What do you think of bread machines?

[daylatedollarshort]

I am considering buying a used bread machine but most of them have nonstick interiors which may not be so healthy. I've been buying bread at the store but maybe that is made with nonstick equipment anyway and also costs more.

What do you think? Do you have a bread machine and use it? What about the nonstick interiors?

 

[Gumby]

We have a bread machine. I cannot recall the last time we used it.

 

[utrecht]

We have one and use it once a month or so. The bread tastes fresh and great but you have to eat it immediately. It goes stale in 2 days or so.

 

[mpeirce]

When I used to eat bread...

I loved our bread machine. But I rarely used it to actually bake the bread. They are great for mixing and especially kneading the dough. I'd have it do that, then shape the loaf as appropriate and bake it in the oven. Pretty good bread for not a whole lot of work.

 

[braumeister]

I have a really good bread machine (Zojirushi brand, which seems to be one of the best). Never had a bad loaf come out of it, and it's really easy to use. Very happy with it, and we've had it for over ten years.

In the last 2-3 years, we've nearly stopped eating bread to cut down on carbs, but now and then I get a craving for some good sourdough. I get my sourdough starter going and make primary batter from it, then I use the bread machine on its "dough make" cycle to do the hard work for me.

When the dough is ready, I either let it bake in the machine or take it out and bake it in loaf pans in the oven. Both methods work well, but the oven method makes a somewhat nicer looking loaf.

I seriously doubt that the nonstick coating should be an issue, since baking a loaf of bread doesn't likely get the temperature up high enough to worry about.

 

[athena53]

I think they're silly. Like others, DH and I love bread but don't eat much of it except as an accompaniment to one of his good homemade stews. I don't need the calories. I find bread-making so easy that I see no reason to get a machine.

 

[photoguy]

I had a bread machine a long time ago but didn't like it because it could never produce good crusty bread. Newer/better bread machines might do better on this front.

However I discovered the no-knead bread movement: No-Knead Bread Recipe - NYT Cooking (also google artisan bread in 5). Basically you can make awesome crusty bread with very little effort (not much more than measuring the ingredients to go in a bread machine).

 

[Chuckanut]

My most common use for my bread machine is to make pizza dough. While it is busy making the dough I prepare the toppings, mix up the sauce and have some wine.

 

[photoguy]

Some pics of the no-knead bread. These were cooked in either a cast iron dutch oven or ceramic casserole dish so no worries about non-stick.

 

[JoeWras]

We've been using one for 10 years. I like it. I know exactly what is in my bread. And yes, I let it run the entire cycle, including baking.

That said, we've cut the carbs so we don't eat as much as we used to.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

Photoguy, those pictures look amazing.

Braumeister - Good to know on the temps. I hadn't thought of that.

Chuckanut - We are big on pizzas here. That could be a real plus.

Thanks to all for your input.

I try not to eat too much bread myself but my family likes it. The reason I want a machine is it is often hot here and we are trying to lower our energy bill. Our wall ovens are energy hogs and heat up the house which for us is only a plus a few months out of the year.

I have a glass top convection oven and a pizza oven we use for most things that used to go in the wall ovens, but I have never made bread from scratch so I didn't know if I could use the convection oven for that.

 

[M Paquette]

I have an older machine I use heavily for pizza dough, as well as to make low sodium bread.

Unlike a skillet or frying pan, when baking bread, the machine never gets hot enough to cause the nonstick coating or bonding chemicals to deteriorate or break down and release potentially toxic chemicals. The duPont Teflon coating will break down above 660 degrees F, and some other coatings have been reported to show some outgassing when new as low as 464 degrees F. Bread machines have maximum temperatures of 350 to 425 degrees F, depending on what sort of bread you set it for.

 

[audreyh1]

I am considering buying a used bread machine but most of them have nonstick interiors which may not be so healthy. I've been buying bread at the store but maybe that is made with nonstick equipment anyway and also costs more.

What do you think? Do you have a bread machine and use it? What about the nonstick interiors?

I don't use one anymore for several reasons, not the least of which is we don't eat that much bread, but moving into an RV had a lot to do with it too.

But I don't think you need to worry about the non-stick interior, because I don't think it gets hot enough for concern.

When I did a lot of bread baking - a looooong time ago, but I got quite skilled at it - I mostly used the machine for the kneading and rising, and did the final shape and rise myself, and baked it in the oven. That way I got the shape, look and crust I wanted, usually with great results. But I loved the machine doing all the dough work - really great.

So that's another option.

 

[jimnjana]

I wouldn't buy a used bread machine, unless you can change the belt on it. The belts will dry rot.

