Breadmakers

[aqua]

*looks forward to lovely fresh bread*

you need to go and pick it up then

 

[mattie]

Rightyho, Panasonic it is - cheers everyone

 

[Chairman Meow]

I'm hoping to buy a new freezer in the sales. I might have to upgrade my breadmaker too.

 

[mrs quoad]

Breadmakers = amazing.

The point ISN'T necessarily waking up to a loaf. God no. It's making one in the afternoon, and scoffing it down before dinner

 

[newharper]

We got a Kenwood rapid Bake about 18 months ago and use it all the time.

Anna for the gluten free programme, I swear by it and the kids make pizza bases once a week.

Easy and the results are brilliant, other bread is just mank now!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kenwood-Breadmaker-Prog-White-BM250/dp/B000G3JTTE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1197460195&sr=1-1

is close to the one we got.

 

[vipper]

I too have the SD 253 - I got it this time last year 50% (£50) from BHS. Well worth the money .

So do I, following crustychick recomending it here. It is a top bread maker.

Where's the anti-bread-maker crew? Bread is better made in a machine.

 

[Chairman Meow]

So do I, following crustychick recomending it here. It is a top bread maker.

Where's the anti-bread-maker crew? Bread is better made in a machine.

Eeek! *Runs away*

 

[moose]

I'm in the anti-breadmaker crew - bread is quick and easy to make, and much nicer when formed by hand. Go to any country which prides itself on its artisan bread, and you won't find any which make box-shaped bread.

The only way I'd consider a breadmaker is if someone like Alessi got their hands on it - they're all currently far too fucking ugly to justify space in my kitchen.

 

[beeboo]

I never quite get the point of the nut/seed/fruit dispenser thingy - I don't have one, but still stick a seedy loaf on timer, I just throw the seeds and that on top of all the other raw ingredients.

 

[Chairman Meow]

I never quite get the point of the nut/seed/fruit dispenser thingy - I don't have one, but still stick a seedy loaf on timer, I just throw the seeds and that on top of all the other raw ingredients.

But with some recipes if you do that they all sink to the bottom.

 

[beeboo]

Also, if you're buying one as a pressie, don't forget to buy all the requisite bits and pieces to make a loaf as well, as the missus will probably not want to wait until the shops are open to try out her new toy!

So you'll want:

-Bag white bread flour (I like Carrs or Doves)
-Bag brown/wholemeal bread flour (ditto)
-Quick action yeast for breadmakers (Doves is good)
-Skimmed milk powder (like that "make five pints" stuff)
-Salt and sugar you probably have in the house already, but are essential
-Sunflower, poppy, pumpkin etc seeds aren't essential but v. nice.

Breadmakers should come with a little measuring jug and 5ml spoon, but a really good accurate measuring jug and set of measuring spoons definitely makes everything easier.

 

[butterfly child]

You end up with a hole in your loaf I'm afraid. It's only very mildly irritating.

It can be very irritating if you can't get the fucker out of your loaf, and end up hacking it with a carving knife in order to get it out

 

[janeb]

I'm in the anti-breadmaker crew - bread is quick and easy to make, and much nicer when formed by hand. Go to any country which prides itself on its artisan bread, and you won't find any which make box-shaped bread.

Me too, had a breadmaker and gave it away, don't make all my own bread by hand but make a couple of loaves a week and it's much nicer than the stuff the machine made. I do think a breadmaker is better than buying shop bought, but hand made beats a breadmaker

 

[selamlar]

Woohoo! Allies!

How can having a big hole in the bottom of your bread be only mildly irritating? Learn how to do it proper, like. It ain't that hard.

 

[mattie]

Also, if you're buying one as a pressie, don't forget to buy all the requisite bits and pieces to make a loaf as well, as the missus will probably not want to wait until the shops are open to try out her new toy!

So you'll want:

-Bag white bread flour (I like Carrs or Doves)
-Bag brown/wholemeal bread flour (ditto)
-Quick action yeast for breadmakers (Doves is good)
-Skimmed milk powder (like that "make five pints" stuff)
-Salt and sugar you probably have in the house already, but are essential
-Sunflower, poppy, pumpkin etc seeds aren't essential but v. nice.

Breadmakers should come with a little measuring jug and 5ml spoon, but a really good accurate measuring jug and set of measuring spoons definitely makes everything easier.

Good thinking

I'm a bit concerned that it won't arrive in time (a few issues with order and it's being delivered) so she may just be getting a bag of flour on Christmas day.

