Bread machines have become increasingly popular in the last few years. We are all aware of the fact that store-bought bread contains numerous synthetic ingredients and preservatives, as well as a large amount of sugar. As such, store-bough bread is a lot unhealthier than homemade bread, which contains only the ingredients that you want. However, few people make their own bread due to the fact that it requires a lot of effort and it is very time consuming. Nonetheless, this isn’t a problem with bread makers, which only require you to add all the ingredients, and they do all the work. However, these machines are still a novelty, and not everybody is willing to buy them. If the idea of making your own bread appeals to you, and if you are interested in knowing more about bread makers, keep on reading to discover the pros and cons of these machines.
Pros
- Excellent kneading – If you are a beginner baker, kneading will be your biggest challenge. The process may seem simple, but it requires a lot of skill, and even if you have some experience with this process, we are sorry to tell you, but a machine will always do it better. Moreover, kneading by hand can be quite exhausting. There are many bakers that use mixers to knead the bread, but this can also be challenging, since you run the risk of over kneading the dough.
- Timing – This is one of the main advantages of bread machines and it applies in many situations. For starters, unlike mixers, bread makers have settings that stop them at certain times, to allow the dough to raise, to punch down the bread and much more. Moreover, unlike conventional ovens, bread machines don’t need you to stay nearby. If you buy a programmable bread maker, you can add the ingredients in the morning, program the device to start baking at a certain time, and come home in the evening to the smell of freshly baked bread.
- Easy to clean – By using this device, you no longer have to worry about spilling flour all over the kitchen or about getting dirty when baking. Adding the ingredients is effortless, and you will only have to clean the bread pans, most of which are dishwasher safe.
Cons
- Not all bread machines are equally efficient – Obviously, in most cases the price will dictate the quality of your product, but there are also some reasonably priced bread makers that can deliver delicious bread. We advise you to go to the BreadMachineMom.com site to read some reviews and compare the pros and cons of different bread machines.
- Limited baking possibilities – Most bread machines are very versatile, and they allow you to bake a wide variety of types of bread such as baguettes, sweetbread, whole-wheat bread and so on. However, you can’t use them for sourdough due to the metal pans. Moreover, there are very few machines that can bake bread with fruits or seeds, because these ingredients can’t be added from the start. So, you would have the pause the baking cycle to do this, which can be troublesome, and even impossible with some models.
