How to choose a bread maker for your home

A bread maker is a very useful household appliance in the kitchen of every housewife, but, for some reason, few can appreciate it. Instead of rushing to the bakery for fresh bread every time, try baking it yourself. You can do this at any time. With the help of this article, you will learn how to choose a bread maker for your home that will last a long time and perform all its functions properly.

How does a bread maker work

The device has a very simple design and consists of the following elements:

• Housings
• Baking dish
• Electric heating element
• Kneading paddles
• Dispenser (on some models)

The bread maker acts as a kind of mini-bakery, fully automated and located in your kitchen. In order to assess its capabilities, you just need to place all the necessary ingredients inside a special bowl and press a few buttons on the control panel. The rest of the device will do it yourself.

The device works on the basis of the program embedded in it. Thus, in the process of making bread, the dough is kneaded and allowed to stand, "rests", kneads again and is at rest for some time in order to rise. The required temperature is maintained in the device all this time - this is necessary in order for the yeast to be in the most comfortable conditions and to work actively. As soon as the dough rises, the machine will knead the dough again and allow it to come up completely.

Then the baking procedure begins. At the end of baking, the bread remains inside the bowl for some time, stands, cools down, after which you will hear a sound signal indicating the completion of work. On average, it takes about 4 hours for the appliance to bake bread.

Dispenser - a container on the lid of a bread machine used to automatically add dry ingredients (nuts, dried fruits, etc.) to baked goods.

Choosing a bread maker for your home - expert advice

To choose a good model of bread maker in 2020 for home use, it is worth considering expert advice and several important criteria, such as:

• Power
• Control system
• Bowl capacity
• Availability of basic and additional programs
• Useful functions to make it easier to prepare bread and other foods

Below you will find a detailed description of each item and tips on how to choose the best model, and in order for the new device to delight you with delicious homemade cakes for as long as possible, carefully study the recommendations for caring for it, because even the best bread maker with many functions must be cleaned regularly and carefully. ...

Optimal power for comfortable work

Many large and little-known manufacturers are engaged in the manufacture of bread machines, so their variety is huge, and it is not easy to choose "your" technique. There are models from 450 to 1600 W. Of course, the more power of the device, the faster it copes with the tasks.

To choose a high-quality bread maker with optimal parameters, first of all, decide what functions it should perform. If the duration of baking is not significant, and with the help of technology you are going to bake only bread, then it is quite possible to get by with a model with a power of 500-600 W.

The next category in terms of power is devices with parameters 800-1100 watts. These are more functional and efficient models, which cope with their functions much faster than the previous ones.

The most powerful options (1200-1600 W) provide the ability to make jams, yoghurts and more. In addition, the workflow takes much less time. The higher the power of the device, the more electricity it requires.

Control

On sale there are bread makers with electronic and push-button control system. Electronic controls (or touchscreens) are at risk of failure. This can happen due to voltage surges. It is believed that push-button control of the bread maker in terms of parameters is more reliable. Most likely, equipment equipped with such a system will last much longer, so if you have any problems with the electricity supply, you should choose such a model.

Baking volume

The volume of baked goods means the weight of the finished product, which is removed at the end of the work. It varies between 500-1500 g:

1. For one or two people, the smallest bread machine, designed for 500-750 g, should be more than enough (it is inexpensive).
2. If a family consists of 3-4 people, then you should think about buying a more spacious device - for 800-1300 g.
3. The most spacious models (1500 g) are suitable for a family of more than 4 people.
4. However, you can approach the issue a little differently and purchase a universal version. In such a bread maker, you can adjust the volume of baked goods yourself from 500 to 1500 g.

Dough paddle

At the bottom of the chamber of the bread machine there is a special paddle for mixing the dough. Small and medium models only hold one mixer, larger mini-bakeries have two. It is worth saying that the choice of a bread machine should not depend on their quantity. The difference is that larger chambers hold more dough, therefore two blades are needed for better mixing.

