Are you venturing into the world of bread makers and wondering if they are worth it? We are going to delve into bread maker vs. store-bought bread and decide which is the best bread.
Store-bought bread has the convenience of being ready to eat as soon as you buy it. However, many bread makers take the “work” out of making your own bread.
If your family eats a lot of bread, or you want more control over want goes into your bread, then a bread maker may be the right decision for you!
Let’s take a closer look at what wins in each category for bread: a bread maker vs. store-bought. We will look at recipe customization, bread shelf life, cost, space, and texture/appearance.
Customization in Bread Machine Vs. Store-Bought Bread
Anyone who walks down a bread aisle knows that there is a wide variety of bread options available. Some of these include white, whole-wheat, multigrain, and gluten-free. However, no matter how many options your store offers, they will not be able to compete with the ways you can customize when you make the bread yourself.
If you are looking for healthy bread, you can replace white flour with whole wheat flour, rye, or spelt. You can also find recipes that reduce the amount of butter and sugar found in regular loaves. Here is a great go-to gluten-free bread machine recipe.
Do you want half wheat and half white flour? This is something that you can do when making your own bread, but practically impossible to find in store-bought bread. Check out one of my favorite bread recipes the Banana and Apple bread.
If you have special dietary needs, such as gluten-free, you are in complete control of the ingredients when making your own bread.
Many store-bought loaves of bread have preservatives and other ingredients that we cannot pronounce. When you make your own bread, you know exactly what is in it. You can customize with high-quality or even home-grown ingredients.
The bread maker is the winner for the best ability to customize to your needs.
Bread Shelf Life in Bread Machine Vs. Store-Bought Bread
A bread maker is ideal for those who consume a lot of bread. Since homemade bread doesn’t contain preservatives, you really only have a few days to consume it. On the other hand, store-bought bread can sometimes last up to a month on your counter.
Why does store-bought bread last so long? That is because it is chock-full of preservatives! Read the ingredient label and most of the things you can’t pronounce on the back are added to make the bread last longer. That way bread will survive the transportation to the store and to your table without going moldy!
If you don’t want preservatives, you will need to purchase fresh-baked bread or make your own.
To make homemade bread last longer, you can save how much you will consume in a few days and preserve the rest in the freezer. When you are ready to eat the frozen bread, just let it defrost on the counter and consume it within a few days.
Read more about preservatives in bread here and how to make bread last longer.
Store-bought bread gets a point for lasting longer on the counter.
Cost for Bread Machine Vs. Store-Bought
Eating homemade bread is usually more about eating healthy homemade bread than it is saving money. However, let’s look at the cost of buying store-bought bread versus making it in a bread maker. Some of the other factors of store-bought bread include the type and quality of bread that you buy. Do you usually buy the loaves that are $2 or do you buy the $5 loaves?
Not factoring time into the equation, you are usually able to make your own homemade bread for cheaper than store-bought bread.
The frugal gal does a cost breakdown of making bread versus store-bought cheaper bread. Excluding the time it takes to make a loaf of bread, she found the cost difference to be minimal. In fact, the only thing that raised the cost of making your own bread was the time factor. With a bread maker, you significantly reduce the time input for baking bread. Basically pouring in the ingredients takes around 5-10 minutes and is a relatively low investment.
Since there are a wide variety of bread makers on the market, you can easily find one that fits into your budget. With the higher end bread makers, you may be able to do more things or have less hands-on time. For a list of our favorite bread makers check out this article.
Yes! Making your own homemade bread is cheaper than buying store-bought bread.
Space Occupancy for Bread Machine Vs. Store-Bought
Bread machines are another appliance to add to your kitchen. If you have small kitchen quarters, you will need to decide whether the added space occupancy is worth it.
Buying store-bought bread means you will not need to store another kitchen appliance in your kitchen. The only space you need is somewhere to put your bread until it is eaten.
