Postive and negative comments on breadmakers please?

nickinoodle_2

Hi all, I know there is a lot of threads on bread makers, but I dont there is one that covers my questions.
Ok I have been thinking of getting a bread maker for agesss now, but I dont want to get one and it be yet another gadget that gets left in the cupboard, although I hate having to pay £1+ for a loaf of bread at the supermarket (cant stand the own supermarkets brand) so I have a couple of questions really.

We use bread most days, but I know I wont have the time/be bothered to bake fresh bread every day, so would it be possible to make a couple of loaves over the weekend and the freeze them for as and when we need them?

Does anyone have negative comments about them?

Do you think they are worth the money?

They say they make cakes - does this mean they just mix the ingredients together, in which wouldnt a mixer do same job? or do they cook the cakes? sorry if thats a really stupid question lol

Any advice either way would be really appreciated

broomstick27

Having tried both breadmaker and the traditional baking in an oven, i personally prefer the traditional way. I found breadmaker used an awful lot of yeast (the most expensive ingredient) and didn't taste as nice as the oven stuff.

I make 3 loaves in one go on a weekend (another advantage of oven, u are only limited by number of loaf tins you have) and slice them, when cool, and freeze. Obviously the frozen stuff isn't as nice as it was when it is warm out of the oven but still pretty damn good!

HTH

Broomie

RacyRed

Hi nickinoodle

Freezing HM bread - Yes, slice it and freeze it then use it as you need it

Negative comments - don't expect perfect results every time, most people get a brick from time to time. You do need to experiment to earn how to get the best out of your particular BM. Start with the basic white recipe from the instruction book and take it from there.

Oh yeah, and your non-breadmaking neighbours will hate you unless you are a kind and generous person and give them a gorgeous smelling, freshly baked loaf from time to time

Positive comments - it takes me less time to put the ingredients in the BM than it does to stop off at the shop to buy a loaf and I know exactly what is in my bread. I have the flour delivered with my monthly shop.

The machines bake the cakes, you mix the ingredients by hand as normal and use the BM pretty much as a mini oven.

Best advice I can offer is to get the best one you can, they give more consistent results Have a browse in Complete Breadmaking for the merits of the different machines

thriftlady_2

broomstick27 wrote:

Having tried both breadmaker and the traditional baking in an oven, i personally prefer the traditional way. I found breadmaker used an awful lot of yeast (the most expensive ingredient) and didn't taste as nice as the oven stuff.

I make 3 loaves in one go on a weekend (another advantage of oven, u are only limited by number of loaf tins you have) and slice them, when cool, and freeze. Obviously the frozen stuff isn't as nice as it was when it is warm out of the oven but still pretty damn good!

I agree with Broomie. I make mine in batches of 4 every 5 days or so. All bread can be frozen very sucessfully. I freeze my loaves whole in plastic bags as soon as they are cool.

I've used a breadmaker and I found the hole left by the mixing paddle really annoying. I also didn't like the tall, square shape of the loaves. But, these are minor gripes and I can see how useful they can be, especially for smaller households.

newlywed

Keep going with the comments.... I've been debating a bread maker for a while but OH says there's no room for any more large gadgets in the kitchen. Am going to try the recipes from the thread "recipes that made me pack away the breadmaker" (as soon as I get enough time - work full time, have the kids all weekend )

When I've used yeast in the past (lardy cake, chelsea buns etc), I've loved watching the way the dough rises and so am very tempted to just try and work time to do it by hand.

You guys are convincing me not to bother getting one - very money saving!!

snow

thriftlady wrote:

I've used a breadmaker and I found the hole left by the mixing paddle really annoying..

Thriftlady, just take the paddle out after the second round of mixing the dough, place the dough back into the BM again and let it rise and bake. You won't have any hole!

thriftlady_2

This thread might be useful

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=228240&highlight=making+bread+by+hand

I didn't know that you could take the paddle out Snow, thanks ! I still like to do it by hand though.

ka7e

I think it's Morphy Richards's breadmakers that have a paddle that folds down after the last mix. It works about 9 times out of 10 and just leaves an indentation in the bottom of the loaf. I had one and swopped it for a Russell Hobbs which leaves a HUGE hole! However I now get a 1kg loaf-shaped loaf instead of the tall, thin one (which I used to slice sideways).
I make a loaf a day for a family of 5 and my breadmakers have only been cheapies (£20 each - special offers or Ebay). Normal programme is a whooping 3 and a half hours, fast-bake 2 and a half. There is a super-fast but you have to use loads of yeast!

newlywed

thriftlady wrote:

This thread might be useful

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=228240&highlight=making+bread+by+hand

Thanks for that - didn't realise till a link in that thread that you can leave it in a cool place to rise for 12-24 hours!! Might be able to make the dough in the evening and finish it off the next evening - or next day over the weekend!! :T

broomstick27

thriftlady wrote:

I agree with Broomie.

You should do - it was one of your posts that inspired me to do it this way in the first place! So thanks for that, I owe you one!

spiddy100

I was interested to read the comment on the BM bread texture being rubbery because of the lower cooking temperatues. Does anyone make dough in the BM then bake it in the oven?

It's the rising that concerns me, our house is normally pretty cold, and we don't have any warm spots like the top of an oven etc to leave it.