Today’s question is from Julie:
What bread machine would you recommend?
Do you have a question you’d like to ask Money Saving Mom® readers? Read the submission guidelines and submit it here.
Reader Interactions
Money Saving Mom® Comment Policy
We love comments from readers, so chime in with your thoughts below! We do our best to keep this blog upbeat and encouraging, so please keep your comments cordial and kind. Read more information on our comment policy.
Does anyone know if the Zojirushi has a gluten free setting? I need a breadmake with a gluten free setting and I have burned through 2 Cuisinarts. (they only lasted a year each)
Hey guys… I’m sure the Zojirushi is SUPER good, but also is SUPER expensive. Once I tried my friend’s bread machine from Cusinart and I Loved it. The small amount of dough made a Huge bread. Amazing! If you buy at Bad bath and beyond you can use the 20% coupon.
Could you summarize all the answers? I’ve been debating for years getting a breadmaker. They have them all the time at the local thrift stores but as I have limited kitchen counter space and storage space I haven’t wanted to invest in it if it turns out not to be very easy to use.
Thanks!
I just bought one from a thrift store; a welbilt. it is pretty big and i want to learn using it before investing in a new one. so far baked a basic bread which came out good. used bread flour and the recipe for it. I do believe the type of flour used is important. Bread making uses bread flour. All purpose flour will need half tsp more of yeast and maybe some gluten powder.
Seems like a good machine. You can get a decent brand from the thrift store and practice on it.
Hi Julie ~
My hubby gave me a West Bend bread maker (sorry-no model number) for Christmas and I love it. Not sure what the price was, but the outside casing is all white with a digital display and clear buttons.
I now try to make bread for my family about once a week. After I was comfortable with the instructions and making a basic recipe, I have been trying different recipes – so far with great results.
Hope this helps! 🙂
I’ve got a Westbend that a friend picked up for me at a yard sale. Cost me $10!! It is awesome. Just put everything in and hit go (bake). It even has timer settings so I can put everything before I go to bed and wake up to the fresh bread smell all through the house!! No model name on it.
I will have to go against the grain and say I don’t really care for my zojurushi. It won’t rise most of the time. I have to use the dough cycle, then rise separately and usually bake in the oven. It is cool to do cakes in it but I’m pretty handy doing that on my own. I used to have a panasonic and it was super easy, but I don’t think they make them any more. good luck
I have a Panasonic now, but have used different brands in different price ranges, and the biggest factor in a good loaf seems to be to weigh your ingredients rather than measure by volume. It gives you more consistent and is time saving! That being said look for features that are important to you. For example, not all machines make whole grain bread. My Panasonic does not do this, but my cheaper Oster does. However, my Panasonic has an automatic drop-in for raisins, sausage, etc while my Oster does not. I can add them by hand to my Oster but if I want to start it and leave, I can’t make Cinnamon Raisin Bread. Research like crazy and buy the machine that has the features which are most important for your family. For me, whole grain tops the list. Also, homemade bread does not last as long as store-bought bc of the lack of preservatives – about 3 days. Unless you have a large family a 1-lb loaf is probably sufficient. Or you can make a 2-lb loaf, keep half out to eat and freeze the other half. I’ve had a lot of success storing my fresh bread in a bread crock and then defrosting the 2nd half as we need it. A Zoji is on my wish list!
Being on a small budget, I could only afford the Sunbeam bread maker but it has been wonderful! Every loaf has been perfect.
If you are looking for a bread machine, then I would also vote for the zojirushi. The one I had lasted many years and I loved it.
But now I rather make my bread from scratch, including grinding my own grain. This keeps the nutrients in the bread and tastes wonderful And, it’s really very easy. I use the NutriMill to grind my grain (very easy). And a Bosch mixer to mix and knead the dough. It doesn’t take me very long to make 3 loaves (baked in the oven) and everyone raves about my bread. I think it comes out much better than the bread machine.
Just wanted to add another angle in case you are interested.
Blessings,
Jane
Zojirushi vote, I LOVE mine. I make ~1 to 4 loaf a week and can’t ask for better!
Above is my Zojirushi vote, I LOVE IT.
Then I read some of the comments. I use to love making bread by hand, I even have an antique board my Grand mother gave me. But as I get older, I am 44, my wrists cannot take the kneading. I have a 50 year old Kitchen Aid, bought from a coworker for 50 dollars 10 years ago, which was suppose to be on it’s last leg back then, it is still going strong. It sounds old but works. I kneads up just fine till I get to the heavier grain breads. I love artisan breads and yeast rolls love that I can have my Zojirushi for all the hard work then take it out and pop in the oven to bake.
