At-home bread making may seem intimidating at first introduction. However, it is impossible to ignore the benefits. Homemade bread can be more affordable, healthier, and a more pleasurable experience than buying a stale loaf at the grocery store full of preservatives. These benefits of freshly baked bread have many consumers wondering how they can make their bread at home.
Thankfully, making homemade bread has never been easier. Although you can bake a bread loaf without a specialty bread maker, using one is a huge time saver! Not to mention that a perfect loaf is guaranteed every time. But what are the differences between various bread machines? This article focuses on horizontal loaf bread machines and how they differ from the typical vertical loaf bread machine. We are excited to aid your future homemade bread endeavors.
First, we need to know the differences between bread machines so we will choose one that will best fit our needs. The most common and apparent difference is the variation between horizontal loaf bread machines and vertical loaf bread machines. Here we will explain the differences between these two models.
Horizontal loaf bread machines construct the loaf of bread in a laying down position. Try to think of how you see bread in the grocery store. It is typically resting on its long side. That is how a horizontal loaf bread machine bakes the bread. Some models even allow multiple loaves to be baked at once due to having multiple baking chambers.
A horizontal machine typically costs less than a vertical and takes up less space. Horizontal loaf bread machines are the most common choice in commercial businesses that make large amounts of bread. This is the biggest benefit to using a horizontal machine as it will allow you to increase your output of bread tremendously. What this means is that you have the opportunity to test your baking skills more often as you key into the type of bread that you prefer to bake.
They also tend to cost less than a vertical machine however, they will probably take up more room in a kitchen.
Vertical loaf bread machines construct the loaf of bread at an upright angle. These machines are most common in homes that produce their bread and are less common in commercial settings.
They are taller than horizontal varieties, so you may need to consider this along with existing storage or counter space. It also tends to be slightly easier for the average person to use a vertical bread machine due to its shape. It allows people to remove the bread from the machine with less hassle and the shape means that storing the fresh bread is simpler.
However, this conveyance also translates to a slightly higher price tag in comparison to the average horizontal loaf maker.
There are a variety of reasons why someone might prefer to make bread at home. Here are a few of the considerations that might make homemade bread worth it.
Financial concern is a reality for many people at this time. Even the little ways that we can save money can make an impact on efficient budgeting. At this time, July 2022, the average cost of a loaf of bread in the U.S. is $2.50. We found this statistic here. Of course, $2.50 isn’t making or breaking most people’s budget. However, the little purchases add up!
When making bread at home, the average ingredients for a loaf will cost much less. A typical price point for a loaf of homemade bread comes in at only 73 cents! The money saved will add up over time, offsetting the initial cost of purchasing a bread machine if you prefer to own one.
Health does not always demand to be the center of our attention when considering our food preferences. However, it never hurts when the food we enjoy turns out to have added benefits! In the realm of bread, the nutritional benefits of eating homemade are most apparent in the lack of preservatives.
Store-bought bread is created with specific ingredients to be able to sit on a store’s shelf for extended periods and not mold. This phenomenon of nature is impossible without using preservatives. Bread is a natural food and will mold when not consumed in an appropriate amount of time! When food doesn’t decompose in a typical timeline as it should, instead of being impressed, we should be concerned.
When speaking about bread making, it is impossible to disregard the joy of the process. When baking bread, your home will be full of the scents of a bakery. At the end of the process, you will be rewarded with a warm loaf of delicious bread to enjoy by yourself or your family.
Making bread can even be taken on as a hobby! The skills to make exceptional bread can constantly be tweaked and improved upon, making it a productive use of time for people interested in it.
Baking bread in your oven without a bread machine is possible and is done frequently by home bakers. However, a bread machine saves an insane amount of time and decreases room for error.
Currently, people experience less leisure time than ever before. Most Americans do not have time to stand in their kitchen for hours, meticulously laboring on every bite of food they will ingest. This lack of time is why a bread machine can be so helpful. On the typical bread machine, all you do is pour your ingredients into the machine, and nothing else is required but the push of a button!
