The Baking Queen

If you like bread, then you’re going to love having a bread machine! With all the styles and price ranges out there, you are sure to find one to fit your needs and budget.

When bread machines first came on the market in the 1980s, they became an immediate hit. Even with their $300+ price tags, people scooped them up off store shelves and headed home to bake up a storm. In the beginning, the mainstream houseware retailers hadn’t caught on to the craze; bread machines were made by companies who produced that one particular product only.

It didn’t take long before the big brand names came out with their own versions, and at more reasonable prices. By the mid 1990s an excellent quality bread machine could be found in the under $100 price range. They were smaller, quieter, and with more options than their early predecessors.

The first models only were able to make round loaves of bread. Even though the slices tended to look a bit odd, the style was necessary because only a round mixing tin internally was going to be able to handle the job. Manufacturers hadn’t quite figured out how to implement square mixing pans that would produce consistent results. Regardless of the odd appearance, this bread tasted just as good as grandma’s did!

Today we can find models with round, rectangular or square baking pans inside. Since many bread machine owners have used these things since their invention, they prefer the round tins simply because they do indeed produce a more consistent quality loaf of bread, no matter what. No matter how many technological advances are put into place, manufacturers have not been able to perfect the outcome of the square loaf pans. Loaves still occasionally come out with some crispy edges or unmixed dough.

When you tire of baking bread all the time, try some homemade pizza dough or bagels! Machines now can do just about anything including “quick breads” that don’t require yeast or rising. Timing mechanisms will alert you as to when you should remove the dough to continue with your recipe.

Many traditional bakers have forsaken the old fashioned time consuming mixing and kneading and rising and let their bread machines do all the work. It’s amazing how totally automated these are, completely taking away all the guesswork when it comes to how long to knead, mix, bake, etc. All you need to do is add the ingredients, push the start button, and wait a few hours.

Make certain you know how easy it will be to clean, however. The less expensive models tend to make cleaning fairly difficult. Since the ingredients tend to get all over the place during the mixing, you want to be able to easily reach in and wipe it off. Try to find a machine that at least protects the heating coils.

If nothing else, try to find a machine with a completely removable cover that is dishwasher safe. Dough can easily get burned onto this, making cleaning a pain. Also try to find a machine with some sort of internal guards that can be removed for cleaning.

John McKain owns a best bread machines blog. He writes many bread machine reviews such as Toastmaster bread machines reviews, Oster bread machines reviews, and Sunbeam bread machines reviews.

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