
How much time does a typical cycle take in a bread maker?Ī.

That’s because the manufacturer of a low-quality machine may use lightweight materials that easily vibrate.Ĭertain mix-in ingredients, such as nuts and dried fruits, must be added after you’ve mixed the dough, or they’ll become pulverized. However, low-quality machines tend to create more noise than high-quality machines. With the mixing and kneading of the dough, all bread makers make some noise. This feature allows you to make a light, medium, or dark loaf, depending on your preferences. Some bread makers offer crust color settings. You can mix up your dough separately and add it to the appliance when it’s time to bake it. If you just want to use the oven in the bread maker, consider a model with a Bake Only program. For breads that must be shaped by hand, pizza dough, and pasta dough, this is a helpful feature. You can also find bread makers that will simply mix and knead the dough for you without baking it. They may also have programs for sweet breads, cakes, and packet mixes. Many machines have settings for specific types of bread, such as basic white, whole wheat, French/Italian, and/or gluten-free. Most models offer at least a few options that allow you to control the final product, but advanced machines provide extensive controls that afford you even more versatility. Perhaps the biggest decision that you face when purchasing a bread maker is which programs and settings you want your appliance to have.

The coating prevents the dough from sticking to the pan so it kneads properly, and you can remove the bread easily at the end of baking.

It’s also a good idea to look for a bread maker with a pan that has a non-stick coating. That makes clean-up much easier because you can take the pan to the sink and scrub it clean after use.īread machines with fixed pans that don’t come out can be difficult to clean because you can’t reach all of the nooks and crannies. Most newer bread maker models feature removable pans. Should you buy a bread maker with a removable or fixed pan? This can lead to a few uneven slices when you cut the bread. But no matter what shape the loaves that a bread maker produces are, be aware that most machines leave a hole in the bottom of the loaf where the mixing paddle sits. You can also find a bread maker that makes round or oblong loaves. Keep in mind that horizontal pans aren’t always as good at mixing and kneading the dough, so there may be unincorporated ingredients in the corners that you need to mix in by hand. There are some models that feature horizontal pans so you can create loaves that look more like the usual Wonder Bread loaf, though. Many machines create long, tall loaves because they use vertical pans rather than horizontal ones. If you’re used to the long, short bread loaves that you buy at the store, you may be surprised at the shape of the loaves that bread makers produce.
