How to choose a bread maker - expert advice

Before choosing a bread machine, it is worth assessing the intended use - the technical characteristics of the future device depend on it.

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1. How to choose a bread maker: what to look for
   
2. What is an electric bread maker?
3. What bread maker choose
4. The main criteria for choosing a bread maker
5. Additional functionality of the bread machine
6. Breadmaker cost
7. Top manufacturers
8. Breadmaker's selection video

How to choose a bread maker: what to look for

When choosing a bread machine for home use, you should pay attention to the following specifications:

1. Construction (number of spatulas for kneading dough);

2. Housing material;

3. Bakeware;

4. Baking weight and power;

5. The presence of the dispenser;

6. Additional functionality.

7. The manufacturer of the device is also important.

What is an electric bread maker?

Structurally and in terms of the method of operation, the breadmaker is similar to the multi-cooker. It is equipped with one or more heating elements and a baking bowl, which are installed in a tightly closed, but not sealed enclosure. After switching on, the temperature inside the device rises according to the algorithm specified by the manufacturer or user.

The design of bread makers in the middle and upper price ranges also includes a stirring device, which independently prepares the dough from the ingredients loaded in the bowl. This solution allows you to automate the cooking process. However, it does not always provide exactly those tastes, as well as the consistency of the finished product, which I would like to receive - especially when it comes to thick bread made from yeast dough.

The blade for kneading is usually baked directly into the finished bread. After cooking, it is removed from it using a special hook that is included with the device.

When choosing a bread machine with a mixing mode, you should pay attention to the number of programs that the device supports. For high-quality baking, the dough must be made appropriately. Therefore, the ingredients in such a bread machine are placed in a strictly defined order, and the number of programs depends on how many product variants can be prepared using the device.

What bread maker choose

When choosing a bread machine you should pay attention primarily to the planned usage scenarios. They will determine future specifications. The first is to answer the following questions:

1. Do you want to knead the bread yourself?

2. How many people are in a family?

3. Is it planned to bake only bread, or even buns, pies and similar dishes?

4. Are you planning to bake only wheat bread or different dishes - rye, gluten-free, etc.?

5. Is it planned to bake only ordinary “square” bread loaves, or would you also like a round loaf?

Self-kneading dough by user - the only way to cook pastries of exactly the taste and texture that the oven owner wants. This, of course, requires certain culinary skills. In this case, the bread machine stands for nothing more than an alternative to an oven or even a manual slow cooker, so its necessity is quite a controversial point.

For self-kneading dough, in fact, any bread maker equipped with a manual mode (or even a multi-cooker with the multi-cook function) is perfect.

If you don't want to knead the dough, you should purchase a bread maker with a large number of pre-installed programs, as well as a kneader.

Number of people in the family determines how much bread you need to make at one time. So, one person has enough devices designed for 0.5 kg or even less. But a family of 3-4 members, even 1 kg may not seem enough.

However, buying a bread machine designed for more than 2 kg is not recommended. It is unlikely that a family is able to “die” as many products per day, so part of the dish will simply be thrown away. Stale homemade bread is not very tasty.

If you plan to bake not only bread, but also other dishes like pies or buns, you should pay attention to the models that support this function. Usually for these purposes a special mode is used. However, manual adjustment of the operating parameters will also suffice.

If you plan to bake not only wheat bread, but also rye, gluten-free or from other types of flour, you will need a bread maker with a large number of pre-set kneading and baking modes.

If you plan to bake round breadYou will need a device with an appropriate bowl. Most often, models with the support of this function are equipped with two bowls at once - square and round.

The main criteria for choosing a bread maker

When choosing a bread machine, pay attention to the following device specifications:

1. Housing material;

2. The number of blades for kneading dough;

3. Availability of additional bowls of various shapes;

4. Availability and types of dispensers;

5. Supported baking weight and device power.

6. Additional features like a timer or temperature control are also important.

Body material

The body of the bread machine can be made of metal or plastic, as well as combinations of these materials. This parameter does not affect the functionality of the device, but determines the usability.

Plastic case

Plastic is the most common material of the bread maker body. Devices made from it, are practical and low cost.

Metal case

Metal is a more attractive in terms of appearance material for the multicooker housing.

The number of blades for kneading dough

The required number of blades is directly dependent on the volume of the baking bowl. If it is large enough, there should be two kneaders. But for compact or round bowls, one blade is enough.

The quality of kneading is important, and it can be indirectly determined by estimating the size of the spatula. It should be large enough to almost completely overlap the bowl, but it does not reach the inner walls.A gap of about 1 cm will be just right.

Likewise, if a kneader with two spatulas is used in the bread maker.

Availability of additional bowls of various shapes

In most models of bread machines 1-2 working bowls of various shapes are used. The standard is a rectangular bowl in which you can bake quite traditional rolls. In a round bowl classic loaves are obtained.

In addition, if the breadmaker is equipped with one spatula for kneading, it is better to bake it in a round bowl.

For baking buns, pies, pies and similar products is a special stand, which is located at the bottom of the main bowl. It should be included. Bake buns, loaves and cakes in the main bowl is not recommended due to the complexity of their extraction.

