Do you want to make your own bread? Do you want to buy a bread maker or make it by hand?
You might wonder if it is cheaper, easier, healthier, less work, or worth buying a bread maker. Let’s look at the pros and cons of both options.
Do you get tired of store-bought bread? Do you want to be more healthy but don’t want to spend too much on health foods in the supermarket?
Do you have doubts about gluten-free bread that is sold in the market?
You might want a bread maker because you want to make bread. But it can be hard to decide which one is for you and if it would be worth the money.
A majority of consumers acquire a bread maker as an alternative to store-bought bread.
Some people get it so that they may make delicious gluten-free meals at a fraction of the cost of buying them from stores.
Others buy it so that they can try new types of bread and experiment with different kinds of recipes.
You can also buy a bread maker for making other related products like dough. Every bread maker has a setting for “dough”.
This dough “setting” will allow you to mix, knead, and ferment the dough which you need. You can then use the dough for many products like pizza, cookies, pies, cakes
This is crucial since it will prevent you from making a mess with the dough.
It also saves a lot of time and work that would be required if you were to knead the dough by hand.
You can simply prepare the amount of dough needed in your bread machine, then bake it in your oven.
Pros of buying a bread maker
Bread is fresher. Fresh bread is always better than the alternative.
Bread is cheaper. If you buy a good quality bread maker, it’s less expensive than purchasing all of the ingredients for homemade bread.
It is also less expensive to purchase a loaf from a bakery from time to time if you make your own fresh loaves at home using a bread maker.
You can control the ingredients. Some people are concerned about how many chemicals might be in store-bought bread, so they prefer to control what is in their homemade bread which is made with just flour, yeast, salt and water.
When you use a bread maker there is less chance of introducing an ingredient that is not needed or is harmful.
You can customize the bread maker to make any kind of bread. Some people prefer whole wheat bread, some like rye, some like raisin bread, etc.
A bread machine is especially useful when you’re making specialty types of bread that are not available at your local bakery or supermarket.
Cons of buying a bread maker
- Bread makers are expensive
- Bread makers have a learning curve so baking great bread will take a while
When deciding if buying a bread maker is worth it for you, ask yourself the following questions:
The reason why you want a bread maker
If you want a bread maker for a clear reason like to eat freshly baked bread or to make gluten-free bread, or you need the bread maker to knead dough which you will use in the oven, then it makes a lot of sense to buy a bread maker.
Your reason should be clear. You can have more than one reason. In fact, the more reasons you have the better as you will then make optimum use of the bread maker.
How often do you bake?
If you bake a lot, a bread maker is an excellent investment. It helps to evenly mix the dough and knead it, saving you time.
The frequency of using the bread maker to make bread
We tend to come across things and when it captures our attention, we purchase it.
We should ask ourselves how often we will utilize the bread maker given that we have a habit of buying things when they catch our attention.
Is it because your family and you have a healthy life that baking organic or gluten-free bread daily will save you money over purchasing.
Another hint to assist you in determining how often you will utilize the bread maker is to see how often you use your oven to cook meals.
If you bake once a week, there’s a good chance that you’ll use your bread maker as well.
Saving time with a Bread Maker
We live in a hectic world where we have a lot of obligations. The baking process of most bread makers is lengthy since it is time-consuming.
You must first add the ingredients; they will then rest for a while, after which you must knead the dough, let it ferment, and then beat it before finally cooking it. This procedure
Do you have the time to spare? Most bread machines on the market today are automatic, so all you have to do is put in the ingredients and they will start working.
You’ll need to wait until it’s baked before eating it unless you’re content with quick bread. There are bread makers available on the market that can make fast bread in an
Price
The cost of a bread maker is one of the most important things to consider when purchasing one.
If you buy a low-cost, high-quality bread maker like the Oster CKSTBRTW20, you may use it only once or twice per year and yet get a lot of value out of it over time.
If you intend on using it daily, then you should definitely buy a top rated bread maker like the Zojirushi BB-PAC20BA.
Is it easy to use?
This is very important. The best bread machines are going to be easy to use and they will come with an instruction manual that is clear and comprehensive.
You can get a free copy of the manual by on the manufacturer’s website.
Entertaining friends and family
When you have freshly baked bread on your table, it’s a “WOW” factor for your guests.
Many of us have fond childhood memories of our grandparents making fresh bread.
If you like to entertain friends and family at your home on a regular basis, investing in a decent bread maker is well worth it.
Not only will you be able to make your favorite bread, but you can make it fresh and hot for them.
New foods
Many of us adore trying new foods. You may create different sorts of exotic Italian and Chinese bread, bread with cinnamon or raisins, and so on using a bread maker.
Some bread machines like the Panasonic SD-BMS105-SW can even bake Japanese foods including mochi, brioche, steamed bread, udon, and red bean bread.
Conclusion
As you can see, the decision to buy a bread maker and if it is worth for you depends entirely on what you’re looking for.
It also depends on the type of bread maker you buy and the price that you buy it at. It depends on how frequently you will use it and how many activities (kneading, baking, etc).
Finally, baking your own bread and eating it is an enjoyable experience and if you feel that you will enjoy doing so, it is worth it for you.
