If you've ever heard that a pasta maker should never be cleaned, as the remnants of flour and pasta dough somehow "season" the machine... don't listen. It's a dreamy idea for the sake of easy kitchen clean-up. Though toxic dough is a rare occurrence, this misconception can lead to hygiene issues in your homemade pasta and affect the finished product, particularly when using the thinner settings. Bits of dough can keep the mechanism from rolling easily and it can even clog the machine which is a pain for manual pasta makers and a real nightmare for electric machines. Keeping your machine clean the right way is the best way to keep it working for years to come.
It’s recommended to clean your pasta maker after each use, especially if you use it frequently. Not doing so can cause pieces of dough to harden inside the machine, which can interfere with its function and potentially introduce contaminants into your fresh pasta. For those who make pasta occasionally, a thorough cleaning after each session should suffice. Those who use their pasta maker daily might benefit from a quick wipe-down with the rollers on the widest setting after each use to brush away dry dough, and then work in a thorough cleaning of the entire machine once a week.
If dough has hardened inside your pasta maker, avoid using metal tools to scrape it off, as they could scratch the machine. Instead, use a wooden skewer or plastic scraper as a cleaning tool to gently dislodge the dough scraps. For the easiest removal, let dough residues dry completely, as bits of dough will come off more easily once it's fully hardened.
No, you should not wash your pasta maker in the dishwasher. The intense heat and moisture can damage both classic and electric pasta machines. You shouldn't even submerge your dirty pasta maker in water. Instead, clean the machine by hand with no more than a barely damp cloth to ensure its longevity.
Drying your pasta maker thoroughly after cleaning is crucial to prevent rust from forming on metal components and to avoid moisture from getting into the electrical parts of an electric pasta machine. Wipe your machine down with a dry cloth and then let the machine dry in the air before putting it away. Proper drying ensures that the machine remains in good working order for longer.
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