Bread Makers

[Mitsu3000gt]

Anyone here use bread makers on a regular basis?

I'm trying to decide if I want one, or if they are too big of a pain to use. They don't seem very expensive and I love bread maker bread. Can you make whole wheat bread with it too, or just the white? Does it take a long time to get the ingredients together?

Any feedback would be appreciated, thanks.

[Wrinkly]

I have a bread machine and go through spates of using it regularly and then not for a while.

It is very easy to use - makes amazing bread and you can make cakes, pizza dough and even jam with it (not true of all I don't think)

Do a google and read some reviews (www.epinions.com is good). Not all are created equal, and some make cylindrical loaves and may not be 'full size' (2lb) loaves.

I bought the "Rolls Royce" of bread machines - the .Zojirushi (http://zojirushi.com/#) (not cheap at $300, but well worth it), and I have never used anything else so can only comment on this one. But it's been excellent, had a lot of use over almost ten years and makes many types of great bread. It has a timer so you can prepare it, set it and wake to the smell of fresh baked bread if you want to

[Wrinkly]

Had to come back and say thanks for starting this thread. It made me go look up Zojirushi's web site which I haven't done for a while. They've made changes and now I can get parts online. :thumbsup:

[Disoblige]

My old school used to have a bread maker and I'd make bread like twice a week. I love the smell of bread rising in the breadmaker, but if I got one, it'd be more specialized bread like apple cinnamon, raisin, etc.

[cet]

We have a Cuisinart one that my wife makes bread in all the time. She likes the low-carb/low-cal variety and it seems pretty easy to make. Just pour all the ingredients in and turn it on.
Last weekend I made some white bread using a stand mixer, not the bread machine and it's the best bread I've had in a long time.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Very promising feedback so far. I had no idea Zojirushi made bread makers - my dad has a rice maker from them and it is amazing. Thanks for the comments.

This one looks pretty good, and $240 doesn't seem too bad:.

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16896101313&nm_mc=OTC-sho6b0tCA&cm_mmc=OTC-sho6b0tCA-_-BreadMakers-_-ZOJIRUSHI-_-96101313

[Wrinkly]

Originally posted by Disoblige
My old school used to have a bread maker and I'd make bread like twice a week. I love the smell of bread rising in the breadmaker, but if I got one, it'd be more specialized bread like apple cinnamon, raisin, etc.

I like to do this too - we got it originally to try to cut down on sodium in our bread. Works to a point, but can be a bit hit and miss.

I make a 'customised' garlic/herbed Focaccia bread which goes over very well with the fam. What I like about my machine is that I can use it to make just the dough and then bake buns, pizza dough, or whatever.

[The_Rural_Juror]

I bought the same one off newegg a year ago. Still chugging along just fine. I find the 2lb loaves to be a bit too big though.

[Wrinkly]

Originally posted by Mitsu3000gt
Very promising feedback so far. I had no idea Zojirushi made bread makers - my dad has a rice maker from them and it is amazing. Thanks for the comments.

This one looks pretty good, and $240 doesn't seem too bad:.

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16896101313&nm_mc=OTC-sho6b0tCA&cm_mmc=OTC-sho6b0tCA-_-BreadMakers-_-ZOJIRUSHI-_-96101313

$240 Canadian - that's good, mine was over $300. It was the top of their line at the time, though and I had to get it shipped from Ontario - the only place in Canada that seemed to have them back then.

If you've experienced Zojirushi, then you likely won't be disappointed with their bread makers. I love mine, it's never failed me yet and just keeps going and going (the "Honda's" of the appliance world, maybe?...lol)

It might be more cost up front, but I think ten years and going strong is a good indicator. The ONLY downside, is the noise it makes when kneading the dough. Don't have it on while trying to watch a movie in an open plan kitchen/family room...lol. I need to get some new paddles now ($12) because the non-stick coating is just about gone and causes the bread to stick - but that's all.

