Discussion
Hi all,
About to move from home into an apartment next week.
Does anyone have a particular breadmaker they'd recommend? Seems to be a huge price range but struggling to see what a £150 unit has over a £60.
I think I have officially became an adult having to ponder these things.
Cheers.
About to move from home into an apartment next week.
Does anyone have a particular breadmaker they'd recommend? Seems to be a huge price range but struggling to see what a £150 unit has over a £60.
I think I have officially became an adult having to ponder these things.
Cheers.
How often are you going to use it, and will you be up and about while it's doing its thing?
We used to have a breadmaker. The results from it were very disappointing, so much so that we rarely used it. We also found it impossible to leave on timer for fresh bread for breakfast, simply because the good cooking smells from it woke us up far too early...
I now make bread by hand. There's very little actual work involved, but you do need to be around for about 4hrs - 10min of actual work to start with, then 5min a couple of times, then just turning the oven on and putting in, taking out. If you're not working from home, or having a lazy Sat/Sun am around the place, then that's a bit of a non-starter, though.
We used to have a breadmaker. The results from it were very disappointing, so much so that we rarely used it. We also found it impossible to leave on timer for fresh bread for breakfast, simply because the good cooking smells from it woke us up far too early...
I now make bread by hand. There's very little actual work involved, but you do need to be around for about 4hrs - 10min of actual work to start with, then 5min a couple of times, then just turning the oven on and putting in, taking out. If you're not working from home, or having a lazy Sat/Sun am around the place, then that's a bit of a non-starter, though.
Had a cheap Morphy Richards which was never more than OK. The drive belt breaking on it and no spares or any way to get inside to change it killed it off and we got a Panasonic. It gets used a couple of times a week at least and makes really good bread, even prepped overnight and started on timer. Also does decent pizza dough, or if I'm feeling less lazy I let it mix for the first 10 mins then do the rest by hand.
Ours is this one, currently £94 on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Panasonic-SD-2501-WXC-Aut... - worth every penny over the cheaper ones IMO.
Ours is this one, currently £94 on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Panasonic-SD-2501-WXC-Aut... - worth every penny over the cheaper ones IMO.
If you are serious about using it, there is only one real answer (already given above) and that is a Panasonic (with nut dispenser). I had a cheap 'Domo' machine I bought in Belgium which lasted for about 3 years, then bought a Panasonic that lasted about 7 years (being used about once every 3 days) and we are now on our second Panasonic.
Get the raisin/nut dispenser if you want to add pine nuts or sunflower hearts to your bread for a more enjoyable loaf. If ours broke, I'd be onto the web to find a replacement immediately.
Get the raisin/nut dispenser if you want to add pine nuts or sunflower hearts to your bread for a more enjoyable loaf. If ours broke, I'd be onto the web to find a replacement immediately.
S6PNJ said:
If you are serious about using it, there is only one real answer (already given above) and that is a Panasonic (with nut dispenser). I had a cheap 'Domo' machine I bought in Belgium which lasted for about 3 years, then bought a Panasonic that lasted about 7 years (being used about once every 3 days) and we are now on our second Panasonic.
Get the raisin/nut dispenser if you want to add pine nuts or sunflower hearts to your bread for a more enjoyable loaf. If ours broke, I'd be onto the web to find a replacement immediately.
I just bung some seeds in the mix. Get the raisin/nut dispenser if you want to add pine nuts or sunflower hearts to your bread for a more enjoyable loaf. If ours broke, I'd be onto the web to find a replacement immediately.
We found ours disappointing until we realised it's only really the cooking bit they're not very good at so now we just get it to make the dough then chuck it in the oven to bake. I suspect any bread machine and mix and kneed dough.
One thing ours does do surprisingly well though, is make jam. It's actually much better at that than making bread.
One thing ours does do surprisingly well though, is make jam. It's actually much better at that than making bread.
Another vote for Panasonic however that's an interesting point above about making the dough in the machine and cooking it in the oven. If I'm around for long enough I use the exact same recipe but with the dough hook in the Kenwood Chef and then cook it in the oven and definitely makes a nicer loaf than the machine does.
The main benefit of the machine though is I can set it to have a loaf ready in the morning rather than needing to be around for 4 or 5 hours in the evening and then discovering the mrs has nicked the crust off the loaf I left cooling overnight
The main benefit of the machine though is I can set it to have a loaf ready in the morning rather than needing to be around for 4 or 5 hours in the evening and then discovering the mrs has nicked the crust off the loaf I left cooling overnight
eBay is your friend. They're the kind of thing that sounds like a good idea, but then get never used and take up loads of space so people flog them off cheap. I picked up a £180 Kenwood for £20 and I think it had been used twice.
I use it three or four times per week. It's next to the kettle so, like above, I can dump all the ingredients in in the time it takes to make a cup of tea.
I actually use it a lot for proving the dough for (The Curry Guy) naan bread which is worth the price of admission alone.
I use it three or four times per week. It's next to the kettle so, like above, I can dump all the ingredients in in the time it takes to make a cup of tea.
I actually use it a lot for proving the dough for (The Curry Guy) naan bread which is worth the price of admission alone.
Haven't bought a loaf of bread in over a year now (except when away on holidays).
Ive got a Panasonic like this
Takes a few minutes to prepare and 5-6 hours later a lovely fresh loaf. Usually set it off before bed.
Ive got a Panasonic like this
Takes a few minutes to prepare and 5-6 hours later a lovely fresh loaf. Usually set it off before bed.
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