Y’all have been tempting me with your declious looking bread. I realize a bread machine is going to make simple loafs and not the stuff that’s usually posted here, but curious on thoughts if they’re worth it?
I’m low on time and lazy. I won’t make bread if I have to whip out my KitchenAid and dough hook. Tossing some ingredients in a machine I can do though, plus it could make the dough for more complex things too if I do occasionally have the energy.
Should I do it?
Yes, but just get whichever one you find at a thrift store. They’re usually <$30 US near me and in near mint condition. I think people get them as gifts and then get bored of them really often.
For best results with sticking to using it and not caving and buying bread, make pre-measured batches of dry ingredients you can easily toss in the machine and then you only have to measure the liquids.
Finding one with a timer function is a nice luxury as you can set it up the night before and wake up to fresh bread.
However, if you’re making it while awake, it’s worth taking the paddle out from under the loaf right before it starts the bake cycle so that the hole in the loaf bottom is minimized.
Oh good idea on the dry ingredients, thanks!
Just to add on this, I’ve had some very bad experiences with second hand bread makers. Many people use it a ton in the first year and then let it gather dust somewhere. The problem is that usually there is a rubber drive belt somewhere within, which might become brittle from the change from being moist to super dry. I’ve disassembled some, and this was a problem twice, completely disintegrated drive belt. Just fyi.