I have three!–what can I say. I even use it to mix some of the ingredients for cakes, cookies, etc . Anyway, my welbilt is my favorite. If you get a Welbilt, you need to add about an extra Tablespoon of liquid to every recipe. I have a Williams Sonama bread machine. I like it, but the Welbilt was about 1/2 the cost and works better.
I have the Zojirushi BB-CEC20 Home Bakery Supreme 2 pound loaf Breadmaker. I absolutely love it. It has a lot of features and does an excellent job making bread and dough. It is a dual-blade bread machine, which makes it worth the money.
I love my zojirushi.
Save up for the best one: the Zojirushi. You can make jam in it, it has a million settings that you can customize for your bread recipes and a 12 hour timer. It cooks really evenly as well. It’s a wonderful investment!
I agree 110 percent with Angie!
I have had my Zojirushi over 9 years now, it breezes through even the hardiest of dough. It will makes a rectangle 2 pound loaf, kneads easily with 2 paddles. Cobbler, pizza dough, Sloppy Joes you name it and mine came with 2 small cookbooks with easy recipies to get you started. Easy to use and clean.
I would also suggest investing in ‘The Bread Lover’s Bread Machine Cookbook’ for any bread machine you invest in. This cook book is fabulous and inspires you to get the most out of your machine.
I have a Odder 2in1 deluxe bread machine. It makes bread, roughs, and even jam. It is solo easy to use and is one of the best investments I’ve ever made.
I took my moms since she hasn’t used it in, um, about 15+ years. We have had a few “miss” loaves of bread, but my lifestyle really lends itself to a “set it and forget it” type of baking. I use the bread machine four or five times a month, I think, and plan to use it more often now that I am starting to get the hang of it. Actually, this post made me decide to throw in a batch to go with dinner.
The brand is worn off of ours, but the instruction book says Welbilt. I’m not much for unitaskers, (LOVE Alton Brown) but this one has earned a place on my small counter top. And for what it’s worth, I have a Kitchen Aid now, too. I received a refurbished one last year as a Christmas present, but *I* would rather just use the bread machine. I recommend picking one up at a garage sale or Goodwill, etc, to see if you even like using it before investing much $$ into one.
We are a pretty darned crazy busy family. Hubby is SWAT, kid is soccer player/track nuts, and I work. I have a Regal breadmaker – my kid loooooves homemade bread and we try all kinds even gluten free in it. The thing I like about it is that if I do not have the time to hang around and hand-knead or even use my mixer (which is preferable – we have a Kitchen Aid workhorse-unitasker, haha), I like to “set it and forget it” on those days that I think I’m not going to be able to enjoy making bread, but still need a loaf for part of the week!
We use our bread machine twice a week to make whole wheat bread and whole wheat raisin and cinnamon bread. We love it!! It’s easy and effortless and always turns out so well.
We also use it once in a while to make whole wheat pizza dough and it is perfect everytime. The recipes we use came with the machine and call for bread flour which we found to be very important.
Our bread machine is a Cuisinart CBK-200C.
Zojirushi absolutely. Got mine in 97 and have used it non stop without problems. Bread Beckers has a great 100% whole wheat bread recipe for the Zo that we love. You use the Homemade setting.
My Zo also has a cake and jam setting and I’ve used both many times.
Yes, you CAN buy the cheaper bread machines……but there is a reason they are sitting on the shelf at the thrift store. Thumbs down on many of them. The Zo is more expensive, but an excellent product. Happy Baking
I have 2 bread machines that I use at least 3-4 times a week. One is a sunbeam & one an Oster. As a mom of 10, I love the convenience of throwing ingredients in and hours later having freshly baked bread. We use the machines at least once a week to make pizza dough as well. I was blessed with a Kitchenaid mixer for Christmas last year from my In-laws. I Love it! I honestly couldn’t have imagined spending the money, but now that I have one, I can’t imagine going back to the cheap quality mixer I had!
What specific model/style/all info is your KA mixer? I’ve been thinking about one but scared from the bad reviews over the last few years.
http://www.amazon.com/Sunbeam-5891-2-Pound-Programmable-Breadmaker/dp/B00067REBU
I had one and gave it to a friend who needed it more than I did, then I got 2 others on freecycle, one was even a very expensive brand, but none worked as well as the Sunbeam! It is by far the best.
I actually make Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes for y white bread, and I use the Sunbeam just to knead and rise my WW bread, then bake it in the oven.
I have a Kitchen Aid, but I have found t is HORRIBLE for bread dough. It is just an Artisan, not an industrial version, so that may have something to do with it.
Also it often goes on sale very cheaply at Walmart after CHRISTmas.
Zojirushi Bread Machine! Wonderful machine!
I Love my Zojirushi !! The bread and dough comes out great everytime and i’ve even made jams, jelly and banana bread. Great investment.
