Are you a fan of freshly made bread and thinking of getting a useful baking tool? A bread machine and a stand mixer are two common choices that often confuse many home cooks. Thus, you need to distinguish between these two.
What are the differences between a bread machine vs a stand mixer? What are their pros and cons? Which is a better option? Let’s read until the end to get valuable tips to help you select an ideal appliance for your baking time!
An Overview Of Bread Machine (Bread Maker)
A bread machine (also called a breadmaker) is a kitchen appliance used in the home to prepare baked bread from scratch. It comprises a bread pan installed in the middle of a tiny special-purpose oven and one or more built-in paddles at the bottom.
How A Bread Machine Works
First, you need to understand how bread is baked traditionally or manually to comprehend how a breadmaker operates. The complicated and time-consuming process includes preparing ingredients, kneading, proofing the dough, and adjusting the proper temperature to bake it.
The advent of the breadmaker machine helps us with this hard work and brings us a freshly cooked product. You don’t need to have special skills or spend your time kneading the dough.
Instead, the only thing you will do is simply add all the ingredients and operate a few buttons. After a specific time, you can enjoy the delicious product.
Moreover, most current appliances have integrated various cutting-edge features for efficiency that may handle various recipes based on the user’s demands. You may select the sort of loaves you want, such as basic/white, sandwich, French, gluten-free options, etc.
Depending on your machine, you may select the loaf size you desire. Most machines can handle 1.5 to 2 pounds (0.68 to 0.91 kg) of bread, while others can handle recipes that weigh up to 2.5 lbs (1.13 kg).
Most machines also let you choose the sort of crust you want, which is often light, medium, or dark. Additionally, there is a timer that enables you to set a time limit for the baking cycle.
This way, you can easily test out several recipes without putting in much effort if your kitchen has this type of machine.
Other usages:
- Create butter from vegetables or fruit
- Make sauce
- Bake casseroles and cakes
Related: How Do Bread Machines Work
Pros And Cons
Pros:
- Save time
- Easy to use
- Good, stable, and consistent texture
- Reduce risks of failure
Cons:
- Only 1 bread at one time
- Cannot make a special shape for the product
An Overview Of Stand Mixer
Another useful kitchen tool that is adored by the majority of professional bakers is the stand mixer. This machine is a heavy-duty electric mixer on a stand that rests on a countertop.
Thanks to its excellent kneading capabilities, it makes baking much simpler. Because it just kneads the dough, it can only be helpful to a limited extent.
How A Stand Mixer Works
As mentioned before, this kitchen appliance features a special hook for kneading and a large mixing bowl. It is very straightforward to use. Here are the instructions on how the machine works:
- Measure and add all the ingredients in the recipe to the mixing bowl.
- Depending on the recipe’s requirements, set the timer and turn the machine on. During this process, you can do other tasks. (If your machine is the old model and has no timer, you might let your dough knead in about 10 minutes).
- When the timer is over, check your dough to see whether it reaches the desired texture.
- If yes, take it out. The rest process you need to complete yourself (allow it to rise, create the shape, and bake).
Pros And Cons
Pros:
- High of versatile
- Allow making your favorite loaf shape
- Knead the dough for many recipes at once
Cons
- Only used for kneading your dough
- Require skills to control
A Detailed Comparison: Stand Mixer vs Bread Machine
Usability
These two devices are designed to simplify the baking process, but one will be better than the other. As mentioned before, when you use a breadmaker, the only task you need to do is add all the ingredients in your recipe. This machine will complete all the rest steps to provide you with a perfect loaf.
Meanwhile, using a stand mixer requires you to perform some baking tasks by hand. The breadmaker triumphs since this is not much of a challenge even for inexperienced bakers.
Versatility
You can prepare a variety of bread, casseroles, doughs, cakes, sauces, and butter with many available modes of a breadmaker. Yet, your choice is also limited. You cannot create a new dish because, during its operation, you aren’t allowed to change anything.
Thus, a stand mixer is a way to go if you are a creative cook. This is because it is more adaptable than a breadmaker since you may add attachments to it to suit different baking and culinary demands. As a result, the stand mixer is the winner of this round.
Bread Shape
Although a breadmaker can be easier and more convenient for amateur bakers, it does not allow us to create a special shape for our products. Thus, sometimes it might be boring when all the loaves have the same design.
Meanwhile, a stand mixer will only help you in the hardest task: kneading. It means you can create the shape for the dough before baking them. This type of machine is a better option if you love impressive loaf shapes or are trying to delight your little one with funny bread appearances.
Dough Rise
In a breadmaker, the dough will rise in a controlled condition, unaffected by the ambient temperature (either cold or warm). This way, a bread machine produces predictable products. That’s why it can reduce the risks of failure in making bread.
In contrast, while using a stand mixer, the dough might rise in an unregulated environment frequently influenced by the outside temperature. Thus, the final product, in this case, is unexpected and can change over time. Yet, this issue will no longer be a serious problem if you have enough equipment.
In short, the breadmaker earns another point!
Loaf Texture
A breadmaker automates every step of the bread-making process, from kneading, and controlling the temperature for rising dough, to baking. Thus, it makes the texture of the loaf tend to be consistent.
When it comes to a stand mixer, the bread texture depends on many factors. They include the time you let the dough rise, temperature, kneading time, and your skills. Should you be a new baker, it will be a real daunting task to control everything like that. You might fail if any steps go wrong.
Thus, the auto machine takes the lead.
What Are The Best Brands For Bread Makers?
