health, psychiatry, psychology, psychology/psychiatry

On Rediscovering Reading And My Battle With YouTube.

I have been on a journey to rediscover reading for pleasure.  A journey that has had many twists and turns since childhood.  Like most things that I do, this rediscovery has practical implications.  Let me explain.

The early issue

You may recall from previous posts that I had significant problems learning how to read.  I attended a Catholic grade school in the 1960s, where learning was expected, and processing problems were not understood. At a 2nd-grade parent-teacher conference, my teacher, a nun, told my parents that she thought I was very bright, so my reading problem must be due to poor vision.  She was certain that I needed glasses. This was not met with joy from my dad; glasses were expensive.  However, he was a dutiful Catholic, and I was taken to the Optometrist. Honestly, I was pretty excited as my young brain completely trusted the nun’s evaluation.  Soon, I would be able to read!  The glasses came, and I eagerly put them on.  I could not read.  I was horribly disappointed.  Worse, I thought my father would be furious with me.  He had spent an enormous amount of money, and I was once again disappointing him. I had to do something, but what?

The real problem

When you are in 2nd grade, and your only point of reference is yourself, assessing a problem can be difficult.  Being unable to read hampered my ability to research solutions.  I was completely on my own. What were my observations?  It was very difficult for me to define letters.  I had classical reversals; b’s could look like d’s. I had a great deal of difficulty discerning individual words or sentences; “he said” looked like “hesaid,” and “It is sunny outside today” looked like “Itissunnyoutsidetoday.”  I also had trouble distinguishing between lines of text because they merged into a single line without separation.  When I looked at a page of text, it was one gigantic soup of symbols all bunched together, changing their shape at will. 

When other kids were thinking about lunch, I was thinking about the meaning of God’s injustice or why humans fought in wars instead of cooperating with each other.  In other words, I was already an odd kid who learned to hide my differences so I could fit in. Now I had the realization that my brain was malfunctioning, further separating me from my peers.  No one could know.  I had to hide this defect, just as I had to hide all the other things that made me different.  I wanted to be accepted not only by my peers but also by my dad.

The process

I had to come up with a solution; failure was not an option.  I knew that I had limited abilities.  I was clumsy and introverted.  I was blind in one eye, so I had no depth perception. I would compare myself to the other boys in the class who were more athletic, more social, and cooler. I did not measure up.  The same comparisons were done at home, with similar results.  But teachers kept on telling my parents how smart I was.  I could sit at the piano and play a song by ear that my sister had been practicing for weeks.  I was already designing experiments to test ideas that my mind would not let go of.  I saw connections in everything.

My miswired brain

My wife has joked with me in the past, telling me that I have an autistic brain.  She is a clinical psychologist, so there may be some merit in her musings.  My brain does seem to be wired differently; I don’t think linearly as most people do.  Instead, I see pools of information that intersect, merge, separate, and reconnect.  This crazy brain has both disadvantages and advantages.  Instead of me processing A + B = C, I see A + B = a dozen possibilities. My thinking process takes much longer than most.  Data acquisition is slower and sometimes more painful.  I remember taking a physics class in college.  I sat down on a Friday night (proof that I’m a nerd) to do my homework, and it didn’t make sense to me. I repeated the exercise on Saturday night. Still, it made no sense to me. Sunday morning, lightning struck, and the solution became abundantly clear as pools of data started to merge, separate, and merge again. The material became simple and logical.  One problem led to many solutions, and I became the person who broke the curve in that class, much to my classmates’ chagrin. 

The reading solution

Back to second grade. What to do?  I already got my glasses, and I was failing at the task.  If I told the nun that they didn’t help me, she might think I was really dumb, and I liked the fact that she thought I was smart. It made me feel special. I certainly could not tell my dad, he already had a negative opinion of me.  Reading had become an essential part of learning, but I was failing at it. The kids around me were breezing through the text, and I was seeing an alphabet soup that looked like Egyptian hieroglyphics. Think, Mike, think!  God would not give me the gift of intelligence and then cruelly deny me a way to use it.  But what to do? The answers eventually came in the backseat of our old Nash Rambler on the way home from church. 

I had taken the Sunday comics with me.  I couldn’t read them, but their story lines were graphically simple and enjoyable.  Could they be the solution to my reading problem? One cartoon stood out, “Nancy.”  This was a strip with a very simple storyline.  It used easy words, and the creator wrote in all caps.  Many of the speech balloons had only a handful of words, with generous spacing between them. With effort, I could separate the words, and over time, I could do this quickly. 

Nancy comics were easy to understand graphically and employed simple text, all in caps, and with good letter spacing.

After I mastered “Nancy,” I needed more material, but the options were limited. This was the 1960s, and parents didn’t buy kids books. We did have a bookshelf in our front hall that was loaded with ancient books of all sorts.  Old encyclopedias that schools had tossed out, a giant Bible, “The Lives of Saints,”  all were too advanced for me, but then I came upon what I needed.  On a lower shelf were several readers from the 1940s that had been discarded by schools.  It turns out that my oldest sister loved those books, which is why they were preserved.  They offered me the next step in my reading solution: three volumes, each representing a different reading level.

You may be wondering why I didn’t use the books I was given in school. I don’t have an answer to that, but I guess that they were too threatening, too traumatic.  I had already failed at using them, so I had to find my own path.  I needed a solution that allowed me to move at my own pace.  These primers were that solution. 

Two of the three primers that I used to teach myself how to read. These are from the early 1940s and I believe they cultivated my love for that period of time.

The books were immensely more complicated than Nancy comics, and I had to face all of the issues that I had faced before, but now I had success with the comics, and I didn’t have the pressure of having to read them in front of the class.  I came up with many solutions to my processing problems, from cutting out a window in a sheet of paper to isolate individual lines to reading shapes instead of letters.  It was agony, but then suddenly it wasn’t.  

The books were simple, but much more complicated than the comics. I had to employ other methods, such as creating a slit in a sheet of paper to isolate lines. I also focused more on the shape of a word rather than the individual letters. This seems to help (for some reason) my ability to separate words from one another.

Reading opened up my world and highlighted my talents. I couldn’t get enough information.  Those old encyclopedias became my launching pad.  The local branch library became my university. In the 4th grade, I took the state-wide achievement test and scored higher than anyone in my 1-8th grade school.  In some areas, I was scoring as high as a junior in high school.  Reading gave me that advantage. Now the nuns were telling my parents, “Michael is very special, God has plans for him.”  That was just the ego boost I needed to move forward and trust my instincts and myself.

But my reading has always been slow and ponderous.  I read slowly because I have to do a lot of gymnastics in my brain.  I no longer have to do all the tricks I originally needed, but I’m still processing a sea of data. I’m a slow reader, but I have excellent comprehension.  That can be a two-edged sword. 

My passions

I stated many times in past posts that I have always had three passions that constantly drive me.  I love to learn, teach, and create.  Every aspect of my life is centered on these three pillars. I have never stopped reading, but I tend to read things that deepen my understanding.  It matters not what that understanding is. One day, I may want to compare the Noah’s Ark story with its origin myth in the “Epic of Gilgamesh.”  The next day, I may be more interested in the design differences between two breadmakers.  It makes no difference to me.

However, such a drive can limit pleasure reading.  There are so many novels that are enriching, yet don’t offer overt data.  Of course, they offer so much more than just a story, as many question humanity, relationships, and drive on a level no clinical text can match. I know this, but textbook-type information is so much more accessible, so I tend to drift in that direction.  Oh, gads, this just came to me:  “Mike this is why people tend to eat ultra-processed food instead of healthy food.  It is concentrated and more accessible.”  See how my silly mind jumps from one topic and relates it to another.  That is what I have to deal with constantly!

Reading novels and other non-technical books.

I know that reading beyond informational materials would be beneficial to me, so I have made efforts in the past to do so.  I can’t say that I was ever a voracious reader of novels, as I’m a slow reader who tends to overprocess.  With that said, I found reading non-technical material was both enjoyable and broadening. I especially liked it when an author could introduce me to information that changed my opinion about something.  That was always exciting. 

The medical school dilemma

Medical school ruined my pleasure reading.  The first two years are didactic, and the amount of information that a student is expected to learn is astronomical. Tests are not based on broad concepts; they are based on footnotes.  Students are selected for their academic prowess, so the test discriminates at the level of minutiae. This was vastly different from my graduate student days, which were more focused on concepts rather than memorizing random facts. 

I found that I started memorizing everything I read, which ruined reading for me. That horrible process plagued me for many years.

