So what's the consensus on bread machines?

[wildeyed]

I know several posters here use them, and several are considering a purchase.

I have been thinking how nice it would be to pour a bunch of ingredients into a machine and come out with..... fresh baked bread!!!! It is very enjoyable to bake bread from scratch, but it is definitely a weekend event. It would be fun to have fresh bread for more casual meals, too.

There are many different brands, price points and features.

I was considering this one.



http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00005QFL0/ref=ord_cart_shr/104-0956903-3169541?%5Fencoding=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&v=glance

Seems like a good price for allot of features.

Anyone else use a bread machine? Opinions?

[NMDemDist2]

1. i found i make more bread without it, i never liked the "machine" loaf

there was something about a tall loaf with a hole in the bottom that offended my sense of "breadness"

i was also very glad to get the big machine out of my cupboard

I agree with the weekend warrior aspect, but I think making rolls and freezing the dough then just taking out a few on the weekdays may be the answer for us

i will say one thing of the machine though.... the end result was a lot more consistent than my experiments, but I think practice and the right recipe will take care of that too.

one more plus for the machine, it doesn't heat up the house like the oven and in the summer I may miss the machine more than I do right now (may it RIP)

[Stinky The Clown]

2. I have abandoned my bread machine search

I just can't get past the loaf shape thing. And AZDD6 is right. Once you get the recipe right by experimentation, you own it and will be able to repeat it forever. You also can use it as a starting point for variations.

I have a recipe and method that works for me. I was, however, excited at the prospect of a bread machine ... but .... it was like that first date thing. The anticipation was greater than the fact. As I looked at many of them, they all had some "compromise" that I could not abide. On the upside, they all offered convenience and repeatability. They're as ingenious as a Japanese rice cooker that has the ability to not only cook the rice, but to hold it fresh as fresh can be for hours. And it comes from some algorithm that does fuzzy logic. It isn't anything more than computerization of a counter top appliance.

Do you sense my ambivalence? :)

[wildeyed]

10. It's the convenience that appeals to me.

My kidlets keep me pretty busy, plus I have no bread making technique to fall back on. So I enjoy bread making, but it takes up allot of concentration, which is in short supply around my house.

I dunno, I love gadgets. But often they are not all they are cracked up to be. I am so glad that BB & B agreed to take the Roomba back after I killed it with too much dog hair.

[NMDemDist2]

11. ahhhh tooo much dog hair?? well that answers my Roomba question

thanks!

[wildeyed]

12. Border Collie hair is particularly bad.

It is long and gets rolled around the beater. Sigh. Roomba seemed like the answer to my prayers, but it was not to be.

[NMDemDist2]

13. let's see, I have a border collie and an aussie shepard and a Shetland

Sheepdog (talk about long hair)

roomba would be DOOMED i tell ya, DOOMED!!

[wildeyed]

14. Ooooh, an Aussie, too.

Lucky you! I grew up with an Australian Shepard. Excellent dog! Love the hyper herding breeds.

[NMDemDist2]

15. no pic of my aussie, but here's the other two

[wildeyed]

20. Aw, they are kissing.

How cute.

I am looking for one of my two dog-babies, but I can't find the snap right now. One is the BC, which you have seen, and the second is my small brown dog of indeterminate parentage. There is some chihuahua in there, but no one can even guess what else. I have asked serious dog enthusiasts, and the just shrug. But he is a sweet boy, whatever he is.

[NMDemDist2]

22. actually if you look closer the sheltie is trying to bite his head

she thinks big brudduh is just a big woolie sheep her job is to boss around

re the bread machine..... you'll love it i'm sure!

[Warpy]

17. I have two long haired cats

a Himalayan and a Maine Coon.

Roomba would be wheels up within a week.

[Sparkly]

25. "That first date thing?"

"The anticipation was greater than the fact?"

[Stinky The Clown]

26. Huh?

[Warpy]

3. I looked at them and then discarded the idea about 8 years ago

when my arthritis got the better of me and 10 minutes of kneading bread dough once a week was beyond my capabilities.

