Marcato Brass Ravioli Cutter
Review: Marcato Brass Ravioli Cutter ★★★★★
Once upon a time I thought all cooking tools were just about the same. A $5 ravioli cutter would be the same as a $50 one, and so on. As I’ve gotten more into cooking and creating quality foods I found that there is quite a difference between the more expensive items. I’ve come to a new philosophy of paying more for a high quality product is cheaper in the long run. Cheaper products tend to burn out, don’t work as well, and break more frequently so you find yourself having to re-buy a low quality product over and over again over your lifetime. It’s a fool’s game, but I digress.
In our Spinach Tortellini recipe we talked a little about the brass copper Marcato Ravioli Cutter which sells for almost five time the price of Marcato’s stainless steel version. Could it really be worth the price. Well, read on…
A Brass Monkey; Upgrading My Ravioli Cutter
I’m assuming your first question is the same as mine; why copper brass? Stainless steel is great, as it doesn’t rust.
Precision
- According to all the research I’ve done, brass tools give a more even and defined cut. Part of this is because it’s a heavier metal. The other reason is because the molds used for manufacturing brass tools also give a more precise mold cut. I can only imagine since I’ve never worked with metals before.
Durability
- Brass is an incredibly durable and strong metal, certainly more so that stainless steel. Tools fashioned out of brass will survive a lifetime or two of intense use.
Aesthetics
- Brass just happens to stand out and look nicer than the silver tones of steel. This is certainly objective, but if you enter someone’s kitchen and find an arsenal of copper brass tool, you know they mean business.
Getting Down to Brass Tax
All that stuff above is just textbook. What’s really important is how well the tools work in everyday kitchen situations. So we did just that. We decided to make some raviolis from scratch to the put these tools to the test. We used the stainless steel stamp we bought in Italy side by side with our Marcato copper brass stamp.
A few things should be immediately clear from just seeing the photos. The Marcato brass stamp has a far superior feel in your hands. The rounded Mahogany wooden handle is well designed and comfortable to use. The standard stainless steel handle really digs into your palm. You might not feel it that much on your first ravioli, but cut out 50 and you really feel the pain.
What’s a little harder to tell is just how much that extra weight on the Marcato brass stamp helps to create a cleaner cut to the ravioli.
The stainless steel stamp, on the other hand, ended up not fully cutting through some of the time. This really slows you down and gets very frustrating.
The Marcato stamp also has some moving parts inside, which facilitates in the cutting/sealing process. Anything that helps the process along saves time, and more importantly some sanity.
So, is it worth the money?
Yes, yes, YES! A resound yes!
I never need to buy another square ravioli stamp in my life. In the end, is $50 all that much money? Arguably, no. I have this for life and have faith that this will stay in good working order, as long as I take care of it properly (see below).
Do note that Marcato does not give a lifetime guarantee. There is a stand 2 year warranty on this product.
Care & Cleaning
Brass tools should not put in a dishwasher nor should they be cleaned with soap. To clean, take a clean towel/cloth/rag and dampen it with regular water. Add some baking soda and squeeze out any excessive water. Gently rub the tool to clear away any flour or dough, or to polish. Yes, brass does tarnish over time.
Where to Get One
Getting one of these high quality stamps is really easy. If square isn’t the shape for you, they do come in other sizes and shapes. I happen to love the square shape as it works well for creating ravioli as well as tortellini.
For those of you in Japan, it’s far cheaper to order from the US have it shipped. If you’re curious, I can find a smaller version in Japan at double the price. Again, this is not a good deal.
You can also check Marcato’s official website here.
Brass monkey, that funky monkey…