You can sometimes find 'em on eBay, btw.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Originally posted by The_Rural_Juror
I bought the same one off newegg a year ago. Still chugging along just fine. I find the 2lb loaves to be a bit too big though.

Yeah I was wondering about that, as I do live alone so its mostly just me eating the bread. I could freeze some too, I guess. The 1lb loaf maker is probably a more sensible size, but is only $20 cheaper, so it seems like you get a lot more for your money with the 2lb maker.




Originally posted by Wrinkly


$240 Canadian - that's good, mine was over $300. It was the top of their line at the time, though and I had to get it shipped from Ontario - the only place in Canada that seemed to have them back then.

If you've experienced Zojirushi, then you likely won't be disappointed with their bread makers. I love mine, it's never failed me yet and just keeps going and going (the "Honda's" of the appliance world, maybe?...lol)

It might be more cost up front, but I think ten years and going strong is a good indicator. The ONLY downside, is the noise it makes when kneading the dough. Don't have it on while trying to watch a movie in an open plan kitchen/family room...lol. I need to get some new paddles now ($12) because the non-stick coating is just about gone and causes the bread to stick - but that's all.

You can sometimes find 'em on eBay, btw.

They are $220 or so at newegg but shipping is expensive, that other place has them for $240 and free shipping, all CDN.

The newer model is supposed to be pretty quiet, according to reviews. There are over 600 reviews on amazon.com with many people taking the time to write long, thoughtful reviews and everyone seems to love this thing.

EDIT: Does anyone in Calgary sell Zojirushi?

[nonlinear]

very interested in this thread as well. been looking for one of these for quite some time, and have been reading some reviews but can't find a retailer that carries what i'm looking for in calgary.

For a $99 price point, i've heard the Cuisinart cbk-100 is outstanding. can't locate a dealer in canada, though.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001C2KY7Y?tag=ppl-20

[Wrinkly]

Zojirushi list retailers on their site and they also state that they may not carry all products. There are a few in Calgary on that list, so I would suggest calling some and finding out if they carry the bread makers.

http://zojirushi.com/user/scripts/user/store_search.php

[The_Rural_Juror]

I called around town for my Zojirushi last year and newegg was still a lot cheaper. The places here have to special order them in.

$199 usd here and comes with a bread knife.

http://www.cutleryandmore.com/homebakery.htm

I don't believe there is another bread maker out there with 2 stirring paddles, and they make a difference. I still end up shaping the dough by hand a little while it's rising to get a better look. You can make smaller loaves I guess, or feed them to your cats.

[Mitsu3000gt]

I think I'm going to order this one, and from this store:

http://www.galtak.com/bbcec20.html

On sale for $260, free shipping, and $20 over the white one seems reasonable for stainless steel.

[Wrinkly]

I have a feeling that might be where I got mine, but their web site is MUCH better now than it was. But that is a good deal - I'm tempted to get the steel myself, though I don't 'need' a new one it will fit in better with my kitchen and it's on the counter all the time. The one I have is in perfect working order, though - anyone wanna buy a used white one?...lol

I'm also tempted to get the coffee machine - didn't know Zojirushi made those, too and that's $15 off at the mo. I need a new one. AND they have the perfect thermal tea pot, never see those in stores - that will be $445.19 please. hmmmm should I.....

(I'm starting to regret posting in this thread...lol)

[Mitsu3000gt]

Haha yeah I was looking on their website too and it looks like they make some awesome stuff.

I am a green tea fiend, drinking 3-4L a day and this hot water on demand thing looked awesome:

http://zojirushi.com/ourproducts/elepots/cd_jsc.html

Seems like it would be way better than a kettle, but if it keeps the water hot all the time I wonder if it uses a crazy amount of power?

As for the coffee, if you have the time to grind it yourself and make it in a press, it's noticeably better than any machine can do. Their machine looks nice though.

[Wrinkly]

Noooooooo - the only proper way to make tea is with freshly (still boiling as you pour it) boiled water. I don't think it will keep it at boiling, just very hot and as you say, it would surely be using a lot of juice even then. I'd stick with putting the kettle on.

