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As food lovers and avid bakers, we have searched high and low for the best rolling pins for working with all types of dough—buttery pie crust, delicate dumpling wrappers, and everything in between. We tried all kinds in our testing: There was the sleek marble rolling pin that stayed wonderfully cool and looked lovely on our countertops but was heavy enough to double as a kettlebell; a vintage beauty with a perfect patina that turned out to be prettier than it was practical; and a pricey, professional French rolling pin we hoped would magically transform us into master pâtissiers. (Alas, it did not.) For such an elemental kitchen tool, there really is a dizzying array of styles from which to choose. Where’s a baker to begin?
To answer that question, we gathered a lineup of well-reviewed, best-selling rolling pins and put them through a week of frenziedcookie-makingandpie-bakingto find one that could please both novice home bakers and pastry obsessives alike.
As our tests proved, the best rolling pin performs beautifully, is made from solid hardwood, will last a lifetime, and is a model of economy and restraint—in fact, it may even cost less than that wine bottle you’ve been using in its place. Plus, if you’re a sucker for aesthetics or just want to treat yourself, there’s a terrific upgrade pick that costs only a few bucks more. Read on for the best rolling pins of 2023; for the specifics of how we tested them and what to look for in a rolling pin, keep scrolling.
Table of Contents
Best all-purpose rolling pin
A still affordable upgrade
A note on rolling pin styles
How we tested the rolling pins
What we looked for
Others we tested
The takeaway
4 more ways to use a rolling pin
Best rolling pin: JK Adams French Tapered Rolling Pin
忘记意大利大理石,球轴承处理,and nonstick Teflon coatings—the best rolling pin costs $18 and is essentially just a big dowel. Made by hand by a family-owned company in Dorset, Vermont, theJK Adams French Rolling Pinis a study in Yankee economy: a plain, solid piece of unfinished hardwood whose versatility is matched only by its simplicity. The pin’s gently tapered ends make it easy to maneuver and pivot gracefully when rolling dough into rounds, producing stick-free results that are of a reliably even thickness. It also just feels comfortable resting under your hands.
JK Adams makes its French rolling pin in two sizes. We preferred the slightly thicker model because it offered a bit more heft and leverage (which is especially important when working a stiff dough)—though not so much weight that it felt burdensome, unlike some of the other pins we tested. Its super-sturdiness makes itversatiletoo: When you’re not baking, this is a pin that can definitely do double duty pulverizing spices,tenderizing cutlets, and crushing ice.
While some inexpensive unfinished wooden pins beg for a good sanding, we found the French-style tapered pin from JK Adams useful enough right out of the box. The texture of the unfinished wood did have a fine nap to it, but it didn’t cause any disastrous sticking (in fact, it actually seemed to help grip and stretch the dough during rolling). As far as maintenance goes, raw wood requires a little extra attention—do not, for example, leave the thing soaking in a sink of water—but nothing too tedious. Basically, you’ll want to treat it as you would awood cutting board: Hand wash and dry it thoroughly after use and rub it down occasionally withfood-grade mineral oil.
There’s a lot to love about this JK Adams rolling pin, and not a whole lot to hate. Unless you’re vehemently opposed to using a French-style pin and prefer the feel of a handled model, this is the pick for you. That maintenance we mentioned above may be the only downside to opting for a raw wood rolling pin like this one, but a pin as affordable, effective, and durable as this one is well worth that little bit of care in our book.
An affordable upgrade: Whetstone Woodenware French Rolling Pin
On the whole, we’ve found that “fancy” rolling pins aren’t worth their price tags. Hand-finished with intricate whorls in the wood and a satiny sheen, they look like a million bucks (and probably cost upward of $60), but struggle controlling pastry dough even with a serious dusting of flour.
Which is why we were pleasantly surprised by theWhetstone WoodenwareFrench rolling pin. With its sleek Indiana Rock Maple body and artisanal good looks, it certainly appears a notch more luxe than our all-around pick from JK Adams—but, happily, that extra style doesn’t come at a loss of substance. Its 23-inch length is the most generous of all the rolling pins we tested, making it ideal forlarge projects. It’s also a bit thicker and weightier than the competition—not so much as to make a huge difference in user experience, but just enough to instill confidence when staring down a slab of chilly dough straight from the fridge. Working onsugar cookies, it skimmed the surface of the cookie dough in smooth, firm strokes, rolling it easily into a uniform thickness. If you’re a committed baker or just feel like treating yourself, or someone you love, to a baking tool that’s practical, pretty, and will bring pleasure for years to come, this is an excellent product and a serious value.
TheWhetstone Woodenwarerolling pin’s 23-inch length means it will be a bit trickier to stash away if you’re tight on kitchen storage space. And depending on the types of baking projects you frequently take on, the extra inches may also just be overkill—if you’re looking for a pin to use for small tasks likedumpling wrapper-rolling, readying dough for tiny tartlet pans, or making small decorations out of fondant, you may be better off with a slightly smaller option. Luckily, the company also makes a 19-inch model.
