Homemade bread machine: 7 tips on how to choose

A bread maker is a household device designed for preparing dough and baking bread at home. Using this machine you can make both the most ordinary bread and a product with all kinds of additives. This useful household item is recommended:

• people who have difficulty buying bread due to work or irregular delivery;
• fans of healthy eating, because in this case there is 100% confidence in the quality of the product;
• those who know how to count money correctly and not spend it in supermarkets;
• professional housewives for whom losing half an hour of time to go to the bakery is an unaffordable luxury;
• entrepreneurs, because now any cafe wants to attract customers with its own baked goods.

There is no need to describe the advantages of fragrant, crispy, always fresh homemade bread; it’s better to tell you how a bread machine works and how to choose a good unit.

Unit design

The operating principle of any bread maker is quite simple. Standard device structure:

• main body plus heating elements, removable top cover with control display;
• flask or baking dish.

The latter is made of non-stick materials and has several blades for kneading dough. The blades are installed on the drive shaft, and it is attached to the adapter coupling, and thus interfaces with the rotation mechanism. While preparing the dough, the mechanism causes the blades to move, thus kneading the dough. There may be two blades, but there are models with one.

In the standard version, all components are made of Teflon, but there are also more advanced models with a ceramic coating.

The body of most products is made of plastic, and only a few expensive models are equipped with a stainless steel body. Plastic also comes in different qualities; the more expensive ones are not so fragile and do not smell during operation.

Machine control

Although there are also electromechanical modules, most models have electronic controls. The standard version provides contact buttons, and advanced models have touch controls. The sensor is certainly of better quality, because neither flour nor other ingredients will interfere with its operation, unlike the version with buttons. And the sensor is extremely easy to care for. The integrated display fully displays all the information necessary for work (the specified weight of the baked goods, the desired color of the crust, the type of program, the duration of the process).

A nice addition is that the device automatically restarts after a power outage - the machine itself will restore operation according to the specified program. Other design additions make life easier, but you can do without them: indication with flashing buttons, mechanical timer, touch switches, beautiful display.

The child lock mode is very useful; it prevents the lid of the bread machine from opening unexpectedly, because it is very hot inside the machine and this is dangerous for the child.

Bread maker for home – which one to choose?

When solving this problem, you need to know what affects the cost of the device. The best bread maker is selected based on the following criteria:

• size and type;
• number of programs;
• additional functions;
• body material.

Bread machine functions

Almost every device is equipped with a certain number of programs. When looking for information on how to choose a bread machine, it is recommended to get acquainted with them:

• kneading dough;
• baguette function;
• preparing a cupcake;
• choosing the color of the baking crust;
• preparing sweet pastries;
• maintaining temperature.

Additionally, the following useful options may be present:

• start delay timer;
• memory reserve;
• protection from children.

Bread machine equipment

Many people are familiar with such equipment as a bread machine; you can understand which one to choose for your home by studying the advantages and disadvantages of the models you like and reading user reviews. In addition, it is important to understand what is included with the device. The following must be present:

• instructions;
• measuring spoon or glass;
• warranty card;
• book of special recipes.

Bread machine capabilities

Most bread machines bake bread in a regular oblong shape, but there are models on the market with additional molds for making round bread or a French baguette. You can place the dough into the mold in small pieces, which makes it possible to get small rolls. Bread makers can be used not only for their intended purpose; they can automatically knead dough for other products, for example, dumplings.

Baking homemade bread can be done either using built-in automatic programs or manually. The manual option is available in all models, but requires some experience and skill.

The process of making bread takes up to 6 hours, in addition, large-capacity machines produce significant noise. You also need to take into account that a bread machine in the kitchen will require quite a lot of space, approximately the same as a microwave. And the weight of the device ranges from 4 to 8 kg. Therefore, it is necessary to think about its location in the kitchen so as not to assemble and disassemble each time you use it.

The right choice of bread machine is determined by your needs

Having settled on similar elements, it is necessary to consider in detail the characteristics unique to each model. First, you should pay attention to the potential number of consumers of the product. For a large family (5-6 people), it is better to choose a home bread maker that can prepare a 1.5 kg loaf.

If up to 4 people live under one roof, then a model with maximum productivity within 1 kg is suitable for the home.

In budget models, this parameter cannot be adjusted, which causes certain difficulties. In the case when the owner wants to independently select the weight of the future loaf, the bread maker must have a correction function. Simply put, there is a section on the control panel that allows you to set the desired weight.

The baking device is selected taking into account the potential number of consumers. The more there are, the more powerful the gadget should be

In order not to get confused by other characteristics, attention should be paid to the details listed below:

• Availability of the option “kneading dough for pizza” or for dumplings;
• The presence of the “accelerated baking” option is suitable for those cases when the heads or guests are taken by surprise;
• If there are many jam fans in the family, then you need to purchase a model with a reinforced baking dish;
• The more baking programs a gadget has, the wider the gastronomic possibilities;
• Depending on the ability to knead dough, bread makers vary in vibration intensity;
• The smallest model is identical in size to a budget microwave oven.

Regardless of the model purchased, it is prohibited to place the bread machine in a draft. Just a few minutes will be enough for the dough to fail.

