Faulty breadmaker query

[condor]

Hi
My breadmaker is just over a year old and seems to have developed a fault.
I used a packet mix that was past it's best before date...and rather unsurprisingly it didn't rise. Thought I'd try it , just in case it was OK.

Needing to make a proper loaf, I left the breadmaker to cool down, washed the tin etc. then filled it with the fresh ingredients. When I switched it on again the display showed 0.00 and wouldn't let me choose a programme. Thinking it might still be too warm ( although checking the manual I should have had h.hh if it was too hot ) I gave it another 15 mins to cool down. I then thought , perhaps it hadn't registered the end of the last loaf - so kept the tin out and switched it on - still the 0.00 display, heard a few clicks, decided to check again ...but the heating element glowed red hot.

I'm resigned to buying another one...but wondered if there was something simple I'd overlooked.

[calibrax]

There's usually a reset procedure - what make and model is the breadmaker?

For my Panasonic you reset by pressing START/STOP until display goes blank, and then press TIMER.

[condor]

I thought I'd try that - and when I switched it on to do that, it seems to have already reset itself

I'd already removed the mix from the tin and manually kneaded it and left it to rest. I'll bung it all back in the tin again.

[calibrax]

Got to love devices that just fix themselves!

[blueg33]

I have found that the secret to not getting pissed off with breadmakers is to throw them away and go a a good baker

[Flibble]

Or just knead your bread by hand.

[dazco]

Flibble said:

Or just knead your bread by hand.

Have you got a food processor? An electric or gas oven? A Toaster? An electric whisk? A kettle?

We can all eventually chop food, build a fire, burn bread on a flame, tire ourselves out, and make water hot.

But some people choose gadgets that make the whole lot easier. IF you have a skill that equals any of these tasks then I would suggest it is hardly worth a paragraph of praise.

[calibrax]

dazco said:

Have you got a food processor? An electric or gas oven? A Toaster? An electric whisk? A kettle?

We can all eventually chop food, build a fire, burn bread on a flame, tire ourselves out, and make water hot.

But some people choose gadgets that make the whole lot easier. IF you have a skill that equals any of these tasks then I would suggest it is hardly worth a paragraph of praise.

Got to agree. I think the most apt comparison for a breadmaker is a washing machine... you put the stuff in, turn it on, and once it's done, simply take out the contents. The hard work and time consuming part of the process is completely eliminated, as is the cleaning up afterwards.

Nobody would ever question a washing machine as an essential item in the modern home... so why should a breadmaker be any different?

What's particularly ironic is that many of those who decry the reasons for having a breadmaker will have a dishwasher. By the time you've loaded up the dishwasher (and I understand you have to partially clean some items before you can even put them in there!) I can have all the washing up finished. I can only see the point of them if you are cooking for, say, six or more people on a daily basis.

Edited by calibrax on Saturday 7th January 07:45

[IanA2]

Breadmakers are wonderful. We have been using them for about ten years. Makes great bread if you use good flour.
Best kitchen gaget (well after the ice-cream maker!).

[Flibble]

dazco said:

Have you got a food processor? An electric or gas oven? A Toaster? An electric whisk? A kettle?

Yes (albeit very rarely used), yes, yes, no, yes.
I could cope without most of them though with the exception of an oven - my flat lacks a chimney so I couldn't build a fire.

calibrax said:

Nobody would ever question a washing machine as an essential item in the modern home... so why should a breadmaker be any different?

A washing machine does a better job than hand washing though, I'm not sure you'd find agreement that a breadmaker makes significantly better bread.

calibrax said:

What's particularly ironic is that many of those who decry the reasons for having a breadmaker will have a dishwasher. By the time you've loaded up the dishwasher (and I understand you have to partially clean some items before you can even put them in there!) I can have all the washing up finished. I can only see the point of them if you are cooking for, say, six or more people on a daily basis.

I don't have a dishwasher actually.

I'd put a breadmaker in a similar category to something like a microwave. It's quicker and easier than doing it the old fashioned way, but doesn't produce the same results.

If breadmakers were as cheap as a toaster or kettle I'd probably have one, but spending £100-odd for something that saves you a few minutes doesn't seem like a good economy to me.

[stevensdrs]

Out of date bread mix will always fail as the yeast will be dead. My Panasonic Bread Maker makes great bread and is used nearly every day when I am in a bread eating mood. Giving it a rest for a few weeks while I shed the result of the Xmas binge.