Do I or Dont I? Breadmakers.......

[hawc]

Hi all,

 

I am thinking of getting a breadmaker. I have a couple of questions for people who have them:

 

a)Are they cheaper in the long run than buying bread?

b)How long do you take to make bread, as in loading the machine?

c)Anything else I should watch for

d)Any other comments

 

Thanks

Harry

[tech_guy]

Go for it - we have a Kenwood. As well as bread you can make pasta dough and jam in it.

 

Takes a couple of minutes to prepare the ingredients and set it off.

 

Has paid for itself many times over. We use it every other day.

[steveking]

a - probably. I guess a loaf costs about 30-60p (depending on the type of flour), but it's so much nicer than bought bread.

b - not even 1 min. Stick the tin on the scales and pour in water; reset scales and pour in flour; then put in some yeast. Put tin in machine and set timer for the morning.

c - Some machines have funny shaped tins which result in funny shaped slices of bread.

d - get one! There's nothing like coming down to the smell of fresh bread in the morning.

[tech_guy]

Our Kenwood is a couple of years old now.

 

Here's the latest version:

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kenwood-BM450-Bread-Ingredients-Dispenser/dp/B001QTVX50/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1390060621&sr=8-1&keywords=kenwood+breadmaker

 

And watch out - a common mistake is losing the paddle - that mixes the dough. It is embedded in the loaf when you take it out. Amazon do sell spares for the Kenwood though.

[dhicks]

a)Are they cheaper in the long run than buying bread?

 

Not sure - the flour is probably cheaper (and you can get all-in-one breadmaker flour from Sainsbury's these days), I'm not sure how much the electricity costs. I'd have a vauge guess at about the same, maybe a bit less.

 

b)How long do you take to make bread, as in loading the machine?

 

A few minutes - you just turf everything in and press "go". You can set a timer, too, so you can load the machine up the night before or whenever and have it cook your bread at the best time. The bread that comes out of a breadmaker doesn't last very long at all - it's best eaten the same day, next day at most. If your household isn't going to get through a loaf of bread per day or two you might end up wasting a bit. It might take some practice to get the exact mix you prefer, and getting bread that cuts properly into nice slices might take a bit of tinkering with ingredients. Most people seem to use the breadmaker for making bread to cut into chunks for eating with soup or whatever, you don't see it so much made in to sandwiches. I guess it's a habbit to get into - remembering to load and set up the breadmaker (which doesn't take long).

 

The humble breadmaker strikes me as the next thing due for a "smart" makeover, after the thermostat and the smoke alarm. Google and Apple are probably both working on versions now...

[dhicks]

And watch out - a common mistake is losing the paddle - that mixes the dough. It is embedded in the loaf when you take it out. Amazon do sell spares for the Kenwood though.

 

Good point - it might be worth getting spares (or even two breadmakers) to start with, then you can be washing one set while the other is being used. Also worth pointing out that they do take a bit of kitchen worktop space - if you have it packed away somewhere, you'll never bother getting it out to use, it needs to be sat ready for you to use.

[hawc]

Thinking of starting off with this: Buy Russell Hobbs 18036 Fast Bake Breadmaker-White at Argos.co.uk - Your Online Shop for Breadmakers.

[tech_guy]

I don't know what the current Russell Hobbs range is like but our first machine was one of theirs and it lasted 9 months before it died. Hence the Kenwood - expensive at twice the price - but still going strong after two years. Edited January 18, 2014 by tech_guy

[Andrew_C]

I suffer somewhat of a gut reaction to bread. I'd just put it down to "one of those things" and I like bread too much to give it up. My new lady has a bread maker, and it doesn't affect me anything like so much. A bit of research shows that shop bought bread is baked with someone' process. They use an accelerated proving, that seems to cause me lots of bubbles.

 

a) We worked out that the bread is marginally cheaper (but you won't pay for the maker) but MUCH nicer. We do 1/3 white to 2/3 wholemeal.

b) Minutes. Check the beater is in the pan! Pan on the scales, 200g white flour, 400g whole meal, teaspoon yeast, tablespoon sugar, grind salt, THEN add 2 glugs olive oil, and 430ml water.

c) The beater still being on the bench when all the gloop is in the pan. We have bought a Panasonic after a bit of grief with an admittedly second-hand cheap one.

d) Go for it; for the taste alone.

[tech_guy]

I suffer somewhat of a gut reaction to bread. I'd just put it down to "one of those things" and I like bread too much to give it up. My new lady has a bread maker, and it doesn't affect me anything like so much. A bit of research shows that shop bought bread is baked with someone' process. They use an accelerated proving, that seems to cause me lots of bubbles.

 

a) We worked out that the bread is marginally cheaper (but you won't pay for the maker) but MUCH nicer. We do 1/3 white to 2/3 wholemeal.

b) Minutes. Check the beater is in the pan! Pan on the scales, 200g white flour, 400g whole meal, teaspoon yeast, tablespoon sugar, grind salt, THEN add 2 glugs olive oil, and 430ml water.

c) The beater still being on the bench when all the gloop is in the pan. We have bought a Panasonic after a bit of grief with an admittedly second-hand cheap one.

d) Go for it; for the taste alone.

 

Sounds like you might have either a wheat allergy or gluten intolerance.

 

I was diagnosed with gluten intolerance in the summer. A pita to begin with but now I'm so much better - no bloating, headaches, joint/muscle pain or irritability. Gluten free since July last year and it's going well. Easy to replace gluten containing stuff with alternatives. We use gluten free flour, pasta, etc.

