Bread making machines

[manning]

Are they worth it?

 

[Pikezh638]

I have used mined about 5 times, and I think it is. I enjoy mine

 

[jdb in AZ]

Mine does a great job, especially when I set the timer at night and wake up to the smell of hot fresh bread. I also use it to make dough for cinnamon rolls which have to be shaped the old-fashioned way after the dough finishes rising.

The big drawback is that using the machine very often becomes a "broadening" experience -- a moment on the lips; a lifetime on the hips.

 

[sbtrfly74]

I just bought one for my DD21 for Christmas and I cant wait to play with it too

 

[shortbun]

Does any company still make the boxed mixes? They were so fast.

 

[barkley]

Does any company still make the boxed mixes? They were so fast.

I still see them on grocery shelves.



since the prices have come down since bread machines first came out I think that even if you don't use one frequently it's still a great appliance to have.

when dh and I still worked ours was a godsend. between it and a crockpot we could walk in at night and have dinner just finishing up and the most wonderful aromas wafting through the house

we use ours less frequently now but enjoy it when we do. we like to do just a basic bread in it but throw in seasonings to flavor it. Watkins and other companies that make dip mix (the kind you just add to mayo or sour cream) work realy well. we just add a couple of spoonfulls to the machine when we put in the other ingredients and end up with some tasty stuff. sweetened cocoa powder works well too (esp. if you like to top your bread with peanut butter).

 

[MIGrandma]

I bought a Breadman Pro a couple years ago, it has a gluten free setting too.

During the fall/winter months the machine sits at the end of one of my kitchen counters, and stays there because I use it so often during this time of the year.

I use a recipe for it sometimes, but we love the Hodson Mill 9-Grain and European Cheese breads too so make those quite often. I have gotten them at our local grocery store but they are much cheaper if bought from Amazon. I buy each in a 6-pack.

 

[ronandannette]

I LOVED the idea of mine but ended up being very disappointed. At our altitude yeast doughs need to be adjusted (proportion of ingredients, rising time) and none of the recipes I found or the pre-packaged mixes ever turned out right. I ended up selling it for $3 in my last garage sale.

 

[JanaDee]

No.

 

[rwdavis2]

No also. We used to have one and it made bread that was OK, not great. I finally started making it myself, usually using a mixer with a bread hook to do most of the kneading. It takes some practice to get the dough correct and to calibrate the oven but the results are far, far superior.

 

[maddiebee]

I asked for a bread machine with a gluten free setting for Christmas this year. I found one with good gf reviews and am hoping it will be worth it because gluten free bread is TERRIBLE.

 

[SpecialK]

I got one for $5 at Goodwill. I don't bake in it, but I use the dough setting quite often. It mixes and takes the dough through the first rise.

 

[LBIJim]

My wife has had one for about 10 years. It finally broke earlier this fall and she replaced it. At first I was skeptical way back when, but the machine does a good job. Some recipes turned out better than others, so I guess you need to experiment. The bread does go stale fast, however, usually less than 48 hours after baking. Seems to turn into a cinder block. If you accidently drop it it might crash right thru the kitchen floor into the basement.

My daughter recently got one at a thrift store for about $5, The instruction manual was missing so she went to the manufacturer's website and it was posted there.

Jim

 

[wiigirl]

I have a Cuisinart and I love it. I make a couple loaves of bread a month.

 

[Robinrs]

I love mine. I make rolls, cinnamon rolls and bread on mine. I usually use it for the dough and use the dough for whatever use I need it for.

 

[hsmamato2]

no.... go to any thrift store,and notice the aisles full of them that people don't want they're bulky....slow....and there are too many really easy bread recipes around th=o make them worth much..... I have a fave bread I make that is so simple, the machine is way more difficult if you want one, get a cheap thrift store machine to try it out, they're less than $10 anywhere

 

[paymerich]

no.... go to any thrift store,and notice the aisles full of them that people don't want they're bulky....slow....and there are too many really easy bread recipes around th=o make them worth much..... I have a fave bread I make that is so simple, the machine is way more difficult if you want one, get a cheap thrift store machine to try it out, they're less than $10 anywhere

I am giving mine away for cost of shipping!

 

[manning]

My wife has had one for about 10 years. It finally broke earlier this fall and she replaced it. At first I was skeptical way back when, but the machine does a good job. Some recipes turned out better than others, so I guess you need to experiment. The bread does go stale fast, however, usually less than 48 hours after baking. Seems to turn into a cinder block. If you accidently drop it it might crash right thru the kitchen floor into the basement.

My daughter recently got one at a thrift store for about $5, The instruction manual was missing so she went to the manufacturer's website and it was posted there.

Jim

That's because store bought bread has preservatives in it.

 

[manning]

No also. We used to have one and it made bread that was OK, not great. I finally started making it myself, usually using a mixer with a bread hook to do most of the kneading. It takes some practice to get the dough correct and to calibrate the oven but the results are far, far superior.

Which is better? Bread flour or all purpose flour.

Also someone suggested getting Beth Hensberger's

The Bread Lover's Bread Machine Cookbook.

 

[aprilchem]

IMO it depends on whether you use it or not. I bake all of my family's bread products - bread for sandwiches, bagels, hotdog/hamburger buns, rolls, etc. I use my bread maker 3-4x a week to make the dough, although I never bake in it (I prefer to let my dough rise in a bread pan and bake it off in the oven).

I do have a Kitchenaid Mixer, but for as much as I bake bread I don't have the time to stand around and watch a mixer. I just put my ingredients in, walk away, and know that in 27 minutes I'll have perfect dough.

I don't use bread flour. I grind my own grain from wheat berries and add 1/2 cup of regular flour so there's enough gluten in there. You have to do a bit of adjusting for the seasons (at least where I live; summer baking is very different from winter baking) but all in all it's pretty easy.