The 8 Best Rolling Pins in 2023

When you roll out your pie dough do you go for the French, the American or the shaker? Just some of the names for the humble rolling pin, each of these different pins has its advantages and disadvantages, depending on whether you are a pizza fan, a pie aficionado or daily bread baker.

Things to Consider Before Buying the Best Rolling Pin

The right rolling pin should always feel comfortable and not be unwieldy or too heavy. A heavier pin will do more of the work for you, but a lighter pin will be more agile – allowing you to change direction easily.

Generally, the greater the surface area of the pin barrel, the quicker you will be able to roll out with less strokes. The pin should also be the right length for what you will use it for most regularly. Most pins tend to be between 18" and 22".

It is also worth thinking about how it will store and also what, if any maintenance will be required to keep it in the best condition.

Depending on where you are in the world, there are numerous types of rolling pin. Even in the US , rolling pins can be known as different names depending on where you live, but most non-specialized pins will fall into two main groups, either rod or roller:

The Rod Pin

The rod is a cylindrical piece of wood or dowel that may be the same diameter along its length or may have one or both tapered ends. You use your hands across the pin’s length or at its ends to propel it back and forth. The French pin and dowel pin are rod pins.

Roller Pin

This is also a piece of dowel, but with handles carved from the dowel barrel or added separately. These allow you to hold them as you push the pin across the dough. Typical examples include a shaker or classic pin.

Just to confuse matters even more, some pins are also available as a cross between the different types.

Unless you are short of storage space, there is no reason you cannot have more than one rolling pin; like any task, baking can be made easier when you have the best tools for the job.

The Shaker, Baker’s or Classic Rolling Pin

A shaker pin is a roller pin usually made from a single piece of cylindrical wood with handles carved out or at both ends. Although a classic pin does need more force than a French rolling pin, it is easy to achieve even thickness, and as well as being easy to use, they are usually easy to clean.

A shaker pin is ideal for rolling larger pieces of dough such as pizza dough, pastry dough or cookie dough.

If the handles are separate from the pin they can work loose over time and the nooks around the handle can allow debris to accumulate.

Some of these pins are also available with engraved designs or textured, which makes them great for gift or seasonal cooking baking, although as an all-purpose pin, they lack any real value. You can only roll the pin once over the dough and if the pattern is wrong you will need to re-roll the dough with a normal pin before re-rolling the engraved pin.

The French Rolling Pin

Often preferred by professionals, a French pin is a piece of cylindrical wood that either tapers at the ends or from the center. This rod pin can be easier on your hands and wrists, you can also move your hands along its length for better control, or even adjust the pressure on one side of the pin to even the dough out as you are rolling. French pins may be better if you have smaller hands as the tapered ends are easier to grip.

These pins usually come in a length of around 20". If you are looking to buy a French pin, then ideally the middle of the pin where it is straight should be 7" or more and the edges should taper gradually.

A French pin does mean you can touch the dough more, and because your hands are nearer to the dough there is more chance of warming your dough. This type of pin is usually better for yeasted doughs and pastry; you may struggle a little with a stiff or chilled dough.

The Dowel Rolling Pin

Made from a single piece of wood, and like the French pin, the dowel pin is a rod pin without any handles. Because it is the same width along its length, it can make larger everyday rolling tasks such as pizza dough easier.

It is also very easy to clean as there are no nooks for dough to get into. These can be quite long pins though, so it is worth checking the length before buying to make sure you have some cupboard space for it.

American or Ball-Bearing Rolling Pin

The barrel on this type of roller pin contains a steel shaft and ball bearings to allow the barrel to move independently from the handles. Often made of wood, this pin is also available in marble or silicone.

These can be heavy pins, often weighting around 4 lb. or so which means that not only can they cause hand or wrist fatigue they can be too heavy for lighter doughs, although they can be great for springy doughs such as croissants.

Different Types of Rolling Pin Materials

Wood

Wooden pins are often turned from hardwoods such as beech and maple. These are usually durable, good value and a suitable weight. Other woods such as cherry or walnut are used but these can cost more.

Wood stays at around room temperature when in use and because it is poor at conducting heat it will not take heat from your hands and transfer it to the dough. Likewise, you cannot really pre-chill a wooden pin for rolling out dough which needs to stay cool.

Dough can tend to stick to wooden pins which means you need to use more flour – not always ideal depending on the type of dough you are rolling. Pins made of oilier woods can result in less sticking.

Marble

Some marble pins will have carved marble handles, others will just have wooden handles. These are very heavy pins which can make them unwieldy as well as making it more difficult to gauge the thickness of your dough when rolling.

The biggest advantage of marble is how it can stay cool. You can also chill a marble pin in the refrigerator before using, which will help keep butter-rich dough cooler for longer. It is worth noting if you do use a marble pin for any length of time, it can work in reverse by absorbing the heat from your hands and transferring it to the dough.

They are easy to clean, although you may find that dough will cling more to the marble surface if you do not keep it well coated with flour. Marble can be very useful for doughs that need a heavy hand or lack pliability.

A marble pin can be quite expensive, so if you don’t make buttery dough very often, then it may be an unnecessary investment. It can also chip easily and requires careful storage; a marble pin will often come with its own stand which can take up countertop or cabinet space.

Metal

Like marble pins, a metal pin can also be cooled but because they are not as heavy or as costly as a marble pin, these can offer more versatility of use in the kitchen. Although a lighter weight metal, an aluminum pin may discolor dough which is egg-rich.

Glass

Glass pins allow you to fill them with cold water to keep them chilled. As well as being fragile, glass pins can cause excess water to be added to your dough as if the water is too cold, it will cause condensation on the outside of the pin’s barrel.

Non-Stick

Plastic pins are often made from a non-stick polyethylene, an advantage when rolling out sugar paste or icing, as dyes in the paste will not stain the plastic. Silicone pins are also non-stick and are easy cleaning.

If you are considering a non-stick pin, do look for materials that are food-safe.

Cleaning and Maintaining a Wooden Pin

Try to always clean it as soon as you have finished with it, a wipe over with a damp clean cloth should usually be enough. Using soap on a pin will not only leave some unwanted fragrance on the pin but it also strips out its natural oils. If some dough has dried on, either a rub with a damp terry cloth, or a soft bench scraper will help.

When you use a bench scraper, hold the pin upright on the countertop with one hand and hold the scraper in your other hand at an angle to the pin. You can then scrape down the pin as you rotate it. Scraping this way will reduce the risk of accidentally gouging the pin with the scraper. Once you’ve removed the debris, you can then wipe it over with a damp clean cloth.

After wiping a pin, you should wipe down again with a dry dish towel and leave the pin out to properly dry before putting away.

You should avoid submerging it in water as this will increase the risk of the pin warping, bowing or cracking. Likewise, never put it through the dishwasher as the heat in this will dry the wood out as well as saturating it.

If your pin is becoming very dry, or dough is sticking more than usual, then you can buff some food grade mineral or butcher’s block oil into it.

Conclusion

The French wood pin is popular with professionals and home bakers alike and is ideal for many tasks, although an American marble rolling pin offers advantages when needing to keep a dough chilled. And, of course, a shaker non-stick pin can make cleaning up that little bit easier.

If you are new to baking and are wanting to buy your first pin, or if, like your dough, you prefer to stretch one way rather than the other, we hope that our in-depth look at different types of rolling pins, as well as their composition, has helped you to choose the best rolling pin for your needs.