A note on rolling pin styles
You may notice that the majority of the rolling pins listed here are of a similar style. In previous rounds of testing, we narrowed the field to include only wooden rolling pins without handles. (Rolling pins with handles are called American-style; handleless pins are French.) We did so not to stir up controversy but because without exception, all the professional bakers and pastry chefs we spoke to on the subject preferred a French rolling pin to an American one. In our most recent update to this piece, we decided to put our assumption to the test and widen the field to include pins with handles, and made of a variety of materials. Lo and behold, the tapered, wooden French rolling pin still came out on top—it was more comfortable to grip, more nonstick, easier to maneuver, and gave the most nuanced feel for the dough, resulting in more control over thickness and shape as we were rolling. Pins of this style are also much easier to keep clean, because they’re made up of just a single piece of wood with no cracks or crevices for dough to get stuck in. Wooden models also happen to be the most affordable. Marble, silicone, metal, and nylon may have certain strengths, but when it comes to versatility, durability, and long-term performance, our tests found that wood rolling pins remain the gold standard for a reason.
How we tested the rolling pins
To get a sense of how the rolling pins performed in action, we made multiples of ourfavorite pie doughand rolled them into thin rounds to make rusticsweetandsavory galettes. We also made batches ofsugar cookies, using each pin to roll the cookie dough out on a lightly floured countertop before cutting it into shapes.
What we looked for
问一个严肃的建议和他们会invaria贝克bly say that a good rolling pin should feel like an extension of the baker’s hands. We kept that maxim in mind as we worked our way through the lineup, making note of how comfortably our palms rested on the edges of the pins, how responsive each felt to our touch, and if over time our fingers began feeling crowded or crampy. We also took note of each rolling pin’s weight: The ideal rolling pin is heavy enough to effectively handle all kinds of dough, no matter how tough, but not so heavy that it’s cumbersome to maneuver and risks over-flattening delicate doughs.
Does the rolling pin look and feel thoughtfully made? If it has tapered sides, are they symmetrical and even? Is it long enough to tackle large projects, but not so big as to feel clumsy? Ideally, a baker should be able to buy a rolling pin once and keep it forever.
Does the pin feel agile when it is in motion, pivoting and rolling smoothly—without requiring too much elbow grease? When it comes to surfaces, the best rolling pins should strike a Goldilocks sort of balance: not so slick that it can’t be effectively floured and struggles to stretch the dough underneath it, but not so coarse that the dough becomes a sticky mess. We took note of how naturally nonstick each rolling pin was, awarding points for models that allowed us to reach our desired shape and thickness without incorporating too much excess flour into the dough.
Most pros eschew handled pins for a number of reasons, not least of which is the fact that the nooks and crevices where the pieces come together can be tricky to clean when they’re gunked up with dough. But even simple dowel-style pins can requiremaintenance, and we took that into account.
Other rolling pins we tested
The smaller version of theJK Adams French Rolling Pinis the slightly narrower sibling to our top all-around pick (it has a diameter of 1½ inches compared to our winner’s 1¾-inch diameter). While we preferred the heft of the large model, this is a fine option and would make a decent smooth-rolling alternative, especially for young or petite bakers.
Also by JK Adams, theMaple Plain Rolling Dowelis about as basic a rolling pin can get. Because it has straight rather than tapered ends, it can be used withadjustable spacersto help roll out dough andpastryto an even thickness. And with a bit more weight than the other models we tested, it really feels indestructible. Use it to crush ice, spices, chocolate (or just leave it by the side of the bed in case of intruders). Though we ultimately preferred the comfort and maneuverability of the pins with tapered sides, this one might be a nice middle ground for bakers who are accustomed to the heft of American rolling pins but are interested in experimenting with the French-style.
We also tested the JK AdamsMaple Wood Medium Gourmet Rolling Pin, which is the company’s handled offering. Out of the box, this is a well-constructed pin with enough length and heft to get just about any job done. The handles are thick enough to grip comfortably and support the weighty (but not too weighty) barrel, and they have a lacquered finish that feels luxe. All that said, during a second round of testing, we noticed that the wood of the barrel was scuffed up, with some tiny splinters sticking out. This could be remedied with a quick sand and a nice coat of mineral oil, but unless you’re willing to put in a bit of work out of the gate (and you much prefer a handled style), you’re better off opting for JK Adams’ French-style pin.
TheOriginal French Rolling Pinis a pretty similar to our top pick, has hundreds of glowing Amazon reviews, and with a price tag of $10, is as much of a bargain as you’re going to get. If cost is your primary concern, it’s not a bad option. Still, at 18-inches-long, it’s 2½ inches shorter than the JK Adams and 5 inches shorter than the Whetstone, so its coverage area is a bit less generous and we didn’t find it as pleasant to use.