Edit: I do grind my own coffee right before making, but just a regular machine. The one I have has taken to leaking all over the place so I thought I might try the Zojirushi with the thermal pot instead of the glass so the coffee doesn't get 'burned' while it keeps warm.

(By the way - I know it's the wrong thread, but as I'm here - your photo's from the zoo today are simply stunning! Great job!)

[Mitsu3000gt]

Their website says 140F is the perfect temperature for high quality green tea, but I really have no clue, I just fire in the boiling hot water and never take out the bag lol. Tastes fine to me. It says for black tea you use boiling water. It apparently has specific heat settings for these purposes.

If it helps at all, I have a consumer reports membership and that coffee machine is very highly rated. I can't find bread makers though, but I can hardly find a bad word about it everywhere else online. As you know that coffee machine also comes with the thermal pot which is a nice touch.

And thanks, glad you liked the pics :)

EDIT: I ordered the stainless Zojirushi, I'll let everyone know how it works out when I get it!

[Kritafo]

I don't know how I missed this thread. I have owned several bread makers over the years I have the cuisinart from Costco. It's been going strong for 2 years and I make bread about every 2 days. I highly recommend whatever kind you get make sure it's a 2 lb loaf. Most of them having recipes for smallers loaves anyway if you dont' use that much bread. I make pretzels and pizza dough all the time as well.

I didn't want to spend a mint on a breadmaker because we were going through them so fast. Do yourself a favour and buy a manual pasta maker as well Kitchen aid sells the attachments. It makes fabulous pasta if your into it.

I hate to say I am going to check out the Zojirushi now that I see it has a cake and jam setting.. I am going to for sure. Looks like a fantastic machine. But you have to be committed to making bread all the time for $270.00 I also only use unbleached flour it tastes so much better if you want to get really crazy buy a mill and do your own grain it's fantastic.

[nonlinear]

kritafo what model cuisinart do you have?

[twodoor]

Check out the Fresh Loaf website at http://www.thefreshloaf.com

It seems to be a pretty popular forum for bread making, recipes, and equipment. I came across it while checking out an Electrolux DLX mixer. Plugging in Zojirushi brings up more than 10 pages of posts, so it may help your bread maker research.

Here's a few more links from my mixer search, I think they all carried the Zo's too:

http://www.aviva.ca/
http://rwglobal.com/~healthykitchens/calgary_customer_service.html
http://www.cookshoppe.net/
http://www.pleasanthillgrain.com/

[Kritafo]

I have the CBK-200

[Mitsu3000gt]

So my bread maker came in last night, I'm very impressed with it so far. Very well built, super easy to use, very good manual, and extremely quiet.

I made a zero fat wheat loaf and it didn't rise much over the pan and was too dense, so I may have measured my flour wrong or not used enough yeast. It still tasted really good though. I'll try another recipe tonight. Definitely looking forward to using this thing a lot.

[Cos]

Originally posted by Wrinkly
I have a bread machine and go through spates of using it regularly and then not for a while.


Most of the time we dont use ours but sometimes if it is a cold boring day it is nice.

Honestly for the $150.00 you can buy a lot of bread.

[Wrinkly]

Originally posted by Mitsu3000gt
So my bread maker came in last night, I'm very impressed with it so far. Very well built, super easy to use, very good manual, and extremely quiet.

I made a zero fat wheat loaf and it didn't rise much over the pan and was too dense, so I may have measured my flour wrong or not used enough yeast. It still tasted really good though. I'll try another recipe tonight. Definitely looking forward to using this thing a lot.


You will also find that as the seasons change you'll need to adjust recipes slightly. You will have fun with it - and may well gain a few pounds in the process. ;)



Originally posted by Cos


Most of the time we dont use ours but sometimes if it is a cold boring day it is nice.

Honestly for the $150.00 you can buy a lot of bread.