The drive doesn’t end, and a new problem

I am always acquiring knowledge.  I am always learning.  I am always thinking.  I guess you would call me a dilettante, since everything interests me, and I go from one topic to another.  In my professional life, I had to be an expert; in my retired life, I can learn as much or as little as I choose to on any topic. This flexibility has been immensely pleasurable for me.

The Internet has opened up a world of data, and I have been greedily gathering it.  One day politics, the next making meals in a pressure cooker, the day after that quantum theory.  

YouTube has been both a blessing and a curse. Its algorithms draw me in by presenting one topic after another.  I can get trapped in hours of viewing, but if I stay too long on the platform, it seems to have a deadening effect rather than an enlightening one.  It is very hard for me to stop watching, which has affected me on multiple levels. My viewing can prevent me from doing necessary household chores, exercising, or exploring creative outlets like photography or writing.  I call this the ice cream phenomenon.  A bowl of ice cream is delicious, but a carton of ice cream makes me feel sick.  Yet there are times when I want a carton of ice cream, and I have to use willpower to keep myself from eating it. Like eating a carton of ice cream, I have had to use psychological techniques to limit my YouTube use. A little YouTube enlightens me, but a steady diet of it actually dulls me and prevents me from living my life.

The sleep issue

I used to be a deep sleeper, but this changed with the birth of my first child over 40 years ago.  Suddenly, I would wake at a pin drop.  This has continued to this very day.  My sleep is always disturbed, but usually manageable to some degree. 

When I was working, I had sleepless nights, but I thought that would change when I retired, since my days would be mostly stress-free.  However, my sleep can still be terrible, often waking for hours in the middle of the night. Something had to be done.

As you can tell by the preamble, I’m a problem solver, and I explore possible explanations for any given problem. What was the cause of my insomnia?  I don’t drink caffeine products in the evening, and I do the usual sleep hygiene things. Yes, I may need to get up to use the bathroom once or twice, but I have developed ways to make that less obtrusive.  I also know a number of psychological tricks to fall back on when I wake, but I’m often too lazy to incorporate them.  If I could identify a root cause, I might be able to find a solution. 

One thing I did was watch YouTube videos before bed.  Initially, I thought the videos were relaxing as I would fall asleep watching them.  However, I soon realized that they were stimulating my brain in unwanted ways. The bright blue light from my laptop screen wasn’t helping, nor was YouTube’s algorithm, which always seemed to hook me into watching the next video.  When I woke up at night, I sometimes opened my laptop and watched more videos.  It was a never-ending cycle. 

I started to notice a pattern: my wakeful periods were getting longer and longer, sometimes lasting from 12:30 AM to 4 or 5 AM.  Initially, this insomnia would last a day, and I would sleep well the next day. However, they eventually transitioned into several consecutive days.  

I had some ancient Klonopin in my medicine cabinet.  The pills were over 10 years old, and in desperation, I would bite off a bit of the pill in an effort to reset my sleep. This would work, but I soon found I had to do it for several nights in a row to reset.  Eventually, the pattern would return. The Klonopin was not the solution, plus I only had a limited supply.  I needed to explore other options.

Options and solutions

I intuitively knew that YouTube was a major contributing factor, but I didn’t want to give it up.  In some ways, it was a bit of an addiction. The more I watched it, the more I wanted to watch it. Depending on the content, it could really crash my mood. This was especially true of political shows. Yet, YouTube gave me a lot of good things, too.  Clearly, I needed to take control.

My solution was simple and consisted of both biochemical manipulation and behavioral intervention. I knew that Klonopin had to be an emergency-only option. I decided to take a dose of magnesium and a microdose of melatonin at night. Neither had a dramatic impact, but they seemed to be calming.   

I also knew I needed to give up late-night YouTube for a multitude of reasons: the content was too stimulating, the algorithm was too engaging, the computer screen was too bright, and the screen refresh rate (60-120 Hz) was too aggravating. 

Instead of looking at this as a problem, I decided to approach it as an opportunity. Stopping nighttime YouTube cold made little sense.  I needed a substitute, and that substitute was reading. 

I love technology, so it was a no-brainer to go with an e-reader instead of a physical book.  E-readers use a different method to control their lighting and a different screen technology called e-ink.  E-ink only refreshes when you change pages, not at 120 Hz like computer displays.  E-readers illuminate the front of a page like a physical book, not the page itself, as on a laptop.  Front illumination is more natural. 

E-readers offer an unlimited number of reading options, including many free and inexpensive ones. I could download books from my library using Libby, get free out-of-copyright books from sources like Project Gutenberg, or buy books from online bookstores like Amazon, Kobo, or Barnes & Noble.

At this time, I am reading “50 Masterpieces You Have to Read Before You Die” from Amazon.  These 50 books are all out of copyright, so the entire collection was less than $2 to download.  

An e-reader was the solution to my reading problem as it combined technology with reading. It also gave me flexibility, as I could download virtually any book and adjust any parameter of that book, from the font size and type to the screen brightness.

Transitioning to reading at bedtime was initially difficult. The experience was too slow-moving and not stimulating enough. I wanted to watch YouTube. My first few nights were frustrating, but that is now improving.  

I don’t feel a need to stay up all night reading, and I find that reading a chapter or two is usually sufficient.  Currently, I’m reading “The Jungle” by Upton Sinclair, which he published in 1906 (it actually was serialized in 1905, but it was published as a book in 1906). It is a story about immigrant abuse and the horrors of working in Chicago’s stockyards at the turn of the last century. I’m a Chicago Soutsider, so the stockyards are very familiar to me. The topic is timely as we continue to deal with immigrant abuse in 2026.

It appears that my sleep is slowly normalizing and that my treatment plan was correct.  I’m very grateful for that.  This solution highlights another point.  We never need to wallow in problems when there are solutions at hand.  Those solutions may vary based on time, situation, and need. Lastly, solutions can do more than just solve a problem.  They can expand our knowledge and experience.  They can enrich our lives and help us grow.  That is, if we let them.

We live in a world of instant gratification.  A time where we can have what we want without problem-solving.  This will likely get worse as AI becomes more prevalent.  However, as humans, we need to grow and solving problems is part of that process. Friedrich Nietzsche said, “What doesn’t kill me makes me stronger.”  A quote to remember.

Images are my own or from the internet and are used for educational purposes only.

frugal cooking

Save Money: Make Ham and Lentil Soup

Inflation is crazy, and my heart skips a beat when I go grocery shopping. Yet cooking at home still offers significant savings compared to eating out in any form. I’m a huge fan of one-pot meals because they are simple to make, tasty, and often provide leftovers for later.

Both my sister and sister-in-law do me a favor. When they serve a ham for a holiday event, they save me the remnants and the ham bone. I vacuum seal them and freeze them for future soup meals.

Today, I’ll be making a ham and lentil soup. The recipe is from AllRecipes.com, but I’m doing a looser version. Soups and stews are flexible, and a little artistic license has little impact on the end result.

I like lentils because they cook quickly and they don’t require pre-soaking. This Instant Pot recipe called for an 8-minute cook time with a natural release of at least 10 minutes. My lentils were old, so I wound up cooking them for around 15 minutes. You could make this recipe on the stove in a large pot, such as a Dutch oven. However, you would need to extend your cooking time to around 30 minutes, or until the lentils are tender. Not a big deal.

Lentils are nutritional powerhouses. They are high in plant protein and fiber. They are loaded with minerals. They are high in iron, so they can help with certain types of anemia. They help regulate your blood sugar and strongly support a healthy gut. Lastly, they are dirt cheap to buy and last forever on your shelf.

Lentils come in a variety of colors, and each has a slightly different cooking time. Most stores carry brown lentils, but there are also green, yellow, red, orange, and black varieties. Each has its own characteristics, but I successfully substitute whatever variety that I have on hand. One pound of brown lentils is often under $2 and contains around 2 and 1/4 cups. Most recipes use one cup of dry lentils, so you can see how economical cooking with lentils can be.

This recipe uses leftover ham that was gifted, about $1 worth of dry lentils, and some inexpensive vegetables, and it makes a ton of soup. Let’s get into the recipe!

I’m not going to follow the amounts exactly; instead, I’ll do my usual approximations.

I sautéed a chopped onion and a couple stalks of celery in some oil for around two minutes.

I added about 3-4 sliced carrots and sautéed the mixture for about 5 minutes.

I then added a generous spoonful of jar garlic. You could use real garlic or even powdered garlic.

Here are the spices that I used. I used about 1/2 teaspoon of each ground spice and a couple of small bay leaves. I briefly cooked the spices with the vegetables (about 30 seconds). If you don’t have all of these spices, use what you have. Oregano is a good one to have around, as it is useful in many dishes. Don’t use too much oregano, as it can impart a soapy taste to some dishes, if used excessively.

