ladydukes

KarenR, if you live near any consignment or resale stores (Goodwill for instance), most always there's bread machines for sale. And, right after Christmas there will be a whole lot more available because people will either take their old ones in (or new ones they don't want!)

Onetomatoplant

Love my zojirushi!

GrammieJan

I don't know why you have to use more expensive flour? I use all purpose, store brand, and it works fine.

Onebyone

Bread flour has a higher protein then all purpose flour for making bread. I like Gold Medal unbleached bread flour.

I also like Red Star yeast. I buy the lb packages of it at Sam's Club and freeze it. I keep a small container of it in the fridge to use. The yeast I am using now is over 5 years old, kept in the freezer. Still active. I bake two or more loaves of bread a week. I won't buy expensive bread when I can make much better with yeast, water, flour, and salt for about .25 a loaf. Organic bread cost me about .97 a loaf. I don't make organic bread because the water, yeast and salt aren't organic, makes no sense to buy the expensive organic flour. LOL

Anniedeb

I too love my Panasonic! I use bread flour, and use the dough setting when I do rustic bread, let the machine bake regular loaves, or make pizza dough. Not real adventurous with recipes, just follow the book that came with my machine!

gale

we make all of our bread. In the past I've had breadman machines and they were excellent. The last two didn't last very long though. So I got an inexpensive Oster and it took me a good 6 months to finally work out a recipe that worked well in it. Next time I'm splurging on the zojirushi.

Geri B

Please...how do you grind flour? Just very curious...

Onebyone

You buy wheat berries and grind them to flour. Wheat grinders are very easy to find. The electric ones are a must if you plan on grinding flour to the consistency of bread flour. I grind my own corn meal too, from corn. I won't buy the packaged corn meal. It is nothing like the real thing. It isn't as time consuming as you think. I can grind fresh when I want it in a matter of seconds.

KarenR

Thank you for all the input. I have it narrowed down to the Westbend dual blade machine and the Zojirushi. I love the horizontal loaf. I guess it's bad when your DH says to order one and you want one that is over 20 years old because the door opens forward instead of up. But like he says - a lot has changed in 20 years. Just so everybody knows this is going to be my 5th or 6th machine- I wear them out.

Geri B

Oh my, who knew...thanks for that info.........I do " grind" my own breadcrumbs, but haven't added coffee beans, or now wheat berries, corn ..........maybe I should rethink this whole bead machine deal, and be a pioneer woman!---with a computerized sewing machine running while I grind berries......just being silly, don't anyone get upset.....i do like doing what is referred to as old fashioned things--- otherwise why would I, us, be quilting!