does anyone have a breadmaker and actually use it?

[AnguaVonUberwald]

I am so fed up of shop bought bread, and its so expensive, especially if you buy anything which actually tastes of anything, that I am tempted to buy a breadmaker.

The thing is, I suspect its one of those things that you buy, use for a month and then goes in the cupboard for ever.

1. does anyone actually have a breadmaker?
2. is it any good?
3. Do you use it?
4. Does it save you any money?
5. Which one do you have and would you recommend it?

I bake a fresh loaf every other day, it's sooooooo much better than that soggy sliced muck you get in the shops.

Like someone said it takes 3 mins (if that) chucking it in and 3 hours later you have a lovely fresh loaf of bread - it's amazing how it works.

I have argos cheapo cookworks one (£30 ish), which so far has been fine (6 months). I only cook normal breads though.

Katymac, thankyou.

Right ladies, I am convinced, I am off to buy one!

Thank you everyone and particularly Profyaffle - I think that 's my fear too about the doorstops! Great for hot buttery toast but not great for sandwiches. And we only have stoneground wholemeal or granary ( shop bought atm) in our house and would not switch to white bread.

So if I want to continue wiht wholemeal/granary am i right that its not worth buying a breadmaker as slices will be too thick ( even if I wait until not so fresh to slice it or have very good bread knife?)

We got one through freecycle as we weren't sure whether we'd use it after the novelty wore off but we are still using it almost daily.

When it packs up we'll definitely get a new one.

I have to admit I'm pretty crap at slicing it though and the family all take the mickey out of the state I leave the loaf in in but DP bought me an electric carving knife as a jokey Xmas present which makes it easier.

Thanks Norksdrift-now (cheekily)who has Kenwood instructions!?

Sourdough sounds complicated Angua!

zan1bar, I am waiting with bated breath, what is it called if you can't make the link work?

I got a Panasonic for Christmas and I use it maybe 5 times a week. Although it only takes 5 minutes to shove the ingredients in te machine, I am slightly aware of the increase in my daily chores (not just making the bread and remembering to get it out of the machine but also slicing the bread) but I think the product more than justifies the "work".

My children have packed lunches so we get through a lot of bread anyway, and I have been pleasantly surprised at how much they like the bread, having brought them up on sliced "plastic" bread up until now. They even like the crusts and dd astonished me by saying she liked the wholemeal loaf I made the other day! And dh has been very complimentary about the bread too, which was another pleasant bonus.

I think the bread is cheaper than shop bought bread. A bag of flour costs about 60p and makes more than 2 loaves. I am not sure about the yeast or how much the electricity costs, but the other ingredients are all minimal amounts that I have at home anyway.

I don't intend ever going back to shop bought bread, although I have put a shop-bought loaf in the freezer case of emergencies.

I would say, if you are thinking of getting a machine, get one! And although I have not had the Panasonic for long, my parents are on their second machine and talk very highly of it.

Leaving the bread a day and using a really sharp bread knife should allow you to cut thin slices. I don't find that hard really but then I was brought up on cutting bread with a breadknife. A lot of people who were brought up on sliced bread (any of you?) do seem to lack that skill ime.

Buda, I have no idea, as its my father who makes it, I have never made bread in my life, just a thought!

I think I will stick to the breadmaker!

Maddylou - I have kenwood instruction - but if you ring Kenwood they will send them to you

I am thinking of getting one too. I want one that has a delay timer so that I can wake up to hot fresh bread every morning- anyone know which ones have this feature?

I also love my breadmaker and use it 2-3 times a week. Maybe I'm slow but I find it takes me longer than 5 minutes to make it - by the time you get the ingredients out, chuck it all in and clear up the mess I've made by spilling some flour around, then wash up those bits and pieces up and then the breadmaker bowl afterwards that adds up to more than 5 minutes. I keep meaning to see how much a cup weighs as I think it might be quicker to weigh the flour than faff around with the cup but maybe I'm making a flour mountain out of a molehill. Still much more convenient than making braad yourself.

The disadvantages are that it is so yummy we eat loads more bread, part of the cyle is really loud if you make it during the day and the loaves are an odd shape and make it difficult to make sandwiches. We don't have an electric knife so would be keen to try that.

Yes,
Use it every day
35p for an organic wholemeal loaf with no nasties added

I guess the weights extremelychocolatey - so use a rough third of a bag of flour, only measure the water - much quicker

My parents gave me theirs for Christmas as dad prefers making it by hand. I've not bought a loaf since.

The book is called ' artisan bread in 5 minutes a day'
google it or youtube video

THIS IS THE EASIEST TASTIEST BREAD IN THE WORLD!

you don't need to buy a bread maker honest. Just flour/water/yeast/salt.

I bought one at the weekend and have already made 5 loaves. Its a panasonic one with a timer and its fabulous.

I used to make bread by hand but was finding it a bit time consuming, the breadmaker is so easy and makes really good bread.

Its a panasonic sd255, not cheap but very good. The bread is good quality, cheap to make and hassle free.

My ds' are used to my own bread so were complaining when I started buying bread. They are now happy again.

I hve a plastic jug - I weighed the flour over 4 days then each day put it in the jug - now I know 700ml = however many g of flour

The rest is a glass jug for the water and a teaspoon for the odds (salt/yeast/sugar) & I guess oil

Most have a timer delay - kenwood & panasonic both do

Bubbaluv - I thought all breadmakers had a delay timer. I could be wrong though.

I think i'm turning into a bread geek.

Also try breadtopia.com for some very easy no-knead recipes you just mix and leave overnight or once i left the dough 28hours and god it made fantastic bread.
Much like a £3.00 borough market sourdough yum yum

In answer to the questions in op:

1. does anyone actually have a breadmaker? yes
2. is it any good? yes
3. Do you use it? yes
4. Does it save you any money? yes but even if it didn't I would still use it as we prefer it to shop bread
5. Which one do you have and would you recommend it? Russell Hobbs

HTH

Maybe somebody can help me here. I LOVE fresh bread from the bakery (usually just white bread). And got a breadmaker from freecycle. But the bread I have made doesn't taste anything like the bread from the bakery and I don't really use it. DH won't eat it and I am not keen. What am I doing wrong?

Do you use any reciepe for breakmakers or does it need to be one for the specific breadmaker?

I'm on my third breadmaker in 7 years and make about two loaves a week. The first one we gave away when we left N. America, the second was cheap and crap, the third is a Panasonic (fab) and we love it.

We've never costed the bread but we love it so much that saving money is not the main motivation. We use the same basic recipe but change the nuts/seeds each time for variety, and sometimes experiment with some different flour (rye, buckwheat...)

Everyone compliments us on our bread and many of our friends have gone out and bought one after eating our bread.

The key I think is to not buy bread, and make sure you always have the ingredients you need at home. We put ours on at night so that it's ready in the morning.