This is the hambone from my sister. I cut off the remaining meat and chopped it up. There was quite a bit of meat remaining. Less would have been fine. I could have cooked a few strips of bacon instead of the ham, then sautéed the vegetables in the bacon fat. It is easy to substitute similar for similar! The ham was added to the soup.

I added around 8 oz of tomato sauce, 4 cups of chicken broth, and I cup of water. If possible, use low-sodium chicken broth. I used bouillon. The soup was a bit salty from the bouillon and ham, but still delicious. You could also use water instead of chicken broth.

Add one cup of dry lentils. I like to rinse my lentils as they can sometimes be dusty.

Pressure-cook on high for about 10 minutes. I added an additional 5 minutes (15 minutes total) as my lentils were old (I bought them in bulk and have been using them for over a year). Let them release naturally for at least 10 minutes before depressurizing the Instant Pot. My electric pressure cooker isn’t an Instant Pot, but they all work the same way.

You can smash some of the lentils to make the soup thicker if that is what you like. I also added a little cornstarch dissolved in water to thicken ours. However, that is totally optional. Now taste and add around 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of pepper and salt to taste. I didn’t need any salt as my soup was already pretty salty from the ham and bouillon.

A little acid helps liven the flavor. I’m using around a tablespoon of sherry, but you could use some lemon juice or even a splash of vinegar.

I also added a few squirts of hot sauce (optional). This is the Aldi clone of Frank’s hot sauce.

I made a small loaf of whole wheat bread in my bread maker. I just tossed in the ingredients, and 3.5 hours later, I had this delicious warm loaf.

Dinner is served! Hearty and filling ham and lentil soup that was extremely inexpensive to make. I’m serving it with a little sour cream, but that is optional. My wife and I ate our fill, and there is so much left over that we have an extra meal, and I’ll still have plenty to freeze for later. The homemade bread made the meal special, and it was much tastier than anything from the grocery store.

That’s it, ham and lentil soup!

Peace

Mike

psychiatry, psychology, psychology/psychiatry

Estrangement, Partial Estrangement, and Family Relationships

Estrangement seems to be a popular trend.  In fact, it is estimated that about 10% of adult children are estranged from their parents. I can certainly understand breaking off contact with a parent who was physically, emotionally, or sexually abusive. Likewise, I can understand a parent ceasing contact with a threatening or destructive child. 

In my psychiatric practice, I witnessed parents who had no idea why their children broke off contact with them.  These were people whom I had known for years and didn’t seem to present with significant abusive pathology.  A typical scenario would go something like this: “I saw my son/daughter over Christmas, and everything seems great, then two months later, I got a text message telling me to never contact them again.”  You can imagine how devastating such a text could be.  Certainly, parenting can be difficult, and some parents can be difficult.  However, does that justify completely cutting off a relationship, often without conversation or any hope of resolution?

I have also witnessed what I call partial estrangement when the child doesn’t completely break off contact; they just let it wither.  Holidays and milestone dates go by unnoticed or barely noticed.  There is a lack of interest in or engagement with the parent’s life, and, in many subtle and overt ways, the child makes it clear to the parent that the parent is unimportant. 

As a parent, I know that we all make parenting mistakes.  However, beyond those that I listed above, how many are unforgivable?  What I discovered during my work life is that many adult children continued to seek the approval of parents who were clearly abusive toward them, and often, the reasons that some adult children broke off relationships with their parents were for “softer issues,” such as a parent who was overly controlling or critical, or had different political views. In many of these cases, no effort was made to talk things out or clear the air. The relationship ended with no hope of healing. 

I have also seen situations where a married child eliminates contact with a parent due to spousal influence. This can stem from imagined insults that the spouse believes the in-law directed at them or from the spouse’s psychological pathology.

Let me be clear.  There are situations where a parent does have some culpability.  Some parents continue to try to control their adult child or have unrealistic expectations of the relationship. Some parents can act like jerks towards their child’s spouse.  Some parents can continue to be critical of their children or play the comparison game with them.  I’m not saying that limits shouldn’t be placed.  However, it makes little sense to completely sever these relationships without a few serious, honest conversations. 

I think estrangement is becoming more popular for a variety of reasons, from therapists suggesting it to social media that promotes it.  I have seen posts on social media where parents pour out their hearts, wondering why their child suddenly cut off all contact with them. The comments in the post frequently contain hateful responses from individuals who have no knowledge of the situation, but are happy to add additional cruelty to the grieving parent. What is that all about?

I have also seen prideful parents who won’t reach out to an estranged child, expecting that some miracle will happen to bring them back into the fold.  What does it take to say, “Can we talk about this?” Or, “I was wrong.” Or, “I’m genuinely sorry.”  Pride before the fall.

A situation that I have witnessed is what I call the “You should know” phenomenon. This is when a parent asks what they did wrong or why their child is angry, and the child responds, “You should know what you did!”  The parent has no idea what they did and therefore has no hope of resolution. This is a form of cruelty. It says that the child wants to maintain their ill feelings and does not want a resolution. Why?  There are many reasons, but few are reasonable. 

None of us can say what the future holds, including me.  However, I know that two ways to keep a relationship thriving are to allow open communication and maintain frequent contact. When it comes to open communication, acceptance is the rule. Adult children have to live their own lives and have their own triumphs and failures. It is not a parent’s job to highlight their adult children’s mistakes unless asked.  I’m not saying that a parent should never intervene.  Of course, there are situations that require action.  However, some parents are excellent at finding every flaw and then magnifying it. 

I’ll question my kids if I feel they are heading in the wrong direction or if I have significantly more experience or knowledge in a particular situation.  I want to emphasize the word question.  I don’t try to force my opinion on them. My actions have changed over time. When they were children, it was my responsibility to make sure that they were safe and moving in the right direction.  However, that is not the case with my adult children. Frankly, it is a relief to pass on that responsibility to them.

My mom would always say, “Friends come and go, but you will always have family.”  I believe that there is wisdom in that statement.  We can have friends that become family, but those situations are rare. If we can maintain healthy relationships with our relatives, whether they be siblings or children, we are better off. One way to do that is to have regular contact with them. This can be done in many different ways, but it should include time for conversation.  In my family, we do this on multiple levels.

As my family of origin aged, we drifted away from our cousins. Was there an event or reason?  I don’t know of one. However, about thirty years ago, we found ourselves together at a funeral, where we decided to reunite. That reunion led to others and now consists of multiple planned events every year, including a picnic, a campout, and a Christmas party.  These get togethers continue due to the efforts of my cousin, Kris, and her husband Bob. They are the organizers and thereby serve an important function. Most relationships require an active force, and it isn’t reasonable to expect an equal distribution of responsibility in these situations. Someone needs to take charge and shoulder the burden of leadership. Many of my nephews and nieces attend these events, and it is an awesome way for me to catch up with them, too.  I want to know what is going on with my relatives’ lives, and I want them to know what is happening in mine. 

Every year, we schedule multiple events where cousins and their children can gather and connect. Here we are at a recent campout.

I have only two siblings remaining, and they are very important to me. I have taken on the active role of staying in contact with them and make a point to call them very frequently, sometimes daily.  We are all retired, and our lives are routine.  When you talk to someone multiple times a week, you rehash the same topics over and over.  That is fine with me, as the purpose of the calls is to have contact, not to explore the meaning of life, although we sometimes do that too.  A number of years ago, we realized that the only times we saw each other were during major events and holidays.  We established “sibling breakfast.”  We meet roughly monthly over breakfast along with my wife, brother-in-law, and sister-in-law. They are family, too. For many years, we went to local restaurants, but that became harder for some of the older members, so now we meet at my sister’s house.  We all bring what we want to eat.  I may stop at McDonald’s for a #1 meal; my wife usually packs yogurt and fruit from home; my sister-in-law may bring a nutritious shake, and so on. This bring-your-own-breakfast rule makes our get-togethers simple and carefree.  Our purpose isn’t to eat a meal; it is to be with each other. In this situation, my sister Nancy and I take charge of scheduling the next meeting.  My sister Carol hosts the event. We try to schedule our next breakfast before we leave.  If someone can’t make the next date, that is OK, as we know we will see them soon, as this is a monthly affair, and there are likely other events beyond our sibling breakfast where we will have contact. We have made scheduling and attending these meetings as simple as possible.  The easier it is, the more likely we will continue. 

We meet monthly for a sibling breakfast. Everyone brings their own food, making the event extremely simple to host.