We have a Zojirushi. Found it on clearance at a Zappos outlet of all places! (They had a random corner of houseware stuff)
Pros: makes a full regular-shaped loaf, fool-proof, time-saving, energy saving (compared to heating the oven), works great
Cons: takes up a lot of counter space (we have a very small kitchen), pricey even on clearance
I love my Zojirushi. I bought it in 2005. I bought this particular brand because my friend had one, she really liked it, was always sharing what she had baked in it, and explained to me how to use it. It cost $179 on a military base. I own a KitchenAid stand mixer but have never tried making bread with it.
I have used a bread machine for many years and it worked great. My kids started eating more and the bread machine did not make a big enough batch to feed them. I switched over to a food processer so I could make bigger batches. After using that for a while I ditched that and just started making it by hand. It’s supper easy and less equipement to clean and I am not restricted on the size or amount of bread I want to make at one time. So for me just mixing everything by hand turned out to work best for my family and taste the same if not better.
I have a breadman, which I love. My next one will probably be a breville or cuisinart from Williams-Sonoma. I also do the no-knead artisan breads and love those as well. I usually have some of that in my fridge for quick weekday bread baking. When I feel like making several loaves of bread or a lot of pizza dough, or i just feel like using my oven, I use one or more of my 6 kitchen-aid mixers. They can’t be beat if you can only buy one appliance.
I debated between a bread machine and a kitchenaid for several months. They have different benefits, so it really comes down to what YOUR life looks like. I debated between them for months before settling on a bread machine.
Yes, I could have used the kitchenaid for other things, but it was about 3x the price, too. [30x the price if I’d bought a bread machine at goodwill.]
The ability to dump everything in and walk away is very helpful with small kiddos around – it only takes one 5 minute block to make bread – I don’t have to organize to be available to transfer it to pans and check its progress in the oven. I can also set the machine timer to have bread ready at a certain time, even if I don’t have time to bake it then.
And the final straw: I live in the southern USA. No way am I going to turn on my oven for an hour at a time several times a week in summer!!!
We are gluten free, and there are only a couple machines that can handle gluten free bread, but I’ve been extremely happy with ours. If you aren’t GF, I think just about any brand will work reasonably well.
Agreed! I have a toddler, and a newborn who hates to be put down, and I’ve been making both bread and pizza dough several times a week thanks to my bread machine. There’s no way I’d be able to do this with a mixer. Being able to set it and walk away is priceless right now!
I have used a Bosch for about 30 years. They are more expensive, but built to last. Back in the day when I was a young mother, I used to make six loaves of whole wheat bread a week. I even ground my wheat into flour and the Bosch handled six loaves beautifully. It is also used as my mixer, blender and food processor. Great investment.
I agree about the Bosch! I have had mine for 6+ years and make 4 loaves at a time…but, I also LOVE my ZOJIRUSHI bread machine! It depends on my schedule for which one I use, but I can make pretty much any bread product. They are both pricey, but well worth the investment. I also have a Nutrimill grain mill to have healthier flours. All in all, we have great bread and save lots of $. Have you priced a loaf of whole grain natural bread from a health store lately?!?
I have a Sunbeam Oster — the 2 lb one. It’s very basic but does an excellent job. I make everything from bread and rolls to pizza dough and pretzels. I don’t think it cost more than $75 and I’ve had it for around 4 years. Love it!
Do you have a good pretzel recipe for the bread machine?
I bought a Zojirushi at a thrift store last summer and love it. I just throw in the ingredients and let it make the dough. It’s so easy my 12 year old son will make it himself. After an initial rise (which is great because our house is on the cool side) I punch it down and let it rise again in a basket lined with floured linen. While that is rising I preheat the oven with the ceramic bread cloche I also found at the thrift store and get ready to bake. The crust is fantastic and it’s SOS easy and delicious.
i’ll add to all the good reviews for zojirushi bread machines. i have the home bakery mini — it’s a regular-looking loaf, the paddle doesn’t stick in the bread after baking, it’s easy to clean, and i’ve yet to have an unsuccessful loaf.
I LOVE my bread machine and use it at least once a week but usually more. Some of us just don’t have time to do the hand kneading and babysitting thing. Mine is a Breadman brand.
I enjoy my Panasonic – http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-SD-YD250-Automatic-Bread-Maker/dp/B00005QFL0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332967569&sr=8-1
961 reviews – almost 5 stars!
There’s also the hand mixer/bowl/oven option. A $40-50 Kitchen Aid hand electric mixer is a lot cheaper than a stand version, and I use it for many things.
I have started kneading IN the bowl instead of on the counter, and saves a lot of cleanup.
