Cookworks Bread Maker

freda

how much do u reckon it costs to make a loaf in a breadmaker?

OK, I'm bored this evening, so I'll work it out. My assumptions are:

1 tsp of dry ingredients weighs 4g
1 tbsp = 3 tsp
Ingredients are supermarket own brand unless otherwise stated.

My recipe is:

1/2 tsp yeast - I use Dove's farm yeast £1 for 35g = 5.7p
400g strong white flour = Own brand 56p per 1.5kg = 14.9p
1 tsp salt = 30p per 750g = 0.16p
1 tbsp sugar = 76p per 1kg = 0.91p
15g marg = £1.69 per kg = 2.54p
1 tbsp dried milk = £1.54 for 454g = 4.07p
280ml water - negligible cost (can't find cost of metered water on our water provider's site!)

Total cost 28.28p plus whatever ingredients I put in - sometimes herbs (from garden usually), seeds, cinnamon/raisins etc. Can't cost much.

<pedantic mode>
Then, add the cost of:
- the breadmaker's electricity (its on for 4 hours, but only kneading/cooking for a small portion of that)
- Cost of heating water to wash up the kitchen items
- cost of my time (seconds!) to set up the breadmaker
</pedantic mode>

zeberdy

Hi,

Just popped back to say thanks for tip on the argos breadmaker a bargain at that price. Tried it this afternoon with some simple ingredients out the cuboard and made a loaf on the quick setting it turned out really good. Also it is faily easy to wash up some mixers are a right pain but as this mixes and cooks its great.

Thanks

Zeberdy

swampytiggaa

fancy swopping top tips and receipes?


confession tho - i don't have any yet - still trying to perfect my basic loaf :rotfl:

RubyMurray

I managed to make my first perfect loaf the other day after producing nothing but bricks, I'm so proud! I just hope it wasn't a fluke and I can replicate it again.

What I did differently was splash out and try strong bread flour instead of the cheapy stuff, and just before it started the proving time lifted the dough out and gave it a quick pummelling and quickly put it back in, as the dough seemed lumpy and not very well mixed. It looked much better after that and the bread was perfect. I'm going to try the same thing with a wholemeal loaf later today and see if it comes out edible.

The thing that bugs me though is the sides will come out browned but the top stays really pale. I might see if I can get hold of one of those kitchen blowtorches or for a more os approach hold it upside down over the gas ring!

Pink.

Hi swampytiggaa,

As we have a recent thread with hints on the £14.99 breadmaker, I'll merge your thread with it to keep them all together.

Pink

swampytiggaa

Pink-winged wrote:

Hi swampytiggaa,

As we have a recent thread with hints on the £14.99 breadmaker, I'll merge your thread with it to keep them all together.

Pink

fab - thanks!

Father_Jack_2

RubyMurray wrote:

The thing that bugs me though is the sides will come out browned but the top stays really pale. I might see if I can get hold of one of those kitchen blowtorches or for a more os approach hold it upside down over the gas ring!

Have you changed the crust setting or is this just for the sides ?

RubyMurray

Hi Fatherjack, yep I set the crust colour to 'dark' but it never quite reaches the top, as the heating elements are around the sides. The top remains looking like a british holidaymaker's belly!

**purpleprincess**

The best tip I can give is to use the recipes in the booklet that comes with the breadmaker!!! silly as it sounds!!! I got a breadmaker and set about using it with recipes I found elsewhere, needless to say that the loaves were carp!!! One of them could have been used as a weapon!! BUT when I started using the recipes in the book, they were nice!! And then, and only then did I start experimenting with those recipes as a base. And it has worked fine!!! So that is my tip of the day!!!

Austin_Allegro

Could somebody give me a rough idea of the size of the normal and compact breadmakers? I would like to get one but am very limited on space in my kitchen.