Checklist

If you're thinking of buying a breadmaker, here's what to consider:

Pan shape
A rectangular pan gives a more traditional-shaped loaf whereas a square pan gives a tall square loaf.

Loaf size
Most breadmakers offer a choice of two or three loaf sizes. Some make fairly small loaves ranging from 450g to about 900g; others make larger loaves of about 750g to 1.25kg. Recipe books usually offer several sets of measurements. (Supermarket loaves are around 700g.)

Recipe booklet
Check whether recipes are written for New Zealand and not Australia. Some of our measures – such as tablespoons – are different from what’s used in Oz; and ingredients can differ too. So make sure there’s a supplementary booklet with Kiwi ingredients and measurements.

Programmable settings
Some models let you programme cycle times and baking temperatures.

Timer display
This shows how many minutes are left before the bread is done. As well, most machines will beep five minutes before the bread is cooked.

Progress indicator
Some models have a display showing what stage the machine is at - this gives you an idea of when ingredients need to be added or when to glaze the top of the loaf.

Power-failure protection
This can be useful if you accidentally switch off the power for a short period. The breadmaker then “remembers” what stage it was at and re-starts from there. But if the power goes off for more than a few minutes during the baking stage, it’s best to throw out the half-baked loaf and start again.

Care and cleaning

Clean your bread pan by half-filling it with warm soapy water and wiping it clean with a soft cloth.

Bread pans should never be immersed in water or washed in a dishwasher – this can rust the underside of the pan or cause the shaft to seize up.

Will you save money?

If you buy ingredients in bulk we calculate you can make a 750g loaf of white bread for under $2 (including electricity costs). This is about half the price of a comparable loaf from the supermarket.

If you make three basic white loaves a week, a $200 breadmaker will pay for itself in less than a year.