I’d like to try a bread maker, apart from better tasting bread it seems
it’s a much cheaper way than getting shop bought. But we do get through
a large bloomer a day, so are there any good machines that do a descent size loaf?

Doesn’t a conventional oven bake bread? Why do you need a “bread maker”?

Bakers don’t use little japanese boxes which leave a sinister hole in the bottom of a loaf like the dog’s cock has been in there….

Bakers don’t use little japanese boxes which leave a sinister hole in the bottom of a loaf like the dog’s cock has been in there….

Don’t bakers get at 4am though?

Apparently a bread maker only uses .36kwH of power to make a loaf as opposed to 1.36 kwH for oven made. CFP and all that.

Panasonic.

Panasonic are reconsigned as the best bread makers our is 10 years old used every other day bread is better than shop bought but does have a hole in the bottom

Mine’s a cheapo from Argos, 25 quid, and from what I see the baskets are the same. Bread comes out fine and I don’t see why I should spend 3X more on something else…

John Lewis bread maker is pretty good.

For a minute forget about the initial cost of the machine, what does it cost per loaf?
Just wondered if there is a saving or is it just about ‘making your own’

allthepies – Member
Panasonic.

Yup, had 2 loafs this week. Yum……….

Panasonic.

We use ours every day. Get one with a timer then you can have fresh bread every morning. The raisin dispenser is good if you want to make malt loaf.

Just avoid using the bread mixes. They never taste right to me. And they are more expensive. Just buy good flour and yeast.

For a minute forget about the initial cost of the machine, what does it cost per loaf?

About 50p for a large loaf.

Handmade Sour Dough, it’s the DE, single-speed of the bread world.

Panasonic. Use it every day, sometimes twice. I eat a lot of bread… mmmmm…… brrreeeaaaaaaaaaddddddddd…..

I’m not sure I would go for it purely on cost grounds. It probably is cheaper, but only marginally. And that’s not taking into account the cost of the machine.

Having said that, I love mine on so many levels.

The Panasonic is still generally considered the best. Mines about 8 years old now, and I used to use mine a lot, but now make it by hand. Due to the longer fermentation process used when making it by hand it tastes soooo much better. It’s quite therapeutic doing the kneading as well.

My sourdough is pretty darned good as well and I ride a SS… 😀

In all, it only takes about 30 mins of actual work to knock up a loaf, the rest of the time is just rising/proving/cooking time. You can even prove it overnight in the fridge ready to put straight into the oven next morning…

Lots of good information on here http://www.thefreshloaf.com/ ,I find breadmaking very therapeutic,and everybody in our house loves my bread.For £2-3 you can try a few recipesand see if you like it,no machine needed.
Ian

Oh, forgot to say, my machine is a Kenwood 250. I would not buy the same again. Not just on this thread, but I hear good things about the Panasonics.

Apparently a bread maker only uses .36kwH of power to make a loaf as opposed to 1.36 kwH for oven made. CFP and all that.

But the oil out the ground, the refining and transport of same to make the plastic box, the industrial mining operations for the metal bits, the trees cut down and transported in ships to pulping plants and the water used to pulp, just for the packaging and instructions, and the carbon footprint of the office/factory making the breadmaker, as well as the further footprint in shipping that breadmaker to you in store.

You can probably keep the oven on for a year before you get near the carbon footprint of buying a bread maker.

You can probably keep the oven on for a year before you get near the carbon footprint of buying a bread maker.

So does this mean that ovens just appear out of thin air?

Apparently a bread maker only uses .36kwH of power to make a loaf as opposed to 1.36 kwH for oven made. CFP and all that.

Eh? Perhaps I am being slow, but I assumed the op already had an oven at home, for his other domestic cooking. That he is considering adding to the demand for “breadmakers” which essentially sit around unused a lot, and which only duplicate equiptment he already has. The oven is legacy equipment, and probably considered by 99& of people the item they’d keep if they had a choice of fitting their new kitchen with either a breadmaker or an oven.

Of course, if the op has no oven already, and is considering never baking anthing other than an extensive range of sun dried ciabattas and other morning goods, then I say BUY THE BREADMAKER!

Have had a few, and ended up with Panasonic. Should have got that first – well worth the money and massively better built and therefore reliable than the others, plus you can get spares. My Kenwood went to landfill for the want of a new bearing – “that one is discontinued so we don’t do repairs…”.

Would politely suggest either get Panasonic or do by hand if you have time. I don’t. Lunchtime sandwiches with bread baked overnight are in another league from shop stuff.

Ah bread makers…

A sign of the ‘I want to see results as quickly as possible for the least amount of effort’ times we live in.

Get kneading man!

Cover the kitchen in flour,get it in your hair,dough bogies hanging an all.

Do something properly for once in your life you lazy short cutting I WANT IT NOW man you.

De clutter your house while your at it.

And relax.

It’s quite therapeutic doing the kneading as well.