Availability and types of dispensers

In bread machines of the middle and upper price range, special dispensers are used for additional products - nuts, berries, onions and other additives. They allow you to fully automate the preparation.

Dispensers in bread machines are of two types - for additives and for yeast. The latter are found only in the top models of devices, but they allow you to get pastries with the best taste.

Dispensers are useful functional elements, so you should pay extra for the bread machine equipped with them.

By the way, in bread makers without dispensers additional ingredients will have to be added manually. The need for their "embedding" the device resembles an audible signal. So the user will need to be present in the kitchen.

Supported weight and device power

The power of the device must correspond to the weight of the dough it supports. Thus, the optimum consumption for a bread machine designed for 0.5-1 kg is 500 watts. But a device in which you can invest more than 1.5 kg of dough should have a power of 700-800 watts.

However, there is no fundamental difference in the speed and quality of baking for bread makers of various capacities with automatic (preset) modes. The current consumption and intensity of heating are important only in two cases - with the quick baking program turned on and with self-tuning of the operating parameters.

Therefore, if you do not plan to set the baking parameters yourself, you can ignore the power of the bread machine.

But weight matters if several people use the device. For a single “feeder” model suitable for 0.5 kg or even less. But for the family already need a device that can cook 1-1.5 kg of bread.

Additional functions

Additional features that determine the practicality of the device include:

1. Weight adjustment is a useful feature for bread makers that are designed for a large number of products. With it you can cook a small portion. When adjusting the weight, the cooking time changes and, in some cases, the heating intensity.

2. If you plan to cook in the bread maker not only bread, but also buns, then you should choose a model equipped with this function.

3. Quick baking mode also allows you to cook small portions of dishes or bread from dough that has already been mixed by the user. In addition, some "standard" products can also be baked in this mode, but their taste can be degraded.

4. The ability to self-adjust baking parameters is a useful feature for people who can cook. If you want to bake some unusual sort of bread, then you should choose a model equipped with this mode. This function allows you to independently adjust the temperature and baking time, turning the bread maker into a kind of classic oven.

5. It is desirable that such a bread maker could also “remember” the settings set by the owner, creating user programs.This will significantly save time on setting the operation parameters.

6. The presence of the timer allows you to fully automate the work of the bread machine by launching a delayed start. Then, for example, a fresh, hot bread will be waiting for the user to return home.

7. The ideal “fully automatic” configuration is a bread maker with a delayed start timer and product dispensers and dry yeast.

8. The mode of maintaining the temperature will appeal to fans of hot bread. But it is worth remembering that ready-made pastries with prolonged heating can be overdried and not so tasty. It is undesirable to keep it hot or warm for more than an hour.

9. Thus, if you want to get fresh hot bread on returning from work or walking, it is better to pay attention to models with a timer and dispensers, and not with a temperature maintenance mode.

10. The Gluten-Free Baking Program is one of the most essential functions for those users who buy a bread maker to cook bread from rice, potato, corn, buckwheat flour or other gluten-free products. If the device is purchased for baking from wheat, rye, oatmeal or similar flour, this program is simply not needed.

11. The crust color selection function changes the heating temperature, which is established near the end of the baking program. In most models of devices, it is realized in the form of three intensities of “frying” - weak (as is usually the case with shop bread), medium (crisp) and strong (dark brown crisp with a bright taste).

12. The viewing window and cup lighting are particularly important when baking in manual mode. They allow you to assess the degree of readiness of bread without opening the lid of the device. Also, the viewing window and the bowl lighting are necessary if the flour is not of sufficient quality and the bread is baked before the end of the automatic program - through them you can see the degree of its readiness and, if necessary, stop heating the container.

The complete set of the bread machine defines its practical qualities. The minimum set, of course, is a single bowl. But if necessary, you should choose a bread machine with the following accessories:

1. Round bowl (for baking loaves);

2. Stand for baking buns, loaves and similar dishes;

3. Portions for baking several individual loaves of bread;

4. Blades for mixing, including spare;

5. Hook for extracting blades from the finished bread;

6. Measuring spoon and glass;

7. Culinary book, which includes adapted for a particular model bread machine recipes.

Often bread machines with a “rich” package are more expensive than regular ones, but these are useful and self-paying costs. Especially a cookbook.

Breadmaker cost

The cost of a bread machine directly depends on its functionality, configuration and number of supported modes. Thus, the price tag for low-end models is 2-4 thousand rubles (and such devices can only be cooked with plain wheat bread with some variations), and for top-end breads - already 18-20 thousand rubles (and they are quite suitable for baking a wide variety of varieties).

But the vast majority of bread makers are in the price range of 6-10 thousand rubles.

Top manufacturers

Among the producers of breadmakers are the following companies:

1. Panasonic, Philips - produce models of the middle price segment with excellent performance characteristics;

2. Redmond - produces models of the top price segment with excellent performance and durability;

3. Moulinex - produces models of the top price segment with a rich complete set, a variety of programs and excellent baking quality.

4. Among the producers of budget bread makers, Vitesse can be singled out.

Breadmaker's selection video

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Attention! This material is the subjective opinion of the authors of the project and is not a guide to purchase.