It's not exactly a secret that I love baking. I love to make pastry and biscuits, but I've always struggled with gauging the depth when rolling out dough, or getting an even thickness.
My wonderful husband took me to Lakeland to choose my Christmas presents last year, and this nifty rolling pin really caught my eye.
The rolling pin is by Joseph Joseph and features different widths of plastic rings that ensure you can roll your pastry to not only the correct depth, but also that you have an even finish. Initially the price put me off big time. At £22 (price correct for December 2014) for a simple wooden rolling pin with coloured plastic ends, it seemed really over priced. I didn't even put it on my Christmas wish list as figured I could find a cheaper alternative on Amazon.
Well I did scour both eBay and Amazon and there were a lot of alternatives, but they either had terrible reviews, or looked so cheap I knew they would break after a few uses. Plus, the quirky colourful design had kind of grown on me. I added it to my wish list and Father Christmas (under the guise of my husband!) delivered it to me in time for Christmas morning!
I've only used it a few times, but each time it has made rolling my pastry a cinch!
The rolling pin is solid and sturdy, made from long lasting beech wood. It is long enough to cope with most standard pastry recipes, although rolling larger batches may not be possible whilst using the plastic guides. You are somewhat restricted to rolling pastry no larger than 35cms whilst using the guides as this is how long the rolling pin is.
The rolling pin has measurements written on the shaft. It took me a little while to figure out how to actually use theseand then I cheated and checked the Lakeland website! Basically, there are mirrored increments of measurements on either end of the rolling pin. If you want to measure 4" the space between the 4" mark on the left and the 4" mark on the right is 4". If you want to measure 6" the space between the 6" mark on the left and the 6" mark on the right is 6" - and so on. There are also measurements in mm too.
These markings have not been printed on, instead they have been etched/burnt into the wood meaning that they will last as long as the rolling pin itself.
The rolling pin has a solid feel to it, although it is light enough to easily roll.
I now love the fact that all my dough is the same thickness all the way through! Perfect if you're a little on the OCD side like me.
The plastic ring guides come in either 2 mm, 4 mm, 6 mm or 10 mm. They are also colour coded which makes it easier to match the ends and quickly grab the depth you need. The green turn key to keep the guides on is made from chunky plastic and feels well made. The screw thread of the rolling pin has been made from the actual wood, so there is no fear of rust or plastic wearing down.
The reviews on Amazon are pretty impressive - to date it has earned 4.5 stars from 35 reviews. The only negative review refers to the older model (grey rings) where she complained the pastry sticks to the rough wood. I can honestly say that I haven't encountered this, she either had a dodgy batch or they've updated the smoothness on the new model.
Each time I've used it, it's given me a flash back to Art class at school where we used to use wood blocks and a rolling pin to achieve a uniform depth in our clay - this would have been a perfect alternative!
I think this will last me years and with that in mind, perhaps the outlay isn't too bad. I probably still wouldn't just buy it, but I think it does make a great item for a present wish list!
My wonderful husband took me to Lakeland to choose my Christmas presents last year, and this nifty rolling pin really caught my eye.
The rolling pin is by Joseph Joseph and features different widths of plastic rings that ensure you can roll your pastry to not only the correct depth, but also that you have an even finish. Initially the price put me off big time. At £22 (price correct for December 2014) for a simple wooden rolling pin with coloured plastic ends, it seemed really over priced. I didn't even put it on my Christmas wish list as figured I could find a cheaper alternative on Amazon.
Well I did scour both eBay and Amazon and there were a lot of alternatives, but they either had terrible reviews, or looked so cheap I knew they would break after a few uses. Plus, the quirky colourful design had kind of grown on me. I added it to my wish list and Father Christmas (under the guise of my husband!) delivered it to me in time for Christmas morning!
I've only used it a few times, but each time it has made rolling my pastry a cinch!
The rolling pin is solid and sturdy, made from long lasting beech wood. It is long enough to cope with most standard pastry recipes, although rolling larger batches may not be possible whilst using the plastic guides. You are somewhat restricted to rolling pastry no larger than 35cms whilst using the guides as this is how long the rolling pin is.
The rolling pin has measurements written on the shaft. It took me a little while to figure out how to actually use these
These markings have not been printed on, instead they have been etched/burnt into the wood meaning that they will last as long as the rolling pin itself.
The rolling pin has a solid feel to it, although it is light enough to easily roll.
I now love the fact that all my dough is the same thickness all the way through! Perfect if you're a little on the OCD side like me.
The plastic ring guides come in either 2 mm, 4 mm, 6 mm or 10 mm. They are also colour coded which makes it easier to match the ends and quickly grab the depth you need. The green turn key to keep the guides on is made from chunky plastic and feels well made. The screw thread of the rolling pin has been made from the actual wood, so there is no fear of rust or plastic wearing down.
The reviews on Amazon are pretty impressive - to date it has earned 4.5 stars from 35 reviews. The only negative review refers to the older model (grey rings) where she complained the pastry sticks to the rough wood. I can honestly say that I haven't encountered this, she either had a dodgy batch or they've updated the smoothness on the new model.
Each time I've used it, it's given me a flash back to Art class at school where we used to use wood blocks and a rolling pin to achieve a uniform depth in our clay - this would have been a perfect alternative!
I think this will last me years and with that in mind, perhaps the outlay isn't too bad. I probably still wouldn't just buy it, but I think it does make a great item for a present wish list!
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