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Breadmakers used to be the luxury appliances to have at home: requiring a lot of space, being time-consuming, and costing a fortune. But, thanks to progress, everything has changed over time. Those devices got much smaller, became affordable, and require less time and maintenance.
Not to mention the reliability and ease of use that has significantly evolved over the last decade.
We’ve reviewed a number of popular machines, and here’s a short table to give you a basic picture. Feel free to explore each model for a detailed review.
Image | Product | |
---|---|---|
Best Choice | Sunbeam 5891 Programmable Bread Maker
| Check Price |
Great Value | Oster CKSTBRTW20 2Lb Bread Maker
| Check Price |
Best Features | Zojirushi BB-PAC20BA Home Bakery
| Check Price |
Why use a bread machine at all?
It’s money-saving
It might not look like that right away, but try to sum up bread ingredients cost and compare it to a loaf of bread at your store. The average price for a loaf of bread is about $2.5 in the USA while the ingredients probably won’t cost more than $1.5. That’s just a dollar, but multiply that dollar for, let’s say, one loaf a day for three months, and you quickly get $100 of savings. That’s your average bread machine cost. Let’s say you and your family consumes one loaf a day; it will take about three months to get the spending back. Of course, this is just an approximate calculation, but it’s good enough for you to see the picture. So you will get your spending back in about three months on average, give or take a couple of weeks. That’s not bad of an investment. Especially when…
It’s healthier
No bread can be compared to something that you bake yourself. You can be sure about all the ingredients, and you know and control the process from A to Z. We’re not saying that bread from your store is unhealthy, but nothing can beat the bread that you’ve made by yourself.
It’s time-efficient
One could argue that you have to spend your time baking. First of all, bread baking doesn’t take too much time when done right. You put the ingredients into the machine, press a few buttons, and you’re good to go. Second is that you should consider the time spent on purchasing the bread, getting to that store, unless the bread is delivered to your door (which isn’t free).
It’s just more convenient
As you can see, using a bread machine might add a bit of convenience to your life, whether you’re a busy person, want to save some money, or would like to start eating healthier.
Buying a bread machine
Breadmaker appliances aren’t something new to the market. Intense competition among manufacturers has given us a good variety of decent models to choose from. They come in various shapes and sizes and carry some special features sometimes. You’d have to decide what you need to not overpay for the features you won’t ever use.
The basic rule “you get what you pay for” applies to bread machines as well, but still, some models provide better value for your money than the others. Take a look at our comparison table and make sure to read our reviews before making up your mind.
How to choose the right breadmaker
Price
Bread machines usually start at around $60, and top models can cost up to $300. The best value usually lies somewhere in between. To not overpay, make sure you’re not getting more features or bigger size than you’d ever need.
Size
These appliances usually come in two sizes. Vertical machines are usually smaller, and they come with one blade that might be suitable for single users or smaller households. Portability is another plus of this size.
The horizontal machines are bigger, they usually have two kneading blades, letting you bake up to 3 Lb. of bread. Of course, they usually come a bit more expensive than the smaller ones. This type is an excellent choice for a big family or an experienced baker.
Settings
First, let’s go through some basic features that all machines have:
Delayed start. All breadmakers nowadays have up to 13 hours of delayed start option. This option is helpful when you want to bake something overnight, or maybe you want some fresh bread for dinner when you get back from work.
If you had no time to put the ingredients and use the delayed start in the morning, and you just got back from work and want a fresh bread as fast as possible, there’s a quick bake option that lets you bake bread in less than an hour.
Also, all models have at least two crust shades to choose from, light or dark. Most models also have a medium shade available.
Special features
Some machines, Panasonic SD-RD250, for example, are packed with nut and fruit dispensers. In case you’re into sweet bread or, let’s say, cakes with raisins, this option could be a timesaver. You just put the nuts or fruits into the dispenser, and the machine adds them automatically at the right time. You just set and forget.
There’s also a mode for baking gluten-free bread in some models. It might be worth to check it out if you’re living a healthy lifestyle.
Some models, like Zojirushi BB-CEC20, also let you bake cakes, lots of other sweets and even prepare a meatloaf. This variety of baking options might even replace an oven in some cases.
Using and maintaining your bread machine
Since the home models of bread machines are quite user-friendly, using them is always simple and straightforward.
There are, basically, just a few tricks in making a good bread:
- Tweak it until you find the right recipe for you. While the recipe book might come handy for beginning the baking, it probably still isn’t your perfect solution. Don’t be shy to tweak the recipe or search the internet to try the new types of bread.
- Make sure the ingredients are at home temperature.
- Remove the blade after kneading if your machine allows that.
- Let your bread cool off before slicing it.
Here’s an introductory video to give you an idea of the breadmaking process:
When it comes to maintaining, there are two basic simple rules:
- Keep the machine clean. Wash it right after the shop before baking anything. Wipe it with a sponge when needed.
- Don’t wash the pan in a dishwasher. Only wash it by hand with no abrasives. Soft sponge and a bit of soap or liquid will work just fine. You don’t want the non-stick surface of it to be damaged, or the baking might become quite stressful if your lovely fresh bread gets stuck to the pan.
Here’s another video that shows how simple and effective the bread baking can be:
Conclusion
As you can see, the breadmaking machine not only can be a good time and money saver but also leads you to a healthier eating style. The biggest challenge is to choose the right one and not overpay for the features you won’t ever use. Our website can help you with that: start with the comparison table, and don’t be afraid to read further as we’ve got detailed numerous model reviews for your convenience.