What’s better than getting fresh homemade bread as your meal, when you seriously longing for it? Bread is a baked food that is prepared from wheat flour dough. Nevertheless, to mention, bread has been made and consumed by the people since the dawn of agriculture.
Undeniably, the ingredients and making process of bread are simple. But not everyone can do it. The manual process of making a bread is time-consuming and requires lots of experience and patience. Someone with little knowledge can easily spoil their images in front of guests if they made it on their own without any extensive previous experience. Here, bread makers come as a rescue for people with little experience in the bread baking process.
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Buyer guide for buying a Bread Maker
If you are tired of making bread or need to make too many loaves, a bread maker can save you. Bread is made in various shapes and sizes and for various purposes too. Due to heavy usage, bread makers are under the scrutiny of people for a long time. Companies also have listened to people patiently and improved the bread machine to provide a delicious taste with the utmost ease.
For people who are concerned about whether they should buy a bread maker or not, the answer is simply YES. Bread machines have continuously evolved over time and now they are worth every penny spent.
General Features to be available in Bread maker
Making and baking bread goes through several steps. From mixing, keeling, rinsing, knocking down, to baking, it goes through stages after stages to make a perfect piece of baked bread. Hence, a machine that is supposed to do all this should be capable of processing everything well without any human intervention.
A lot of bread makers out there, being tried best by sellers to be sold. But not all are worthy as they claim. A person who wants to eliminate manual bread-making tasks needs to get a bread maker after doing thorough research. With so many models available in the market, one can easily get confused about buying a perfect one. But there are some basic requirements that should be available in any bread maker without any if or but.
- Bread Pan: Among all the components in a bread maker, a bread Pan is something that cannot be overlooked. Perhaps, all the major bread machines will have a non-sticky and coated bread pan, to make it easier to remove the finished bread. But you need to take care of the pan material to be heat-resistant so that it does not make the entire outside area hot. If you are going to get a fully automatic bread maker, the dough will be made in the bread pan and later it will be baked without any human interference. Go for a square-shaped bread maker for normal use as they are the preferred choice of every individual.
- Kneading paddle: The kneading paddle helps in kneading dough in the bread pan. Some Bread makers come with one kneading paddle, while, many come with two kneading paddles. Two kneading paddle helps is making the dough better. The kneading paddle also does the work of mixing ingredients with the dough. But the problem is — the more the kneading paddle works, the bigger hole it will leave in the finished bread. The simple solution to this problem is getting a bread maker that has a collapsible kneading paddle. This will leave only a small hole on the bottom of the bread.
- Control panel: Control panel is the set of buttons from where the bread machine programs are managed. Look for the bread maker machines, where control panels are given in a comfortable position and with enough buttons to manage all the programs. Keep in mind to get a bread maker with limited buttons only. Due to the compact size of the bread maker, too many buttons may ruin its look. A bread maker with an easy-to-use control panel is the best option to go with.
- Digital Timer Delay: Timer delay is an add-on feature that most large brands offer with their bread-making machines. Time delays help in getting things ready, at the right time. As the name suggests, the time delays option is used to set the time of the machine to start earlier or later, depending on the choice. Even if you forget to start your bread maker on time, the time delay option will save you. Most bread maker machines come with 12-13 hours of time delay option. You can come from your office and witness some freshly baked pieces of bread on your plate without going through the long manual process.
- Automatic dispenser: The dispenser helps in adding extra ingredients to the dough while making the bread. Some automotive bread makers have the ability to do it on their own, where ingredients are placed in a specific box. At a particular time, the machine automatically dispenses nuts, fruits, and other ingredients to the bread. Contrary to modern bread machines, traditional bread machines beep on a certain point to indicate to the user that “It’s time to manually dispense the ingredients to the bread.”
- Viewing Window: Who doesn’t love to know what’s happening to the bread while making it. A viewing window makes it handy to check what stage a dough is going through. Is it mixing, rinsing, keeling, kneading, baking, or what? While it’s not necessary to be there in the bread maker, but it’s an add-on feature that makes bread-making a more fun-filled and convenient task.
- Cool Wall: Baking a loaf of bread requires a lot of consistent heat at a certain temperature. A cool wall keeps the sides of the bread pan insulated so that the heat doesn’t harm the other important parts of the machine. Most of the bread pans come with stainless steel sides. But still, sometimes, they tend to get hotter than normal. So, always use an oven glove or tea towel to take the bread out of the machine.