True - but I think I've had my money's worth out of mine in the almost ten years I've had it - I also can't 'buy' some of the bread I make myself - and you just can't beat that 'fresh' from the oven smell and taste.

[nonlinear]

and i imagine you are using bakers percents (mass) for the recipe, right?

[Mitsu3000gt]

Originally posted by nonlinear
and i imagine you are using bakers percents (mass) for the recipe, right?

Nope I'm using measuring cups and "cup" measurements. I know that especially for flour, weight is ideal but I don't have a scale. I probably used a bit too much flour last time because just dumping flour into the measuring cup probably compacted it a bit. Next time I'll put the flour into the measuring cup a tiny bit at a time to try avoid compacting.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Made my second loaf tonight, I tried out a whole wheat honey oat recipe. It turned out absolutely flawless, and its delicious. Perfect crust. It tastes great just eating the straight bread without anything on it. Better than anything I've ever bought at the store by a mile.

After seeing this loaf compared to my last, the last one didn't even look like it fully cooked properly, and was very crumbly/dry during the kneading process where as this one was very moist.

Very happy with everything.

[Pahnda]

I'm getting into bread makers and I'm wondering what do most people do as for mixing the ingredients...

Mix it and knead it a bit before putting in the maker or just dump everything in?

The maker I have is pretty old (got it from family) and I'm pretty much answering my question but I find it gives a better result if I mix it all up a bit before dumping it in.

Also, it has a yeast dispenser and I'm kinda going 3/4 yeast mixed in prior, 1/4 in the dispenser...

[B18C]

I don't know about these expensive ones you guys are talking about.

We have a cheap little $60 Black and Decker breadmaker and we really like it. Well, my wife does as I've never actually used it myself. It's super easy to use. Put liquid ingredients in first, then the dry ingredients, set the timer and in 2-3 hours you have fresh bread from like 5 ingredients.

One thing I don't like about it though is that the bread goes stale really quickly because it doesn't have any preservatives. I know this is probably a good thing but it makes it less convenient that's for sure....unless you finish a loaf in like 2 days.

[Wrinkly]

Originally posted by Pahnda
I'm getting into bread makers and I'm wondering what do most people do as for mixing the ingredients...

Mix it and knead it a bit before putting in the maker or just dump everything in?

The maker I have is pretty old (got it from family) and I'm pretty much answering my question but I find it gives a better result if I mix it all up a bit before dumping it in.

Also, it has a yeast dispenser and I'm kinda going 3/4 yeast mixed in prior, 1/4 in the dispenser...

You shouldn't have to mix before hand. This is why many people prefer the Zojirushi; it's the only one with two paddles. Hence it mixes well and can make a full sized 2lb loaf of bread.

[Mitsu3000gt]

I've been making 10 grain whole wheat honey oat bread and it is delicious :drool:

The Zoj makes a flawless loaf every time.

Pretty healthy too, as far as bread goes.

If anyone wants the recipe let me know.

[TimG]

i've never used a bread machine, so this might be a dumb question:

can i mix the ingredients in the pan and program it to start working in the wee hours so that i'll have a fresh loaf of bread waiting for me when i wake up in the morning?

is there a separate yeast dispenser or something? how do you stop the wet and dry ingredients from soaking and turning into mush?

[Mitsu3000gt]

Originally posted by TimG
i've never used a bread machine, so this might be a dumb question:

can i mix the ingredients in the pan and program it to start working in the wee hours so that i'll have a fresh loaf of bread waiting for me when i wake up in the morning?

is there a separate yeast dispenser or something? how do you stop the wet and dry ingredients from soaking and turning into mush?


Don't mix them, the machine will do that when its ready. You put the liquids in the pan first, then all the flower on top. Then, in the flour, you make a little crater for the salt and one the yeast. Salt/water shouldn't touch the yeast until the process begins, so make the little craters on opposite sides in the pan to keep them separate.

You should also use recipes without perishable ingredients (like eggs and liquid milk) if you are going to let it sit for a long time before the machine kicks in. Most machines have 1-12 hour delays or so.