I got a used bread machine off of Craigslist. I think it is a Breadman, but I don’t really know the model. I was not sure if I would use it or not, so I did not want to pay for a new one. I paid $30 I think. I figured if it was something I used a lot, I could upgrade.
I use the bread machine two times a week or more. However, I have not used it for actually baking a loaf of bread. I only use the dough function. I do have a trusty Kitchen Aid, and theoretically could make my dough in there are then let it rise, etc, but the bread machine is so much easier and faster for me. Even though the KA mixer mixes and kneads, I still have to do some work. (watch it, take it out and put in in another bowl to rise, find a good spot for it.) The bread machine is so quick because once the ingredients are measured, I can completely move onto something else for an hour and a half.
I make homemade french bread once or twice a week, dinner rolls if I need something to round out a meal, and pizza. And of course, Crystal’s recipe on here for bread machine cinnamon rolls!!!! That is one dangerous recipe!
I have been making bread since I was 12 years old; we made 16 loaves a week for our family and kneaded it all by hand.
I am busy home educating 7 children but still want us to enjoy the flavor and nutrition of freshly ground wheat bread. Our freezer is too full with a half side of beef, 9 turkeys from Thanksgiving sales, and garden produce to put a large batch of bread in weekly.
This is why we invested in a Zojirushi Bread Maker. It is wonderful to put the bread machine in the garage (attached to our kitchen); we don’t heat up the house on warm/hot days with the bread baking.
http://www.zojirushi.com/products/bbcec
We also make pizza dough each week and sometimes banana bread or another type of bread for a treat for breakfast, lunch or a snack.
I love the timer which can be set so the bread is hot just in time for breakfast or dinner.
Before we were married, I invested in a Kitchen Aid and a Cuisinart Food Processor; they both knead dough just fine but the motors will burn out if you plan to made bread daily. A Bosch will knead 8 pounds of bread dough at a time; I bought one of those used after many friends encouraged me to make our bread all in one day but we have decided that fresh bread daily is our favorite.
Zojirushi is the best bread machine made. It has two mixing paddles and will even handle 100 percent whole wheat bread. It is programmable if you want to change rise time or other settings. It also has a timer so you can have it start later in the day so the bread is ready when you get home in the evening. I also have a DLX Assistant dough mixer but I love the bread machine for when I’m going to be away all day and want hot bread for supper. If you intend to make bread frequently, I wouldn’t buy a Kitchen Aid mixer. I belong to a Yahoo bread making group and I don’t know how many times I’ve read about people’s Kitchen Aids burning up from mixing bread dough.
If you have kitchen aid mixer, that’s great. But if not, You should be able to find a bread machine cheaper, if price is an issue. I have a black&decker that was given to me, so I use it ALL the time. I never bake bread in it though. I always use the dough cycle. Any bread recipe I use I put in there, let it do it’s work and then finish up. I make cinnamon rolls, bread, hamburger and hotdog buns, pizza dough and lots more!
I agree with Crystal. I just got a cuisinart and I think it is one of the best kitchen purchases we have made. It makes our gluten free bread perfectly. Our seven year daughter is thrilled she can make our bread. That would not be possible if we just used our Bosch. Also, it is so warm that not having to heat up the kitchen is a huge plus!!
I use the Hamilton Beach Model. It only makes a noise while kneading, but it is pretty much quiet throughout the rest of the process.
You made my day, this was exactly my next research project. I guess I’ll stick to my Kitchen Aid since I didn’t even think of that. Thanks everyone!
While using a mixer and pan is OK, the bread machine is much easier and less clean-up — you dump the stuff in and walk away. I HIGHLY recommend any of the Zojirushi machines. I’ve had mine for almost 20 years, and it works great! My daughters loved to make bread when they were young, which is an added bonus.
I see these offered for free on free cycle quite often. If you don’t have experience with a bread machine, I’d recommend trying that first. Then if you feel you need a different one amnd know you will use it, it would be worth the investment.
I normally use my KitchenAid mixer and bake in the oven. I don’t like bread machines because the ones I’ve used before make that ugly square loaf. There’s something about bread looking like a loaf of bread that’s important to me.
Are there any bread machines that make a normal looking loaf?
Yes! The Zoji!
It makes a beautiful loaf.
I use the bread machine to do the mixing and kneading (and the first rise). Then I take it out, let it do the second rise in the pan and bake it in the regular oven.
Many of the new ones make a normal shaped loaf. It is the older models that made the tall square loaf. Just turn it on it’s side and slice it!
I have a bread machine. I made all of our family’s bread for years without one, but then we bought an RV, and I needed to be able to make our bread while camping. One of my children has a sesame seed allergy, and while you can buy bread at the store that doesn’t actually have sesame seeds on top, it’s all made on equipment that processes sesame seeds, and his allergy is incredibly severe to tiny amounts.
