Bread Maker or Food Processor?

[BroccoliSpears]

My inlaws have given me some money for my birthday. Should I buy a bread maker or a food processor?

Bread maker! We got one 3 years ago and have only bought bread about 3 times since then (even when DS was newborn). Saves loads of money, tastes much nicer, is very little bother, and if you get one that automatically adds seeds/nuts/raisins etc at the right time you can set if off overnight and get tasty fresh bread for breakfast that would cost loads of money form a fancy bakers. Also seedy/nutty bread is a good way of upping the protein in toddlers' and older kids' diets as wheat + seeds/nuts = complete protein on it's own. We have a Panasonic SD 253 which used to be the one Which? recommended although it may not be available anymore. I don't think they're all equally good, so maybe worth having a look at Which? if you can get access (library?)

Sorry to be evangelical! I love my breadmaker

there is a breadmaker in argos for £24, must be v basic but am v tempted for that price. watching this so people will persuade me to buy it

I use my breadmaker all the time but hardly ever use the food processor.

Depends of course on how much you like bread!

Fio - is it really sad that the thought of a bread maker or a food processor is more exciting than clothes? Actually, don't answer that.

Anyway, I'm pg so no point buying clothes.

So, three votes for breadmaker. But with a food processor I could make macaroons...

Why do you need a food processor to make macaroons?

Of course you could make bread in the oven, but the truth is you won't. Breadmakers rock.

Can I make macaroons without a food processor then?

I suppose bread is more useful than macaroons.

I have no idea how to make macaroons but I'm sure they've been around longer than food processors.

Aren't macaroons just meringues with the addition of coconut? You need something to whip the eggwhites with, but a simple whisk will do that.

But I do get annoyed at the number of Nigella recipes that go: 'blitz the ingredients in the food processor...'

I have a hand-held blender which does the whipping of cream, eggwhite, etc, and also does blending for soups and smoothies. But I use the breadmaker every day. So much cheaper, particularly now that supermarket bread (vile stuff) has become so expensive. And you know what went into it, which is def not the case with commercial sliced bread.

EmsMum - Err... I feel a bit silly now. Yes. Macaroons without a food processor.

I blame Nigella.

I'd go for the food processor. Bread is dead easy to make without a dedicated machine.

Breadmaker - but it must be Panasonic.

Food processor. You can do more with it. I have both.

I want BOTH.

[greedy emoticon]

Food processor every time. Bread is just so easy to make without a machine. I've been making bread for over 20 years no problems!

But what exactly do you want a food processor for? Make sure you would use one. I use mine most for batch-jobs - I grate loads of cheese both for recipes and to keep a stash of grated cheese in the fridge and/or freezer. I use mine to make a variety of gorgeous home-made coleslaws really quickly. I batch-bake fairy cakes and sandwich cakes for the freezer or for school events. For smaller jobs, such as making just one sandwich cake, I usually use my hand-mixer. Again, I make smallish batches of pastry by hand, but sometimes use the processor for huge batches. My food processor is brilliant for whisking egg whites, it makes the best meringues ever! My processor is also great at juicing citrus fruit.

Have a think about how/when you would really use a food processor or a breadmaker. It might be that something else would make a better present for yourself - just to confuse the issue!

My husband bought me my food processor for my last birthday before our first child was born. I was not a happy bunny. Now I love it and would immediately have to get another if it broke.

Excellent question portonovo. What would I use a food processor for?

Baking. I do bake a lot, but clearly I don't need a food processor for this or I would have got one by now.
Umm... grating things in a hurry. ("Nurse! I need this carrot grated! STAT!")
Smoothies? We have a smoothie maker but it's a bit rubbish.
Smoothening soup when I don't have time to use my hand-held whizzy wand thing?
Okay, I'm clutching a bit...

I always vaguely feel that I ought to have a food processor...