I have been married twice and have three kids from my second marriage and one from my first.  I have had children living with me for many years.  In fact, I was nearly 50 when I had my son. I’m very used to having a close connection with my children, and I like it. My kids also seem to like it, and they like each other.  However, they are now leading adult lives.  My daughter, Grace, came up with a solution based on the sibling breakfast concept.  We have established a “family brunch” where we meet about once a month, rotating from house to house. The host makes a brunch, but since the meal rotates, no one has total responsibility.  Towards the end of the get-together, we sit down and schedule the next meeting. It has been wonderful. We are all reasonable people, and by meeting regularly, petty issues fade away. We are all a bit different, and we make an effort to accept our differences instead of trying to change individuals to conform to what we think that they should be.  Beyond family brunch, we stay in touch via other activities: impromptu Sunday dinners, holidays, and a group chat where we can share our lives and photos. So far, this has worked out well.

I get together with 3 of my kids (my oldest lives away) every month for a family brunch. Of course, their boyfriends and girlfriends are included.

So what is the bottom line?

Separation breeds discontent.  It is easy to amplify differences and turn minor hurts into major wounds. 

Beware of friends and therapists who like to amplify this discontent rather than promote reasonable solutions.  

Are there times when it is appropriate for children or parents to end contact with the other?  Yes, but in many cases estrangement happens when there are clearly other less destructive paths that could be implemented.

Efforts need to be made to keep in contact with those whom you love.  Often, this will be a one-sided responsibility; that is the way it is. Contact can happen in many ways, including regular meetings, email, text messages, group texts, and scheduled FaceTime calls. The best contacts are in-person, but any contact is better than no contact.

Problems arise in all relationships, and how differences are resolved often determine the outcome.  Can you talk about an issue, or do you punish the other person with “the silent treatment”? Are you one of those us-vs-them individuals who tries to get others on your side in a conflict? Are you great at bringing up past offenses from years gone by? Those are just a few of the many possible ways to poison relationships.

It is imperative to realize that the rules are different for children vs. adult children. Parents who want the same level of control that they formally had are asking for resentment from their adult kids.

Relationships are not a one-sided street.  Adult children also have options that go beyond total estrangement. For instance, is your parent a shamer? Why not confront them honestly and unemotionally?  “I feel like you are shaming me. I don’t accept that shame.”  For some parents, their behavior is so ingrained that they don’t even realize that they are doing it. I’m trying to illustrate that there are many alternatives beyond removing an otherwise decent parent from one’s life. It is not necessary to throw the baby out with the bathwater.

It takes little to say, “Can we talk about this?”  Not comfortable with that? Try an email.  

Do you want to convert the other person to your way of thinking?  Well, you won’t have much success, so stop that.  

Are you willing to accept the other person’s feelings and find a compromise?  Now we are talking!

Avoid hot topics.  I remember seeing a sign when I was growing up that said, “Don’t talk about politics or religion.”  That is good advice. By the way, when did political beliefs become a religion? 

Did you do something that upset someone, even if you didn’t realize it at the time? Say you are sorry, mean it, and try to adjust your future behavior. 

In summary, practice the following behaviors:

-Have regular contact with those you love.

-Have open communications with those you love.

-Be willing to say you are sorry and mean it. If you are a “my way or the highway” person, you have already lost the battle.

-Try to see the adult child’s complaint from their point of view instead of trying to justify your past actions. Accept that others may have different opinions from yours. 

-If you see a pattern in your behavior that consistently causes conflict in others, own it and change it. As humans, we are imperfect.  Do an honest personal inventory.  Are you too critical?  Are you a shamer? Are you a comparer? Are you too demanding?  Are you (fill in the blank)? Do you have destructive ways of dealing with conflict, such as blaming? Are you a splitter who causes disharmony between your kids? If the answer is yes, work to change those bad characteristics.  If they caused estrangement from a child, they are most certainly impacting other relationships in your life.

-Seek outside help if you can’t implement that change yourself.

-Be flexible with your expectations of the other person. They are not clones of you.  Focus on the positives of the relationship.

What can a parent do when a child has cut off all contact, and the parent has tried to reach out to resolve the issue but are met with silence? That depends on the situation. However, in some cases it isn’t a bad idea to continue a back channel. I treated a divorced dad who was estranged from his son due to the poisonous actions of his ex-wife. Through my advice he sent his son random correspondences through the years.  A thinking of you card, a funny comic, a birthday wish.  His ex destroyed many of these, but some got through. Eventually, the son grew up, moved out on his own, and was no longer under his mom’s influence. The father and son reconnected because the son knew his dad cared, as he continued to try to contact him.  Sending a card or a greeting takes little effort, and it may eventually result in a resolution. Naturally, every situation is different. In some cases any continued contact could be considered a threat.  I’m just suggesting that it helps to think outside of the box. 

At times a parent has to accept the situation and move on. A lot of energy is wasted pursuing dead ends in relationships of all types. Put the bulk of your energy into those who are there for you and who do love you.  If you do this, you will be a happier person. 

Peace

Mike

frugal living

You Won’t Own Anything In the Future. Why That Is Important Now.

There has been an insidious practice going on for decades.  That is the practice of transferring wealth from the lower classes to the upper classes.  The movement started subtly, but it has escalated dramatically over the last decade.

For a generation, there has been a push for normal consumers to consume more, update what they have, and modernize items that are still functional.  If you are old enough, you remember the must-have avocado-colored refrigerators that became “out of style” and needed to be replaced by must-have copper-tone-colored refrigerators that became “out of style” and needed to be replaced by the must-have almond-colored refrigerators, and so on.  Needless changes in appliances, fashion, automobiles, and even furniture drove the economy forward while depleting consumers’ bank accounts. 

Then there is the “You deserve it” campaign, fueled by high-interest-rate credit cards, easy-to-obtain loans, and now BNPL companies like Klarna. These vehicles change the physical presence of money to an abstract concept. They removed the friction of taking money out of your purse or wallet. Now all you had to do was tap a card or fill out a form.  It became easy to spend “a little more” to get something perceived as of higher value. You wanted to spend $100 on a winter coat, but the $250 one is so much nicer!  Use your credit card. You live paycheck to paycheck, but don’t your kids deserve that $10,000 trip to Disney? Use Klarna.  Your neighbor just got a new car, now you want one too, but they are so expensive.  The salesman will help you out by lowering your monthly payment by extending your loan to 8 years. Who cares that the interest rate is 20%? By the way, the average car payment is now $767/month, the average loan term is around 6 years, and 35% of car loans are now over 6 years. Think about that, then add costs such as repairs, normal operating expenses, and insurance. 

Planned obsolescence is another method to get you to spend more.  In 1924, the companies Philips, Osram, and GE formed a secret group called the Phoebus Cartel and reduced the lifespan of lightbulbs from 2,500 hours to 1,000 hours.  They fined each other for manufacturing longer-lasting bulbs. It is known that Henry Ford would send his engineers to junkyards to see which components of his cars lasted the longest, so he could shorten their lifespans. 

My house was built in 1984, and I bought it in 1989.  The former owner left the original almond-colored fridge. I felt I needed a stainless steel one, so I moved the old fridge into my basement, where it served as a second fridge until last year, when it finally failed.  That was over 40 years of service. I’m currently on my 4th stainless steel fridge upstairs, and one of them lasted only 3 years before I had to replace it. 

If you have a perfectly good Windows 10 computer, you are now out of luck, as Windows 10 is no longer supported. Just upgrade the software?  Well, probably not, since your device likely doesn’t have the newer computer chips required for an upgrade.  You will need to send it to a landfill, even if it is working fine.  You will be forced to buy a new computer.

I have heard the same for cars, which have become ever more complicated with features that most don’t need or want. Major components like the CVT (transmission) regularly fail, with astronomical repair costs. Some feel it is just easier to buy another car after a catastrophic failure.  They will roll their negative equity into their new car loan, placing an even greater debt burden on themselves. 

Companies are making it ever more impossible to repair things. Do you want to save a few bucks and replace your iPhone’s battery at a non-authorized repair shop?  Good luck; it will never calibrate as well as one that was more expensively replaced at Apple.  When you go to Apple, you may be told that it would be just easier to buy a new phone for $1000. Want to get that failed CVT transmission replaced at a better price by going to a local mechanic?  Well, that may not be possible, as the install requires “calibration” using a computer and very expensive, exclusive software that only the dealer may possess. I had a stove that was around 10 years old that stopped working.  When the repairman came out, he noted that the problem was the main computer board.  The bad news was that those boards were no longer available.  I had to buy a new stove. My mom used the same stove for 25 years, and it then moved with us to become a basement stove in our new home. It was very simple and 100% mechanical.  It just kept on working. Her simple stove and my computerized one did the exact same thing: they cooked food.  However, mine was unfixable.  Was that worth a digital display?  I don’t think so.

