Learning How To Buy A Bread Machine

By John McKain

Everyone loves bread! Therefore, everyone should have a bread machine. No matter what your price range is, there is a bread machine out there just waiting for you.

They made their debut to the residential consumer back in the 1980s. Considering their fairly heft price tags of $300 - $400, they still were a big hit. New companies were started just to mass produce these, and they became overnight sensations. Well known kitchenware manufacturers still hadn't caught on as yet.

It didn't take long before the big brand names came out with their own versions, and at more reasonable prices. By the mid 1990s an excellent quality bread machine could be found in the under $100 price range. They were smaller, quieter, and with more options than their early predecessors.

Bread machines originally produced only round loaves of bread simply because the ingredients needed to be mixed and it was impossible to put a square mixing pan in and expect decent results. Although a bit awkward for sandwiches and the like, the bread nevertheless rivaled what grandma used to turn out by hand.

Today bread machines are able to produce square and rectangular loaves although the original design is still more practical and the end result is more consistent. The square loaves tend to have uncooked or burned edges, or even sections that were not mixed correctly at the beginning of the cycle.

Bored with making just bread all the time? Newer models have custom settings for Danish, pizza dough, specialty doughs like Italian bread, and a whole range of other tasty options. The machine will still mix the dough, let is rise, and then let you know when it's ready for your next steps.

Many traditional bakers have forsaken the old fashioned time consuming mixing and kneading and rising and let their bread machines do all the work. It's amazing how totally automated these are, completely taking away all the guesswork when it comes to how long to knead, mix, bake, etc. All you need to do is add the ingredients, push the start button, and wait a few hours.

Make certain you know how easy it will be to clean, however. The less expensive models tend to make cleaning fairly difficult. Since the ingredients tend to get all over the place during the mixing, you want to be able to easily reach in and wipe it off. Try to find a machine that at least protects the heating coils.

One very important part that you need to remove completely is the top. Bread can sometimes rise too high and stick to it. Cleaning can be difficult if you can't take it off. Also look for internal splash guards that you can remove to wash. - 29885

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