Zojirushi
Zojirushi is a Japanese marketer and manufacturer of consumer electronics and beverage dispensers, such as breadmakers, electric water boilers, electric kettles, and rice cookers.
This brand has been around for about 100 years. They are famous for their high-end products with worthy prices.
The best breadmaker model of Zojirushi is Zojirushi Virtuoso Plus BB-PDC20. This option is durable and high-quality, with many built-in settings to meet all our needs: sugar-free mode, gluten-free mode, etc.
This item is one of the best choices for experienced bakers because it features an option for generating a sourdough starter and another that lets you put in your recipes. In addition, it allows you to choose from 3 different crust colors.
Moreover, some well-known models are:
- Zojirushi BB-SSC10 Maestro
- Zojirushi BB-HAC10 Mini
- Zojirushi BB-CEC20 Supreme Breville
Two of the three models above are reviewed in the article: 8 Best Small Bread Maker Reviews for Your Kitchen 2022
Breville
Breville, founded in 1932, is an Australian manufacturer of home appliances. Some examples are toasters, blenders, kettles, toaster ovens, and breadmakers.
Breville appliances are frequently expensive, which reflects the high quality of their products. Indeed, the company really produces one of the best and most worthwhile machines available.
The most recommended bread machine of this brand is the Breville Custom Loaf. This is rated as one of the best bread makers available. The largest loaf that an electric bread maker can produce is up to 2.5 pounds. Moreover, this model also features 13 modes.
Hamilton Beach
Hamilton Beach offers us a more affordable choice than the two brands above. Yet, the brand does not skimp on the machine’s settings. This brand’s most well-known breadmaker model is Hamilton Artisan Dough & Bread Maker.
This option boasts some time-saving modes. The Express option can help you finish a loaf from end to end in under two hours. Cleaning up is also a snap because you can put the paddle and the pan in the dishwasher.
Cuisinart
Cuisinart, owned by Conair Corporation, is an American brand of home appliances. Carl Sontheimer founded the business in 1971 to supply the American market with an electric food processor.
Being one of the most well-known cookware companies in the world, Cuisinart is also well known for its coffee makers, food processors, and blenders. The company sells a wide variety of non-stick and stainless steel cookware.
Cuisinart Compact Automatic Bread Maker is a worth-considered option if you want to find a machine that doesn’t take up much countertop space. Despite its compact size, this appliance can produce a 2-pound loaf. Moreover, it comes with a reminder buzzer to inform you to add more ingredients when it’s time.
What Are The Best Brands For Stand Mixers?
We wrote an article about the best dough kneading machines here.
KitchenAid
Opening our list is an American manufacturer of home appliances belonging to Whirlpool Corporation – KitchenAid Mixer.
The Hobart Manufacturing Company founded this brand in 1919 to produce KitchenAid stand mixer. The “H-5” was the first product introduced.
One of the brand’s most significant stand mixer products is Artisan Series 5-Quart. This model comes with 10 different speeds and a strong motor to easily knead, whip, and mix all the ingredients.
The machine includes more than 10 attachments to make it work as a pasta maker, ice cream maker, or spiralizer.
Ankarsrum
Since its first kitchen product was released in 1940, Ankarsrum has marked its appearance by providing services for the kitchen. Over the years, they refined and constructed the modern stand mixer to produce food that is as high-quality and enjoyable as it was more than 80 years ago.
Ankarsrum’s Original Kitchen Machine is a fantastic option if you want a top-of-the-line mixer for exceptional baking. The equipment, which King Arthur Baking refers to as the “gold standard of mixers for bread baking,” is a favorite among baking specialists.
This 600-watt mixer is powerful enough to mix thick doughs and yeasted loaves without overheating since it is made of exceptionally durable chrome and steel.
The Ankarsrum’s distinctive motor-in-base design also has many benefits, including preventing the mixer from shaking as it operates and making it considerably simpler to add ingredients to the bowl.
Moreover, when you turn the base on its side, you can use it as a meat grinder, blender, juicer, pasta maker, etc.
Aucma
Aucma is a Chinese business specializing in producing and selling freezers and refrigerators. The company also produces and sells small domestic electrical appliances and other electrical products, including bicycles with electric motors.
Beginner bakers should start with a flexible, dependable mixer if they want fluffy dinner rolls or gorgeous layer cakes. The Aucma stand mixer is recommended.
This best-selling 660-watt machine has a powerful motor and an intuitive speed dial for excellent results. It is adaptable enough to handle various recipes, from gently incorporating bulky components like almonds to speedily beating egg whites.
Sanlida
Sanlida, a company founded in 2014, is situated in Shenzhen City’s Longgang District. It is a reputable producer of stand mixers. They have created over 100 different types of stand mixers as of this year.
The most impressive product of this brand is Sanlida 9.5-Quart. If you want to make many loaves per time, this enormous appliance can withstand the heat. This is credited to its 9.5-quart mixing bowl and 10-speed modes.
The powerful appliance has a 660-watt motor, a tilt-head construction, and even a pouring cover to stop spills and messes. Additionally, the bowl is dishwasher-safe, which makes cleanup simple.
Thus, this option should be on your consideration list if you have many baking projects.
Conclusion
To sum up, everything you need to compare bread machine vs stand mixer has been included in this article. Although each appliance has pros and cons, it can bring many benefits to your baking process. So, depending on your needs and skills, you can choose a suitable one.
Moreover, please pick a reliable brand to ensure the products’ quality and save money. Let’s enjoy your baking time and make delicious home made bread!