We are constantly barraged by ads, with the average consumer seeing anywhere from 4,000 to 10,000 per day. They are everywhere, from social media sites to email to text messages to regular media to posts that look like content but are actually ads. They all want you to buy items you don’t need and likely won’t make you happy beyond a short dopamine burst when you buy and receive the product. Psychologists call this the Hedonic Treadmill.  You buy something and feel good.  That fades, so you buy something again and repeat the process over and over.  Each hit has a smaller happiness return, so you need to buy more and spend more. Can’t afford it? Use your credit card!

We are moving into a new phase of selling as we are all now being monitored and cataloged. Devices like computers and smartphones record our searches, the web pages we visit, the posts we write, and how much time we spend looking at each item. We are conned by influencers to buy products, and by advertisers who push us to do the same in any way possible. We buy unnecessary things on credit cards that have an average interest rate of 23%.   The average consumer has around $11,000 in credit card debt.  If their credit card has a 23% intereste rate, they will owe an additional $18,000 in interest if they make the minimum monthly payments.  Think about that: that $100 item will actually cost you $280, and it will be long gone by the time you pay it off. 

We are constantly being psychologically pressured to buy, often for items we think we must have but that have little ability to improve the quality of our lives. Money is being siphoned from those who have less to those who have more, and they use that money to influence our politicians to escalate this process further. That is certainly the case with the “Big Beautiful Tax Bill,” which gave some small, very temporary concessions to the average citizen, but permanent, large tax benefits to the rich.  How did this do this?  By taking away money that helps the less fortunate.  Cuts in SNAP, cuts in Medicaid, cuts in lunch programs for kids, cuts in hospice care for the poor, cuts to agencies that keep us safe, and so on.  Everyone is not a welfare queen; the vast majority of people are just trying to get by. However, it is convenient to find a negative poster child if you want to divide the country.  How sad it is that it is so easy to hate.  

Our current government has eliminated extended student loans for many expensive-to-obtain professions, including advanced practice nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, respiratory therapy, physician assistant, speech-language pathology, architecture, and social work. If you are not wealthy, you may need to dash your dreams or subject yourself to predatory private loans. Beyond the impact on the student, this result is the overall reduction in the number of these professionals who better our country with their skills and training. 

There is another wealth drainer that has entered the picture: the subscription service. This device isn’t new, but it has grown and mutated over the last decade or two.  In the past, we may have had a newspaper or magazine subscription.  Every day or month, we would receive a tangible object at our home. That seemed worth it.

When I was growing up, virtually all television was free (with advertising).  We only had a few channels, but they were enough.  Cable TV was reserved for rural parts of the country where TV signals were weak.  Cable was then a subscription service that used large antennas to receive weak TV signals and rebroadcast them to consumers who would otherwise be unable to receive any TV.  In the 1970s and 1980s, a new type of cable TV was introduced.  Exclusive channels available only with a subscription.  Now, you need cable TV to watch the latest documentary or TV show.  Something that was once free now had a charge. Yes, there was the promise of more choices, but I remember many times when I surfed through all 100+ channels only to realize there was nothing worth watching.  I gave up cable TV over 10 years ago and have not missed it.

Cable has been replaced by streaming services.  Netflix was under $10 and offered an amazing number of movies and shows.  Over time, the price has crept up, and we now pay almost $20/month for less content and have to subscribe to additional streaming services to supplement Netflix. 

I’m a photographer, and in the past I used Adobe products to edit my photos. Adobe Photoshop was an expensive program, but once you owned it, you had it for life. In 2013, Adobe moved to a subscription model in which users were charged monthly to use the software. I saw a dangerous trend and switched to different software.  Adobe has continued to push this trend with escalating prices and hidden fees that can add up to an astronomical amount if you decide to cancel your subscription.  Part of the subscription deal allows Adobe to use your images to train Adobe’s AI software.  You pay to use the service, but Adobe uses your creative content for free?  Yep.  

The popular word processor, Microsoft Word, launched a subscription program in 2011.  Now there are many subscription programs, including Apple products that were once free, like Pages and Keynote.  Companies may argue that this means that you always have the latest and greatest software version.  However, word processing programs were perfected decades ago.  Most additions amount to options that are neither needed nor wanted. 

Everyone wants to get into the subscription model as consumers continue to rent items they previously bought.  Here are some other egregious subscription examples.

-BMW now charges $18/mo if you want their seat to heat.  $10-$15/mo for the steering wheel to warm, $15/mo for automatic high beams, and $50/mo for adaptive cruise control. My former 2014 Ford included all of these features in the purchase price.

-My Subaru requires a subscription if I want to remotely open my car doors with an app.  That subscription is also necessary to receive service reminders with important prompts, like when it is time to change the oil.  My former 2008 Honda Fit included free service reminders.

-Want to use your Samsung TV to display art?  That will cost you $50/year to view their curated JPEG images.

-On Tinder, but not being noticed?  For a mere $499/mo, you can become an elite member with a chance that Tinder will push your profile a bit more.

-Pantone colors are the standard in printing. They are often used to maintain a brand’s integrity.  You always see the exact same blue and yellow when you look at a Best Buy Ad, or the exact same red in a Target Ad.  Those are Pantone colors.  Many use Adobe software to create all sorts of printed material that must be standardized across many documents.  Pantone colors were available in the past, but are now a subscription if you use an Adobe product.  Now you have to pay an additional $15/mo, or all current and past work will turn black. This is on top of the standard Adobe fees, which now can be as much as $100/mo.

-HP printers tried to charge home users a per-page subscription to use their printers.  You could buy the printer, have ink in it, and still not be able to use it if you reached the number of pages your subscription allowed.  

-Do you want your $100,000.00 Mercedes to have full acceleration?  Releasing the remaining 25% of the engine’s power will cost you $60- $90/mo.  That is just a software switch.  The subscription doesn’t add any additional hardware to the car.

There is also a model for subscribing to use a car.  This would be different from a lease.  

Most of these newer subscription types charge you for things you once bought and used forever.  Now, you have an everlasting ongoing charge.

When I was growing up, my parents operated on a cash-only basis.  Bank cards were being introduced in the 1960s, and many companies were mailing them at random.  I remember my father cutting them up and throwing them in the trash.  The concept of automatic credit just didn’t make sense to him. We didn’t update things; we fixed them.  When some things broke, we did without.  When clothes became worn, we patched them.  We had food, shelter, and clothing, and I never worried if there would be dinner on the table.  It was always there. We had an old fridge with a tiny freezer.  Yet my mother managed to feed 7 people every day.  That fridge was only updated when a relative replaced their larger fridge sometime in the 1970s. Why did they update it?  Because it was seafoam green, and that color had gone out of fashion.  We continued to use that fridge for years and celebrated the fact that the freezer compartment was not only bigger, but even had its own door. 

My dad usually bought my uncle’s old cars. They weren’t stylish, but they ran. If you wanted coffee, you didn’t go to a cafe; there was a pot brewing on the stove. Birthday cakes came from our Sunbeam mixer, not a bakery.  A winter coat may be a Christmas gift, and that was if you were lucky. You learned how to delay gratification and didn’t depend on a new purchase to make you feel better about yourself.

If you look at all of the above consumer tactics, they either make you feel bad about yourself or what you have, or they offer a solution.  Solutions often for a problem that you didn’t realize that you had. 

It is easier to extract the maximum amount of money from a consumer if you can separate them as much as possible from the actual process.  Tapping a credit card is not the same as pulling bills from your pocket.  Buying something on credit eliminates delays and allows the consumer to spend well beyond their means.  Subscriptions of any type are easily forgotten, and it is simple to slowly increase their costs over time.  The average person pays over $1000/year in subscriptions, and that number feels low to me.

It is critical to remember that all of these services exist to benefit shareholders, not the consumer.  They are designed to make you spend more and to increase the cost of an item well beyond a normal purchase price. Klarna, a BNPL service, lends you money that you pay back in installments.  The service is free, or is it?  If you default on making a payment, you will be charged a late fee.  How many miss a payment? Over 40%.  If you need to take out a longer loan, be prepared for an interest rate up to 35.99%!  That is higher than credit cards, which have an average interest rate of 24%. Those companies want you to be late on payments, as it means more money for them.  They get richer, and you get poorer.

