Bread Maker - worth it?

jumapech

Panasonic Breadmaker are really fantastic! They usually get the best reviews and I have been using them since Panasonic started to make them over 20years ago!

Pink.

Hi pinkmami,

These threads may help:

Bread Maker - worth it?

Is homemade bread REALLY cheaper?

And these older threads might give you some idea of the cost of making a loaf although obviously the prices will have increased since then:

Energy Cost of a bread machine

Postive and negative comments on breadmakers please?

Breadmakers and costs of loaves

I'll add your thread to the first link later to keep the replies together.

Pink

LJM

jumapech wrote: »

Panasonic Breadmaker are really fantastic! They usually get the best reviews and I have been using them since Panasonic started to make them over 20years ago!

i love my panny and wouldnt be without it its lovely to know that i can whip up some rolls or a loaf plus dough for pizzas etc when i want.

pinkmami

Update!! My dad had kindly donated £40 to the bread maker coffers!!! In lieu for a loaf when I make one so maybe I can afford to go for a dearer one than originally thought!! Back to the Argos website I think!!!

Lily_The_Legend

This is a really helpful thread thank you! :T I've been thinking about getting a breadmaker myself, but wasn't sure if it was worth it. I think it would be worth us getting one, but not sure when as I've just checked out the prices online! :eek:

cheerfulness4

I run a Morphy Richards one that I love. One day I'll try a panny seeing as everyone raves about them but for now the MR is great.

We are a family of 4 adults and I use mine everyday. D&DD once recommended the french bread tin from Amazon and I have to say they are fantastic! I've been using mine for ages and its now become the favourite bread for my lads. Makes two at a time from one 'load' in the breadmaker. Even has those little dots on the bottom like shop bought ones.

valk_scot

I'm currently using a basic Tesco BM, this one. I've had a Panasonic in the past and yes, it was good, but not three times the price good. (I wore it out..) The Tesco one makes both white and wholewheat bread thats just as good as the bread Panasonic can make imho. It doesn't have as many programs for fancy stuff but if you only want to make bread, a basic machine is good enough, especially if you're not 100% sure you want one.

On a slight tangent though, if you have a Kenwood Chef or similar with a dough hook you can make better bread than any BM with almost as little work, plus you can make more than one loaf at a time.

As to flour etc Lidl white bread flour is the cheapest, usually, and one 65p bag will make 2-3 loaves depending on size. Tesco make yeast sachets...12 loaves worth (usually a loaf needs 2/3rds of a sachet) for about 70p plus sugar, salt, water and a spoonful of sunflower oil. So a loaf is about 30p on average, for ordinary white bread. Keep your eyes open for special offers on wholewheat or flours with added seeds etc...these can be used 50:50 with white bread flour and I think this gives better results than 100% wholemeal flour tbh. Other common ingredients are powdered milk, eggs, butter, dried fruit, honey....these can be as expensive as you like, though I use Value most of the time except for the eggs.

Whatever you make, it's always far cheaper than the equivelent quality bread from the shops. Not as cheap as Value bread though, but that's not comparing like with like after all.

pinkmami

Thanks for the info Val. I'm eyeing the Morphy Richards one ATM http://www.amazon.co.uk/Morphy-Richards-48281-Breadmaker-Coolwall/dp/B00275FV5K/ref=sr_1_5?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1294342525&sr=1-5- but also waiting to see what the Argos catalogue has to offer. They don't have much in stock as the spring/summer catalogue will be out soon so they may have new models in. Peefer to go local incase I need to return it.

valk_scot

pinkmami wrote: »

Thanks for the info Val. I'm eyeing the Morphy Richards one ATM http://www.amazon.co.uk/Morphy-Richards-48281-Breadmaker-Coolwall/dp/B00275FV5K/ref=sr_1_5?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1294342525&sr=1-5- but also waiting to see what the Argos catalogue has to offer. They don't have much in stock as the spring/summer catalogue will be out soon so they may have new models in. Peefer to go local incase I need to return it.

Just a thought about this "Fastbake" function being a selling point. Most BMs have a fastbake function and in my experience the fastbake loaf is never as good as the standard one from the same BM. Also, timers? Not as useful as you might think, especially with the type of BM where you put the liquid ingredients on top of the dry rather than the other way round.

larmy16

Panasonic for me every time. Trouble is the bread is so good I have to have a break from eating it as I seem to put on weight easily from eating bread. Definitely sod's law as bread is so cheap and filling.

I also recommend Lidl bread flour.