I ended up with the cheapest Kitchen Aid mixer I could find, and it's been a godsend. It does all the kneading for me, and all I need to do is scrape the dough out of the bowl after the last rising and form the loaves. I use the mixer now for a lot of the mixing jobs I used to do by (sore) hand and (sore) wrist, and I'm wondering what I ever did without one, something that didn't happen with a food processor and I doubt would have happened with a bread machine.

If you're considering this option, save your pennies until you can get a Kitchen Aid. They're scaled down Hobart commercial mixers, and can handle the job. Most other brands are capable of doing cake batters and the like, but the motors will burn out rather quickly if you ask them to do bread dough too often.

[Stinky The Clown]

5. To add to your comments ....

The smallest Kitchenaid is quite reasonable in price. I had one for about 20 years and recently upgraded to a 6 qt model. The old one is still in regular service ..... my son has it. They seem to last forever.

I encourage anyone to get one of these mixers. And don't feel you have to go for the biggun. I decided to do it when I tried to double my pizza dough recipe and the dough literally mixed itself out over the top of the bowl. Mind you, the motor could handle even this! It simply didn't have a big enough bowl.

Not many would do as much volume as I tried to do in mine. For all other tasks over the time I had the smallest machine, it was more than up to whatever I asked of it.

This used to be (and may still be) the Model K45. I know they also sell an Artisan model now, too. It is the same basic 4.5 qt machine, but may have a bigger motor (or just fancy racing stripes, mag wheels, and leather interior) ... I dunno .... :shrug:

You **gotta** be able to find one for under $150. Probably cheaper, if used, from eBay.

A bread machine will set ya back nearly that for a high end one.

If I had to choose between a bread maker and a Kitchenaid mixer, I'd go for the mixer every time.

Ya can't put a sausage stuffer, a meat grinder, a citrus juicer, or a pasta maker on a bread machine!

[NMDemDist2]

6. she already has a mixer, here's the proof LOL

[wildeyed]

8. And I have been using it more often thanks to the people on this forum!

But I am so busy with the kids, I don't have the kind of time I would like to experiment with bread making. I do it on snow days, and in Charlotte, that is maybe one or two days a year. So I was thinking this would be a cheating way to get fresh yummy bread.

Plus I dearly love gadgets, whether they are mp3 players, Roombas or bread machines. And I have so much extra cabinet and counter space after the feng shui foray, I need to fill it up.

[Neecy]

36. I agree about the Kitchenaid...

For anyone who doesn't yet own one, it's definitely worth the investment. The things last forever and are virtually indestructable. They do everything but clean up the kitchen after dinner. And unlike many of the kitchen gee-gaws I've bought over the years, used a few times and put into a cabinet (and...yeah...the bread maker was one of them - I disliked the texture of the bread that resulted - chewy in a nasty sort of way), I use the Kitchenaid almost daily.

[housewolf]

4. I resisted the idea of bread machines for years

until I got a roommate that had one and I decided that I had to play around with it some. While I don't particularly care for the baked loaves that it produces, I do often use it on the dough cycle just to knead my bread dough. Then I'll take the dough out, give it a second rise, shape it and bake it in the oven. I especially use it for dough for things like dinner rolls and cinnamon rolls, when I want a soft fluffy-type bread.

With their timers and programmable cycles, bread machines are a great convenience for folks who want freshly baked bread in the morning before running off to work or waiting for you when you get home from work.

Here's a well-established, reputable site on the web 'specially for bread machine baking. Check out the reviews on different machines there. Suggest that you do some research before you select what to buy. There's a ton of information on the Bread Machine Digest site, including many recipes and this article on how to select a machine
http://breadmachinedigest.com/beginners/choosing_a_bread_machine.html

In addition, they have a 1000+ member email list for bread machine users and lots of other tips and advice.

http://breadmachinedigest.com/

When you've decided what to buy, check out ebay - you can often find bread machines at much better-than retail prices.