When it comes time for cleanup, minimal work is needed. Especially if you have a non-stick bread machine, cleanup will be virtually nonexistent.
For many, time is a luxury and not an item that we have in excess. Bread machines save time. Saving time, in turn, saves you money!
Another bonus to acquiring a bread machine is the various user settings. On typical bread machines, you can make a large variety of bread products with just the push of a button! This simplicity removes the need to study different techniques to create different kinds of bread. If you are curious about a particular baked good, you can experiment freely!
Having never used a bread machine before, you may be intimidated at the first attempt. Thankfully, you’ll be making bread with ease once you learn the process. Here we will break it down into steps that are easy to follow.
Every bread machine is different! So make sure to get to know your specific model. The instruction guide and owner’s manual that comes with your purchase will be your best friend through this step. Get to know what all the buttons and various settings mean. This step makes the entire process simple.
Bread recipes are not a one-size-fits-all approach! When you're considering a bread recipe, keep your machine in mind, especially regarding the capacity. A recipe that makes more or less than your bread maker holds will need to be adjusted accordingly before attempting to make it. Failure to do this can result in a botched loaf of bread or even a mechanical error in your machine due to spillage or overflowing dough.
Like most things in life, bread-making is best when it has your full attention. In baking, measurements must be perfect so that the end product is desirable. In some instances, you may wish to invest in a kitchen scale. Kitchen scales are the most accurate device to use when measuring ingredients as they do it by weight.
The possibilities when making bread are endless, so keep an open mind when experimenting with your machine! This step will allow your creativity to take hold and expose you to new types and flavors of bread.
Choosing a bread maker to purchase is a personal decision that relies on your circumstances. Some questions to ask yourself through the process include:
With these considerations in mind, we can more easily look at the different features and brands on the market that you will come across and make more informed purchasing decisions.
Brands carry reputations, and this works to the consumer’s benefit! Reading reviews online and asking loved ones about a brand name that produces kitchen equipment will allow you to hear real-life experiences about the brand.
Baking bread does not have to be boring! Many machines come with a plethora of pre programmed baking options. Some of these include things such as:
You can also choose your crust color. Most breadmakers have at least light, medium, and dark options.
Bread machines will range in price. It is necessary to assess how much you are willing to spend on an appliance that may or may not last you a long time. Sometimes you can even score a bread machine second-hand! Thrift stores are a great place to find a bread machine on a budget. They can even start as low as $10!
Many kitchen owners enjoy having their appliances flow aesthetically in a color or style pattern. When picking out a bread machine, you may want to keep this in mind, especially if you plan to store the appliance on the counter where it will always be visible. Or, if you will be keeping it in a cabinet when not in use, the color or aesthetic of the appliance may not matter as much.
The non-stick coating is a feature many home cooks want in a machine while many others want to avoid. Some see it as a health risk, especially regarding the material Teflon. However, non-stick coatings allow for ease of cleanup and leave less room for error in the bread-making process.
If you want to learn more about Teflon and the conversation around its health risks, check out this article from WebMD.
In no particular order, we were impressed with these options. This section is not an all-inclusive list as there are so many good bread machines on the market. However, this is a good starting place if you have little to no knowledge of bread machines currently available for purchase.
Here are a few of the most commonly asked questions about horizontal bread machines.
The shape of your fresh bread will depend on the pan in your bread machine and the type of bread machine you own. Vertical loaf bread machines will stand upright but most likely still be in a rectangle shape. Horizontal loaf bread machines will lay on their side also in a typical rectangle shape. Specialty bread pans are available for purchase to make bread products in different loaf sizes and shapes or styles such as sourdough bread.
There is no difference! They are just variations of how to refer to the same item. A bread maker or a bread machine will achieve the same result since they are the same appliance.
