Why You Should Get a Bread Machine

Anyone else love bread as much as I do? I feel like I could have it at every meal! After awhile, I got tired of spending so much money on dinner rolls and loaves of bread and just wanted something different. One of groups I’m in on Facebook talked about bread machines and how great they are, so I decided to get one. Man, I’m hooked! I use mine at least once a week and it has its own space on the kitchen counter. If you’ve been on the fence, let me give you some reasons why you should get a bread machine.

You can find them super cheap at a thrift store.

I never wanted to buy one because they were always so expensive, but then I kept hearing about people finding bread machines at their local thrift store, so I decided to take a look. I found this one for only $6.00! It totally beats paying $100.00+. This one is in great condition and I’ve had no problems with it so far! If your only hang-up about buying a bread machine is the price, then check your local thrift stores to see what treasures you can find.

It’s cheaper to make your own bread products.

Now, I will admit I do buy bread and buns sometimes. If I can get it on clearance, I’ll go for it! But things like breadsticks, cinnamon rolls, and dinner rolls, I always make my own because I don’t like paying $2.00+ for a package of rolls. Here’s what I’ve made so far in my bread machine:

• Loaves of bread (Including Jalapeno Cheese Bread)
• Dinner rolls
• Bread sticks
• Cinnamon rolls
• Pizza dough
• English muffins
• Hot dog/hamburger buns
• Sub rolls

If you haven’t noticed, a lot of these are similar, and so use most of the same ingredients. If you can keep flour, oil, yeast, salt, sugar, and sometimes eggs in your pantry, you’ll always be able to make fresh bread products! Here’s the breakdown of what it costs me to make a 1.5 pound loaf of wheat bread:

• Flour: $.42
• Yeast: $.16
• Butter: $.10
• Honey: $.24
• Salt: $.02
• Total Cost: $.94

As you can see, it’s only 6 cents less than a loaf of split-top wheat bread at the store, which is typically $1.00. However, that’s the cheapest type of bread; the kind I buy at Aldi is $1.79, and is higher quality. When you make your own, not only is it much cheaper, but you know exactly what goes into it!

It’s easier and faster to make bread in a bread machine.

I’ve never made dough in my Kitchen Aid mixer, but I do know there are a few extra steps that take a little more time. With a toddler in the house, I need all the help I can get! I love being able to just throw all the ingredients in my bread machine and forget about it for 90+ minutes.

Now, I can’t post something like this and not give you recipes! Here are my absolute favorite bread machine recipes that I make on a regular basis.

Whole wheat English muffins: I’ll never pay $2.00-3.00 for a pack of 6 again! I can get 12-13 muffins from this recipe for only pennies!

Whole wheat loaf bread: This loaf is really dense, but delicious. You may have to look around to find the best loaf recipe that works for you!

Cinnamon rolls: These are so not good for you, but great for an occasional treat! I’ve used whole wheat flour in this instead of all-purpose, and it still tastes great.

Pizza dough: This recipe makes 2 medium-sized pizzas, or you could use it for calzones.

Bread sticks: A super easy recipe! Add garlic powder in the bread machine, or you can even add mozzarella cheese to the top of the bread sticks before you bake them! So good!

Hamburger/hot dog buns: A very versatile recipe; it’s definitely easier to buy your own buns, but these are great to make when you don’t have any money left in the budget. Plus, they taste great!

Do you have a bread machine? What are your favorite recipes? Share with us in the comments!

Jaime Bacon

Jaime is a Nutrition Coach through the ISSA and professional writer. She has 4 years experience coaching and 9 years experience in writing. She enjoys cooking easy meals, running, and learning more about food.

Jaime specializes in helping women with ADHD learn to meal plan and cook healthier meals without getting overwhelmed.

See full bio here