Silly question about breadmakers...

[Minicooper]

Am thinking of investing because at cost of bread. Most seem to recommend the (painfully!) expensive Panasonic, but just wondered, do all makes result in a loaf with a big hole in the bottom or have we moved on since then? My parents have a cheap 2 blade affair that doesn't deliver a holy loaf - but presumably isn't as good overall as the Panasonic - come enlighten me. TIA!

As far as I know, they all have the hole, because without a paddle, you cannot knead the dough. You can avoid this hole, though, if you only use the machine for mixing and kneading. You can then pop the dough into a loaf pan for the final rise before baking in the oven.

Hmmm. Just wondering how very fussy 3yo dd will cope with strange shaped bread in her lunchbox

My Mum has a Morphy Richards breadmaker that retracts the paddle before baking the finished loaf. I have the Panasonic and find that the paddle leaves more of a 'slot' than a big hole. If you're making sandwiches, cut the bread in half where the slot appears and no-one really notices :)

that really is very fussy The hole made by the Panasonic is small and like a slot really and so you can slice around it. She will never know......

Best idea is if you're making sandwiches, cut them up rather than across.
Then the slot just lines up with the edge of the sandwich....and disappears.

Honestly I wouldn't bother with a breadmaker, they are pretty useless & I find making it by hand is just as easy, theraputic to make & tastes far better - just invest in some decent loaf tins & save yourself the money -

mines sat in the attic collecting dust & I can't even give the damned thing away

Can I suggest a half-way house? I use electric beaters/dough hooks to do mine. No hand kneading and no holes in the bread! Costs about £20 rather than £60 too.

I disagree I love my bread maker. Pop it on at night, set the timer and the house smells amazing in the morning - (making a change from shitty nappies). I use a mix of wholemeal, plain white and seeded flour and mix water/yeast/sugar together and put on top of flour - have found best result this way. I woud recommend and no you don't notice the slot.

I suppose it really depends how much time you have. I have zero time as both DH and I work fulltime and every evening is a race to get ready for the next day, make lunches, tidy up, feed kids and ourselves etc etc. A breadmaker is the only way, and better IMHO, of making sure we have homemade bread.

Mind you towards the end of the week, even putting the breadmaker on is one job too many and then it's bought bread until the weekend!

Thanks ladies - think the 'hole in the bottom' problem is not what it used to be! Think even my fussy 3yo would deal with an invisible slot! Just have to decide if I can bear afford to part with the cash....