Cost-Effective Ways for Getting the Most Out of Your Bread Machine

Ah, bread. It’s been a staple of my existence for as long as I can remember.

Lately it’s becoming an expensive staple. When I go to the store, I get sticker shock at the price of bread.

So when I saw a bread machine for $50 at Aldi, I grabbed it. From a purely financial perspective, it was a great decision. That machine paid for itself inside of two months.

To make sure your bread machine continues to produce savings and fresh bread for you well into the future, here’s the first thing to pay attention to:

Be careful your bread machine doesn’t knead itself off the counter

Ask me how I know.

Yep, I was that person.

The first time I tried to make bread in my new machine, I left it alone. It was too close to the edge of the counter, and it vibrated itself off the counter.

As soon as we heard the crash, we realized what had happened.

Oops.

The mostly-plastic machine didn’t survive the crash. I called the manufacturer’s customer service number, explained what had happened, and politely asked for a new one.

They didn’t have to give me one, since it was my fault the machine had crashed. User error. Still, they were nice enough to send me a new one.

Thanks, Ambiano customer service.

Tips and tricks for cost-efficient breadmaking

Now that you know to be careful, here are ways to get maximum value from your bread machine:

Buy yeast in bulk from a warehouse store. I get mine from Sam’s, but Costco probably has the same thing. Sam’s sells their yeast in two one-pound packages for about $6. You can also buy yeast online, but skip Amazon — they’re about twice the price you can find elsewhere. Also, avoid the tiny one-use yeast packages from the grocery store. Those packages will gobble up your savings.

Forget about using bread flour. It doesn’t make much difference, and it’s significantly more expensive than regular flour. I think the dollar or so extra for unbleached flour is worth it, but I’m on the fence about organic flour.

Scales for measuring out ingredients are nice but not necessary. If you have the counter space and the inclination, go for it. Otherwise, repeat after me, “I’m baking bread to save money, and I don’t need upscale breadmaking tools.”

A serrated bread knife is not only nice but necessary. This purchase isn’t expensive, but it’s also not optional. You’ll tear up your bread with a straight knife.

If you’re going to finish your bread in the oven, make a double batch. That way you’ll have two loaves for the energy cost of one. The bread machine pan gets pretty full, but it kneads it well. It takes some tinkering to get the flour and water just right.

Final thoughts

Baking bread is a satisfying, low-effort way to save money on your grocery bill. My condolences to the people out there who can’t or won’t eat bread. But for my fellow breadheads, do yourself a favor and get a bread machine!

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This post was previously published on medium.com.

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