I find breadmaking very therapeutic

Of course, if the op has no oven already, and is considering never baking anthing other than an extensive range of sun dried ciabattas and other morning goods, then I say BUY THE BREADMAKER!

Do something properly for once in your life you lazy short cutting I WANT IT NOW man you.

This short study proves that people making bread by hand are simply psychopaths, requiring the slow steady movements to stop them shouting at people. If, like them, you need extensive therapy, THEN YOU MUST NOT BUY THE BREADMAKER!!!!

A sign of the ‘I want to see results as quickly as possible for the least amount of effort’ times we live in.

No, they’re the people whose idea of bread is a 2lb Warburtons Toastie (ie, me).

i got a bread maker at uni.

she runs on cheese twists and wine.
tis rad.

Panasonic SD 255, love that bad boy.

Yeah Panasonic here too, usually hate white bread but the stuff that comes out of this is nice – usually have wholemeal though.

Sainsbury’s actually do a Taste the Difference – “pane cane cazzo” Italian rustic loaf with a dog’s cock embedded in it

You know why the baker had brown hands?

He urgently kneaded a poo.

This thread was going well in favour of a bread maker, until

I used to use mine a lot, but now make it by hand. Due to the longer fermentation process used when making it by hand it tastes soooo much better. It’s quite therapeutic doing the kneading as well.

and

For £2-3 you can try a few recipesand see if you like it,no machine needed.

even though my double range oven has it’s own carbon footprint, I have it already

can probably keep the oven on for a year before you get near the carbon footprint of buying a bread maker.

how hard can it be?

it only takes about 30 mins of actual work to knock up a loaf

this was the clincher for me

This short study proves that people making bread by hand are simply psychopaths, requiring the slow steady movements to stop them shouting at people. If, like them, you need extensive therapy, THEN YOU MUST NOT BUY THE BREADMAKER!!!!

Being a psychopath of the first order myself!!!!!!!!

Knocked up my very first loaf this afternoon, a couple of quid for the stuff and half an hours work. It’s on it’s second rise now and should be ready to shape and bake in another 30 minutes ish.

So, to the OP, from someone else that has considered a breadmaker for a while, DON’T BUY THE BREADMAKER!!
Do it yourself, it’s easier than I thought (I haven’t tasted it yet though).
Breadtastic!

To all the “do it yourself” vigilantes, I say this: Yes, done the slow way is even better. But we don’t all have time (or at least not always), and being able to have a loaf done overnight is hard to match the old fashioned way. Horses for courses, but a machine can make a pretty decent loaf with very little effort if you’re stuck for time.

For all of you in a hurry with a Panasonic:
250g white
250g wholemeal (try to get decent flour, I’m using Doves Farm a.t.m.)
one tsp yeast
bit of salt
20g oil
25g runny honey
320ml warmish water

Do on rapid cycle, takes 1hr 50 mins and makes a perfectly respectable sandwich loaf if you’re in a hurry. I tend to put one on after breakfast on Saturday and have while still slightly warm at lunchtime. Yummy.

And yes, if I have a lazy day I do sometimes do without the machine. But that is more a relaxing past-time rather than just needing some nice nosh

Yet another Panasonic owner here as well. We tried a couple of the cheaper ones but they’re no-where near as good.

I think I’m going to have a stab at this tomorrow. Thanks, STW.

For those looking at the lessons on thefreshloaf.com, I found this to be useful in de-Americanising it: http://www.practicallyedible.com/flour

1 “cup” of flour is about 110-120g I believe.

Smarty.. it’ll be a cracker I am sure…

The Fopster… actually, it’s entirely possible to do the bulk of the work making a loaf in the evening, and then shape it, plonk it in the tin and put it in the fridge overnight to prove. Next morning you take it out of the fridge, stick the oven on and when it’s up to temp pop the loaf in. Easy, although you might need to get up a little earlier than normal.

Alternatively, mix it the night before, leave to rise in the fridge, shape it and put it in the tin in the morning, put it back in the fridge, then cook it that night.

If anyone wants a good book on bread making I can heartily recommend “Bread Matters” by Andrew Whitely.

Glad I didn’t start a ‘what tumble dryer’ thread!

Right, I’m going to have a go at making it myself. The bread makers just don’t seem too make anything big enough to sustain my family for a day. (Unless I buy two bread makers of course!)

get down to tesco. buy some allinsons dried active yeast and some decent bread flour (i recomend wholegrain svelt flour). find both pretty much next to each other in the baking isle.

follow basic packet instructions to mix/knead.

put it in a baking tin if you have one, if no buns are fine.

let it rise.

bake it at 190 for 20mins.

best bread you will ever eat, more so if you get the svelt flour, best toast next morning you will ever eat.

(Unless I buy two bread makers of course!)

If you can accept the guilt, go for it.

MMMmmmmmm!!

MMmmmmmmm +1