Adjustable thickness rolling pin for perfect crusts and pasta

Originally published at: http://boingboing.net/2017/01/06/adjustable-thickness-rolling-p.html

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My primary rolling pin application: pie crust, pizza crust. I’m pretty sure I’ve never had a crust that actually fit between the ends on my rolling pin… instead I’m making a bunch of little rolls from the center out, shifting the pin around to get an even thickness.

It looks like if I used this pin then the end guards would just cut a million little grooves into my pie crust and make a big mess. Unless the rolling pin is 30" wide, which would introduce other issues… am I misunderstanding how this is supposed to work?

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They see me rollin’

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There goes the charm of having a variety of thicknesses in any single crust. >:^)

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Likely not. What you’re touching on are mass market gadget design flaws, other known (to me, anyway) as Popeil Anomolies.

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Per the article: “Or don’t use any rings and roll bareback.” I think that was decided on when California’s Prop 50 (requiring condom use in porn films) was defeated.

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Use two different rings to achieve consistent variation in thickness.

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Ok. Now you’ve got my head spinning with the topological possibilities!

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Oops, I read this as “Buy this thing and wait to see how long before you’re just using the pin by itself and mysterious colored circles are showing up all over your house.”

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But… but… no…

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especially if you have cats.

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always wanted one of these, or similar.

If you have prime and knead a pin then it’s worth it, as you’re also probably a novice since this is your only rolling pin. This is a fine starter or fine for someone who needs a blank pin (I use a tapered pin because I’m an elitist douche).

However if you own a straight pin you can probably find sizing bands for less. They are just silicone bands that slide over your existing pin and are various thickness.

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FYI, large rubber bands also work.

NY style crust is tossed, MN-style crust is rolled. It’s a valid, if little-known, regional distinction.

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I am glad I wasn’t the only one to have that thought.

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I respectfully disagree.

The last rolling pin that wasn’t tapered that I owned was around 3.5" in diameter. Most rubber bands would need to be wound to even cling to that, and you would also need to stack many of them to get any thickness. Then having both sides match is an issue. And if these are the kind you swipe from work then they are going to be inherently unsanitary. Not only because they are an office supply but because they are porous, so if you use any egg is a problem. You can throw them out, but they still start life dirty.

Pre-sized silicone rings match, dishwash, and don’t go into a landfill.

/I am conflicted, as workplace theft (how I would get the aforementioned rubber bands) is something I strongly encourage most of the time.

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I thought it would be clever to use wax paper when rolling out biscuit dough, to keep the dough from sticking to the countertop. So then I had the dough wrapped around the rolling pin, with a layer of wax paper wrapped around that.

Fortunately, we have Bojangles nearby.

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The best solution I found for that was a flexible silicone baking sheet (I may even have found the recommendation for it here). It lays flat on my countertop and is large enough to handle almost any crust I make. I can pick it up and deposit the crust neatly into the pie pan without breakage. It’s easy to wash off, and once dry, rolls up and can be put in a drawer, taking up much less space than a conventional solid board.

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This would also be good for pottery. Even thickness is just as important for rolling clay as it is dough.

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