I bought a Sunbeam. It’s fine, and I’m happy with it. It is huge, though. I got one with an option for a 1.5 or 2 pound loaf, and I’m glad that I can make 2 lb loaves. Unless you’re cooking for just one or two people, a 1.5 lb loaf is just too small for a bread machine. Because of the funny shape, you don’t get as many slices as you do from bread baked in the oven.
Over a 20 year course of raising four children, and having a husband whom I packed lunch for everyday, I relied heavily on my bread machine. I tried a few different models over the year and my absolute, hands down favorite was The Breadman. I believe this was the original bread machine and new models have only gotten better. It makes a more “normal” rectangular loaf rather than a square one. For the money, I love any model of The Breadman.
I actually did a lot of research before I decided on the bread machine for me – the Cuisinart CBK 100, which I just splurged on. I do have a KitchenAid stand mixer, which I love, but I wanted something that was a bit more “fool-proof.” 🙂 I love that it is so easy to use! It has a TON of options, which is great for versatility. I especially love that it comes with a pasta dough setting – handy for my KitchenAid pasta rolling set. I told you – I love my KitchenAid stand mixer too! 🙂 I had never made bread before, and this machine has been a success every time!
I hope you have better luck with the Cuisinart than I have. I am on my 2nd one and it is breaking down just like the first one. I have only owned this one for one year and I only make bread once every couple of weeks!!! Very disappointed. The only reason I bought a second one was because I had extra pans and paddles I didn’t wan to through away. I needed a breadmachine with a gluten free setting as well.
I have a Sunbeam 5891–it’s not expensive (can’t remember price, but I know it’s below $50) and I’ve been really happy with it. It makes decent bread in the machine. Generally, however, I use the dough cycle, then let dough rise in a loaf pan one last time, then bake it in regular oven. We’ve made all our own bread for 5 years. I like kneading other items, like scones, and hot cross buns:) myself.
My family would definitely recommend a Zojirushi. Yeah, it can be up there in terms of price. But look at it as an investment. It can be used for so much more than bread too-jam, meatloaf, cake even! And it’ll last you forever.
This is the one I have
http://www.amazon.com/Sunbeam-5891-2-Pound-Programmable-Breadmaker/dp/B00067REBU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332961860&sr=8-1
I got it on sale on Amazon for $39 about 6 months ago and I LOVE it. It’s very quiet compared to our old one. We had a sunbeam before that lasted us 10 years and we used it alot. We only replaced it because it became too loud in it’s old age to run during naptime. LOL
I got an older Zojirushi at the thrift store for $12 last year and I love it! I’ve been an avid bread baker for 20 years (the old-fashioned way) and only in the last year have used a bread machine. It’s great for pre-setting a time to have dough ready to shape on busy days — we use this often for pizza dough or buns. Also, on super hot days, I just put the machine out on my screen porch and bake bread out there — no need to heat the oven. If you’ve got the space and desire to use a bread machine, I say go for it. I was looking for a Zojirushi for a while (maybe 6 months or so…..) before I found one used at a steal of a price (there are LOTS of bread machines out there in all kinds of conditions).
The first Zojirushi that we owned was given to us and it had been heavily used until the previous owner wanted to upgrade theirs. I have no idea how old it was. I was able to use it for 10 years before it finally died. We replaced it, and love ours!
I LOVE my Zujiroshi. We have used it almost every day since we got it for Christmas back in 2009, and it has held up beautifully. The motor is still strong as ever. It may be a little more expensive than some other brands, but it has been a workhorse for us.
Same here. Got it more than 10 years ago as a gift, used it in spurts (weekly for a few months, then not at all for a year, etc.), have used it regularly (2+ times a week at least) for the past three years, and it works great. I use it for pizza dough for our weekly pizza night as well as for dough for bread, rolls, breadsticks, etc. I haven’t actually baked anything in it for a few years because we found we like the crust better when we bake the bread in a regular bread pan in the oven, but I hear that’s a common “complaint” about bread machines — the crust tends to end up funny (too slick/crunchy) on the sides for some reason. Not bad, just different from “regular” bread.
Same here, we love our Zojirushi Supreme! We got it at Kohls.com and got 30% off using our Kohls card, plus Kohl’s cash!
This is my suggestion as well!
I would look at thrift stores, craigslist, or Goodwill first. I always see them around those places. Find one that looks new (many do) and is in good condition (no missing pieces & with the manuel or if an on-line manuel is available for it).
