Nylon Rolling Pin?

[flourgirl]

Does anybody know why the nylon rolling pin made by Matfer is usually so expensive? ($80?!?) And does anybody here use one and prefer it over wood? If so, why?

I actually already bought one, because I was able to get it at the $29.95 price mentioned in "Fresh Out of the Oven: Nouveau baking supplies" By Louisa Chu http://www.chow.com/stories/10369 so I figured I'd try it out and see for myself. But it hasn't arrived yet, and I'd like to hear others opinions on this. I currently use a straight wood pin with no handles, as well as a tapered pin, and I really like both of them.

[margshep]

Seeing as how this thread was resurrected, I thought I would mention my very old Tupperware rolling pin. Not sure if they still make them anymore. It is hollow, like a jar, with a cap on the end. You fill it with cold water. Works great.

[lilaki]

i'm sorry to bring up an old thread but does anyone know where i can purchase this item today for less than $80?? cutlery and more no longer carries this item.

i'll be in paris this fall, do you think i can get it for less than $80 there?

thanks!

[flourgirl]

I remember seeing fairly big nylon pins at Michael's that were even less than what I paid for mine. They stock them for use as a fondant roller. I can't swear that they still carry them, but it would be worth a try.

[KaimukiMan]

amazon now has it on sale for only $93.44, down from a regular $131.23. I guess the price hasn't come down in the past year.

[flourgirl]

wow - that is CRAZY!!!

[lilaki]

anyone know if it would be significantly cheaper in paris??

[flourgirl]

Can't help you withe the Paris question but creative cookware has it for $67 including shipping.

http://www.creativecookware.com/rolli...

[Stack8]

I've got a nylon rolling pin and it does just fine. I also have one that was my great grandmothers made around 1895 and it's made of glass. It's works well too.

[MikeG]

Isn't nylon for candymaking/fondant, which sticks to pretty much everything else in existence? Or is that polycarbonate? Apart from that, the only reason I can think of for nylon is that it should be sterilizable, but certainly in the home, who cares about that? As for what I use, I have a kind of scary collection of the things - from tiny Indian and Asian ones up to a rather threatening maplewood "bat", either American or French. For general purpose use, a 1.5" or so lightweight, tight-grained wood like ash or birch, with tapered ends, would be my first choice. I never liked the American (and I assume British) sort with handles - I never feel like I have enough control with them.

[flourgirl]

Yes, I never liked the ones with the handles and ball bearings either. For me it feels like there is too much of a disconnect between the roller, and the dough.

I'm not an obsessive pin collector - I only have the two i mentioned earlier on this thread. But this nylon one sounds intriguing for the non-stick factor. (I have just started dabbling in candymaking/fondant too so this pin could be useful for that too.) But I like the idea that using this pin will reduce the amount of flour that ends up in stuff like cookie and pastry dough.

[RShea78]

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Flourgirl, I am with you on the handle thing, but also I see handles becoming a storage issue when they cannot be hanged up. (And poo on those wall racks that some marble or glass ones come with)

My inexpensive $3 piece of PVC stores very well with a simple "T - rope" and is naturally "stick resistant". (the rope thing is a simple wooden dowel that a loop of rope is fed through a center hole)

BTW- Speaking of "stick resistant" materials... My friend is an Industrial Engineer that has a 2 foot section, 2-1/2 inch diameter, of solid Teflon Rod material that I think is about the tops in stick resistant. Fortunately it was considered scrap material at around $150 a foot.

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[kchurchill5]

I love the PVC, mine is an ancient pin no handles from my grandma. Still is great. Not problems and I use it when necessary. I don't bake as much as son, but it works great. And from stories which she told me. It was made by a local wood worker. Not sure if that is true, it looks like it could be

[Louisa Chu]

Hey flourgirl - I really hope you like the pin as much as Dorie and I do! I think the original sticker shock price had a lot to do with supply and demand - plus they're imported from France. Now that the word's been out, the price has dropped to a more competitive level. And I'm guessing that they know once they've sold you one of these, you're not going to be in the market again for a while (unless you're an obsessive pin collector ;). I only use handle-less rolling pins too - I find that I can feel the subtle changes in the thickness of my dough far better. And a few of the things I really love about this pin are that its smooth surface is stick-resistant - so you're not constantly having to stop and flour it - which I'm sure you know then just adds flour to the dough; its weight works with you, especially on elastic doughs - it's amazing beating out butter or brioche dough; plus it's scrub and dishwasher safe. While I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for the wood pins I trained with in France, if I can get a pin with the same performance without the maintenance then I'm sold.

[flourgirl]

Thank you Louisa! You've already made me glad that I bought it!

[RShea78]

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Louisa Chu Wrote: ""(unless you're an obsessive pin collector ;)""

LOL, I guess that leaves me out ;-)

Anyway, nothing will beat my 24 inch $3 piece of pvc pipe that could double as an attitude adjuster or a clue bat for any kitchen table - back seat commentators. ;-)

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[Candy]

It is pretty widely available for that price. I have used one similar but I always go back to my Banton pin. Solid maple and ball bearing loaded. Rolls smoothly with little effort. It is quite heavy