If it was a choice between a stand mixer and a bread machine, though, that I had to make... a good stand mixer is MUCH more versatile. But if you can have BOTH... well, that's just heavenly!

Hope that helps some...

[wildeyed]

9. Thanks for the tips.

The website is very helpful.

[Blue Gardener]

7. I like using the dough cycle

Then I make cinnamon roles with it. Mmmmmm.

[Longhorn]

16. I've been back and forth on the bread machine.

I actually wore one out years ago. The paddle that does the kneading broke. I'd make one or two loaves a day when all four kids still lived at home and everyone loved it. I even got a few recipe books and made cheese loaves and special Christmas loaves.

A few years after the first one died, my mother gave me hers, a better model, since she wasn't using it any more. However, I haven't used it once! I've been mostly dieting since she gave it to me and I don't need the added temptation of freshly-baked bread around.

I thought the bread tasted great and no, it doesn't have the aesthetic appeal of an artisan bread, but ours never lasted long enough for anyone to notice! And it was so great to wake up in the morning or come home in the evening to a freshly-baked loaf of bread. I only tried to make it by hand once or twice years ago and nothing I made was ever as good as the bread machine bread.

I think for someone who is not an expert and really has no desire to become one but who loves bread, the bread machine is a really great deal.

[Stinky The Clown]

18. And in your post is the answer to this

I have had bread machine bread and it tastes great. Add the convenience factor, and the ability to mix and bake while you sleep, and you ahve a real winner.

The flip side is the loaf shape.

While a bread machine may not be right for everyone, including me, I appreciate very much the reasons for having one. They do what they say they do and they do it well. If the convenience means a lot, they're absolutely the way to go.

[wildeyed]

19. You can make low-carb bread with the bread machine.

Someone posted this on one of the review sites I looked at. Claimed it tasted good, too, although I am not one hundred percent sure I believe that. I mean, what do you put in bread to make it low carb? Saw dust?

But I can see how fresh baked bread would undermine a diet. Maybe you can make a small loaf and then freeze half so you won't be tempted to eat the entire thing in one sitting?

[wildeyed]

21. OK, I went ahead and did it.

I purchased a bread machine. I decided that for a newbie baker, psychotically busy stay-at-home-mother who adores gadgets it might be a good investment. Or at least fun.

I got the Breadman Ultimate.



http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00004R93S/qid=1110719578/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/104-0956903-3169541?v=glance&s=kitchen

Combination of price and function. There are better bread machines out there, but for twice the price. Consumer Reports and breadmachinedigest.com both like this machine and Amazon had a smokin' good price. Plus I have several coupons and discounts that I used, so it didn't cost that much.

I will post about it after I start baking. Hope it is better than the Roomba.

[housewolf]

27. Yaaaayyy!!! Congratulations!

I'm sure you'll love it!

Excellent choice - the Breadman Ultimate has a great reputation. Owners love them and the company is reputable and has a good customer service reputation.

I'm looking forward to hearing your tales of bread-making.

Yaaay! Good for you, I'm happy and excited for you!

:party: :party: :party: :party: :party:


P.S., I'm sure you'll like it better than Roomba, although Roomba IS pretty clever...

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

28. good for you!

New appliances & gadgets are soooo much fun. I bet you'll love it. Please tell us how it goes.

best & happy baking!

[cmf]

23. I love mine

1. I work 45 hours a week and commute 2.5 hours a day, so I don't have a lot of spare time to do breadmaking by hand.

2. I have a small kitchen and don't have room for a stand mixer or food processor that would help me mix and kneed.

3. Even if I had a stand mixer, I couldn't "set it and forget it" the way I do with the bread machine. So I'm not exactly willing to get rid of the bread machine to make room for a mixer.

4. Our priority is to have fresh bread and dough, not to have beautiful artisan loaves.

So, if this sounds like you at all, buying a bread maker would probably be a good investment. I love mine.

