KitchenAid Ravioli Maker Review

KitchenAid Ravioli Maker Review

Introduction

Everybody has their own favorite pasta: maybe you favor long, thin strands of spaghetti or the even slimmer linguine or cylindrical rigatoni or swirly fusilli? There are myriad options and that’s before you turn to filled pasta such as ravioli.

Ravioli a dish that has to be eaten fresh. Plus, there’s something liberating about having all the options when it comes to its fillings. The only downside is the preparation that goes into making ravioli and the fact that a certain amount of skill as a cook is a prerequisite. If only there was a nice simple way to make those tasty little pockets that immediately transport you to Sicily or Venice or any such Italian setting where the sun shines and a heady aroma of freshly cooked cibo buono fills the air. 

The good news is that there is with the KitchenAid 5KRAV Ravioli Maker.

What You Need to Make Ravioli

Ravioli can be traced back to the 14th century and has figured prominently in Italian kitchens (and the kitchens of those influenced by Italian cuisine) ever since. Making ravioli by hand was a laborious process which required precision, manual dexterity and an appreciation of timing. The sheets of pasta dough had to be cut and shaped to the required size to receive the filling and then neatly closed.

We’re making the assumption here that you already have the pasta ready. KitchenAid also produce pasta makers, which will help with this part of the process, but let’s skip forward to the stage where you have the sheets of pasta at hand. You need to choose the type of filling and there are so many textures, consistencies and densities that this stage may appear daunting. Not with the KitchenAid 5KRAV Ravioli Maker Attachment!

It is essential that you have a KitchenAid Stand Mixer – the attachment is designed to be used with this stand mixer only.

A Little Bit About the Stand Mixer

There are a number of KitchenAid stand mixer (or food mixer) models available. It is a supremely versatile kitchen appliance that can be used in preparing hundreds of various dishes and foods. To make it even more indispensable, a number of attachments can be added (pasta sheet rollers, pasta sheet cutters, etc.) to the mixer and one of those is the 5KRAV Ravioli Maker Attachment.

What you get…

The 5KRAV is a stainless steel drum-like attachment with a hopper to hold the filling and a handle that is manually rotated during use. Stability is ensured once the attachment is inserted correctly, allowing the operator to use their hands to turn the ravioli maker. A hopper (or small tank/drum) nestles on top of the attachment and is used to house the filling during operation. 

The 5KRAV comes with a small scoop to allow the filling to be spooned into the hopper. With a specially designed pointed shape, the scoop will spread the filling into the corners for a fair distribution into the pasta pockets. There is also a small cleaning brush which is used to clear away dried dough after usage. The brush is useful as the Ravioli Maker Attachment (referred to from here on as the attachment) should not be cleaned in a dishwasher. Use warm, soapy water and ensure that any foodstuffs clinging to the attachment are removed.

How to Use?

Ok, let’s get to the important bit and find out if this attachment really does cut the mustard, so to speak. A well-crafted design does much of the work since the attachment is molded so that the pockets are neatly created and then crimped together in an elegant fashion. 

Attach the attachment: The attachment shaft should be inserted into the socket in the stand mixer and then tighten the attachment knob until it is securely in place. Note that the stand mixer should be switched off before performing this maneuver – making ravioli with this attachment is manual.

Add the pasta and filling: Remove the hopper from its position on top of the attachment – it simply unclips. Fold the pasta sheet in half and feed it through the forming rollers on the attachment. Restore the hopper to its original position and spoon the filling into the hopper, distributing it evenly with the special crafter scoop.

Create the ravioli: All is now set for creating the pockets of ravioli. Complete this stage by slowing rotating the handle so that the pasta sheets feedthrough and the molded drum will generate a sheet of pasta with the filled pockets separated by perforations and divided into three rows. 

Finishing touch: Leave the pasta sheet to dry for about 10 minutes and gently tear the pockets apart to leave you with…… ravioli! 

Easy to Use?

It may take a couple of attempts to master the process. Not much can go wrong cause we have found that feeding the pasta through the rollers without using the filling a couple of times should familiarize the user with the attachment and avoid any problems when the filling is added. Upon completion of the process, sprinkle lightly with flour to give each pocket a satisfying texture and to avoid any congealing when they’re added to a pan of water. 

People will have their own individual preferences for how long to boil the ravioli and the choice of filling is also a determinant. If you have made the pasta yourself, it should be exactly to your taste, but purchased pasta sheets may need some tweaks – add a little water here, add a little flour there – to get it just so! Cook as soon as possible for maximum freshness and taste although the ravioli will “keep”.

Conclusion 

We haven’t encountered any issues with the attachment and appreciate the ease with which it complements other KitchenAid accessories although it is a little bit expensive. But that is really a minor quibble as the attachment is sturdy and will last a long time thereby repaying your outlay.

Perhaps making the entire process by hand and crafting individual pockets of ravioli is more satisfactory, but the speed and ease which the 5KRAV brings to the process earns it our endorsement. The product also comes with a useful recipe book to get started making ravioli. Buon Appetito!