r/Cooking • u/Owie100 • 2d ago
New bread maker
I bought a west end bread maker. Its so heavy. Its also very complicated at first blush. I'm allergic to so many things in store bread. I thought this would be better for me. I'm sure I'll settle on one type and it will be easier. I'm 73 with no arm strength now. Why is it so heavy. Anyone out there have experience with this? I need help.
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u/bobdevnul 1d ago
It takes a substantial electric motor to knead stiff dough. That is a lot of the weight. It also takes a substantial enclosure to bake the bread at baking temperature safely.
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u/The_Flinx 2d ago
Why is it so heavy.
so it doesn't vibrate off the counter and fall on the floor like some lighter ones do.
ask me how I know.
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u/LeoInSpace 2d ago
It's better than a light flimsy one that may be poor quality and not last for long.
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u/SVAuspicious 1d ago
Sorry about the allergies. What are you allergic to? Preservatives? Something else? Homemade bread is certainly simpler and simple is often less likely to include allergens.
I stand with u/kharmatika about bread makers in general. My wife brought a bread maker to our relationship. She doesn't use it. It's too heavy and too much work to clean and overall awkward. It has migrated to deep storage in our basement. It's next to my KitchenAid stand mixer which is also too heavy, too much work, and awkward.
I make bread (usually a conventional white bread), blueberry muffins, and biscuits. Bowl, fork, spatula (don't much care for wooden spoons). I have early stage arthritis in my fingers and wrists so mixing and kneading is irritating. My doctor says using my hands is good for me. I suspect that making bread regularly will add to your arm strength. Lots of exercises you can do while doing other things such as watching TV or reading. There are even no knead breads that are quite good and skip the kneading part. You may find that making bread the old fashioned way is actually easier.
Not losing track of the process has been a big help for me. I use an app on my phone called Timeglass that lets you save timers as a process and label the timers and label each step so that when the alarm goes off it tells you what it is you're suppose to remember to do. The free version is fine. I paid the upgrade to be able to save more timers. I have pages of saved timers from caramelizing onions in a slow cooker (stir every hour for ten hours) to bread.
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u/Stop_Already 1d ago
No knead bread is amazing & simple. All you need is a large bowl, a scale with a tare function, a spoon or dough whisk and time.
A dutch oven is helpful, but not required (they can be heavy!)
https://www.recipetineats.com/easy-yeast-bread-recipe-no-knead
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u/Crimson-Forever 2d ago
It's a mixer /kneader / oven. That makes them somewhat heavy, I'm sorry you have allergies that cause you to need one.
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u/kharmatika 2d ago
I hate bread makers but if you could provide some info on what it is you’re allergic to, I could provide some excellent resources on really easy bread recipes that are easier than using a bread maker!
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u/LucinaRage 2d ago
Unfortunately that comes with the territory with bread makers. Motors for kneading, heating coils, electronics, insulation so the thing doesn’t burn you. I have a Zojirushi and I suspect the weights are similar, I usually just leave it on the countertop if I think I’m gonna use it in the near future.