the wax paper to flatten the dough

– Dust the rolling pin with flour on all its sides. Also, liberally dust the working surface before rolling out the dough

How to care for your rolling pin

To keep your rolling pin in good shape, maintain it as per the manufacturer’s directions. Clean it regularly. Always keep it dry in a dust-free storage area. Most rolling pins can be cleaned with a soft cloth and some warm soapy water, but you must immediately dry them. Use a bench scraper to remove any stuck-on bits of dough.

Roll Call

If you cook and bake regularly, you cannot escape the process of flattening dough. Though an empty wine bottle may come in handy, a good rolling pin will enhance your cooking and baking experience.

You must invest in a dependable rolling pin if you want to prepare noteworthy cookies, pie crusts, flatbread, homemade pasta, and more.

One of the best things about rolling pins is that they last for years, especially when well cared for. And most are affordable.

In this post, we focused on well-built pins that roll smoothly without too much effort. I also took into account the material, length, sturdiness, comfort, and maneuverability. For impressive even sheets of dough, choose a rolling pin from this selection.

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