What To Look for in a Bread Maker: 5 Things To Consider
Sneak Preview: Wondering what to look for when buying a bread maker? Here are 5 tips that will help you match your needs and desires with the right machine for you.
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Are you thinking about buying a bread machine or bread maker but don’t know where to start? This reminds me of buying my first computer (years ago). The salesperson would always ask what I wanted to use it for. Answer: If you’ve never had one before, it’s hard to know.
When buying a bread machine, you could employ the “scientific” method seen in the picture above. But nobody would let a two-year-old select a kitchen appliance.
Yet, the people selling those appliances rarely have any personal experience or training about the machines they sell.
Addendum: Buying one on the internet can be equally frustrating. Don’t believe everything you read about “the best bread machines.”
Don’t waste your money buying lots of features you won’t use. On the other hand, don’t spend hard-earned cash on a machine that doesn’t do the job well.
A better approach might be to consider your baking habits, dietary preferences, and of course, your pocketbook when looking to buy a bread maker.
Have you ever wondered which bread maker is best?
Preaching the virtues of a bread machine as I do on this website, is almost as easy as eating this Honey Whole Wheat Bread.
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On the other hand, advising people which bread machine they should buy is not so easy when you consider all the choices available.
With that in mind, I’ve compiled a list of 5 ideas to get you started.
Five factors to consider when choosing a bread maker:
#1
Do you need a timer?
If you like to wake up or come home to bread dough raised and ready to shape, pay attention to the timer. Nearly all machines have a timer on the various mix and bake cycles, but I like a timer on the DOUGH cycle because I almost never bake in my machine.
It’s possible to manually calculate when to set the timer on a bake cycle. However, you must arrive at just the right moment to pull the bread out of the machine. Otherwise, it will preheat and bake the bread.
Considering I’m not the best at math, the hand-calculated method doesn’t always work. More than once, I’ve walked into my house to the smell of a loaf of baked pizza dough. Ugh!
In the event you are home most of the time, you may not need or care about a timer.
#2
Consider the size of the bread machine pan.
If you have a large family, like to share with your friends, or want to make bread when you entertain, get a machine that will hold a recipe containing at least 3-4 cups of flour. Some bread makers will hold up to 4 to 4-1/4 cups or even 6 cups.
On the other hand, if you want a smaller loaf for just 2-3 people, you may want a machine with a smaller pan. Remember, homemade bread has no preservatives and can stale quickly. Therefore, consider how fast you can eat a loaf of bread at your house.
The main thing to remember is that you can always make a smaller loaf of bread with a larger pan (especially if you’re using only the DOUGH cycle) but you can’t make a large recipe of bread with a compact machine.
#3
Why do the shape of the pan and the number of blades matter?
At the beginning of bread machine history, most bread machines made a loaf that was long and tall–see the pan on the left above. It’s not the traditionally shaped loaf consumers are used to. Furthermore, the odd shape gave away the fact that it was baked in a bread machine.
However, manufacturers soon figured out how to build a machine that made a horizontally-shaped loaf that looked more like loaves sold at the grocery store.
Unfortunately, horizontal pans don’t always knead the dough as well, leaving unincorporated flour in the corners of the pan. Incomplete mixing is a huge negative!
In my experience, the upright configurations enable a better mixing job. HOWEVER. Since I’m not using the machine for baking the bread, the shape of the pan doesn’t matter.
Conversely, some of the newer machines (see picture above) are horizontally shaped but have two blades. Two blades instead of one are more effective in mixing all ingredients thoroughly and fully developing the gluten.
#4
What about the number and variety of cycles?
Bread machines with lots of different cycles do not impress me. I want a bread machine to mix and knead the dough with a motor powerful enough to do it well.
Whether or not it makes jam or quick bread is immaterial to me. Whole wheat cycles can be useful if you plan to bake whole wheat bread inside your machine. Consider your baking habits.
If you are looking for a machine to make gluten-free bread, consider that there is no gluten to develop. It would be like buying an oven to store extra cooking pots. Yes, you can use it for that, but that’s not what it does best.
Bread machine paddles are not designed to mix heavy dough like most gluten-free bread. A heavy stand mixer will do a much better job of mixing the batter. Bonus: no holes in the bottom when you use a stand mixer and bake your loaf in the oven.
One more caveat: Bread machines that advertise that you can use them for sourdough can be misleading. If that is something you want to do, investigate and be aware of the limitations.
For example, my favorite machine has a cycle for sourdough starter. You don’t need this if you have a warm place in your house to place a starter while it grows.
If you are making a sourdough recipe that also contains commercial yeast, you can use a regular bread cycle.
However, if you want to make a classic sourdough recipe with no commercial yeast, that is not something you can easily put on a predetermined timer of a bread machine. The timing for these loaves is different every time.
What you can do is use the DOUGH cycle to mix and knead your classic sourdough. After the DOUGH cycle finishes, then you only have to complete a couple of stretch-and-pulls, the bulk rise, shaping, and the final rise. Of course, you’ll want to bake such a loaf in a very hot conventional oven.
#5
Does price denote quality?
The more you spend, the better the machine. That’s my experience that is also echoed by my readers. Anybody with two bread makers will most likely tell you the more expensive model makes better bread.
Things that can go wrong, seem to happen sooner with a cheaper machine. The belts are the first thing to go in my experience.
Should I buy a machine if I’ve never made bread before?
You might consider looking in your local thrift shops or visit a few garage sales for a used bread machine. They are so cheap to buy, easy to find, and most of them have barely been used because most people don’t know how to use them to make good bread (DOUGH cycle only, of course). Even then, buy a brand you recognize.
What bread maker do I use and why?
My personal favorite is a Zojirushi, BB-CEC20. (I do make a small commission from Amazon if you buy this machine through this link. However, I am not affiliated with Zojirushi in any way.) It has a timer on the dough cycle and two blades to mix and knead the dough thoroughly.
The pan will hold up to 4 1/4 cups flour or do smaller batches as well. Unfortunately, it is also one of the most expensive bread machines out there. But it’s worth it to me since I use it nearly every week.
You may already have a bread machine you don’t like or don’t use. Don’t chuck it yet. Your bread maker may not be perfect, but a little practice and a good recipe that utilizes the dough cycle can make a huge difference. Stick with me.
Over to you: If you own and love your bread machine, please share what brand you own and what you like about it.
If you have questions or suggestions, email me privately to Paula at saladinajar.com. Hope to see you again soon! Paula
Paula Rhodes, author
I’m a retired home economist, wife, mother, grandmother, and creator of Saladinajar.com. I believe you don’t have to be a chef to find joy in creating homemade food worth sharing. Here you’ll find time-saving tips, troubleshooting advice, and confidence-inspiring recipes to make life in the kitchen more fun, appetizing, and satisfying.