[wildeyed]

24. Sounds allot like me.

With two little kids, we are just trying to keep it between the lines most days. But good tasting and nutritious food is important. So since we don't live in France where there is a great bakery on every corner, the bread machine seems like a good second place option.

[fortyfeetunder]

33. I like mine too!

Having kid around the house and working, and at one time going to school is a bit demanding. I used to make dough by hand when I was a kid but now this ol' lady doesn't have that kind of time!

I found out the virtues of having one just so I could enjoy fresh bread once in a while.

However, my little breadmaker has a dough cycle and a butter making cycle, and I use those more to make cinnamon rolls and flavored butters.

[politicat]

29. Ours makes a loaf-shaped loaf, if that's not to confusing.

My old one, now dead and not at all lamented, make one of the square loaves, and it was okay; when I wanted bread shaped bread, I pulled it out at the end of the second knead and shaped the loaf myself and popped it in a bread pan (or got fancy and braided it, or whatever...)

Our new one is an actual loaf shape, and the only downside I have is that if I make a large (2 lb) loaf, it's really tall. So we only make 1 lb and 1.5 lb loaves.

I love mine, and I know for certain that I would bake far less bread if we didn't have it. I hate heating up the house in the summer, so the oven does not come on from the first day it hits 90 until the first fall rains. (Usually mid June to mid September). I also know that if I left bread to Mr. Pcat, we'd be eating wonder-junk. Thus, if I want bread that isn't artificial, it's the breadmaker or nothing, because he does not like Whole Foods' crusty breads.

I don't, as yet, have a Kitchen-aid, since the one I was supposed to inherit has actually died (it's 30 some years old), and I have not the cabinet space for one at the moment. The breadmaker has a 12 in x 16 inch footprint, and sits in the place that used to be the kitchen catchall (thus removing that clutter collector!!)

I also use the breadmaker to make pasta dough and similar products.

I like mine, but realize that I have physical limitations that mean I look for labor-saving devices. Further, most of the time, I'm not home during the day, so if we want bread for dinner, there's no other option than a breadmaker, since the cats refuse to cooperate and learn to cook. Neither of us like stale bread, so the breadmaker helps there, too. (Stale becomes crumbs, or goes out for the birds when the crumb to human ratio exceeds 10 lb:1.)

I think you need to assess your own needs and schedules; The bread is very good if you use a good recipe, and can be a huge convenience if you're very, very busy.

Pcat

[Longhorn]

30. I love amazon.com.

Did you know that every time you buy something from amazon, the user's manual for that item, if it's available digitally, is stored in your own "digital locker?"

You've got me interested in using the bread machine that my mother handed down to me today. I think I'll check it out and get some yeast and whatever else I need while I'm in town today. Thanks and I hope you enjoy yours!

[wildeyed]

31. I adore Amazon.

I have an Amazon credit card. I purchase everything with it, then pay it off at the end of the month. I then get "rewards" from Amazon in the shape of $25 gift certificates. So much fun to have a little splurge every few months for free.

[denverbill]

32. I had one, and rarely used it.

I'm more of a french bread/artisan bread type, so the funky shaped loaves never appealed to me, plus, the dough hook always ended up baked into the bread. Most of the times I used it I just used it to knead the dough.

I use the Kitchenaid mixer for kneading dough now. I think it does a better job kneading it and it's good for more than just bread.

So I'm voting nay to the bread machine.

[Warpy]

37. I think you have to ask yourself what kind of cook you are

If you're a foodie, then skip the bread machine.

If you're an overworked, overscheduled person who hates commercial bread but doesn't have the time to bake at home, then a bread machine's for you.

[Longhorn]

38. Exactly!

Today I'm eating freshly baked bread made with ingredients that I bought and added myself -- no preservatives, no artificial coloring, nothing but flour, oatmeal, honey, butter, salt, and yeast. No, it's not the most perfect loaf of bread ever baked but it tastes great and I made it myself.

