Breadmaker or kitchenaid?

[AbbyCat]

I ordered an andrew james bread maker and have had it 2 weeks. It's a bit disappointing because the loaves haven't been turning out perfect (top unbaked despite different settings). So I am going to return it. BUT i loved the convenience of chucking everything in.

Should I go for a panasonic bread maker? Or just get a kitchen aid and make bread in the oven? How difficult is it to do the latter? (I've never made bread except for these 2w with the bread maker). It's just me and toddler DS eating bread so I only want small quantities. But I do love seeded bread. (if those make a difference to what I should get)

---

This thread is very old now, but if you’re here looking for info on the latest bread machines, we’ve recently updated our best bread maker page with plenty of high-quality options recommended by Mumsnet users and industry experts, including info on the pros and cons of different Panasonic models. We hope it’s useful.
MNHQ

I make bread loads since having my kitchenaid, miles better than a bread maker and you can use it for other things too.

How easy is it to make bread in a kitchen aid? How many extra steps are there? (complete novice here!)

I'd get a kitchenaid mixer. My friend uses it all the time to mix dough for bread. She stopped using her bread maker as she prefers the shape of the bread in the oven and she can bake several loaves in the oven at once and freeze some.

You can use a mixer for lots of other things like cakes and frosting, whereas a breadmaker only makes dough.
And Kitchenaid mixers look great on the counter!
(I barely bake and I want one, when I have grandkids to bake with, that will be my excuse!)
I also loved the easiness of using a breadmaker, but this year have barely used it. Mine is a Black and Decker and I have had no problems with it.

Just chuck everything in with the dough hook on, let it mix for about 10 minutes, stick some clingfilm over the bowl and leave to rise in a warm place for a while then shape and bake. Dead easy. I've successfully made several types of bread, brioche, focaccia, flavoured breads, you name it.

Mix dough.

Leave to prove covered in a warm place for an hour until doubled in size.

'Knock back' by pushing all the air out.

Shape into required tin or shape on a baking tray.

Recover and leave to prove for 20minutes.

Bake.

Those are the steps. I also would get a kitchenaid. So much more choice on what can be made.

If those steps seem too much for you, check out Dan Lepards bread recipes. They have a quicker knead technique.

I have only made it with a breadmaker, but my freind makes it look easy like bringonyourwreckingball explains.
I googled some recipes, maybe you could give it a try.
Here is one that doesn't even need a mixer.
jezebel.com/5881847/how-to-make-easy-fast-foolproof-bread-from-scratch
Here is one using a KA mixer.

Don't spend hundreds on a Kitchen Aid just to make dough.... If you're only a small family you're not going to be making great quantities of cakes. I'd replace the breadmaker with a decent one.

The advantage of the bread maker is that you can do just the dough and then cook it in the oven or cook it in the bread maker. So you can put it on in the morning and come home to a complete loaf.

Also you don't have to wash the tin at all.

I have a Kitchen Aid . It is amazing. So SO much easier than kneading bread by hand (though obviously you get that with a bread maker too...).

If you bake cakes a Kitchen Aid is also great - even just for little fairy cakes but if you don't do much baking in general then it is a huge expense for not much use. Results are brill though.

I have a KA and a breadmaker. Have never used the KA for bread but if someone has a simple recipe that is in grammes or oz and not cups I'll give it a whirl. Whenever I try to convert from cups it always goes tits up! :)

I've got a K-Mix so a bit cheaper than a kitchenaid but still very pretty.

It makes amazing bread, I got the Paul Hollywood baking book for Christmas and have been making various breads almost daily since then. It really is a case of throw ingredients into bowl, turn on mixer, go make breakfast / tea then pop some cling over the bowl. Return a bit later, slap dough into shape you want, recover, leave for a bit then cook. Enjoy lovely fresh bread with lashings of butter!

What I like about my Panasonic breadmaker is that you can put it on overnight and wake up to effort-free fresh bread.

Gwen you can get cup measures on Amazon. Converting them is impossible!

You can get cup measures from anywhere that sells kitchen stuff.

I always think that finding 'somewhere warm' that you can leave bread to prove is the difficult part. For this alone, a breadmaker wins. Eight years and counting for us, now. Several loaves a week. I once worked out that £100 on a breadmaker used twice a week for a year (ie roughly 100 loaves) plus 'normal' white loaf production cost of about 50-60p (if you use cheap Tesco flour!) is break-even. After that, costs plummet to just that 60p a loaf compared with £1.35 for a bought one.

Seeded bread - yum - my favourite! Panasonic does great seeded bread... shame my DS won't eat it!

Ok so question now is- should I get a kitcheaid (or similar) or perhaps stick to the breadmaker to knead the dough and then bake in oven since the breadmaker bake isn't great? Th breadmaker cost me £70, a lot less than a kitchenaid!

We don't make cake very often, but I may make more as the kids grow up. We do make pancakes every other weekend but I'm quite used to whisking this by hand and don't think this justifies a kitchenaid.

What else do you use yours for?

not read the whole thread, but I use my kitchenaid tons!

batter (toad, pancakes), cakes & icing, bread dough (loaves, naan, roti, pitta, focaccia), biscuits, mash potato, pasta, hollandaise sauce, mayonnaise,

I also have the mincer attachement and the sausage attachment.

I let the dough rise by sticking the bowl on a radiator!

meringue, omelettes, whipping cream, french macarons, whoopie pies

KA all the way... much more versatile than a BM...

Ooh I never thought about using it for batter!

Why not use it for making omelettes? It's not hard to clean and you're getting your money's worth.

because by the time I've washed up a whisk and bowl, I might as well wash up the KA, and with four kids, it can be up to 12 eggs.