 

Many people go undiagnosed regarding wheat allergy / gluten intolerance. Severe gluten intolerance can lead to damage of the small intestine.

 

Might be worth getting checked out.

Edited January 18, 2014 by tech_guy

[laserblazer]

It takes around three hours in the one we have, which we've had for some years. It makes a lovely smell in the kitchen.

[Andrew_C]

Not bad enough to suffer the gluten free stuff. As I said, SO much better with proper "proved" bread.

 

3 or 5 hour cycle for whole-wheat.

[tech_guy]

Shop bought bread does have so much crap in it.

[hawc]

Alright. I feel a trip to Argos coming on tomorrow.

[Anjelica]

I used to set mine up in the morning and set the timer so that it finished just as I got home from work. Unfortunately after a few years of use mine has suffered from spindle failure* (the bit that holds the paddle). It still works well but I can't leave it full of ingredients all day anymore as it will leak. I now surround the spindle with marg before I put the water in, shove in the ingredients and put it on straight away. Mine does a dough cycle (doesn't cook it at the end) so often I use that and turn out the dough, shape it and cook the bread in the oven when I have it on for other stuff.

 

We have a flour mill close by so there is no shortage of different kinds of flour to try - I never bake the same kind of loaf twice in a row.

 

*Spindle failure is not uncommon - you can buy a new pan but they are almost the same price as a new machine.

[featured_spectre]

I make it without (more work obviously, but is also more rewarding IMO). Anything not used is frozen, when I have enough, tear/break it up, put in a low oven for a few hours (80C ish), dry out for 4 hours. Wait until cooled, et voila, croutons or grind into breadcrumbs. They store in a cool larder for around 6 months.

[elsiegee40]

My Panasonic breadmaker has been going for years with regular use. I love it. I usually make to a 60-40 mix wholemeal-white flour (ish).

 

I also use the pizza dough setting frequently. It only takes 45 minutes and the dough is good for more than pizza

[sted]

got a Panasonic sd-2501. time a few mins to chuck stuff in pan. i usually load it up at night and set a timer so i wake up to fresh bread. you wont save cash no. the main problem i have is its a pita cutting it thin enough for sarnies so i just tend to eat buttered doorstops so can eat a loaf in a day as they go "bad" fairly quick and test best straight from the machine while almost too hot to eat. mums a celiac so has been doing gluten free bed in her breadmaker for years. tastes different not bad but gluten free bread needs to be eaten straight from the machine it tastes much better than when its cold. best thing though is fiddling with the recipe just to see what happens for instance ive had good results switching water for apple juice

[Andrew_C]

i have is its a pita cutting it thin enough for sarnies s

We do a loaf a day, but try to get it cooked the night before. That way you can slice it fairly thin. But true, it doesn't keep.

[sparkeh]

Best maker I have used is a cheapo cookworks one from Argos.

Wouldn't change from making our own bread now, as said above, shop bread is made using an accelerated proving process which gives tasteless bread which is compensated for with sugar, salt etc.

 

There's nothing like homemade bread, if you have the time, make it by hand, it's even better... Gonna have some bread now, yum.

[hawc]

Best maker I have used is a cheapo cookworks one from Argos.

Wouldn't change from making our own bread now, as said above, shop bread is made using an accelerated proving process which gives tasteless bread which is compensated for with sugar, salt etc.

 

There's nothing like homemade bread, if you have the time, make it by hand, it's even better... Gonna have some bread now, yum.

 

I am deeply thinking about that Cookworks one

[witch]

I suffer somewhat of a gut reaction to bread. I'd just put it down to "one of those things" and I like bread too much to give it up. My new lady has a bread maker, and it doesn't affect me anything like so much. A bit of research shows that shop bought bread is baked with someone' process. They use an accelerated proving, that seems to cause me lots of bubbles.

.

@Andrew_C It is the Chorleywood process, and what it does is accelerate the fermentation which means that the yeast doesn't really get "used" and goes on fermenting which is why you get this issue with shop bread. If you buy proper "artisan" bread from a real baker that should be OK as well.

 

I have a breadmaker but I don't use it too often because I LOVE bread and it is fatal to have new bread in the house

Edited January 18, 2014 by witch

[MatthewL]

I bought my Dad one a few years ago, was either a Kenwood or Russell Hobbs from a factory shop, uses still to this day a few times a week. The bread is soo much nicer, sure he worked it out as been far cheaper than shop bread, still get through a few loaves a week of normal shop stuff but must do 2 or 3 in the maker each week too.

[SpuffMonkey]

So that's a "Yes" then - I've got a Panasonic and its really good (makes better bread than most others I've seen) and is used pretty much every other day.

 

If you're making white bread - I'd recommend Lidl's bread flour - its only 78p for 1.5kg - enough for 3 large loaves

I'd also recommend getting a big bag of Fermipan yeast - our local health sells it at about £3 a bag - put a little in a jar for using and the rest in the freezer - it lasts ages and is much cheaper than the little sachets

 

My everyday recipe is

 

500g flour

1tsp yeast

big glug of oil

350ml water

 

Bear in mind that once its cooked - it needs an hour or two to cool before you can use it - so unless you get up very early - you can't have fresh bread for breakfast

 

I'd say get an electric bread knife too - they make cutting it a LOT easier

 

Let us know how you get on

[sted]

Bear in mind that once its cooked - it needs an hour or two to cool before you can use it - so unless you get up very early - you can't have fresh bread for breakfast

 

Let us know how you get on

 

no it dosent i eat it straight from the machine tip onto plate cut and eat