Whether you are making cookies, pie crust, pizza, or pasta, a quality rolling pin will make it easier for you to spread the dough to the shape and thickness you want. Of course, you can always get the job done with a wine bottle, but if you want precision, then it is worth spending the $20 (or less) on a top-of-the-line rolling pin that will likely last you for the rest of your baking days.
When most Americans envision a rolling pin, they think of the kind with two handles that you hold onto while the center pin rolls. This is called the American or baker's rolling pin. We didn't include any of these on our list because they are not as easy to maneuver, have too many nooks and crannies that make cleaning difficult, and there is the potential for parts to break or rust.
Instead, we mainly focus on straight dowels and French-style rolling pins, which have tapered ends. Many of the experts and professional bakers choose handle-less French pins and straight dowels because they like the amount of control it gives them. And, users report that there is a very small learning curve as you switch from the American rolling pin to one of the handle-less options.
Rolling pins are made from a variety of materials, including metal, marble, glass, and wood. Four out of the five rolling pins featured in our guide are made of hardwood. Wood provides the best value, durability, and has a comfortable heft to it. The other materials commonly used have conductive properties that require you to chill them beforehand to keep the dough from sticking to the pin. Marble has the added problems of being too heavy and hard to maneuver.
Our picks for the best rolling pins are based on our research of countless expert and user ratings and reviews. The main criteria we used for choosing the best rolling pins were their durability, design, and ease of use.
Here are the best rolling pins you can buy:Updated on 8/6/2020. We updated prices and links and added a selection of relevant buying guides. We also removed the Ateco 20175 French rolling pin as our "Best on a budget" option since it was only a few dollars cheaper than the Joseph Joseph Adjustable and we stand by that as the better product and value.