I bought a Panasonic at a thrift shop for $15. It had the owners manuel and looked like it maybe got used a few times as it was nearly spotless. When I got home and did some research on-line I found that my model was 2-3 years old but orginally sold for $150!!!!! It is a very good machine for my needs. It has yeast dispensor on the top, has a timer function, and makes medium or large size loaves. I sometimes use it just to do dough but also I can bake in it in a pinch if schedules are busy. I would never have paid $150 for a machine, not knowing how much I would have used it so $15 was a great way to start…but now that I have one it gets used often and has more than paid for itself time and time over. Good Luck!
I do love making my bread with the kitchenaid and baking it in the oven. It’s definitely the best way to make bread and you won’t be disappointed with the results. However, I don’t always have time for that…even if it doesn’t require a lot of “hands on” time, it requires me to be at home for at least 3 hours. Because of this, I also LOVE my bread machine….I can take 10 minutes to dump the ingredients in the machine and have bread any time I want it….and I don’t have to stay at home. I have gone through 3 bread machines and currently own the Zojirushi. It is BY FAR the best bread machine I have owned and highly recommend it. It kneads the dough well and works great with fresh milled flour. It also has 3 homemade settings, so you can program it yourself. I program the homemade setting and use the recipe found on breadbeckers for the zojirushi. It makes great bread every time! Good luck.
I agree with this. I used to make bread by hand but now that I have a bread machine, I wouldn’t think of doing it the other way. I have both a kitchen aid mixer and a sunbeam bread machine and the bread machine takes only a fraction of MY time. I asked Santa for this bread machine http://www.amazon.com/Sunbeam-5891-2-Pound-Programmable-Breadmaker/dp/B00067REBU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332963351&sr=8-1 ($60)
I got one on craigslist gor forty dollars two month ago and love it. It is a Panasonic bread bakery. Someone recommends the king Arthur flour website for recipes on this site and I have made many delicious loaves. While I agree my oven does yield good loaves, I live in Florida and it is impractical to heat the oven to make bread. In comes my bread machine and problem solved! Does not heat the house!
A Bosch! My mom has had the same Bosch for I believe 20 or so years! I have one too and they are GREAT! You can use them for so much more then just bread too. It’s a mixer, kneader, but also come with a really good blender and you can get also get attachments for it to be a food processor!
I make my bread by hand, but if you’re looking for something to simplify your life a little, I agree with the other commentators. The KitchenAid mixer is a great all-purpose kitchen tool. You will get a lot of use out of it for various purposes including bread.
For me, it’s those Italian genes that I just like to use my hands to prepare my food. Something my grandmother always did, and I guess I’m carrying on the old world traditions. Haha 🙂
I’ve not owned a bread machine, but I’ve been offered several from friends and family trying to declutter. It seems that’s the first appliance to go when people run out of room in the kitchen 🙂
Bread machines are a good option for us that have houses that are a little too chilly for bread to rise properly. I live in a climate that is too cold & dry in winter & too humid in summer so my machine gives me a more controled enviroment to allow dough to rise.
Great point! Some climates are not conducive to baking without a controlled temp/humidity.
They are also great for people who have carpal tunnel or arthritis. Kneading bread is painful for me.
I agree! I have shoulder problems that will not allow me to knead bread without pain.
We live in a similar environment. When I find that I need to rise bread and the house is not the most hospitable to rising bread, I turn on the oven to 200 for a few minutes, then turn it off before throwing the dough in in a bowl covered with a damp towel.
Turn the oven on warm.
If you really want a bread machine, look for one at thrift stores and yard sales. I’ve seen them new, still in the box at Good Will and Salvation Army for $5 to $8.
Or, ask your friends and family if they have one that they aren’t using. Over the years, my sister has been given two and never used either one.
Does she live in Central NJ I did pick it up…
I wouldn’t necessarily recommend the one I have (I got it at the Goodwill for $3, so I wasn’t being picky!) …But two things that I would look for in a bread machine would be:
1. a yeast dispenser on the top so you don’t have to put your yeast in with your ingredients. The machine adds it to the dough when everything is the perfect temperature.
2. one that has a pan that is shaped like a bread pan (longer horizontally, instead of vertically). If I were to cook mine in the machine, it would be really tall and skinny, instead of looking like a regular loaf of bread. I fix this by just doing the dough cycle and putting it in the oven when it’s time to cook it.
We’ve loved our bread machine. I make multiple packets of the dry ingredients at one time, so when I need to make bread, I just dump it in, add the butter/water/yeast and I’m done! We also make hamburger roll dough and pizza dough with it.
Kaitlin, I would totally agree with your recommendations for a bread machine, which my machine has. I have had a Panasonic bread machine since 1994 and have used it to make all of my family of 5’s bread. I stopped counting how many loaves I have made in it years ago when I had reached over 400 loaves. I use half white whole wheat flour and half unbleached flour. I have worn out the bread pan in my original one. Last summer I was able to find 2 other used Panasonic bread machines and I cannot say enough good things about them! Panasonic designed their machines to sense humidity in the air, so they make better bread. If you see a used one, buy it.