- Programs: Programs are essential as they help in making bread in a variety of ranges. The more programs a bread maker has, the more type of bread it can make. The program helps you to make a range of breads from white and wholemeal to French and specialty flours such as rye and spelled. Modern bread makers have plenty of programs to make bread for many occasions. Enquire about the program first, before buying a bread machine.
- Fast Mode: Fast mode works only with white bread. So, if you are fond of eating brown bread, you can simply avoid this option. Fast mode helps in getting bread baked in approx 50-80 minutes. The Fast mode is designed to bake the bread faster in case of a hurry.
- Microprocessor: Microprocessors are important. Unlike, old-fashioned bread makers where a heating element is used to bake the bread. Modern bread makers use microprocessors that do subtle adjustments in the bread while baking. Microprocessors bake the bread by adjusting the temperature and putting it on the part of the bread where it is needed. Getting a bread machine with a modern microprocessor is an ideal choice for all.
Types of Bread Makers
There is no shortage of bread machines with different customization. Almost all the bread makers are identical in shape. The only difference arises with their specification and usage. Ideally, bread makers can be categories into two categories:
- On the basis of Shape:
- Vertical Bread Makers: Bread makers can be categories on the basis of bread orientation. Vertical bread machines make vertical-shaped loaves. In a vertical bread machine, bread is made in a vertical size that looks like a brick, with a dense bottom but a puffy top on the other end. Vertical Bread making machines are mostly used in houses with small kitchen space.
- Horizontal Bread Maker: Horizontal bread makers are used by people who have big families to serve. These bread machines are getting more popular because they make it easy to slice the bread into identically sized pieces. These bread machines take more space to adjust when compared to vertical bread makers.
- On the basis of size:
- Small Bread Makers: Small-sized bread machines are mostly used by small families where bread needs are limited. These bread machines acquire a small portion of space. Normally, they are used to bake bread of 1-1.5 lb. loaves.
- Large bread Makers: Large bread machines are cumbersome in nature. These machines demand the availability of big space to adjust in. To give a rough idea, large bread machines can bake bread from 1 lb. loaf to a 3 lb. loaf. This can easily fulfill the requirement of a family with 4-7 people. Large bread machines are costlier than small bread-making machines.
Why Do You Need a Bread maker?
Among all the talks about bread makers, it’s good to focus on the benefits, and, why you need a bread-making machine. A bread maker is a tiny appliance among all the big and heavy appliances of your kitchen E.g., refrigerator, Microwave, etc. It is a small investment in front of them but offers more utility and convenience without any doubt.
- It’s far more economical to make and bake bread at home rather than rushing to the supermarket every time you need them. A Bread making machine not only saves your pocket but also saves your precious time, which can be utilized in other important tasks. Getting a bread-making machine is a long-term saving approach.
- Homemade food is believed to be best for health as it is made with personal care and consciousness. Having a bread maker in your kitchen makes you confident about your health.
- With a bread maker, you need not wait in a long queue to get the different types of bread for you. Instead, you can simply make bread of your own liking by adding ingredients of your choice. The bread maker is a great choice for busy people.
- Making bread with a bread machine is much easier than the traditional method. Undeniably, traditional methods are superior in providing great taste. But a busy working household cannot put this much time into creating simple bread. The traditional way of making bread takes too much time. Manual Bread making is better but It doesn’t mean bread machines do not make bread of exceptional quality. They do provide delicious taste and satisfaction to the consumer.
- Your own bread machine equips you with the convenience of making different types of dough right in your kitchen. Many bread machines offer the utility of making dough for pizza and pasta too.
- You may argue that market bread is also fresh then why do we need a bread maker. Well, They are made fresh by using artificial chemicals, components, and methods. Hence, supermarket bread cannot compete with the freshness of homemade bread.
FAQs about Bread Maker
Is homemade bread better than supermarket bread?
Unlike, supermarket bread, homemade bread is made with a personal touch and extreme care. Bread made with bread-making machines at home is superior in terms of quality and effectiveness.
How do I choose a perfect Bread maker for me?
A bread maker should be chosen according to one’s needs, requirements and budget. You may not need to use a bulky and costly bread maker if you have a small family of 2-3 personnel. A small-sized bread maker will work best for you. Similarly, selecting a bread machine is totally a personal preference, taking requirements and needs into the account.
Are costly bread makers better?
Yes and no! A costly bread maker can surely make and bake bread better than the cheaper variants. But it’s not necessary that they will always give better results. Economical Bread machines also provide great quality and sometimes better than costly brands.
Is it cheaper to make your own bread?
Definitely, homemade bread is cheaper than supermarket bread. Market bread is sold at a price to cover all the fixed and variable costs. Hence, they are costly for consumers.