Making fresh bread is one of the economical and healthy ways that I provide food to my family. I like the fact that I can avoid giving my kids preservatives, and let’s face it, fresh homemade bread is very yummy.
Our bread machine produces not only sandwich bread, but also pizza dough, quick bread, rolls, bagels, even jam. To say it gets used is an understatement.
The problem is that we go through bread machines very quickly. A regular $30 (less if we get one at a thrift store) lasts only about six or seven months in our household before we burn it out. Tired of frequently replacing bread machines (and tired of paying for them), we opted for a more expensive “pro” machine the last time.
While we paid a lot more for this machine ($160), it did stand up for quite a while, almost seven years! Sadly, it too has reached its limit. Now, comes the dilemma. Do we purchase an even more expensive bread machine, the dream machine in the $220 range? Our $160 machine is no longer being manufactured.
In actuality, I don’t really need a bread machine to make fresh bread. I could use my Kitchenaid mixer to knead the dough, and then let it rise traditionally, then back in the mixer, then rise again. This is obviously more work, but it can be done.
It is hard for me to justify spending more than $200 on a small appliance, even if it will get used frequently. With the typical savings making homemade bread, I calculate that it will take me 68 regular loaves before the machine pays for itself. If I use the machine just twice a week (although sometimes I do use it more), that calculates out to 34 weeks, or about eight-and-a-half months. Provided the machine lasts longer than this, I should still come out ahead.
My son, trained well in the frugal attitude, suggests that I make a variety of baked goods and sell them for profit at this summer’s farmer’s market to help cover the cost.