As for the pan shape, I cut mine in half horizontally before slicing for bread with an electric knife. An electric knife is essential for slicing bread in my opinion!
I completely agree. We have a Panasonic and love it!
Another option to the Kitchen Aid is a Bosch machine. I love, love, love mine!! It makes making bread a snap.
I do love my bread machine and I do use it alot! I am able to make bread from scratch with my Kitchen Aid mixer and oven but I would rather just let the machine do the work. I have this machine-
http://www.amazon.com/West-Bend-2-Lb-Breadmaker/dp/B003O9YUVY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1332958996&sr=8-2
It does a great job for it’s small price of $53.99. I love the sandwich bread setting because it makes a very soft loaf of bread. My husband likes soft bread since his mother only ever bought fluffy white bread. I do half whole wheat and it turns out great and is nice and soft for my husband’s preference.
I completely agree with the commentors who said “Buy a KitchenAid mixer” instead of a bread machine. I used to have a bread machine and found myself frustrated after many failed loaves, discovered at the last minute. With a good mixer, you learn about the art of bread making and what leads to success. And if you start a loaf of bread and find after 3o mins. or so that it is not rising, you can start over. With a bread machine, you don’t know until the end of the cycle if the bread was a success or a flop.
My KitchenAid has saved me thousands of dollars over the 20+ years I have owned it. It makes pizza dough, cookies, cakes, meringue, whipped cream. You name it, I’ve tried it in my mixer.
Do you have a good pizza dough recipe you use your Kitchenaid mixer for? I just bought myself one and I want to try pizza dough with it.
I have used the same recipe for pizza dough that Crystal has here on her site for over 25 years. I put the warm water in the bowl then add the salt and sugar, then the yeast. I let the yeast proof and then add the oil and flour. I put the dough hook on and let it mix and knead for 3-4 minutes. Cover and let it rest for 10 minutes and then you are ready to go. It makes a really good crust.
One more thing—if the bowl is cold I give it a rinse with hot water to warm it up so that it doesn’t affect the action of the yeast.
We use this recipe all the time and never have a complaint.
http://www.fabulousfoods.com/recipes/cheri-s-favorite-pizza-dough
Also, if you haven’t seen it, definitely watch this video from Food Network on making pizza from scratch.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71pnWCd2mC0
Can even make the pizza on the grill which is even better. Just leave it a bit thicker, oil and grill one side for just a couple minutes, then flip it and put the toppings on the cooked side and put it back on the grill.
I use this one from Frugal Upstate, with a few changes
http://www.frugalupstate.com/recipes/pizza-hut-crust-clone-recipe-breadmachine/
I quit using the baking powder and can’t tell the difference. Also, I bump up the water to 1 1/2 cups. The additions of garlic powder and onion powder make the dough quite tasty.
Kitchenaid’s pizza crust recipe is yummy. It’s in the owner’s manual! (Someone had to tell me to look there. I wouldn’t have thought of it!)
That’s awesome that you’ve had the same Kitchen Aid for 20+ years! Unfortunately, they are not made by the same company anymore, and are not build to withstand mixing heavy doughs on a regular basis. The newer models will never make it 20+ years 🙁
I think the KA quality is very sad these days. I’m still working on my husband, but it’d be nice to know what I’m looking for and how much, thanks for the suggestions for alternatives. 🙂
Ditto on the ideas above. Wooden spoons, hands, and an oven. There is something so relaxing and satisfying about kneading bread with my hands. 🙂 If you’re tight on time, I even mix and knead right before bed and let rise all overnight, then pop in the over in the morning.
oveN. I hate typos.
Yup! We had a bread machine that went unused for years which we recently donated to Goodwill. My best bread recipes are more easily made by hand (don’t even require a mixer). See “Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day” for a lovely, easy, flexible recipe.
I love Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day! I also love my stand mixer and my bread machine. I guess I just love making bread any way I can. 🙂
Here’s another thread on the same topic:
http://www.gentlechristianmothers.com/community/showthread.php?t=396815
Ever look and see how many Bread Machines are in the Free section of Craigslist or Freecycle. Well, it’s not because people love them and use them a lot…
Heh, exactly what Catherine said. Bread Machines are Unitaskers. It’s just as easy to put dough in the mixer and let it knead in there and then put it in the over. Plus your mixer gets used for lots of other things as well.
Cheaper to pick up a used bread machine – garage sale, goodwill, or from a friend for $10 or less than spend $200+ on a mixer.
