bread maker

[milkmommy]

So at the rate we are going through bread its now a huge expense. We've gone from an average monthly spending of around $20 a month to around $60 a month
My guess is making it will be a lot less... and ideally I'd like a bread maker so I'm not constantly using my over (its hot here)
SO brand recommendations affordable ones
Ive been eying this one
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...A2HW4ODLJATN5W
but will it be enough? I could afford to get this one on our next pay if I have to go up much more then It will have to wait.

[2sunshines]

How many loaves are you going through and what are you paying for them???? Are you on a specialty diet (like gluten free, etc?)

I have a breadmaker and although I do use it, it's more for a special treat than cost savings. The ingredients costs as much or more than buying a loaf of bread.

HOWEVER, our only restriction is that I won't buy bread with HFCS and I only buy 100% whole wheat... But even that I can get fairly inexpensively if I shop around...

I know that if you're looking at gluten free or something very specific, that's whole 'nother ballgame...

[DolphinMemae]

We (family of five adult children) use bread machines for holiday baking, frequently doing up 2-3 batches at a time in order to get the quantity we need. A few times we got new or almost new bread machines (including instructions for use) at our local Dig and Save (St. Vincent DePaul's) for less than $5 when one of us needed a new machine. I'm thinking Savers or Good Will might have a similar outlet store. Also, getting bulk ingredients from Sam's Club makes it significantly less expensive.

[milkmommy]

Originally Posted by 2sunshines

How many loaves are you going through and what are you paying for them???? Are you on a specialty diet (like gluten free, etc?)

I have a breadmaker and although I do use it, it's more for a special treat than cost savings. The ingredients costs as much or more than buying a loaf of bread.

HOWEVER, our only restriction is that I won't buy bread with HFCS and I only buy 100% whole wheat... But even that I can get fairly inexpensively if I shop around...

I know that if you're looking at gluten free or something very specific, that's whole 'nother ballgame...

we are gluten free our we used to go through about 5-6 loaves of bread a month our only big requirement was no HFCS.. and for about $3 (or less) a loaf we easily got what we needed.
Now a loaf is close to $6 and we are easily going through 10 of them a month (smaller size each piece and less slices over all).. DH and Cecilia use them 4 slices at a time..

---------- Post added at 06:03 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:59 PM ----------

Originally Posted by DolphinMemae

We (family of five adult children) use bread machines for holiday baking, frequently doing up 2-3 batches at a time in order to get the quantity we need. A few times we got new or almost new bread machines (including instructions for use) at our local Dig and Save (St. Vincent DePaul's) for less than $5 when one of us needed a new machine. I'm thinking Savers or Good Will might have a similar outlet store. Also, getting bulk ingredients from Sam's Club makes it significantly less expensive.

Sams club we have but we dont have anything in our local Good will or similar shops like usable kitchen gadgets. Maybe if I stocked them for months but I dont have that kinda of time.
Also part of me feels like we have the income to buy "new" I'd rather leave the $5 good will buys to someone more in need.
SO basically looking for recommendations for a decent bread machine I can buy from a store for say under $50.

[bananacake]

I bought my first bread machine in 1996 and it was like $200 Or
Maybe $100, but it was a lot.

When that died around 2011 or 2012, we got a nice William Sonoma one at a thrift store. It was unused and $12. Do you have any thrift stores you could call?

When you do get one, I have several great bread recipes.

[milkmommy]

again no.. yes we have thrift stores and thye "never" have things like bread makers.
I'll be buying new I was jut wondering if I had any chance of getting a decent one for not too much.

Can anyone recommend a brand or model?

[2sunshines]

I haven't researched or shopped for breadmakers in SO long that I have no idea about more recent models. Back when we choose ours, which was 16 years ago, I went with this one: http://www.amazon.com/Breadman-TR810...ct_top?ie=UTF8 It's Breadman Plus brand. It's lasted all these years and has been fantastic so absolutely no complaints.

I personally prefer the horizontal bread makers just because those big round fat loaves that the other ones make are less "traditional" sized and therefore a bit more difficult to deal with, especially if you want to toast, etc. I also have kids who apparently think that bread should look like a loaf of bread that the store sells.

[Indigo]

I had the one you are looking it. It was OK. It was difficult to get the bread out sometimes & it broke within a couple of years. I had a really old one first, which worked so much better. I should have stuck with that. I wish I had better news for you.

Using the bread machine is fun. It makes the house smell wonderful, it is so quick and easy, and there are lots of great recipes. I hope you find a great one!

[CelticJourney]

Before you buy a bread maker, I would first find a recipe that you would want to use and price out the ingredients. I've found that making any bread gluten free is much more costly just because of the almond/coconut/etc flours are much more costly than regular.

[DolphinMemae]

We have used Breadman machines with lots of success.

[milkmommy]

Originally Posted by CelticJourney

Before you buy a bread maker, I would first find a recipe that you would want to use and price out the ingredients. I've found that making any bread gluten free is much more costly just because of the almond/coconut/etc flours are much more costly than regular.

more costly than buying gluten free bread or more costly than buying "regular store bread? Right now we are averaging about $5.60 a loaf to buy and we go though one every 2 maybe 3 days. This is to buy already made at the groceries.

[2sunshines]

That's a good point. Gluten free flours are fairly expensive... Definitely something to cost compare before making an investment.

[bananacake]

I have priced out my GF loaves. They cost between $3-$4 to make, but they are 2 lbs. Most GF loaves are 18 oz, so about half the size for $5-$6.

---------- Post added at 07:09 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:07 PM ----------

Regular loaf
Olive oil 1/4 cup $0.40
Eggs 3 $0.92
Millet flour 7 servings $0.84
Brown rice flour 6 servings $0.54
Xanthan gum 1 T $0.48
Yeast 2 t $0.10
Salt 1 t $0.03
Total= $3.31


Honey and Oat loaf
Brown rice flour 1 1/4 cup $0.45
Xanthan gum 1 1/4 t $0.24
Yeast , 2 t $0.10
Oat flour 1 1/4 cup $1.00
Tapioca Flour 1/3 cup $0.24
Potato flour 1/3 cup $0.21
Margarine 1 ounce $0.25
Rice milk 6 ounces $0.28
Eggs 3 $0.92
Salt 1 1/4 t $0.04
Honey 2 oz $.36
Total= $4.09

[Dovenoir]

I think the recipe I got from you was older (sorghum flour) how crumbly are these recipes?

[bananacake]

We don't use sorghum anymore because DH is corn sensitive. The honey oat is a tiny bit crumbly but is our fav. The top recipe is not at all crumbly but a little spongier.