Cooks Illustrated reviewed rolling pins a couple of years ago and the one they liked best was the {{gwi:1472239}}, and the one they like least was the marble rolling pin. Next on the list was the {{gwi:1472240}}, the traditional looking rolling pin. They noted that the marble rolling pin is just too heavy to use on dough!

Fantes is a good source for kitchen equipment, they seem to have everything, including a lot of stuff you never thought you needed, or didn't even know existed.

Here is a link that might be useful: Rolling Pins

I second the censure of marble rolling pins. The weight squishes the dough too much.
I like a wooden rolling pin....and have never had the butter "go liquid", even when working in an 85 degree kitchen without airconditioning.
I like an oldfashioned maple rolling pin with handles. I have 2 sizes...my mother's which was small and mine which is larger.
Linda C

Mine is the one in this link, 2" diameter, no taper, 19" long. It has a nice weight. I oiled it when I brought it home.

Here is a link that might be useful: Rolling pin.

I have the silicone version of the tapered french rolling pin and we love it. I used to have a handle one and it did not work as well for myself or my husband. As you rest your hands on the top instead of holding handles hand size does not matter.

-Robin

I've had my tapered French Rolling Pin for almost 30 years. It is the only one I use.

Ann

I have both a marble rolling pin and a beautiful burl walnut rolling pin.

I don't have a problem with the marble pin squishing the dough. I use a lighter hand when I'm using it.

I love the American maple handled rolling pins with ball bearings. But get a big one! Then you can roll out large sections of dough. I have a French tapered one but I think it takes more skill to work with; my nieces can't really roll with it, and I find it's harder on my hands and wrists with age.

I have the same one as Barnmom, but I am thinking about getting a French tapered one also because the edges of the dough come out too thin from a pin with no taper.

I think marble would be okay if it is small enough in diameter - I wouldn't want one larger than 2".

Lars

I have an old wooden one that was Grandma's, the kind with handles. I've used it my whole life, I think.

I did have a marble one and it was pretty to look at but I seldom used it, it was too heavy to feel really comfortable to me.

Of course, I've been known to roll pie crust with a Kessler's whiskey bottle at the bar when we first bought into the business. It didn't take too many months (and pies) before I bought a rolling pin, and sure enough, it was just like Grandma's, wooden with handles.

Annie

In my opinion, nothing beats a good, wooden, French rolling pin. They're also, usually, the least expensive. I find you have much more control with that style than any other. They're easiest to clean, don't have moving parts/ball bearings to break. Not too heavy. Keep it well-oiled with mineral oil to preserve and protect the wood, and it will last for many years for you.

I inherited a glass rolling pin from my MIL.....it has a screw top so you can put ice water in it to keep the dough cold.
I have always admired it but never have used it.
I like my tapered wooden one best.

I have a marble, that the wooden handles broke on..and a silcone one that is nice and long and has no handles to break off.

Jessy, you could go all kinds of places with this.

Mine is solid maple, 3" thick and 18" long. I've hard many but like this one best.

My SIL is a professional chef and he gave me a really big pin - 30" long. When I make my triple batch sugar cookies or pizza dough it rolls all of it out at once (but I run out of room to maneuver it on the counter so it is used on the dinette table). I also have a regular sized one for piecrusts and a small 8" one I ostensibly bought for the grandchildren that I prefer to use for the small leftover gathers of dough. I sometimes use my French pin for rolling pasta but I am not fond of it, and I use a teflon pin for really sticky doughs. I occasionally use my antique 3" diam. pin with lovely turned ornate handles. I like to use that because it was my Grandma's and it brings back nice memories (I'm a great-grandma so that is how antique it is). Goodness, I didn't realize how many rolling pins I actually have until this post!!! And, I use them all - that in itself is amazing.

My daughter had a marble pin and she says it was only good as a weapon - it squashes everything. She now happily uses a regular sized maple pin.

I had a glass pin but found it difficult to work with on chilled dough - I ended up pounding the dough to soften enough to roll. That only makes tough dough, not flaky. I think some heat or friction is needed to meld the flour and butter together anyway. GASP, sometimes I even use lard instead of butter for making it flaky!

I refrigerate my pins and lay ice cubes in plastic bags on the rolling surface if I'm making piecrusts. Other doughs I don't worry about being so chilled while rolling. If the dough gets too warm it gets popped back into the fridge to chill out for a while. To each his own.

Nancy

I have an old Tupperware plastic rolling pin you can put ice and water in it. It has a screw cap on one end of it. I bought it a long time ago when my mother said that it made it easier to roll out pie doughs.