Debt traps you.  People stay in jobs they hate, live in places they would rather not, and feel hopeless even when they earn a decent salary.  Take a massive mortgage, two huge car payments, all the regular payments from utilities to health insurance, and add Klarna debt, credit card debt, and payday debt.  Mix in the costs of kids’ summer camps, sporting camps, music camps, and all of the expenses needed to raise a child in modern times. Add loans needed to remodel so you can keep up with the Joneses. Add student loans or unpaid medical bills from an emergency room visit.  Mix in all of the subscription services, some that you still pay for but have long forgotten.  Now sprinkle in inflation, increased gas prices, higher taxes, and utility bills.  You can see that a simple problem that costs money to fix can throw a typical family into economic ruin.  Cars break down. Car repairs are often well over $1000, and many are much more.   Only 45% of Americans have enough savings to pay for a $400 debt.  Think about that, it is easy to spend $400 at Costco; most emergencies are much more expensive than that.  

So what can you do?

-First, you must do a fearless inventory of your debt.  Write down where your money is going.

-Start to reduce your expenses.  Eliminate all unnecessary costs.  Get rid of all unused or rarely used subscription services.  Look at ways to reduce your other costs.  I have several posts on how to reduce expenses, a number of which emphasize simple tactics such as cooking at home.

-Focus on reducing your debt, rather than that next new purchase. There are many tools available, some of which are free. 

-Remove buying apps, like Amazon, from your phone.  

-If you decide to buy something online, institute a 24-hour wait period before you press the “buy” button. Before you press the button, ask yourself, “Do I really need this?” 

-Move towards non-subscription models.  There still exist non-subscription word processors, photo editors, and presentation programs. Over-the-air TV and radio are free. You can drive a car without heated seats.

-Consider eliminating subscription services that you do use.  I currently have Apple News, which I like.  However, I can get the same news for free by doing a little hunting and using free services, ranging from websites to over-the-air TV and radio. 

-Avoid BNPL options like the plague.

-Consider putting your credit cards in a drawer, reducing their availability. 

-Move more and more to a cash model.  If you are using cash, you are forced to reconnect the product with the cost.

-Need a vacation?  Save for it.  Can’t afford Disney?  Go where you can afford.  Your kids will not be traumatized for life if they don’t have an audience with the mouse. Some of our favorite vacation memories involved camping trips.

-Use what you have.

-Stop trying to keep up with the Joneses.  They don’t care.

-Stay away from influencers and reduce your overall screen time.

-Find free/low-cost experiences.  Play a board game with your family.  Have a potluck dinner party or movie night with snacks, or go to a free concert.  Explore options like inexpensive plays at your local high school or college. Utilize your public library, which can not only lend you books, but also DVDs, magazines, audio books, and even music CDs (if you have a CD player).

-Check your credit card statement and think about each purchase that you made and how you may want to change in the future. 

-Understand the psychology of selling.  Understand that an unnecessary purchases will yield a very temporary “feel-good” impact. In the long run, they will likely make you feel worse.

-It is better to have fewer things of good quality than many things of poor quality.

-Critically assess large purchases. Do you really need a new car?  Is there a more economical way to get that college degree? Do you have to update your furniture?

-Put your energy in people/relationships rather than stuff. 

-Celebrate each day.  Write a gratitude list.

Peace

Mike

frugal cooking, frugal living, Uncategorized

What Are Mike’s Actual Frugal Habits?

Times are tough.  There doesn’t seem to be an end in sight for rising prices. These increases impact consumers on all levels, but some can be temporarily avoided. It is possible to delay the purchase of clothing or hard goods, such as furniture.  However, other items need to be bought regularly, including food, cleaning, and hygiene products. 

I recently wrote many posts on ways to save money, from easy recipes to savings tips for seniors. Today, I’ll talk about actual ways that I put these habits into practice.  I am not a frugal guru; I still spend money needlessly.  However, over the years, I have adopted many frugal habits and learned how to make them a seamless part of my life.  With a little planning, time, and care, they have become natural parts of my day. I don’t feel like I’m giving up anything. They do not feel like sacrifices, and I think that is the secret to implementing them.   These changes have occurred over the years and have often happened for reasons other than penny-pinching. Usually, they were a more practical way of approaching life’s problems.  They took hold, and the rest is history.  

Part of this transformational process is to abandon ad culture, which constantly pressures all of us to try something new or stick with a brand name.  It is important to go back to basics and to focus on needs vs wants.  That is especially true of wants artificially created by marketing, including those pushed by influencers. 

Rule One:  Buy what you need, not what you want.  In the digital age, we are constantly being profiled.  Advertisers know who we are, what we like, and how much we are willing to spend.  As a person who has been susceptible to marketing, I know how easy it is to be influenced.  One of the most effective ways is through para-social relationships. If you regularly watch an influencer on social media, it is normal to have some sort of connection with that person.  However, that connection is completely artificial. Yet their messaging can be a powerful motivator to buy something.  My best advice is to avoid product reviews unless you really need something, and to avoid influencers who are constantly selling something, whether it is a “course” or any product.  Manufacturers pay influencers big bucks to gush about a new skin care routine or vitamin drink.  Frankly, most (if not all) are BS.  If you don’t watch, you won’t be influenced. Years ago, my sister-in-law was trying to figure out what she wanted for Christmas.  She felt like she didn’t need anything, so she started to look at all of the Christmas-focused ads.  Suddenly, she wanted everything!  That is the power of advertising. 

Rule Two: Unnecessary stuff won’t make you happy.  When we buy something new, there may be a bit of excitement and a dopamine rush that makes us feel good.  However, it is temporary and artificial. This rule excludes things that you really need.  When I moved into my own home over 30 years ago, I bought my first washer and dryer. Having my own washer and dryer did make my life better, made me happy, and still does.  When I turned 50, I “treated” myself by buying a Mercedes.  I felt great that first month.  Then it was just another box on wheels, and once the warranty expired, it became an incredibly expensive toy to maintain.  I eventually sold it and bought a Honda, which, in every way, was a better car. 

In 2008, I sold my Mercedes and bought this little Honda. It was a fantastic purchase. I eventually gave it to a family member, who still uses it to this day, eighteen years later!

Rule Three: Remove emotion and bias when making any purchase. Another car example.  We had a 12-year-old SUV that I wanted to last forever. However, the engine suffered a catastrophic failure, and, along with other repairs it needed, it was clear that it had reached the end of its life. We had to buy a new car, but what?  If we really wanted to, we could have purchased a luxury car.  However, see Rule Two. My wife and I were more interested in a reliable car that met our particular needs. The most cost-effective choice would have been to buy a 3-year-old car with around 50-60K miles.  However, we wanted a new vehicle for other reasons.  We narrowed our search to three brands: Honda, Toyota, and Subaru, and found models in all three brands that were suitable.  Our most important needs were based on safety and reliability. We found a Subaru that was a dealership loaner with only 4K miles on it.  It was technically new, but classified as certified pre-owned, which extended its warranty beyond that of a new car.  We approached the sale the way someone would purchase underwear. In other words, no emotion. If the salesman didn’t give us what we wanted, we would walk.  With that said, our wants were reasonable.  We refused garbage add-ons, like nitrogen-filled tires. We didn’t place value on things like the color of the car.  We didn’t get excited about the purchase.  We simply wanted the best price.  We also chose a car that we could afford.  In the end, we got over $8,000 off a “new” car with a free extended warranty (the certified car thing).  The dealer wanted to sell us a “dream,” but we didn’t want a dream; we just wanted a vehicle. By making an emotionless decision, we maintained as much control as possible when dealing with a car salesman. 

When we needed to replace our car, we decided to go with one that met our needs and offered the best value. We knew that a car was just that, and not a tonic to make us feel good about ourselves.

Rule Four: Give up brand loyalty if reasonable.  Sometimes it is better to buy a brand-name product.  However, that is true only if the brand name offers a better cost-to-quality ratio. Our 20-year-old washer and dryer were on their last legs.  There were so many modern-looking front loaders available. However, research indicated that most of them were junk and would fail in 3-5 years.  We decided to go with standard Speed Queen machines.  These are the machines that you see in laundromats. They were more expensive but have an estimated lifespan of around 20 years.  We also went with their simpler models that had standard controls.  Why?  Our laundry needs are pretty simple, and fewer options mean fewer points of failure. In this case, buying a brand name made sense. 

However, there are other examples where you are paying for that brand’s marketing, rather than its quality. In those cases, we have no brand loyalty. We usually buy our toothpaste at Costco, which always has a sale on one brand or the other.  If Colgate is on sale, we buy Colgate.  If Crest is on sale, we buy Crest.  I think I prefer Colgate’s taste to Crest’s.  However, both brands get my teeth clean. The taste factor isn’t enough to make us spend more.

