Bread Machine 101

Hi.

My name is Sarah.

I am addicted to my bread machine and crock-pots.

It’s been two days since I’ve used either (mostly because my husband has been off and we’ve been busy…).

Yes, it is true. I love, love, love… my bread machine and crock-pots (yes, with a “s,”  I have 3 as of right now).  Sometime in the future, I hope to share more with you on my love affair with crock-pots, but as the title says, this is “Bread Machine 101.”

Now, I don’t know everything about bread machines and I’m sure many others can give lots more advice than me, but I’d like to share what I know.  I’ve had my bread machine for about three and a half years, and have tried many of the functions on it.  I still have many other options not yet tested, but hopefully soon.

Today, I’d like to talk about purchasing a bread machine and what to look for.  The machine I have is the West Bend 41200 model, which has been discontinued.  At the time of writing this post, there were no machines available on Amazon or E-bay, but you might still find one somewhere else.

My first piece of advice when buying a bread machine is never pay full price!  First, ask around.  Many people buy bread machines and then don’t use them.  You might be able to get them free or for a cheap price.  Next, check your resale avenues like Goodwill, E-bay, or even garage sales.  Next, check discount stores.  We got ours at a Taste of Home outlet store for less than half the price because it was discontinued.  If all of the above fails, try to find the most reasonably priced machine either online or at a department store.  Many places have free shipping and you can also find coupon codes to stack your sales for a deeper discount.

Next, prepare and do your research.  What do you want to do with your bread machine?  Is it for the occasional loaf at home or are you planning to use it on a weekly or daily schedule?  Are you trying to feed two people or do you have a larger family that eats bread?  Do you want to do basic sandwich loaf bread or do you want to be able to do any sort of bread?  Do you want your bread machine to do anything else besides baking bread?  I could keep going, but you get the idea.  Also, search online for bread machine buying guidelines.  There are many out there.  You can also get bread machine cookbooks through the library that will also go over buying a bread machine.

Now, here are some things that you might want to consider when looking for what model you’d like to buy.

• High-domed top:  Some breads really puff up.  If you have a flat-domed top, the bread will rise and either stick to the lid or not bake properly.  Not something you really want.  I have never had to worry about this with a high-domed lid.
• Loaf sizes:  You want to make sure your bread machine will make whatever sized loaf you want.  Many recipes and mixes out there are for either 1½ lb or 2 lb loaves.  I like having a 1 lb option if I just want a loaf for my husband and I that will only last for about two days.
• Size and shape of bread pan:  The size of the pan will directly correlate with the size of loaves you are able to make in your bread machine.  Also somewhat related is the shape of your bread pan.  If you are looking for one that will make great sandwich type loaves you will want to look for a pan that is more rectangle than square (these will usually have two paddles instead of one).  When my bread machine dies, I would like to get one of those, but right now my square-ish pan creates pretty good loaves for sandwiches with the right recipe.
• Small mixing/knead paddle:  The larger the paddle, the larger the hole in your bread.
• Programmable:  You want to make sure that you can easily program your bread machine.  Mine has a specific button each for the loaf size, crust darkness, timer, and menu items (types of breads, etc).
• Digital Display Countdown:  My bread machine lets me know exactly how many minutes are left until my bread is done.  I really love this simple feature.
• Warm Feature:  After my bread is done cooking, my bread machine will go into warm setting which keeps my bread from cooling before I can take it out of the pan.  Now, you wouldn’t just want to always leave your bread in there for hours on this, but it is nice in case something happens and it will be a little bit before you get to take your bread out.
• Second knead cycle beep:  My bread machine makes a beeping noise when it is ready to start the second knead cycle.  This is when you would put in your dried fruit or chocolate chips when making a regular yeast dough.
• Timer:  This is for breads that do not take dairy products.  You can fill up your bread machine, let it sit overnight, and have fresh baked bread in the morning.  Some bread recipes also call for letting the ingredients sit for a while before mixing.  While I have not tried these breads, it is nice to know that I have the option and can walk away from my bread machine without having to come back at a specific time.
• Extra options:  Mine has twelve settings on it.  Many that I use and more that I still want to try.  It has Basic, French, Whole Wheat, Sweet, Super Rapid 1/12lb, Super Rapid 2lb, Quick, Brown Bread, Dough, Bagel Dough, Jam, and Bake.  Why do you want all of these?  Different breads have different mixing, rising, and baking times.  If you really want to use this bread machine a lot, you want the extra options.  Also, the Dough cycle makes your dough so that you can cook it in the oven; this is especially important with shaped breads and rolls.  I also love the Jam cycle.  I have made jam fruit syrups with this setting.  Simple and so easy to clean up if you do it right away.

I hope that this will help you on your quest to finding an awesome bread machine.  Next Friday, we will talk about some tips on using your bread machine.

If you have any tips for purchasing a bread machine or a feature that you love about your bread machine, please let us know in the comments section!

This post is shared with The Prairie Homestead Barn Hop!