The best rolling pins

What sets the Joseph Joseph Adjustable Rolling Pin apart from all other rolling pins is the removable disks. They transform the art of baking into a science. On each end of the solid beech wood pin is a plastic screw that holds four rings in place. The removable disks lift the pin 3/8, ¼, 1/6, or 1/16-inch off the surface you are rolling on.

The overall size of the rolling pin is 16.5 inches long and 2.5 inches in diameter. Etched into the pin is a measurement guide that helps you determine the width of the dough.

You can also remove all the rings if you want to use the rolling pin as a straight dowel. Bakers especially like how even the dough turns out with this pin. However, while it is ideal for sugar cookies and tea cakes, you may have trouble rolling out crusts for larger pies since the actual wooden rolling part of the device is only 13.5-inches long.

Joseph Joseph recommends hand washing the wood and not submerging it in water. Also, you should dry it immediately after washing.

Pros: Makes rolling flat dough simple, easily measure and adjust the thickness of dough

Cons: The rolling surface is too narrow

Baking is as much a science as it is an art, and that means that you need the right equipment for the job. And if your job involves working with delicate pastries and thin crusts, then the right tool is the 20-inch Fletchers' Mill French Rolling Pin.

It's one of the more elegantly shaped pins on the market. It's made of a beautiful maple, and is tapered on both ends, so while there aren't any handles, it's still easy to work with. It has a clean aesthetic with sleek lines, and it is particularly well suited for manipulating small quantities of dough.

While other rolling pins can get a bit clunky and heavy, this is not the case with the Fletchers' Mill offering. The Amazon reviews of this product note that the pin is great for making croissants, mille-feuille, and other baked goods that require quite a bit of finesse. Meant for rolling out thin layers, this pin is extremely durable, and glides easily over whatever you're working with, all without causing dough to stick. Plus, if you're working with a round pie crust, the narrowed sides allow for quick pivoting.

The Fletchers' Mill rolling pin comes in a variety of different finishes and lengths, but all are constructed with the same attention to detail, and come with a limited lifetime warranty. But based on my experience thus far, you won't need to call in any favors for this guy.

Pros: Inexpensive, lightweight (but heavy enough to get the job done), great for delicate pastries

Cons: If you're looking to work with cookie dough or other more substantive desserts, you may want something heavier still

This is another excellent JK Adams rolling pin that is made in Vermont out of hard maple wood and comes with a lifetime warranty. The main differences between this and the other JK Adams pin on our list are that this is shorter, wider, and doesn't have the tapered ends.

You basically use your palms to work the dowel across the dough. Since there are no tapered ends, it isn't as easy to make turns and create circular shapes for pizzas and pie crusts.

The pin can also be fitted with spacers to achieve precise thicknesses. However, it needs to be dusted with flour often and is not as agile as many French rolling pins.

This pin is highly durable and also comes with a lifetime warranty.

Pros: Lifetime warranty, made in Vermont, excellent for rectangular and oblong shapes

Cons: Not as agile as the French rolling pins

No matter what you're trying to do, the Tomnuk French Rolling Pin can help you do it better. This beautifully designed French rolling pin gets its shine from its bee's wax polish and mineral oil finish, with makes it incredibly smooth to use and clean to see.

There are a number of details that set the Tomnuk apart from other pins in the market — for example, a small brass accent on the end of the pin isn't just for show — it allows you to hang it on a standard kitchen hook and keep it around for easy access.

While most rolling pins require quite a bit of flour dusting in order to keep them from sticking to whatever pastry you may be working with, this isn't the case with the Tomnuk. That bee's wax and mineral oil finish not only makes for a great looking pin, but also serves as a nonstick coating.

More importantly, the wood of this pin (it's available in both walnut and maple) boasts a slightly more porous surface than most. That means that it's capable of retaining flour for longer, so your dusting doesn't just get worked into your dough — Instead, it stays on the pin, and helps you glide with each roll.

And speaking of rolling, this pin is incredibly easy to handle. Even without handles, it moves effortlessly, and has enough heft to make it useful for a wide range of different doughs. While you'll certainly be able to work with finesse, you also won't have to expend excess muscle energy in order to work with, say, cookie dough. The weight of the pin should certainly do the trick.

That said, the problem with the Tomnuk comes with its price. You can easily get a top-notch rolling pin for far less and unless you're a serious baker (or serious about aesthetics), this may feel like a sizable investment.

Pros: Beautiful construction, doesn't stick to dough, weighty without being unwieldy

Cons: Expensive

The Professional French Rolling Pin from Ultra Cuisine is different from the other pins in our guide because it is made of stainless steel. Stainless steel should be chilled before using it to roll buttery dough. Otherwise, it will cause the dough to heat up.

This pin is 15.75-inches long and 1.5 inches in diameter at the center and tapers to 1.25-inch on its ends. The 100% food-grade 201 stainless steel has a brushed finish. Unlike wood, you do not need to treat this model with mineral oil. You just throw it in the dishwasher, and you don't have to worry about it cracking, splintering or drying out.

Many people find this style of pin much easier to use than French rolling pins and rollers with handles. We also like that this rolling pin is lightweight, easy to clean, comfortable in the hands, and that the dough ingredients do not stick to the pin.

Pros: Easy to clean, lightweight, doesn't absorb flavors

Cons: Warms up easily which can affect the dough

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