Information:  22 cm (Chamber) x 8 cm (Internal diam.), Wood and Bronze, First half of the 18th century The extrusion press was used to form pasta using a drawing process, and was used in homes and artisan and industrial production (scopri il nostro articolo sulla storia del torchio da pasta). This press is very particular and the oldest in our collection. It is wooden, with only the chamber in bronze. It dates back to the second half of the 18th century according to the technical descriptions made by the French physician and chemist Paul-Jacques Malouin in Art du [...]

Key information:  Model 3001-2 from the swedish company Norrahammars Bruk, 65 Cm (l) X 40 Cm (d) X 63 Cm (h), wood and metal, about 1930-1940   A Mangle (or a clothing wringer), is a mechanical laundry aid having two or more rollers, connected by cogs and, in its home version, powered by a hand-crank or electricity. Between the rollers, wet laundry (sheet, tablecloths, kitchen towels and other various clothing) was squeezed to remove excess moisture. After washing and drying, the laundry was rolled up back and forth through the rollers to remove wrinkles and iron tissues. . Inventory number: [...]

Key information:  22 Cm (l) X 14 Cm (d) X 15 Cm (h), cast-iron, wood and iron, about 1880   In America, at the end of the Nineteenth century, the tailors used machines to make ruffles and pleats, very popular at that time. Those “fluters” or “fluting machines”, were also sold for domestic use. This machine was manufactured by the the North Brothers Manufacturing Company (created in 1878), an american producer located in Philadelphia, specialized in the production of hand tools and home appliances. They are better known for the “Yankee”, brand of ratcheting screwdrivers. This model has [...]

key information:  58 Cm (l) X 25,5 Cm (w) X 10 Cm (d), wood and iron, Mid 18th century - mid 19th century   AApparatus used to make the traditional “spaghetti alla Chitarra” (by the use of the Chitarra). The chitarra is a rectangular wooden frame across which iron, brass or copper wires are separated from each other by a distance of a few millimeters. The dough was pressed on the object with the help of a pastry roller so that we could obtain slightly square spaghetti.  Originally called “Maccharunare”, the Chitarra appears to be born in Abruzzo [...]

  Key information :  16 Cm (l) X 8 Cm (w), Cast-iron, metal and wood, about 1922   Also called a gnocchi maker, the apparatus was clamped to one corner of a table top. “The dough forming machine” or, cavatelli maker is the work of Luigi Vitantonio, son of the founder of the famous Vitantonio company, patented in 1922. Download the original patent in PDF here. Instructions for use : “With this little machine, simple in construction and easy to operate (can be fastened to one corner of the table), you can easily make the most delicious Gnocchi. [...]

Key information:  57 Cm (w) X 36 Cm (d) X 55 Cm (h), iron and brass (all handmade), 19th century   This piece is composed of a lever with arms of equal length (beam) and a weighing plate suspended from each arm. This model was used by the jewelers, goldsmiths or in chemistry laboratories to perform precision measurements of mass (for gold, diamond, chemical substances such as chloride). We also could use this balance to control coins and sums in gold piece.   Inventory number : 018.81

Key information:  19,5 Cm (bell) X 6 Cm (internal diameter), wood and iron, Second half of the 19th century   The extrusion press is a machine used for carrying out the delicate phase of the shaping for domestic, handcrafted and industrial production of pasta through die-drawing. Because of its important size, this “torchio” might have been the property of a large family or an inn. In catalogues of agricultural machinery from the beginning of the twentieth century, those large presses were defined as “for the use of families, hotels, colleges, communities”. This particular object comes from the region [...]

Key information :  19,5 Cm (l) X 13 Cm (d) X 20 Cm (h), cast-iron, wood and iron, about 1930   The apparatus screwed to a piece of wood which would be clamped to table top. The machine was filled with a dough made of flour and water (and sometimes with eggs) then, using the hand crank, the pasta was pushed towards the rollers that produced diverse shapes of pasta (tagliatelle, taglioni and reginette). Download the original patent in PDF here. This model with three cylinders follows a few improvements (from 1920, 1929 and 1930) carried out by Luigi [...]

Key information :  11 Cm (bell) X 5 Cm (internal diameter), brass and wood, early 20th century   The extrusion press is a machine used for carrying out the delicate phase of the shaping for domestic, handcrafted and industrial production of pasta through die-drawing. This object is a vertical extrusion press for domestic use very peculiar as it is provided with a side feed and the hand-crank on top. This press is in brass and is dating back to the beginning of the twentieth century, before the 1930s, when Italy was preparing for war and all brass, bronze [...]

Key information :  68 cm (l) x 126 cm (w) x 180 cm (h), wood, second half of the 19th century   The kneading machine comes second in the production cycle of pasta : after the mixing of the raw materials and before the shaping of pasta with the extrusion press. Called “gramolazione” in italian, the kneading processing can be defined as a sort of «massage» that allows the water to penetrate uniformly the dough, making it smoother and more homogenous. Two people were required to carry out the work : usually a man operated the bar while [...]

Key information :  17 Cm (bell) X 5,5 Cm (internal diameter), Cast-iron, brass and iron, early 20th century   The extrusion press is a machine used for carrying out the delicate phase of the shaping for domestic, handcrafted and industrial production of pasta through die-drawing. In this case, it is a horizontal extrusion press for domestic use with a bell larger than the Bigolaro, therefore more powerful. Because the screw is horizontal rather than vertical, this object was more adapted for short-cut formats rather than long pasta production. This specific kind of extrusion press is typical of the [...]

Key information :  74 cm (l) x 40 cm (d) x 72 cm (h), metal, about 1949   This model has been purchased by the Fabbri family in the early years post-war (after rebuilding the factory that has been destroyed) for the family food outlet. QThis machine was used for weighing all kinds of food (sugar, coffee and pasta that was sold at retail). The object has been then passed down through the family until today. You can read the following entry on the quadrant : “Ditta (firm) Macchi Francesco Santo Stefano (Varese)”.  Until the 1950s, the automatic [...]

Key information :  53 Cm (l) X 33 Cm (d) X 31 Cm (h), wood and metal , early 20th century   The semolina obtained by grinding durum wheat seeds and thoroughly sifted beforehand to eliminate any impurities, was mixed with water in a large container, initially by human hand or feet then with a machine : the impastatrice (dough mixer). We could find this kind of object in Italian large-scale kitchens and restaurants at the end of the Nineteenth century. Powered by a hand-crank, the apparatus was used to mix the dough to make bread or pasta. [...]

Key information:  17,5 Cm (bell) X 4 Cm (internal diameter), Brass and iron, early 20th century   The extrusion press is a machine used for carrying out the delicate phase of the shaping for domestic, handcrafted and industrial production of pasta through die-drawing. This object is a vertical extrusion press for domestic use, called “Bigolaro” in the region of Veneto. The die plate was placed at the end of the press («the bell») and thanks to its incisions of diverse shapes and sizes, allowed the pasta to be extruded in the desired form. Then, the dough was cut [...]

Key information:  34 cm (l) x 27 cm (d) x 10 cm (h), wood and iron, sec. XX, first half of the 20th century   Cheese and breader grater composed of one teeth roller in iron inserted into a wooden box, from which comes out a lateral hand-crank allowing the food to be ground. The breadcrumbs is collected in the drawer underneath. Cheese and bread were sold by weight. This type of grater, because of its size, might have been the property of a large family or an inn. Inventory number : 018.57