I'm so biased against breadmakers.

BridgetMc

My friend made her first loaf of yeast bread last week, and now she's convinced she needs a breadmaker.  I don't know what my problem is, but I'm having trouble holding myself back from telling her how stupid I think breadmakers are, at least for someone who enjoys cooking and baking, which she does. 

It's just that once you have a stand mixer that can knead yeast dough, the breadmaker saves you maybe five minutes of work transferring the dough to a baking dish.  They're expensive and they take up a lot of storage space.  They limit you to one shape of bread, and it's the shape I make the least. 

On the other hand, why should I care how she spends her money?  I need to butt out.

PAGAS

Eh, I love my bread maker.  It means I can have bread every week and just set it and forget it (just like an infomercial!)

I know it isn't for everyone, but I often just use it to make dough because I know the dough will rise at the right temp and I don't have to fool with it.  I don't really see a difference in letting my stand mixer or bread machine kneadthe dough for me.

You have to understand this is coming from the girl who had a bread machine in her college dorm.  No hot plates allowed...but bread machines weren't on the banned list  So I have been using one forever.  And they have improved a ton in the past 15 years.  My college machine would only make vertical loaves. 

BridgetMc

It's possible that I just had a crappy one when I got one as a gift 8-9 years ago.  Its rising temperature was too hot, so the dough always formed a dried crust on top.  I still used it for years to knead the dough, until I got a stand mixer, and then I gave it away.

LegalBeagle21

I agree with you BridgetMac.

It tastes so much better when I just use a mixer and my hands. I can make two loaves in 1 afternoon and it lasts me 2 weeks in the fridge. The bread machine I own always made it too dense and was uneatable after a day. The mixer makes it easy. I would never spend money on a bread machine.

stargirl0508

Ehhh, we started using a bread machine.  It was great.  We used it to let doughs rise warmly, etc.  Then we did the ever famous no-knead loaf and I don't think we ever looked back.  We brought it with us when we moved, but I'll probably give it to my sister when we move again.  A bread machine was my gateway to making really good bread, so I appreciate it for that.   

Dragonfly08

We make about 4 loaves of bread every week.  No way could we keep up if I had to be around to move it from the mixer to a pan, then let it rise and come back to bake, etc.  With the machine we can set it before bedtime and wake up to a fresh loaf.  Or, if we realize we'll run out during the day, just dump the stuff in and set it to be done when we know someone will be home to take it out and the machine does the rest.  I guess I could make 3-4 loaves on the weekend, but then I'd have to freeze most of it for use later in the week and it's nowhere near as good once you've done that.

I agree...for an occasional (even once weekly) specialty loaf, by hand is the way to go.  But when you make 99% of the bread you eat, the basic sandwich stuff, and your family uses half a loaf minimum per day, the machine is heaven sent. 

Jim&Jaime

I would consider getting one based solely upon the fact that waking up to freshly baked cinnamon raisin bread on a snowy morning was heaven growing up. There was no way my mom was getting up at 3:00 a.m. to make that happen, but the machine had a timer function. 

stacey.taylor

I can understand your point.  The only reason I have one is because it was passed down to me...I would never buy one myself.  That being said, I do use it a lot for mixing, kneading, and rising.  I almost always remove the dough, though, and bake in a different pan because the shape drives me crazy.  It's nice in some cases, but not really worth the cost if you enjoy making it by hand anyways.

joelen&louis

Bridget, it's because of you that I faced my yeast fears a few years ago... and it never occurred to me to even bother with a breadmaker! I'm with you and wouldn't bother with a breadmaker after having such great results without one. {Although, now its a whole different ballgame playing with gluten free bread recipes lol!}

UDscoobychick

BF has one (I make bread by hand at my hosue), and I much prefer the breadmaker.  I just use it to make the dough, then I shape it and bake it.  It takes so much hassle out of having to worry about how warm or cold the house is that day and therefore, how long the dough will take to rise.