If space is cramped in your kitchen, you may consider bypassing a bread machine until you have a larger space. On the other hand, if you already have a kitchen stand mixer, then you may have all you need to make bread. Check out this article on bread makers vs. mixers.
Store-bought bread earns the point for not taking up extra space in your kitchen.
Texture and Appearance in Bread Machine Bread Vs. Store-Bought Bread
Mixing and baking bread in a bread machine will result in bread that has a different texture and appearance than store-bought bread.
First, the loaves of bread will be the shape of the bread machine pan. Usually, this results in a tall loaf with rounded corners.
Second, bread machines usually produce a crust that is crunchy or tough. It is unlike the softer crust found in store-bought bread. The crust cooked in a bread machine will also have a “holey” appearance.
Third, bread machines often produce bread with holes in the bottom when the blades are. If you do not remove the blades in between the kneading and rise segments, the blades will leave holes in the bottom of your bread.
To avoid many of these issues you can use your bread machine to mix and knead your dough but cook in your own oven. A post from Salad in a Jar explains why they cook bread machine dough in the oven instead of their bread machine.
The conclusion is that bread machines will produce bread with a different texture and appearance than store-bought. It really is up to personal preference on this one!
Break Down of the Winner Bread Machine Vs. Store-Bought
Customization: The clear winner is homemade bread! The only limitation is your imagination with recipe experimentation. There are several great recipes online. A great basic white flour recipe can be found at Allrecipes.
Shelf Life: A bread with preservatives such as store-bought bread will have a longer shelf life. You will need to consume homemade bread within a few days or freeze it.
Cost: The cost breakdown is very close to a tie between a bread machine vs. store-bought. However, in the long run you are likely to save a lot of money by making your own bread once the initial investment of the bread machine is covered.
Space: Bread machines are another appliance that will need to be stored. If you don’t have the space, then stick with store-bought bread for now.
Texture and Appearance: The texture and appearance of bread machine dough are vastly different than store-bought bread. The point goes to store-bought bread for its consistent texture and appearance. Remember bread baked in the bread machine will be tougher and have a holey appearance.
Bread Machine: 3 points
Store-bought: 3 points
Our Top 3 Bread Machine Choices
1. KBS Pro
- 【Multifunctional with 17 Customized...
- 【Intelligent Fruit and Nut Dispenser,...
- 【360 Degree Surrounding Baking, 15H...
- 【Intuitive Digital Touch Panel Control...
- 【Superior Construction Design &...
Features:
- Programable
- 3 loaf sizes and 3 crust colors
- Fruit and nut dispenser
- Warm function
- 15-hour delay timer
2. SKG Bread Machine
Features:
- Beginner-friendly
- 3 loaf sizes and 3 crust colors
- 15-hour delay timer
3. Secura Bread Maker
- Developed with nutrition exclusive...
- Programmable LCD digital display with...
- Maximum capacity of 2 2 pounds select...
- Features an add-in ingredient reminder...
- Electricity disconnection memory &...
Features:
- 19 menu settings
- 15-hour delay timer
- Warm-keeping function
- 3 loaf sizes and 3 crust colors
- Add-in ingredient timer
Conclusion
If your family loves to eat bread, then purchasing a bread machine can help you to have fresh bread with little work. Many machines even have delay timers. This means you can put ingredients in before bed and wake up to fresh bread for breakfast! Plan ahead and you’ll never be without fresh bread whenever you want it! Check out our favorite bread makers here and why we like them!
However, there are a few reasons you may want to stick with store-bought bread. Bread machines are another appliance that will take up space in your kitchen. Decide if you will make bread enough to discount for the space it occupies. If your family doesn’t eat bread very quickly, then you may prefer loaves that will last a long time on the counter. Next, if you like the soft crust and consistent texture of store-bought bread, consider if you can stomach the tougher and holey crust produced by a bread machine.
What is right for you? A bread machine vs. store-bought? I don’t know about you, but my mouth is watering for a slice of warm fresh bread!
