Bread machines- who has one?

[corazon]

I'm thinking it would be good to invest in a bread machine but I really don't know much about them. I want all the gorey details.

What kind do you have and do you like it?
what don't you like about it?
Is it really that easy to make bread?
Does it sit on the counter and rarely get used? How often do you use it?

Thanks everybody!

[CharlieD]

I have one, never used it. It's been seating, hm, somewhere, I don't even remember where any more. when i got the machine I had fullintentions of using it. But at that time maybe even few days before i got machine (it was a present) the new bread bakery opened in town. Their breads are sooooooooooooooooooooooooo good i am totally edicted to their products. So no machine bread for me.

[Katie E]

Good question. I LOVE my bread machines. Yes, plural. I have two. Both are Welbilt and I have had them for close to 10 years. I've only used the machines a few times to make bread IN them.

Let me clarify that last statement by saying I make ALL the bread products we eat in our house. This means that the machines get used regularly and often both are on at the same time. Now to explain why I don't usually make bread IN them.

I use my machines to knead my doughs and to put them through the first rise, so the DOUGH cycle is the one I use most often.

Once the dough and been kneaded and risen the first time, I remove it and shape it into whatever kind of bread product it's intended for.

After speaking to one of the staff bakers at King Arthur Flour, I was told that the machine did a far better job of kneading than I could with my two kneaders (hands). I found that to be very, very true. Plus, making breads this way is very convenient because the machine does a lot of the work for me. I can be doing something else while the kneading and rising are goin' on. All I have to do is to quickly shape and put to rise for the last time and, then, bake. Easy peasy.

ETA: One of the things I appreciate about using my bread machines as I do is that instead of getting one loaf of bread from a cycle, I get two. I prefer to be efficient and that definitely is. So If I use both my machines at the same time, I can get 4 loaves of bread. That's especially beneficial if I am baking bread to give as gifts during the holidays.

[LadyCook61]

I'm on my 3rd one . The last two wouldn't work anymore. The current one is a cheap one under $40 , bought at Walmart a few years ago. It has a small pan , only makes a 1 and half pound bread but that is okay, there is only 2 of us.

[GotGarlic]

I think mine is a Black and Decker. It works well, and yes, it's that easy It came with a cookbook that describes how to make lots of kinds of breads. I don't use it as often as I intend to, but when I do, it's great.

[suziquzie]

I have one, I only use it to knead my pizza dough when I'm too lazy to get the kitchen-aid out.
I used it more often for bread dough beore I got my mixer. I never really liked the shape or size of the loaf so I baked it myself in normal bread pans.

[stassie]

I use ours just about every second day. I find it's way cheaper than store-bought bread, and much nicer.

But I let the machine do ALL the work - just chuck the ingredients in and press 'go'. I'll do the odd thing (like pizza dough) to the dough stage, but mostly I just use it for plain old bread.

Can't remember the brand, but I think it's Breville.

[Barb L.]

You all got me thinking about mine, haven't used it in years. Just brought it upstairs. - no manual ! Cute, now I am clueless. It is a small one - 1 1/2lb. Toastmaster Bread Box Model 1150. Ive had it quite awhile.

[pacanis]

I love my breadmachine. I haven't bought sliced bread since getting it a little while ago.
I let the machine do all the work and my loaves have been coming out great, even with the machine turning off on me for some reason once. All I needed to do was restart it and the bread still came out.
The loaves take some getting used to as far as shape, but what I do is stand the tall loaf up just like it comes out of the machine and cut a couple slices off down one side. Then I lay it down on that cut side and you have more "normal" sized slices. Plus you don't have to work the knife through the crust that would normally be setting on the cutting board.
I also bought "Betty Crocker's Best Bread Machine Cookbook". I've been making the Classic White Bread recipe.

The worst thing about making your own bread is keeping the flour in stock! I can't believe how fast I went through that last bag.
My kitchen is pretty goofy, so I got a separate cabinet from Lowe's (I think) to set the machine on and store all my flours, measurers and stuff in.

[Essiebunny]

I am on my second Panasonic. My first lasted 16 years, so I decided to give the brand another try.
I use mine mainly for dough, but also do bake my bread in it at times. Mine makes a regular loaf shape so it's quite nice.