Subtleties of choice

The main parameter is the weight of the resulting product. Its fluctuations are possible from 300 g to 2.5 kg. For a small family of three people, a bread machine that bakes bread weighing 0.5 kg is enough, but if the family is larger, you need to buy a large-capacity bread machine. In this case, it is desirable that the purchased device could vary the weight of the baked bread: 600 g, 1000 g, 1200 g. In this case, there is no need to throw away excess bread, and the cooking time will vary.

One cannot fail to take into account such a circumstance as the hardening time of the finished product. Since home-baked goods do not use preservatives used in the industry, they become stale within a day, which means it is not worth making bread at home for future use.

The power of the bread machine ranges from 400 to 1800 W. The thoroughness of kneading the dough and the cooking time of the product are directly dependent on this parameter. Simply put, the greater the power value, the faster the finished bread is produced, but also the greater the energy consumption. It should be taken into account that slower baking usually tastes better than fast cooking.

As a rule, all purchases come with a disc with video instructions for using the device.

Recommendations on how to choose a bread machine: expert advice

As reviews show, such an acquisition must have a certain reserve of power. Everyone knows this, but not everyone understands exactly what kind of reserve is needed. For example, the operating principle of the professional model is based on a reserve of up to 2 kg.

If we talk about household consumers, then the specified volume is not needed. It will be enough to have a reserve of 0.5-0.7 kg.

In addition, even in a budget version, the available power should allow you to change parameters such as kneading duration, rising and baking speed.

Do not forget that budget bread machine models cannot bake rye bread

If the consumer still does not know which reliable bread maker to choose, then it is necessary to rely on the following practical tips:

• Availability of a system for automatically selecting optimal parameters;
• Availability of the “control baking” option - in different models, the section responsible for quickly preparing bread or rolls has different names;
• If you like culinary experiments, then you need to make sure that the characteristics allow you to manually set the necessary parameters;
• The presence of an automatic dispenser - the option consumes little electricity, while allowing you to taste fresh bread in the morning.

In his pursuit of the functional component, the potential buyer of bread machines ignores the technical description provided in the kit. Depending on gastronomic needs and financial capabilities, a choice is made in favor of a model with different functionality. It must be remembered that a more efficient oven requires more electrical power, which leads to increased costs.

Built-in programs

Any bread machine is equipped with a set of basic programs. These are options for preparing various doughs, crispy crusts, and accelerated programs. A bread machine may have a set of 25 programs, but not all of them are widely applicable in everyday life. Plus, you need to understand that each additional program increases the price of the product. The following interesting features may be found in various models:

1. The program for making preserves and preserves is very attractive, but ineffective. In a medium-sized bread machine you can get about 600-800 grams. product, which is not very appropriate for preparing confitures.

2. The “rye bread” program allows you to get a very fragrant and tasty product.
3. If you often prepare various flour products at home, then, of course, you need an option for preparing dough. This feature makes working in the kitchen much easier.
4. The “gluten-free bread” option will be useful if there are patients in the family who cannot digest regular bread. This program will be useful for diabetics and those who follow a healthy lifestyle.
5. The function of baking bread with bran makes it possible to constantly have bread at home, which is rarely found on sale.

6. There are machines that can be used to prepare butter and homemade yogurt. For these types of products, special containers are included. To ferment yoghurt by gradual heating, milk and starter culture are needed. The LG HB-2001BY bread machine will prepare homemade butter from high-quality cream in an hour and a half.
7. The option of baking cupcakes is, as a rule, only needed to satisfy the housewife’s curiosity.

What can you make in a bread maker?

No one doubts the main purpose of purchasing such a device. However, in addition to baking bread, you can use this unit to prepare various products and dishes. The bread machine has the following programs:

1. Yeast-free bread
   . Used for baking dietary baked goods.
2. Rye bread
   . Using the program, you can prepare a product from wholemeal flour.
3. Gluten free bread
   . A suitable option for allergy sufferers.
4. French bread
   . The program helps bake a product with a porous crumb due to long kneading of the dough.
5. Whole wheat bread
   . The most useful type with a high content of vitamins and beneficial microelements.
6. Delicious baked goods
   . Using a special bowl you can prepare Easter cake or cake.

In addition, you can prepare the following dishes in a bread maker:

• cottage cheese casserole;
• manna;
• charlotte;
• biscuit;
• porridge;
• meatloaf;
• jam;
• much more.

Extra options

It makes absolutely no sense to purchase a modification with a built-in viewing window. After all, the entire progress of the baking process is displayed on the display, and there is no need to watch it through the window. Moreover, given its design features, the window increases unproductive heat loss, as a result, you can lose the fried crust. During operation of the bread machine, such a window completely fogs up and becomes clear of moisture only at the finish.

Many bread machines are equipped with a so-called dispenser. This is a small tank with a dosed outlet, from which various additives are added to the dough: sesame seeds, raisins and others. All this is quite acceptable to add to the dough manually when the machine finishes working with the main components, which it will notify with a sound alert.

The option of maintaining the temperature for one hour can also be considered unimportant. After all, thanks to the timer, you can clearly determine the time for which you need to get hot bread.

But the “yeast-free baking” option completely depends on the taste preferences of users.

Products from a bread machine are a little more expensive than store-bought bread, but only high-quality ingredients will be used in its production. Well, in terms of taste, bakeries are far from high-quality homemade baked goods.