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alicegunther
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| Posted: Dec 03 2005 at 11:59am | IP Logged
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Hi everyone,
I am thinking about investing in a bread machine and would love some tips from those of you who use these machines. What are the best ones on the market? What features should I look for? Are there any machines to be avoided?
Many thanks.
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MacBeth
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| Posted: Dec 03 2005 at 12:39pm | IP Logged
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I am not sure I can help here, as we have had our breadmaker for 17 years or so. It's a Panasonic, and I love it, but if I were buying one now I would look for something with a 2 lb loaf capacity like this one. "Breadman" machines come with the best recipes, too.
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BrendaPeter
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| Posted: Dec 03 2005 at 5:53pm | IP Logged
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Hi Alice,
I have the machine the one that Macbeth recommends & am happy with it. There is another brand (a Japanese brand whose name escapes me) which makes wider loafs that are more like store-bought in shape.
We probably use our machine 5X/week. I use the dough feature more than the bread-making feature. I use it for pizza dough & rolls (honey whole wheat) to go with soup. I also make honey whole wheat bread & slice it up for dh's sandwichs for work. I put 2 slices in a ziploc baggie & then pull 1 out in the morning to make his lunch.
Hope that helps!
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JennGM
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| Posted: Dec 03 2005 at 6:21pm | IP Logged
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BrendaPeter wrote:
| There is another brand (a Japanese brand whose name escapes me) which makes wider loafs that are more like store-bought in shape. |
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That would be Zojirushi . I bought one of this brand a while back due the good reviews. I haven't used it in a while, but I was very pleased with the versatility of the machine, the size and shape of the loaf, and how easy it was to adapt my usual recipes (non-bread machine) to the machine.
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Elizabeth
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Well, in my former life, I was a bread machine  . We burned out several machines because rare is the bread machine that can handle all-whole-grain dough for any length of time. The Zojirushi is the best of the bunch. But... you might consider a Bosch mixer which would allow you to knead 4-6 whole grain loaves at a time with very little effort. Then you can bake them in the oven. I used to do it every other day or so. Once you hvae a tried and ture recipe and you're in a rhythm, it's not really a big deal. And the mixer has an awesome blender for smoothies and homemade frappucinos and it can handle enormous quantities of cookie dough and meat loaf and...
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BrendaPeter
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Alice,
Elizabeth makes a very good point about the Bosch mixer. Several of my friends have graduated to a mixer as their families have grown. A loaf of 2 lb. bread goes very quickly in a family of 8. When we make sandwiches it's for 7 people (our littlest is 1) & the entire loaf goes. Currently we're at the point where the machine makes the exact correct amount but as the little kids get bigger that won't be the case. You may want to try an inexpensive machine initially just to see how much you'll use it. Usually the pan seals (where the blade attaches) are the 1st things to go. They're not too expensive to replace. A mixer is a much bigger investment.
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teachingmom
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I have a Breadman. (Only 1.5 lb model--I wish it were 2lb, but bought it years ago.) It's been a good machine for our limited use. I don't know how it would perform if it got used regularly. I just make bread for dinners with guests periodically and pizza dough every so often. I agree that the recipes that came with the machine are very good.
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Karen T
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I have a Westbend Baker's Choice PlusII machine. It's been a decent machine and makes both 1.5 lb and 2 lb loaves which are rectangular more like store-bought bread. I've had it about 7-8 yrs and have used it 1-2 times a week, for either bread or more commonly, dough.
Elizabeth, I really need a new mixer. I've been using the same hand-held Black and Decker mixer for at least 20 yrs! I'd been thinking about a Kitchen Aid, but I remember you writing a lot about the Bosch (and wheat grinders too?) last year or before, on CCM. Which Bosch model do you recommend? I don't have a huge family to bake for, but I'd love to be able to do large amounts and then freeze a couple loaves. Also large batches of cookie dough.
Karen T
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Sarah
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I have had a bread machine and a Kitchenaid mixer and I'd recommend the mixer any day over the bread machine, although my bread machine wasn't the same quality as you're talking about. You can knead tons of dough and make so much in a mixer. Be sure to get a heavy duty mixer with a good motor. Although places like Target carry Kitchenaid, I believe (but I could be wrong )that the motor isn't the same as the more expensive models.
My husband bought me a mixer and I honestly wondered what I was going to do with it, but I use that thing nearly every day.
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Karen T
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One reason I've put off getting a real stand mixer is that I had no place to put it in my kitchen, where I'd be able to use it frequently and yet not take up the whole counter. We just remodeled our kitchen and one of the things I got was 2 tall pantries with roll out drawers. One is used as a regular pantry, and the other is where I keep those types of things now - the bread machine, crock pot, popcorn popper, Cuisinart, etc. It has electrical outlets in the back so I can even use some things right in the shelves, like the cuisinart. I do take out the bread machine, crock pot etc to use b/c of heat buildup, but it's so much easier with the pull out shelves.
Karen T
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4Real Forums : Our Lady's Loom, Larder, and Laundry
Topic: Bread Machines