 

[tomz]

I've had a few bread machines since the 90s and have made a lot of bread and pizza dough with them. They both lasted around 10 years. Lately, I've been making no knead sourdough because it tastes better and is healthier. As mentioned above, the no-knead approach is pretty simple and the results are great. Before I retired, the bread machine was very useful because it was fast and the bread was decent and you knew exactly what went into it. I never worried about the non-stick because as others have mentioned, a bread machine doesn't get hot enough. If you've never made bread before, bread machines are great. Now that I'm retired, I have more time and don't use the bread machine much anymore.

Here is a link to Breadtopia's version of no knead.

 

[mystang52]

My friend's wife likes to do all sorts of cooking, and bought a bread machine. My friend joked how food it was, and he estimated each loaf of bread only cost $100 or so. That's a lot of dough.

 

[Svensk Anga]

I used our first bread machine so much, I wore it out. It might have averaged almost a loaf a week for 20 years.

Fresh, yeasty bread, still hot from the pan is delightful. I like to load it up in the evening and set the timer to have the bread done at wake-up time. I love the smell of yeast in the morning.

It does get stale faster than the preservative-laden commercial product. It is still good for toast for quite a while. Or if you want a quick fix of warm buttered bread, you can nuke a slice.

I will often make a 1 lb. loaf to go with soup and salad for a light dinner.

 

[Greencheese]

I had one growing up and I really liked it. I think of bread machines like ice cream makers and waffle irons, if you enjoy eating eating that stuff and are wiling to put some effort into it then its well worth the money. If you just have a craving for some bread one day... don't. That's what happened when I bought a breakfast sandwich maker and now I have a lovely paperweight to remind me of that great purchase.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

I wouldn't buy a used bread machine, unless you can change the belt on it. The belts will dry rot.

I am sure that is a great tip if I had to pay half price or more for one like most used appliances usually cost. But I think at one local charity thrift store there were seven bread machines the last time I counted - all barely used. People must get them as gifts and then give them away so the thrift shops sell near me bread machines pretty cheap - like $5 - $10.

I like kitchen gadgets. I used my $5 thrift shop Presto pizza oven tonight to make two organic pizzas for dinner. I bought the pizza crusts and sauces at Costco. They sell them in a pack of four for $10 and we added our own toppings. It would be great to learn how to make my own crust or maybe use the bread machine for that.

I used my mandolin slicer for onions for the pizza toppings and a grater for a beet, onion and carrot side salad.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

I had one growing up and I really liked it. I think of bread machines like ice cream makers and waffle irons, if you enjoy eating eating that stuff and are wiling to put some effort into it then its well worth the money. If you just have a craving for some bread one day... don't. That's what happened when I bought a breakfast sandwich maker and now I have a lovely paperweight to remind me of that great purchase.

I just bought a Cuisinart ice cream maker for me and bought a sandwich maker for one of the kids, but I think the sandwich maker ended up at Goodwill.

I still have to try the ice cream maker but that came from the thrift shop so I'm not out a lot if I don't use it.

My family likes bread and pizza so I think we would really use a bread machine. We do make use of most of our small appliances, at least the ones we keep. I gave away the waffle iron as no one used that.


Thanks to all for your input. I will probably give a bread machine a try. The nonstick coating was one of my main concerns for not trying one sooner.

 

[walkinwood]

+1 on the no-knead bread. Google for the recipe. It is so easy and the bread is top-notch. I also like kneading bread by hand sometimes - very therapeutic.

We've never owned a bread machine.

 

[Amethyst]

Ha, ha! Round here, a 1.5-pound loaf is gone in about 30 minutes.

Amethyst

...you have to eat it immediately. It goes stale in 2 days or so.

 

[chris2008]

I used a Panasonic for more than 15 years. When it started squeeking and P. abandoned spares I even bought used machines like mine on ebay because I did not want another brand. In Dec. I finally found a new one that works like the old P.

In average we do 1 loaf per week. Sometimes I buy at my favorite bakery in between, special sourdough or typical german dark bread.

The non-stick stuff is quite strong, not like in cheap pans.

 

[jim584672]

Worst part is overeating the delicious bread. Don't eat bread anymore.

 

[freebird5825]

I have a Toastmaster vertical 1.5 lb loaf breadmaker, purchased back in the 1990s. I used to use it a lot, only for the dough cycle. I invested in a long narrow bread pan for baking in the oven.
I have been limiting bread and other "whites" for almost 2 years now. I do miss eating bread, so I bought a 10 grain bread mix at Amazon. I figured if I'm going to go back to eating some bread, I may as well do a higher fiber version.
This is the product I decided to get.
Amazon.com : Bob's Red Mill Bread Mix 10 Grain, 19-Ounce (Pack of 4) : Bread Machine Mixes : Grocery & Gourmet Food