I read a hint in the bread machine owner's guide to make my own bread mixes by mixing all of the dry ingredients (except the yeast) in an airtight container and putting in the frig. I'm going to use freezer bags and mark what kind of bread and what wet ingredients to add. Then when I want to make a loaf of bread, it will be even faster to add the liquid, the contents of the bag, and the yeast and set the timer and go!

[Longhorn]

34. All this talk got me interested in mine again.

I made a loaf of bread that contains bread flour, whole wheat flour, rye, and oatmeal, and it is great! Now I'm ready to check out some different recipes.

Thanks, wildeyed, for the inspiration!

[wildeyed]

35. Mine shipped yesterday!

I am already thinking about all the nummy bread I am going to make. And there will be some tasty snacks for the kidlets, too!

[NMDemDist2]

39. pics pics pics

:bounce:

congrats!

[wildeyed]

40. Hah, it finally arrived!

Here are pics of my efforts, so far.

1 1/2 lb French style loaf with olive oil and rosemary



Cut, in front of the bread machine



1 1/2 lb hearty walnut bread.



And a itty bitty 1 pounder, 100% WW. Funny looking, but still tasty. The manual did say that the smallest size loaf is often misshapen. I haven't tried the largest size yet, the two pounder.



So far I am really enjoying the new gadget. The bread tastes great, although it is not the prettiest on the planet. I used the timer feature last night and woke up to a house smelling intoxicatingly of fresh bread.

This weekend I will try the dough cycle. The machine kneads the bread, but you shape it by hand and bake it in the oven. Maybe some fresh rolls? Mmmmmmm!

[housewolf]

41. Oh.... YUUMMMM!

Those look GREAT! It looks like you're having such a good time playing with your new Breadman Ultimate. I hope you truly love it!

The most important thing for great success with bread machines is to make sure you have a moist-enough dough. You're looking for a dough that is very soft, moist and light - not sticky but a little tacky is okay. When you have time to watch the cycle, make a loaf but withhold a little bit of flour (1/4 cup or so) until well into the first kneading cycle, the add flour a tablespoon at a time if the dough needs more flour. I keep a spray bottle of water in the kitchen and if my bread machine dough needs water I'll add a litle by spraying 2 or 3 times directly onto the dough.

I make fresh dinner rolls using the dough cycle of my bread machine often - sometimes I think friends invite me to dinner just to get the rolls!

I'm excited for you, you have a grand bread adventure ahead, lots to learn, lots of experimentation, lots of FABULOUS loaves of fresh home-made bread. There's nothing like it!

[wildeyed]

44. Thanks for the advice.

I think I will become more of an expert on bread making now because I will do it more often. I am already scheming about how to alter a recipe to make a roasted garlic and olive oil loaf.

[Longhorn]

42. Wow, that was quick, and you've already made three loaves???

Good for you! I'd love to have that hearty walnut bread recipe! Thanks and enjoy!

[wildeyed]

45. For a 1-1/2 lb loaf

1-1/4 cup 80 degree water
1 tbl oil
1/4 c, molasses
1-1/2 tsp salt
1 c. dry oatmeal
1 c. WW flour
2 c. bread flour
3/4 c. walnuts
2 tsp active dry yeast (not quick rise)

On my machine, I use Whole Wheat Cycle.

Yummy for breakfast with some butter and honey!

And because there is no milk or eggs, I did it on the timer so it was fresh baked for breakfast. Some of the recipes in the manual sound like divine breakfast food, but they require an egg or some milk and can't be left out overnight in the machine.

[Longhorn]

47. Thanks!

I'll give it a try once I gather the ingredients. Mine has a Whole Wheat Cycle too.

[NMDemDist2]

43. too cool! congrats on your new toy!

the bread looks yummy

[wildeyed]

46. It IS yummy.

I'm gonna have to watch it if I don't want to gain some serious weight.

Kidlets like it, too. If I use the 'light crust' option, they will even eat the entire piece of bread, instead of leaving crusts on their plates like they do with with commercial bread. So less waste :)