The 10 Best Rolling Pins
Special Honors
Whetstone Woodenware French Available in multiple lengths, the tapered, hand-finished pins from Whetstone Woodenware roll dough more efficiently than handled ones and are great for both pies and cookies. Crafted from kiln-dried hard maple grown and milled in the USA, each one sports a smooth finish and is attractive, sturdy, and easy to care for. whetstonewoodenware.com
Mood For Wood For crafty bakers who want to up their presentation game, there are rolling pins from Mood For Wood. This Polish company laser engraves sustainable wood with whimsical patterns at just the right depth for optimal extrusion with minimal pressure. Each pin is treated with a food-safe oil that prevents it from cracking and gives it nonstick properties. There are a variety of patterns to suit any occasion and personality. moodforwood.com
Editor's Notes
May 17, 2021:
In this update, we removed the Linden Sweden Deep Notched due to availability concerns. For the sake of variety, we wanted to replace it with another patterned option, so we added the Evermarket Paisley. While this model isn't meant for everyday use (you'll almost certainly want to use it after you've already gone over your dough or fondant with a smooth rolling pin), we felt it was worth including for the gorgeous design it can add to desserts. The classic paisley pattern features a few snowflakes, making it a good choice for holiday treats like gingerbread and sugar cookies.
We also updated our description of the Joseph Joseph Adjustable due to concerns that the logo engraved into the middle of the pin leaves an imprint on some surfaces. While it may not be an issue with all baking, it's worth keeping in mind if you're concerned with getting a perfectly smooth finish, especially if you're working with something like fondant or clay.
March 27, 2020:
Rolling pins are one of those kitchen tools where personal preference is just as important as quality construction when it comes to choosing the best one. As a result, we rounded up a variety of styles and materials to meet differing needs, from the professional who wants something ultra-responsive with a tapered shape such as the J.K. Adams Dowel to the ardent baker who requires something heavy-duty like the stainless steel Professional French. We've also included aesthetically pleasing options that don't sacrifice function with the Fox Run Marble and Top Notch Kitchenware Tapered, as well as the Linden Sweden Deep Notched for specialty flatbreads and crispbreads.
Joining the ranks today is the Chefast Combo Kit, a set that represents a great value for money thanks to the inclusion of two cookie cutters and a pastry mat. It comes with a mini roller that's great for small projects but also perfectly sized for little hands, so young ones can help out in the kitchen or use it with play dough. It supplanted the Bistrosa Combo, which suffered from complaints regarding the rolling pin's durability.
We added the Farberware Classic for newbie bakers who want a reliable starter pin at an affordable price. It's made of solid hardwood, boasts a quality construction, and has a traditional American look that fits well with many kitchen decors. And when the Chef's Organic Gadgets became unavailable, we added the Wilton Large. While this selection is mainly billed for rolling out fondant, it's suitable for all manner of food prep thanks to its smooth surface, wide design, and plastic construction that's easy to care for. Like the Joseph Joseph Adjustable, it comes with handy discs that attach to the ends and act as guides for getting your dough to just the right thickness.
The Biggest Hit In Your Kitchen
As a kitchen utensil, however, the rolling pin is incredibly useful.
The rolling pin has long been associated with a kind of humorous domestic violence, in which an enraged housewife will chase her husband around the domicile and pound him mercilessly when she catches him. As a weapon, a rolling pin is somewhat inefficient, however, especially the traditional style with handles on either end. That design puts the weight of the unit focused too much in the middle of its build, reducing the speed at which you might be able to swing it. The size and shape of the handles is also an issue, as they reduce the amount of comfort you might feel upon impact.
Of course, the rolling pin wasn’t designed to be a weapon, and you probably shouldn’t think of it as such when evaluating which one you’d like to take into your home. As a kitchen utensil, however, the rolling pin is incredibly useful. Its most common application is in the steady, even flattening out of dough. If you’ve ever tried to flatten out a pizza dough with just your bare hands, you know how difficult this is. The dough has a tendency to pull itself apart and stretch out unevenly, with parts that are too thick or too thin depending on how much pressure you apply with your palms. Rolling pins solve this problem by consistently moving the pressure you apply with your upper body across the dough in an even and measured amount.