Yeah but I’d rather spend $200 on an appliance that will get used all the time and can be used for many different things, than $10 for one that gets used twice and becomes a very large paperweight. Hence the reason so many people give bread machines for free. After the initial wow factor wears off, they just sit around taking up space.
depends on the user and situation as there are lots of comments here about loving their bread machine. I keep trying to talk my husband into a stand mixer (okay, just the last couple of months) but the reviews on Kitchen Aid are not what I expected at all. Any suggestions for a really good one (besides trying to find one that 15+ years old?
Every single one here has 4.5 – 5 stars. I’ve never heard anyone complain about a Kitchenaid mixer.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_10?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=kitchenaid+mixer&x=0&y=0&sprefix=kitchenaid%2Caps%2C330
I too found out that the newest reviews on Kitchen aid are not as impressive as the older ones. I did a lot of research and finally decided to go for The Bosch Universal Mixer. It is not attractive but I’ll say it’s a work horse. I’ve only had it since December and have been using it about 3 to 5 times a week. I haven’t made bread dough in it but I’ve made pizza dough and some other hard dough with whole grain flour.
Unfortunately, there is no inexpensive mixer that is going to last through making bread dough constantly. I’m glad my Kitchen Aid is still working, but I don’t expect it will last longer than 2 or 3 more years. I’ve had it for about 3.
I really recommend checking out the Bread Beckers website. They have a store, but also have a ton of free online video classes about baking/cooking. They highly recommend either the Bosch Universal Plus, or the Elextrolux Assistant (that’s what I’m saving for). For those that can’t afford the $600+ price tag, they recommend getting a Zojirushi Bread Machine, and using that as a mixer and bread machine. It is built to work on heavy whole wheat doughs, and will last many many years.
Mike,
Look at the one star reviews. Apparently, Kitchen Aid has started using plastic parts instead of metal and the machines stop working or burn themselves up. Looking through the comments, it sounds like KA has now returned to metal parts but definitely makes me wary of buying one. It’s hard to compare their products b/c they have so many different lines/colors/models. And if I’m going to spend that much $, I’d like a longer than one-year warranty (considering my mom’s generation’s KA stand mixers lasted 20 years or more). 🙂
I didn’t love my Kitchen Aid. It burnt out after 2 years. Besides, it would “walk” when mixing heavy dough. So, about 10 yrs ago, I got an Electolux. It was pricey but it’s a work horse. Not as cute looking as the Kitchen Aid either but I’ve been very happy with it. I also use (and love) my (thrift score) Zojirushi bread machine.
Got my kitchen aid two years ago and will have it forever. Save up and go for the bigger one and you will get a more heavy duty motor and bigger bowl so it will last longer, and you can do more things with it. Black friday at kohl’s is a great time to get them. I have the largest and can’t imagine what i did for 15 years with the cheap one i bought with my first apartment.
My last 3 bread machines were free from friends/coworkers who never used them. I really only use the dough function. I always make 2lb size. Buns/bread/rolls/ cinnamon rolls. Pizza/pigs in a blanket.
You said “unitasker”!!! 🙂
I’m guessing…. Alton Brown fan? 😀
Although I haven’t used any other bread machine, I use an Oster I received as a wedding gift… I think it was bought at Bed Bath and Beyond. I like that it is easy to use, easy to clean, and does the job well.
I dislike that the manual (and all the recipes that come with it) are only available online unless you choose to print it off.
I also don’t like that it doesn’t actually bake the bread well, I use the dough cycle and bake my bread in the oven. I don’t know if it’s just my bread machine, or all bread machines that are that way because I have heard Crystal say the same about hers.
Overall, I love my Oster and I love the dough cycle 🙂
A kitchen aid stand mixer and an oven 🙂
This is what I have ended up doing Catherine! I pre-pack ziplocs of fresh ground flour and salt in my freezer and then they are ready to dump in my KA mixer, makes the dough making very fast.
Agree! I had a bread machine but I ditched it when I found out how easy it was to use my kitchen aid. I just made Ina Garten’s recipe last night and it was awesome! I only made a half batch because I didn’t want two loaves. Also I subbed 2/3 of the all-purpose flour for freshly ground wheat flour. It came out fantastic! Ina’s recipe is written for a stand mixer (no hand-kneeding for me, thanks) and has very clear instructions: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/honey-white-bread-recipe/index.html
How funny, I was just coming to post that…. 😉
While, for myself, I agree with Catherine, that’s not what Julie asked for.
My recommendation is to get one inexpensively by asking around for someone who doesn’t use his, or look on Freecycle, or – last choice – thrift shop. (I don’t like buyng electronics at thrift shops because there’s no warranty and no practical way to test it.)
If you find you really like using a bread machine, then use Cook’s Illustrated and/or Consumer Reports to find reliable machines, and consider buying one.