Many people are wondering: bread maker vs oven, which would be the best option?
It’s a completely personal choice, no one can say this one is the best and then expect everyone else to follow that choice just because it was said so.
It’s a choice based on:
- whether you have the skills/the patience/the love/the time for oven baking
- or you simply want to let a bread machine do all the work and then you can enjoy delicious homemade bread just freshly baked with the ingredients that you just simply added to the bread pan
If you’re interested in discovering some interesting ovens, check out my post featuring the best microwave convection oven combo picks.
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My Top 3 Bread Machine Picks
1. Great Value: Cuisinart CBK-100
Cuisinart CBK-100 is a complete bread machine. On top of that, it has one of the most affordable prices. It’s a complex bread maker that covers all needs. Among its cycles, we find the basic, French/Italian, whole wheat, sweet, gluten free, cake, dough, pasta dough. It makes delicious gluten-free breads, all kinds of loaves, and two types of dough. It’s pretty amazing.
2. Cheapest Gluten-Free Bread Maker: Hamilton Beach Bread Maker 29882
This Hamilton Beach bread machine can be simply described as a cheap bread maker with a gluten-free setting. It’s one of the most popular bread machines and it’s easily understood why since it offers top quality for a low price. I highly recommend it.
3. Overall Best: Zojirushi Virtuoso
If you want a close-to-perfect bread maker that bakes rectangular loaves and has what seems like endless cycles, then check out the Zojirushi Virtuoso. In my opinion, it’s quite expensive but that’s because I have a limited budget. If you don’t and you want the best, check it out.
Bread Makers vs Oven: My Thoughts
In my case, the total winner for me is the bread maker, I use it for my daily bread and it has been that way for many years.
Since I began this blog, I started experimenting with oven baking, too, but I still rely on my bread machine to make the dough so I’m not doing the work from scratch.
Recipes like focaccia, which I love, definitely require an oven.
Thankfully, I was acquainted with oven baking because I make pizza at home very often, which I started once my mother brought a bread machine home and I saw that it had a dough setting.
I’ve also attempted to make dough by hand but I’m not the most skilled person in the world. I’m sure that I’m not the only one who thinks so.
And it’s messy and it takes time.
Some people simply don’t like baking or making a mess in the kitchen or they don’t have the time, in which case, the winner is clearly understood in this bread maker vs oven debate.
Speaking of ovens, if that is your final choice, you should read my post on measuring the internal bread temp. It will discuss the controversy surrounding this subject. I also talk about when to tell that your bread is perfectly baked.
Bread Maker vs Oven Baking Pros and Cons
The benefits of a bread machine weigh heavily in the balance when talking about which is the winner of bread maker vs oven.
- you add the ingredients, press a few buttons, and in 3-4 hours you get freshly baked loaves
- they’re easy to use, it’s very important to read the user manual so that you know how to use a bread maker
- the breads made are delicious, I love the taste but some complain about the bread being too dense or the weird shape or the whole at the bottom left by the kneading paddle
- you can make a variety of recipes, there are plenty on the Internet and there also are good bread machine cookbooks: basic white, whole wheat, sandwich bread, banana bread, chocolate breads, breads with different herbs or fruits or nuts, there is even a cake setting for making cakes, cheese breads, and much more
- the dough is really good, some people enjoy the benefits of a bread machine just by using it for dough making
- there’s absolutely no mess made in the kitchen
- the machines are easily cleaned and maintained
- the jam setting is quite popular although I never use it
- it’s a bit cheaper using a bread maker than buying store-purchased loaves although you won’t get rich from it
- it can be especially useful for those on gluten-free diets
- you can get a good cheap bread maker so you don’t have to spend a lot of money to enjoy the benefits of a bread machine
Why Use an Oven for Baking
I must admit: the bread fresh out of the oven is amazing, it’s so good. Even the basic white bread.
It’s totally worth taking the time to do some oven baking from time to time.
If you like baking and you’re good at it, I totally agree that you can go without using a bread machine and it’s totally amazing, I admire people who possess such skills.
You can also cheat by using a stand mixer to make the dough.
If you aren’t too keen on the kneading part, try no kneading bread recipes, there are plenty of those.
There are so many alternatives to this bread maker vs oven discussion.
Thus, my final answer to bread maker vs oven is: choose whichever is best or most convenient for you, both options are better than store-bought breads.
