We have found that the Imperia Pasta Machine series, whether you select the manual, the electric for home use, or our preference the commercial grade Imperia Pasta Machine, is our top choice for making our favorite Italian noodles. For that reason we will concentrate on the Imperia brand in this discussion, but the general procedures will apply to all brands that are made of steel.
The Imperia pasta machines are made of steel, as are many other makes. Before first use, the machine should be cleaned to remove any oil residue from the manufacturer. Included with the Imperia makers are brushes especially designed for cleaning in the hard to reach areas. Most quality pasta makers come with a brush for cleaning. The brush that is included with your new appliance should only be used for it and should be stored with the appliance when not in use. It is important to know that washing the pasta machine with water is the worst thing you can do.
Water will rust the steel. While you may feel that you can completely dry the appliance with a cloth, you cannot guarantee that you can dry all the parts, such as the area between the rollers. Leaving residual water droplets in any of the joints or between the roller area will eventually damage the machine and can cause rusting. This is especially important when using an electric machine. Water should never get close to the motor as it can damage it beyond repair. However, as anyone who has tried to wash a steel appliance knows, moisture is next to impossible to dry out once it gets into the joints. The Imperia pasta machines are definitely high end appliances, suitable for any gourmet kitchen. As such they should be cared for with deliberate attention to preserving the steel surfaces.
To properly clean the Imperia pasta machine or any other steel pasta maker, create a ball of dough and run it through the machine several times to eliminate any residual oils or dust. The dough ball will absorb the oils and residue that may be left over from the original manufacturing process. As with any manufacturer of kitchen appliances, large or small, the factory environment is bound to contain a bit of dust, even under the most stringent of circumstances. All that said, make a dough ball for cleaning those parts of the machine that are not easy to access --- between the rollers.
- This can be done by mixing one cup of plain flour and one egg.
- Slowly add the flour to the beaten egg.
- Once the flour and the egg are mixed, roll the dough into a ball.
- Knead it several times until the dough is smooth and pliable.
- Roll the dough into a ball and run it through the pasta machine.
- Repeat the rolling process until the dough ball has been run through every area of space between the rollers.
- Work the dough back into a ball after each pass between the rollers.
- Repeat this process several times.
- Throw away the dough ball when cleaning is complete.
After using the pasta machine to make your first batch of pasta, clean the rollers with a brush. The Imperia Pasta Machines come with a cleaning brush. Again, do not use water. Occasionally, to keep the rollers turning smoothly you may add a drop of vegetable oil to the joints where the rollers connect to the machine.
Always store your Imperia pasta machine in a dry place in its original packaging. One of the best ways to keep your pasta machine working smoothly is to use it often.
{ 1 trackback }
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Dough can build up in the cutters behind the case. It is near impossible to remove. I generally let it dry for a day, then am able to laboriously work the pieces out of a serrated knife. If you leave the dough there, in a few weeks the flour/egg mixture can show signs of mildew… nasty! I do wish that the cutters had an easy way to get at the area behind the outside covers to extract that dough. A pity.
We use a very thin and flexible wire brush, much like one that is used to clean the bottles when you feed pups and kittens who have lost their mothers. Fits nicely and does a good job when we don’t get all the dough out.
Also, the cleaning dough should be stiff, with sufficient oil to attract the residue. The greasier dough that is considerably stiffer than you would use for making pasta will clean the machine. Just place it to each side of the cutter to get to the corners.
It looks like Imperia now has a new design on the cutters… has a cutout
on the side of the case which supposedly will now allow access to dough
hiding behind the case. I may attempt to simply cutout the side of the case just as their new version does. Otherwise its $200 a pop to replace
with the new model cutters.