‘Real Breadmaker Week’ has just finished, with the aim of getting people to dig out their breadmakers and get baking real bread. If you’re already a fan of baking your own, do you think a breadmaker is the best way to do it?
The organisation behind breadmaker week, the Real Bread Campaign, estimates that Britain has 10 million unused bread machines in kitchen cupboards. This brings tears to my eyes.
I love my breadmaker; I wouldn’t be without it. I can make delicious, tasty bread when I want and none of it goes to waste. In fact the real problem is trying not to eat it all in one go. I’ve made dough for hot cross buns, fab olive bread, walnut and raisin bread, but mostly I stick to wholemeal loaves.
With such a wealth of information on the web, there’s a never ending supply of recipes, hints, tips and inspiration for making more adventurous breads. And it’s so easy to do, just add the ingredients and press ‘go’.
Are breadmakers useless?
But, in a Which? survey back in 2008, the humble breadmaker was voted as one of the most useless gadgets. Which makes me think that breadmakers must be like marmite – you either love them or you don’t – there doesn’t seem to be much middle ground.
Nearly half of our members are experienced breadmaker owners and, like me, love experimenting with different flours or ingredients. And almost half of our breadmaker-owning members use them regularly – at least on a weekly basis.
So what about those of you with a breadmaker lurking in the cupboard? Are you tempted to dust it off and get baking like the Real Bread Campaign wants you to do? And if you do have a breadmaker, does it cut the mustard compared to good old-fashioned elbow grease?
If you’re a Which? member and need help with your breadmaker, on Wednesday 18 May, top artisan baker Patrick Moore, from More? The Artisan Bakery, will join Which? experts to answer all your questions in the Which? LIVE breadmaker Q&A.
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