 

[tarannau]

Me too, had a breadmaker and gave it away, don't make all my own bread by hand but make a couple of loaves a week and it's much nicer than the stuff the machine made. I do think a breadmaker is better than buying shop bought, but hand made beats a breadmaker

Same here. Breadmaker bread is often very disappointing in my book, inferior to the averageish stuff round my local newsagent and probably as expensive when all's taken into account. Smells bloody good the breadmaker stuff mind...

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Good thinking

I'm a bit concerned that it won't arrive in time (a few issues with order and it's being delivered) so she may just be getting a bag of flour on Christmas day.

what if she tries to snort it?

 

[vipper]

consider a breadmaker is if someone like Alessi got their hands on it - they're all currently far too fucking ugly to justify space in my kitchen.

That is true...

 

[Ms T]

I've been put off getting a breadmaker by the stuff my Dad makes in his, which isn't very good at all. It's very light-textured, and fluffy, and doesn't have the chewy, toothsome quality of good bread, imho.

Plus I am addicted to the sourdough from our local bakery in Herne Hill.

 

[crustychick]

Me too, had a breadmaker and gave it away, don't make all my own bread by hand but make a couple of loaves a week and it's much nicer than the stuff the machine made. I do think a breadmaker is better than buying shop bought, but hand made beats a breadmaker

you wouldn't be saying that if you'd ever had the pleasure of knowing a Panasonic SD253

 

[mattie]

I may actually have bought 2 by accident.

The empire direct site crashed after I entered my first order and card details, and crashed before payment when I tried again. My account has registered 2 orders though, despite a couple of phone calls they're still there.

Bah.

 

[crustychick]

I've been put off getting a breadmaker by the stuff my Dad makes in his, which isn't very good at all. It's very light-textured, and fluffy, and doesn't have the chewy, toothsome quality of good bread, imho.

ditto - see comment above

seriously, all you breadmaker doubters I warrant, to a man (woman), have been eating bread from an inferior machine - you wouldn't believe the difference it makes!

 

[Firky]

ooooh, this is one of my favourite thread titles

I will always swear by and stand by the assertion that the Panasonic SD 253 is the best around - makes an absolutely perfect loaf every time and has an automatic raisin/nut dispenser. I love it.

I think they may have released a new model - the SD255?

LOL you're a bread geek, you even know the model numbers and the latest models

 

[janeb]

you wouldn't be saying that if you'd ever had the pleasure of knowing a Panasonic SD253

I'll never know I guess

 

[tarannau]

Look, hate to point out the obvious, but if you can't tell the difference between properly hand-made bread and breadmaker bread....

...then all you deserve is breadmaker bread...



Not being snobby before anyone starts, but it's just not as good. It's halfway house stuff between the industrial stuff and properly baked bread.

 

[mattie]

Can anyone quantify what the difference between oven-baked bread and that from a breadmaker is?

My assumption was that either are better than supermarket bread as there are no additives and it's freshly baked, other than that I can't see what the difference would be. Would air conduction be a factor?

 

[aqua]

Not being snobby

but you're always snobby on any threads that involve food

I can't be arsed to make bread, it's as simple as that, and therefore a breadmaker is still better than shop bought bread

 

[Chairman Meow]

Maybe handmade bread is a bit bitter than breadmaker bread, and its obvious to me anyway that both are better than spermarket crap. But I have neither the time nor inclination to faff around making bread when I can sling the ingredients in the machine and it'll do the donkey work for me. There are only so many hours in a day after all, and to be honest I don't think there is that much of a difference really. In fact I've had some right rank hand made bread in my time.

 

[aqua]

In fact I've had some right rank hand made bread in my time.

ain't that the truth

 

[beeboo]

Not being snobby before anyone starts, but it's just not as good. It's halfway house stuff between the industrial stuff and properly baked bread.

I think that is pretty reasonable.

But I think for most people it's not a choice of hand-baked vs. breadmaker, it's a choice of breadmaker vs. crappy shop loaf.

I don't have access to a decent baker for my regular bread needs. I certainly don't have time in the week to make my own bread by hand (and before anyone starts about how it doesn't take that long, you still need a couple of hours at home which is rare for me mid-week).

So a "proper" loaf is out of the question. Breadmaker bread is head ahd shoulders above almost anything that comes out of the supermarket (for starters you know exactly what's gone in to it).

So don't knock the breadmaker