Should i get a bread maker?

Well, my mother loves her breadmaker, as do lots of people round here.

I love my baking tin and my oven, so take your pick. I pay slightly over the odds for my yeast in order to get it in little measured out packets. 50p for eight six gram sachets at Tesco.

I might get a breadmaker if I had a bigger kitchen, but it's way down the list, I'm yet to work out the advantage apart from saving time!

I have the Panasonic 253. Bought it over a year ago and have not bought any bread since. We use it for loaves, dough to bake in the oven, foccaccia, pitta breads, pizza dough, french sticks and cakes. I've only had 1 failure and that was my own fault.
If you like good food and can organise yourself to spend 10 mins max a day preparing the ingredients you will love.
As for the cost of the bread etc., I use tesco strong flour at 48p and don't really think about the cost, just how dammed good it is. Things such as pizzas, there is no cost comparison with a bought one, they cost pence and are fantastic. I did buy a £10.99 pizza stone to bake them on though and this makes them really authentic.

I have the MR Fastbake and it's dead easy to use. Check out Argos and online for offers before bidding as you may get a new bargain somewhere.

All advice so far is good, but a word of caution on yeast - whether or not you go for little tins or individual sachets you need to measure it accurately with the spoon provided. A whole sachet isn't necessary as the machine has warmer rising conditions than for handmade dough. I lost my first couple of loaves (they over-rose then sank) because I didn't realise that a 5g sachet is not the same as (it's much bigger than!) a 5ml measure!!!!

Personally I would recommend the Panasonic.......I had an Hinari when they first came out and did not like the bread at all, it was far too 'yeasty' for me but the panny is great, I will be devastated if it dies................make all sorts in it...........brilliant...........I use the cheapest bread flour I can buy, if I see organic on offer I will buy it but Tesco bread flour is just as good.....I also use tesco dreid yeast, works fine for me...............I use a table spoon of oil rather than butter and do not put dried milk in........but its really up to you............

I recently got the MR compact one and love it!bread comes out really lovely and you just throw it all in together which takes minutes.pleased with mine thats for sure.Price wise strong flour,tub yeast cheapest veg oil and dried milk powder all seems make plenty and never any waste.hope this helps.