TheFletcher’s Mill French Rolling Pinis also beloved by Amazon reviewers and shares many of the qualities we liked about the product review–winning model. However, it lacked some of the plusses of the Whetstone and cost more than the sturdier-feeling JK Adams pin.
TheJoseph Joseph Adjustable Dowel Rolling Pinpiqued our interest with stylish looks and clever extras, which include handy measurement markings on the shaft and a colorful set of screw-on spacers designed to help roll dough to a precise thickness. In practice we found the spacers (which screw on and off the ends like oversized nuts and bolts) to be more fiddly than they were worth, and cleanup was a little cumbersome. Also, in comparison to the 20½-inch length of the JK Adams French Rolling Pin and the 23-inch length of the Whetstone, the 16½-inch shaft of the Joseph Joseph felt narrow in our hands and less comfortable to maneuver when rolling out large rounds.
The newest model of theJoseph Joseph Adjustable Rolling Pinfared slightly better than its predecessor. The removable rings have been redesigned to operate more smoothly (they now nest into each other, and don’t require a central screw to keep them in place), but the barrel of the pin is still on the smaller side compared to others we tested. That said, this pin worked well; the wood felt nicely polished (but not so much that it couldn’t be floured), and it did a fair job rolling out dough. This is a good pick for someone who values precision, and frequently finds themselves baking things that require an even thickness like sugar cookies and puff pastry.
The hand-dippedFrench rolling pin from Farmhouse Potteryis a real looker thanks to its painted end, neat branding, and suede hanging strap. But at $50, it wasn’t multiple times better than our upgrade pick. It rolled out pastry dough efficiently and definitely makes for a good photo prop, but we felt the Whetstone was more of a workhorse.
TheFarberware Classic Wood Rolling Pinrolling pin worked fine. But fine isn’t good enough for us to recommend on account of its size—a 10-inch barrel that wouldn’t span the width of dough rolled for a9-inch pie plate.The handles also felt flimsier than those of the other wooden handled options we tested—we noticed that one already seemed to be cracking straight out of the box.
TheFox Run Marble Rolling Pinwas the heaviest of the bunch by a long shot. That added weight made the pin far too difficult to maneuver, and we worry it would crush more delicate doughs. While the cool touch of the marble helped keep butter-laden doughs cold enough to work with for longer, the tradeoff just isn’t worth it in the end. What’s more, we found the marble to stick more than our favorite wood options. The barrel was also on the smaller side, measuring just 10 inches across, and wasn’t quite centered on the central rod, resulting in an uneven spin.
TheOxo Good Grips Nonstick Rolling Pinis a stainless steel rolling pin with a coated surface that promises to be nonstick, and ergonomic handles meant to provide comfort and leverage. While the handles were indeed comfortable to grip, this pin didn’t deliver on its nonstick promise to the degree that we’d hoped. We found it stuck as much or more as the wood options we tried—if anything it required slightly more flour than its wooden competitors after a few passes over the dough. What’s more, the spaces between the caps on the ends of the shaft and the shaft itself are prime targets for little bits of flour and dough and already seemed to be separating at the seams.
The takeaway
For all-around rolling pin excellence at an entry-level price, choose the 20-inch x 1¾-inchJK Adams French Tapered Rolling Pin. With only minimal maintenance, it will roll out door for years to come. If you’re a passionate baker who’s willing to invest a little bit more money on tools theWhetstone Woodenware 23-inch French Rolling Pinoffers some nice upgrades. With its handmade good looks, it appears much more expensive than its price tag and it performs better than many pins that go for three times the price.
4 More Ways to Use a Rolling Pin
Now that you knowwhichrolling pin to buy, let’s take a look at some of the unexpected ways to put it to work in the kitchen. You can use your rolling pin for so much more than rolling dough. Behold: four (more) uses for rolling pins in the kitchen that may save you some time and/or space.
If you don’t already buy your spices whole, you should start to, and you don’t even need aspice grinderormortar and pestleto start grinding. Epicurious editor Joe Sevier says he uses his rolling pin for spice grinding.
What’s the point of having two large wooden objects in your kitchen when you only need one? A rolling pin is an easy and effective replacement for ameat mallet.
If you haven’t triedbreading chicken cutlets in Cool Ranch Doritos, you’re missing out. Use a rolling pin to crumb chips—corn or potato, we don’t discriminate—and use those crumbs to apply instant crispy coating to fish or chicken. The technique is also useful for agraham cracker pie crustor turning nuts to nearly dust, and is far more satisfying than hitting “pulse” on yourfood processor fitted with a chopping blade.
For the cocktail makers out there, a rolling pin can be used in place of amuddleror to crush ice. The flat ends of the pin have just the right amount of surface area for smashing herbs to release maximum flavor. In fact, you can use your rolling pin for basically anything that needs to be smashed (garlic, roasted tomatoes).