The number of modes, the most necessary programs

It is difficult to imagine, but the characteristics of the bread maker suggest the presence of 3 to 17 modes of operation (or programs). It is worth noting that there is a certain number of basic programs that even an inexpensive bread maker necessarily contains:

1. The degree of crispness of the crust is light, ruddy, toasty.
2. Yeast / yeast-free dough - using or not using yeast in the dough.
3. French baguette is a pastry with a dense crispy crust and a soft middle.
4. Wheat bread is the standard setting.
5. Accelerated baking - the operating time of the appliance is exactly halved, while the bread is denser. In this mode, you can also bake rye bread and products from ready-made yeast dough.

Additional programs that may be present in the functionality of the bread maker:

• Cake;
• Borodino bread;
• Rye bread;
• Kulich;
• Dietary yeast-free;
• Coarse flour baked goods;
• Sweet pastries with additives (raisins, honey, chocolate, etc.);
• Jam, yogurt;
• Gluten-free bread (based on rice, buckwheat flour, etc.).

Some models have a function that maintains a certain temperature for 3 hours. It should be borne in mind that the price of the quality of such a multifunctional bread machine will be appropriate.

Choice of body material

For the manufacture of the body of the bread maker, manufacturers use two materials: plastic, resistant to high temperatures, or stainless steel. It is difficult to choose the right one or another material, since they have both strengths and weaknesses.

Stainless steel is considered to be stronger and more durable.In addition, such a body heats up evenly, which contributes to better baking of products. Nevertheless, it is rather difficult to care for this material, since fingerprints and various contaminants appear on it immediately. Another drawback is the higher cost of the models.

It is much easier to care for the plastic case - all kinds of stains are washed off much faster and your bread maker becomes like new again. The lower price for plastic appliances is also encouraging. They should be handled very carefully, since plastic is more susceptible to mechanical damage. But the most important thing is that you must understand the decision of which one is better to choose a plastic or stainless steel bread maker is yours.

Additional functions

The most convenient work with the bread maker is possible with some useful functions:

1. Availability of glass - many manufacturers offer models in which the top cover is transparent (equipped with glass). You can watch the process of making bread and other products.
2. Timer - you can independently set the duration of the equipment.
3. Dispenser - additional capacity, which is equipped with some types of ovens. Additives like nuts, raisins, etc. must be placed in it so that at the end of baking the system itself adds them to the almost finished product. Thus, these additives preserve their taste, appearance and useful qualities as much as possible.
4. Child protection - a function that allows you to lock the control panel or the lid of the device after you have started the baking process. This is very rare for bread makers, but some models still have such a function.
5. Protection against power surges - in the absence of voltage, the system remembers the activated program and other settings. When the power supply starts again, baking will resume from the point at which it was interrupted. Feedback from the owners suggests that the "memory" of the device in this case is short - no more than 15 minutes, after which the settings are reset.
6. Delayed start - add the food in advance and set the time after which the appliance will start the mixing and baking process on its own.
7. Working chamber lighting - allows you to observe the cooking process.

Bread Maker Care

1. Do not use abrasive detergents for cleaning the bowl and other elements - only a gentle detergent, if you want to keep the equipment in good quality as long as possible.
2. Do not wash the appliance in a dishwasher.
3. Rinse the dispenser after each use.
4. Wipe the body and bowl of the unit with a damp sponge.
5. If, due to the dried dough, it is not possible to wash some structural parts, it is better to temporarily soak them in water.
6. After cleaning, wipe all elements with a dry towel and assemble the device structure.

Rating of the best bread makers

And at the end of our article, we provide you with a rating of the most popular and demanded devices suitable for you in terms of price and functionality, making your choice of the best bread maker of 2020 easier. We hope our advice will make it easier for you to choose this technique.

Best Bread Makers 2020

• Panasonic SD-2501WTS
• Moulinex OW3010 Home Bread
• Kenwood BM450
• Bomann CB 594
• Midea AHS15BC
• Ariete 131
• Sinbo SBM-4716
• Panasonic SD-ZB2502
• REDMOND RBM-M1902
• Moulinex OW6002 Baguettes and Co

You can read more about the characteristics and advantages of each model in our ranking of the best bread makers of 2020

Summarize

Now you shouldn't have any questions about which bread maker to buy, despite the large assortment. When choosing a household appliance, consider the above tips, and also objectively evaluate your expectations from the oven and the expected operating conditions. We hope our tips will help you decide which bread maker to choose so as not to overpay and enjoy delicious pastries.