Rule Five:  Little savings add up.  When I was a medical resident, I had $20/week to spend on groceries, and I used cash. I was acutely aware of what I bought because it had to last the week, and I didn’t have a cash buffer.  If one loaf of bread was twenty cents cheaper than another loaf, that is what I bought. In today’s world, many people use credit cards when buying things. Using artificial forms of currency separates the consumer from the product’s actual cost. It is easy to buy the imported Parmesan cheese for only a few extra dollars, or that winter coat for $50 more than you wanted to spend. By separating purchasing from real money, stores have made it easy to overspend, and that trend is escalating with buy now, pay later (BNPL) options like Klarna. That unwatched streaming service is only $9.99 a month, so you put off canceling.  Those brand-name canned tomatoes are just 30 cents more than the house brand.  That fancy shower gel is 20 bucks more than Sauve, but it smells so nice. You deserve it, right?  Nope, not if you want to become financially secure. There may be some products that really matter to you, even if a cheaper option is available.  If that is the case, go ahead and buy them.  However, if you need to upgrade everything, then you need to re-evaluate. 

This shower gel is $100 for less than 12 ounces. Really??

I will go out for coffee when socializing with friends, but that is a treat. I always make my morning coffee. It costs pennies, not dollars, for a cup, and it is delicious.

Rule Six: Eating out in all forms is now a special occasion event in our house. Eating out has gotten so incredibly expensive, including at fast-casual and fast-food places. We used to eat out all of the time.  Not anymore. Most restaurant food quality ranges from average to poor, and the cost just doesn’t make sense.  That goes for specialty shops like cupcake and cookie establishments, too.  It feels criminal to buy a box-mix cupcake with fancy icing for $5, and then the person handing it to me wants a 20% tip.  Do we ever eat out, or even buy a crazy expensive cupcake?  Yes, we do, but rarely. 

Heck, I can make my own fancy cupcakes for a fraction of the cost, and they actually taste better, too!

Rule Seven: Buy house brands when feasible.  If you have read my posts, you know that I love Aldi.  However, there are certain products that are not worth buying there.  Once, I purchased their TP.  Let’s just say you want TP to be strong enough so your fingers don’t punch through. However, we strive to buy house brands when possible.  We find Kirkland TP (Costco) is sufficient.  Tide laundry detergent is the best, but it is also the most expensive.  We live sedentary lives and don’t have messy young kids, so we don’t need all of the enzymes and conditioners that Tide has. We are perfectly happy purchasing laundry detergent that is a tier or two lower, like Kirkland brand or All.  The same can be said for dishwasher detergent.  Powder is the most cost-efficient, but we like the pods.  Kirkland pods don’t have all those fancy colors, but they work as well as the brand-name prettier stuff and are much less expensive. That is what we buy.

Kirkland laundry detergent is less expensive than Tide, but works just as well for us.

Kirkland dishwasher pods don’t have all of those fancy colors of brand name products, but who cares when it works just as well.

Rule Eight: We have simplified the cleaning products that we use.  COVID brought shortages in everything, and we couldn’t get common cleaning products.  Prior, I had a cleaner for every purpose: granite cleaners, stainless steel cleaners, cabinet cleaners, toilet bowl cleaners, you name it.  During COVID, I would go to the store and find the shelves bare of essential items, so I had to adapt. Guess what?  I didn’t need all of that junk.  I add a scant teaspoon of dish detergent to a 24 oz spray bottle and fill it with water.  It is a great general cleaner for all surfaces.  I use a squirt of dish detergent to clean my toilets.  If it is good enough to clean the dishes that I eat off of, it is good enough to clean the vessel where I poop.  I have dramatically reduced the amount of paper towels I use in lieu of reusable microfiber towels.  If cooking oil splashes on a piece of clothing, we found that a drop of dish detergent applied before dropping it in the washer does the job. When we couldn’t get liquid hand soap, I pulled out some old foaming containers.  Did you know that 20% liquid hand soap and 80% water will make foaming soap when placed in a foaming pump?  Bonus, there is no dripping soap to gel on your sink!

My go-to surface cleaner is a scant teaspoon of dish detergent in 24 oz of water. Works great!

I use reusable microfiber kitchen towels whenever possible to reduce my paper towel use. However, I always use paper towels when dealing with a greasy spill. Once you get grease on a microfiber towel, it is almost impossible to wash out.

Rule Nine:  We cook from scratch whenever possible.  When you start cooking from scratch, you may think it is more expensive than going out, since you need basics like cooking oil, spices, and the like.  However, once you have established these products, it is significantly cheaper.  If you have never cooked, it may be intimidating at first. Just keep at it, and it will become simpler over time.  Cooking from scratch, in our definition, means we can use some prepared products. We often use frozen vegetables, which can be less expensive than fresh ones. I’m not opposed to using a can of cream of mushroom soup as a quick substitute for a cream sauce when making a casserole. We still buy chicken nuggets because my adult son likes them as a snack.  I did a bunch of chores before I started to write this.  I’m tired, so tonight we will have a frozen pizza for dinner. Being frugal should not be a punishment. Remember, balance in everything.

Homemade copycat Panera squash soup, a salad, and homemade bread. A very nice meal!

A nice Sunday dinner. Chicken made in the Instant Pot.

My daughter has her own place. She will often make a family-sized dinner and then divide up the meal into dinner-sized portions for the rest of the week.

Hmm, it looks like I’m getting ready to make some sort of cheesy pasta dish in the Instant Pot.

Rule Ten: We have a small stockpile of basic food items, like spaghetti and frozen chicken. We also have a deep freezer. I usually treat my family to a beef tenderloin for Christmas dinner, but I decided to end that tradition as they now cost $175 at Costco. My sister-in-law told me that a local market was having a spectacular sale, and I picked one up for $75.  That isn’t frugal, but we are talking about a once-a-year treat. I vacuum sealed the meat and froze it.  It will be fresh and delicious when I thaw it for Christmas 2026. Deep freezers use very little electricity, especially if you have a manual-defrost model.  Having stuff on hand makes us much less likely to buy fast food or make imprudent grocery purchases. It also lets us buy things when they are on sale.

We have had a deep freezer for decades. It is a great way to stock up on food when an item is on sale. Deep freezers use very little electricity.

Canned goods have an amazingly long shelf life. Perfect items for so many impromptu dishes.

Rule Eleven: You need very few tools to cook.  A pot and pan, a decent knife, and some utensils, and you can make a thousand different dishes. I like watching videos of working-class people in China using a hotplate and a water boiler to make delicious meals in their makeshift, tiny apartment kitchens. Likewise, I enjoy similar videos from folks in the States who make real food using only a mini-fridge and a microwave.  Setting up a kitchen can be extremely expensive or very cheap.  I know some who spent 100K on a kitchen remodel who don’t cook.  My mom had an ancient fridge/stove and no counters (she prepared food on the kitchen table). She was a fabulous cook who fed seven people every day. My adventure/camper van has an induction burner and a microwave, and  I often make full meals in it.  

You need very few tools to cook. Here I’m using a Dutch oven, which can be used to make 1000 and 1 different meals. However, any large pot could be used. Soups, stews, and casseroles are the budget stretcher kings.

You can make amazing meals using a simple hot plate. Here I’m making a coconut curry in my adventure van.

Here I’m making a pork chop dish in my mini electric pressure cooker while camping in my adventure van. You can often find small appliances at thrift shops for pennies on the dollar. Just make sure that they work before you buy them.

Rule Twelve: It is OK to expand your kitchen equipment if you can afford it.  True confession, I love kitchen gadgets and appliances.  Crazy, I know.  I have just about anything you can think of, but don’t forget that I have been cooking for 50 years, so I have had plenty of time to accumulate a lot of stuff. The items that I think are most valuable are a slow cooker, an electric pressure cooker (Instant Pot), a vacuum sealer, a microwave, and a bread maker. Your mileage may vary. Having small electrics speed up my cooking.  I can toss some ingredients into a slow cooker and come home to a hot meal.  With the Instant Pot, I can cook something in 1/3rd the time that it would normally take.  These small electrics are also very energy efficient and use considerably less energy than a standard oven. 

Slow cookers are very inexpensive and super versatile. Toss in some ingredients in the morning and come home to a delicious dinner in the evening.

I’m a huge fan of electric pressure cookers (AKA Instant Pot). Here I’m making a one-pot spaghetti. Next to the ingredients is some homemade herb bread that I made in a bread maker, another fantastic gadget.

I have saved thousands of dollars over the years using a vacuum sealer. I buy food in bulk and then freeze it for future meals. Pro tip: You can buy generic vacuum-sealer bags for much less on Amazon and other online retailers.