Rolling pins have a few other uses, as well, some of which might surprise you, but all of which you’ll find handy in and out of the kitchen. Inside the kitchen, rolling pins make for excellent meat tenderizers. Simply wrap your rolling pin’s rolling service in cellophane and roll it across a cut of meat. Unlike the crude, pointed hammers traditionally used to tenderize meat, the rolling pin will provide a more even and complete tenderization, helping you make sure that you’ve tenderized every morsel of that meat. Because a rolling pin will make it easier to render certain cuts of meat or fish particularly flat, it’s an excellent application before frying.
If some of your smaller muscle groups suffer from soreness, you may find that a rolling pin could provide relief. Chiropractors and other doctors have long used rolling mechanisms like these to soothe the muscles of the calves and forearms, as well as other body parts that are a little too small to work with larger foam rollers you may have used at the gym. You can always buy a dedicated tool specifically for massaging your aching muscles, but a good rolling pin can easily pull double duty.
Choosing Your Rolling Pin
It may seem that most rolling pins are more or less the same, and it is true to a certain extent that any of the rolling pins on our list will probably do an excellent job helping you out in the kitchen. But depending on exactly what you like to cook, as well as how you like to clean, one pin may prove superior to another.
Other units, the traditional rolling pins, are cylindrical pieces of wood with tapered handles protruding out of each side.
The biggest dividing line among rolling pins is whether or not they have dedicated handles. Some units are simply large, tapered dowels of significant strength and sufficient length to provide you with great leverage over dough and meats. Other units, the traditional rolling pins, are cylindrical pieces of wood with tapered handles protruding out of each side. These handles usually attach to a metal rod that runs through the length of the wooden cylinder allowing the cylinder to turn around the rod so that the handles stay still while your rolling pin rolls naturally across your food.
In most instances, rolling pins without dedicated handles are a little bit easier to clean, mainly because they don’t have that small joint between the wood and cylinder and the middle rod where bits of flour, dough, or meat might collect. On the negative side, because the part of the rolling pin that you hold is moving, it creates a little more friction in the hand and may prove uncomfortable for some.
Conversely, rolling pins with dedicated handles are a little bit easier to use and a little bit easier to apply more pressure to your foods with, but they do pose the risk of a slightly more involved cleanup.
Once you have decided between these two types of rolling pins, you can focus on things like the exact shape of the handles, as well as any color or style considerations that might make it a better fit for your kitchen.
Other Awesome Kitchen Tools
The rolling pin is a somewhat traditional kitchen implement, even if we’re buying more bread then we’re making nowadays. Still, it’s a good idea to have as complete an arsenal of tools in your kitchen as possible. If you find yourself outfitting your kitchen with a handful of new tools in addition to your new rolling pin, there are some very interesting options on the market that can take your cooking experience to the next level.
Nothing is more dangerous than a dull knife, so make sure that yours are sharp and of the highest quality.
One of my all-time favorite tools in the kitchen of my childhood was the apple slicer. Rather than wielding a potentially dangerous knife to cut my apple into pieces, an apple slicer allowed me to simply leverage the weight of my upper body over an apple and watch as the slicer all but instantly rendered my fruit into eight perfectly even sections with the core exquisitely removed.
If you’re in the market for something a little more high-tech and versatile, you may be surprised at how far the common blender has come since its creation at the turn of the 20th century. Modern blenders can make and do just about anything, from cooking soups and freezing ice creams to making dough that you can roll with your new rolling pin.
On the traditional track, more in line with the rolling pin, a good chef will always need a high-quality set of knives. Nothing is more dangerous than a dull knife, so make sure that yours are sharp and of the highest quality. Just don’t go around giving them as gifts, as superstition dictates that the gift of a knife will cut a friendship.