equipment

Bethany Housewares is the most popular manufacturer of lefse equipment and is easy to find in you live in an area with large Scandinavian populations.  If you are not that lucky, you can still get anything you need online.  Creative Kitchen (physically located in Fargo, ND but also accepts online orders and ships free for orders over $49) is a great source for lefse equipment.  
It can be hard to find a deal on lefse equipment since it is a niche market, your best bet is waiting until after the holiday season when stores may be clearancing out their "seasonal" lefse equipment.  One store that does clearance out their lefse equipment is Walmart, but not all Walmart stores carry lefse equipment.

The most important piece of equipment is the lefse griddle.  You can make lefse with any griddle, but a  real lefse griddle does not have side walls to interfere with the lefse stick and is just the right size for lefse.  Both the non-stick or aluminum griddle work great, but some say that the aluminum one is marginally better for making lefse.  If you plan on using the griddle for cooking anything other than lefse (pancakes, burgers, etc.) you should get the teflon griddle.  


Traditionally a corrugated or square cut rolling pin is used, but a regular smooth rolling pin will work as well.  No matter which rolling pin you use, a rolling pin sock is helpful in preventing the lefse from sticking to the rolling pin.


Traditionally lefse turning sticks are 7/8" wide.  These work fine, but the wider 1 1/2" sticks make things a little easier.  

Pastry board

7/8" lefse stick
Lefse stick
This is a very long thin stick that is normally between 3/4" and 1 1/2" wide and about 24" long. It has a thin tapered edge which makes it easy to slide under the lefse when lifting to transport to the grill and for flipping it over when cooking it. If you do not have access to a lefse turning stick, a utensil such as a pancake turner could be used but it will be more difficult to handle and turn the thin lefse without tearing the dough when using this type of tool.
The most common lefse stick comes from Bethany and is 7/8" wide and has a handle painted either red or blue with a white design.


1.5" lefse stick
1.5" wide lefse stick
Another style of lefse stick from Bethany is almost twice as wide as the normal one at 1.5".  This extra width really helps you transport the lefse to the griddle without tearing it.
Instead of being painted, the handle of the wider stick has a design burned into it.  
aluminum lefse griddle
This is a flat, round grill design especially for frying lefse. Because it is flat, without any sides, it makes it easier to turn the lefse when frying it. It is generally made of aluminum.  The grill has a temperature control gauge that allows the unit to heat up to 500°F, which many recipes call for the lefse to be fried at 400°F to 500°F. If you do not have a lefse grill, an electric frying pan that can heat up to 450°F can also be used but it will be harder to turn the lefse when frying because of the sides on the pan and you will be restricted to what size you can make the lefse.


non-stick lefse griddle
non stick griddle
The non-stick griddle works exactly the same, but allows you to use the griddle for making other things like pancakes or burgers.  I have used both styles side by side and do not see any differience, but some people find that the non-stick surface makes it more difficult to handle the lefse because the lefse will have a tendency to slip around more, making it hard to get under it properly when trying to turn it. 

corrugated rolling pin
Corrugated rolling pin
A corrugated rolling pin, also called a single cut or grooved rolling pin, is the perfect rolling pin for making lefse.  The grooves help press out any air bubbles and make nice thin lefse.  In addition, the grooves leave the traditional markings across the surface of the lefse.


double cut rolling pin
double cut pin
A double cut or square cut rolling pin


pastry cloth
A well seasoned pastry cloth will aid in the rolling process. The dough needs to be rolled out very thin and a seasoned pastry cloth will help prevent the dough from sticking when it is time to transfer it to the grill. If you do not have a pastry cloth, a well floured surface will also work.


rolling pin sock
rolling pin sock
No matter what type of rolling pin you use (but especially if you are using a normal smooth rolling pin) putting a "sock" on your pin will help keep the pin covered in flour and reduce sticking.  

potato ricer
The potato ricer forces the potatoes through small holes in the ricer, which is a good way to eliminate any lumps in the potatoes. The potato masher also does a good job of mashing the potatoes so they do not have any lumps but it is a little more labor intensive than the ricer. Either tool can be used to prepare the potatoes.