I've owned a Marcato Atlas 150 pasta maker for quite some time, and so I'm familiar with making my own delicious noodles and pasta. I decided to give the Philips Compact Pasta Maker a try (versus it's big brother) because we're empty nesters and 2-4 servings would usually suffice for us. My first batch didn't turn out well at all. Instead of interpreting the instructions for liquid correctly, I added 80 mL of water plus an egg. What I got was a mixture that was far too moist and couldn't even extrude! It took quite a while to clean up the the pasta maker and remove the dough from the paddle and extruder. Not to be daunted, and recognizing my mistake, I tried again. My second batch was perfect. I used the basic recipe of 200 grams of flour to 80 mL (total) of liquid and the pasta started to extrude after about 3-4 minutes. It is a bit drier than what you'd expect if you've ever made pasta with a manual machine, but has the advantage of not sticking together when you trim it and place it on a plate or bowl. In addition, the dough doesn't need to "rest" for 30 minutes before processing, a definite time saver. The cooked pasta was delicious. I boil my pasta with a healthy dose of salt in the water, and it had a freshly made taste that went perfectly with a homemade tomato sauce and meatballs. Cooking time to al dente was approximately 5 minutes. I think cleanup of the machine parts is a bit more work than using a manual pasta maker. With my Marcato Atlas 150, I never have to do anything but quickly wipe it with a damp cloth and put it away for the next time. The Philips has several parts that need to be cleaned, and the shaping disk really has to be cleaned by hand with the attachments to the scrapper blade. I haven't tried using my dishwasher for cleanup, but the parts are supposed to be dishwasher-safe. Like most kitchen appliances, I suspect I'll get better at using the Philips Compact Pasta Maker as I use it more. It reminds me a bit of the first time, years ago, when I purchased a Robot Coupe food processor. The first few times it seemed like more work than it was worth, but now the Robot Coupe has earned a coveted place on my limited kitchen counter and helps me prepare meals every day. Here are some tips from one new user to another. 1. Weigh out the flour with a kitchen scale. I have an electronic kitchen scale from AmazonInateck Digital Multifunction Kitchen and Food Scale, Stainless Steel, Accuracy 0.1 g (Measurement Range 0.5 g to 3 kg), 2 x AAA needed(not included) that measures grams or ounces. The plastic cup that is supplied by Philips is of limited use. 200 grams of flour mounds over the top and a level amount using this container is not an accurate measure. It makes more of a mess than is necessary. 2. The other plastic measure supplied with the machine is used for liquid. I have great eyesight and the markings are very difficult to interpret. Unlike a Pyrex or Anchor measuring cup where the markings are painted red on clear glass, the markings on the cup are simply molded into the container and are very difficult to read. Use a real measuring cup to measure out the quantity of liquid you're using and you'll have an easier time. 3. If you've ever made pasta dough manually, don't be fooled by the dough's consistency in the machine. The recommended basic recipe is the right ratio of flour to liquid. Making the dough too moist will result in a mess in the machine and a lot of cleanup. You're better off erring on the side of less liquid than more. I'll report back as I gain experience at using it. It would be nice if a pappardelle and lasagne shaper were available, but I understand that this is a new model for Philips and that those parts will be available in the future. UPDATE October 19, 2017: Tried making fettuccine with Red's Semolina flour. I weighed out 200 grams and added the egg and water (80 mls) and the result was excellent. It's not exactly the type of fettuccine I would make manually as it's definitely a bit thicker, but very tasty and disappeared from everyone's plate very quickly! UPDATE Friday, November 24, 2017: I have discovered that there are no other pasta disks for this machine as there are for the Philips HR2357. Disks made for HR2357 will NOT fit the compact pasta maker. I don't know why they're offered as add-ons on the same page, but believe me, they won't fit. Hopefully Philips will consider making this machine even better by adding a sheet and pappardelle disk. UPDATE Monday, January 13, 2020: Philips has released a few more dough shapers for angel hair, ravioli and lasagna. I bought them but have yet to try them. Also, I found that by following the recipe included with the machine when using semolina results in a better pasta. I was using all semolina. Philips suggests 150 grams of semolina and 50 grams of all purpose flour. After trying both, I agree. One last note. The pasta made with this machine is thicker and a bit doughier than commercial pasta or pasta that you can make with a standard pasta machine, like an Atlas. The difference is that you can control thickness in a manual pasta maker. With the Philips, you can only use the extruding faces, so there's no controlling the thickness of penne.