I make most of my bread, rolls, and buns using a bread maker. You can pick up one at a thrift store for next to nothing. I have a few and have gotten them for as little as $4.99. Making your own bread is not only less expensive, but it is also better tasting. Plus, you can modify your bread to your particular tastes. I make all sorts, from white to whole wheat to cheesy herbal, and more.

Here I made some dinner rolls using the bread maker. I kneaded and raised the dough in the machine, then formed it into rolls, which I baked in the oven. You can use this technique for many different bread products, from pizza dough to challah.

Rule Thirteen: I do most of my shopping at Aldi and Costco, but for different reasons. I’m a huge Aldi fan.  Overall, their food is less expensive than Walmart’s. If I want tomato sauce, there’s only one brand: theirs.  This leads to less decision fatigue. The stores are small, so it is easy to get in and out. Costco has many bulk items at a good price.  However, I tend to overspend at Costco and sometimes buy products I don’t use up completely. I need to be more careful at Costco.  I do shop at other stores, but only for those items that I can’t find at Aldi or Costco.  

Aldi is not only cheaper, but it is also easier, as there is less decision fatigue and the small stores are quick to go through.

Rule Fourteen: I often substitute ingredients.  If I don’t have noodles, I’ll use another pasta, rice, or potatoes in a homemade soup.  I’ll substitute ground turkey for hamburger in chili.  I’ll substitute frozen vegetables for fresh in a casserole.  I’m not cooking for a king, I’m just making tasty food for my family. 

I’m making some chicken soup and using whatever starch that I have on hand. In this case, it is orzo.

Rule Fifteen: I have a very simple hygiene routine.  OK, I’m a guy, and that makes things easier.  Women are constantly sold the idea that a product will make them look 20 years younger.  That is not the case.  Most hygiene and cosmetic products are more similar than different. One way for a manufacturer to make more money is to differentiate products into new, and often unnecessary, categories. How many different face products does one need?  Most dermatologists will tell you that the best product you can use to prevent aging skin is sunscreen, and the best products that you can use on your skin are the mild ones that are colorless and have a light fragrance or are fragrance-free. 

Expensive makeup may be in a trendier hue or blended a bit more to make it slightly smoother.  However, most of the expense is from marketing costs and hype. I am in no position to tell women what makeup routine they should do. However, I’m here to say that most men do not like the look of elaborate makeup. We are used to light makeup and have been conditioned to believe that a little makeup is normal, but when makeup becomes elaborate, it makes a person look fake. It is not attractive. Many men refer to this as clown makeup (or use more negative terms), and it is a turnoff. 

I always wear cologne and discovered that the most expensive part of a bottle was the sprayer, then the cap, then the bottle.  The actual ingredients that make you smell nice are the least expensive. Let’s look at some of the hygiene changes that I have made.

I used to use shower gel, but had a nostalgic moment and bought some bar soap. I discovered that I prefer bar soap, which is also more environmentally friendly. A YouTuber compared inexpensive Dial bar soap with inexpensive Suave shower gel and found that bar soap was about 4.5 times less expensive. Those costs go up further when you buy more premium shower gels.

I like these very gentle soaps, which are often on sale at Costco for around $13 ($0.24/ounce). However, Amazon sells the exact same soap for almost $38! That is no bargain.

Regular anti-perspirants make me itch, and typical deodorants don’t work very well (including natural ones). Decades ago, I discovered “deodorant crystals.” This bar will last me years. I apply it to my slightly damp armpits after my daily shower.

Years ago, I became frustrated with having to wait for a haircut, and I went out and bought some clippers. My haircut is very simple since I’m pretty bald, and I can cut it in less than 5 minutes. My friend tells me he pays around $50 for a haircut (including tip). These clippers cost less than $40.

I started shaving during the era of shaving systems. Three-blade, four-blade, five-blade systems, it was never-ending. Each brand had different models, none of which were compatible with the others. I would buy a handle and several packs of blades. When I ran out, I never remembered what handle I had, so I would repeat the process, and those blade cartridges were $3-4 each! Decades ago, I invested in a high-quality, old-fashioned, double-edge razor (Merkur brand, around $30-$40). It looks as good as it did the day I bought it. It uses standard double-edge razor blades that cost between $0.05 and $0.10 each. It shaves better than my old expensive systems, and the blades are universal. You can use a double-edge razor with regular shaving cream, but it is fun to use a brush and some real shaving soap. Pro tip: You have to angle this type of razor at around 30 degrees. Use extremely light pressure or none at all, or you will cut yourself. I almost never cut myself, but at first, I did because those multi-blade systems distribute pressure across all the blades, so you need to push down when you shave. If you do the same with a double-edge razor, you are applying all that pressure to one blade. Don’t do that! If you are interested in trying a DE-razor, watch some shaving videos on YouTube, as they will walk you through this shaving method.

Most Double-edge razor blades are made in other countries, not in the US. That is because these types of razors are still popular worldwide. You can buy sample packs to find the blade you like best.

I have dry skin, so I always use a moisturizing cream after I shower. This stuff is great and lasts a very long time. The secret is that I put it on before I dry off. A little bit goes a long way, and by the time I’m finished applying it, I’m dry enough that I don’t even need to towel down.

Rule Sixteen:  You DON’T deserve it if you can’t pay cash for it!  A line in advertising is that you “deserve” their product.  This is a manipulation, so don’t fall for it.  If you can afford something and really want it, it’s OK to splurge.  However, if you have to pay for it using credit, you need to re-evaluate your decision. This goes for everything from buying a car to going on that “once in a lifetime” Disney vacation.  Don’t be a sucker for advertising hype. If a little bit of pleasure leads to months or years of financial pain, it is a very poor bargain. 

There you have it, the real things that I do. You may find that they work for you, or you may need to find your own system. Once you have it, it becomes a way of life. Most of these methods are more environmentally friendly, too!

Peace

Mike

Note: Images are my own or taken from product pages on the internet. They are being used for educational and entertainment purposes only.

bread makers, bread making, Uncategorized

The Zojirushi Experiment

If you have been reading my posts, you know that I’m a person who likes to get into the weeds.  I want to know the why and the how of just about everything. My wife has chided me that I have an autistic brain; by this, she is implying that it just doesn’t function typically. Why is it that I can understand the most complicated concepts, yet I often can’t seem to spell the simplest word?  Clearly, my wiring is a bit wonky. 

This getting-into-the-weeds habit recently hit on the topic of bread makers (I told you I like obscure topics). I pondered how they had changed over the years and why you could buy a perfectly usable machine for under $100, while others cost as much as $500. In my usual fashion, I not only called upon my own experience but also on any additional information I could locate, to the point of examining teardown and repair videos to better understand the mechanics that made one machine cheap and another expensive. To find out more about this subject, read my previous post (April 16, 2026).  It is LONG.  Why say something in two pages when you can use twelve!

I’m a psychiatrist, and I understand human behavior.  Anytime you compare or rate something, it will create conflicting views and even anger in others. People become invested in their beliefs and can take offense at even mild opposing views.  Additionally, there is the phenomenon of confirmation bias, in which humans tend to accept information that supports their beliefs while rejecting information that doesn’t, even if the opposing information is equally or more compelling. Lastly, there is the power of social influence: our peer group shapes how we think.  A person who only watches Fox News will have a very different reality than someone who only watches CNN.  Both will be biased, but in different ways. 

I didn’t think many would read my long September 17th post, but I knew that at least a few would. Given the above, I addressed the many factors that impact purchases, including performance, cost vs. value, construction quality, and the psychological pleasure a product provides. Unfortunately, we now live in a world where people view things in absolutes. Gone is the grey zone where just about everything really exists.  In reality, two people can have opposing opinions, and both can be right.  My wife has a walk-in closet full of winter clothes, and my winter wardrobe consists of 5 flannel shirts.  Who is right?  We both are.

Most of the replies to that post were positive, with one strongly negative one concerning my opinion that the Zojirushi Supreme bread maker offered a high-quality product at a lower price point than the flagship Zojirushi Virtuoso bread maker. I was told that I was doing a disservice to suggest this. The commentator felt that the Supreme’s top browning ability was grossly inferior to that of the Virtuoso. My experience with both machines did not support her statement.  

Normally, I would have attributed the person’s comment to one of the reasons listed above.  But there was a twist.  She had used both machines; in fact, she stated that she had used a Supreme for 20 years and was never happy with its top browning capabilities.  This wasn’t someone basing their opinion on ad copy or on groupthink. Twenty years of baking experience yield many data points.  The tops of my breads were adequately brown, hers were not.  Who was right?  Possibly both of us. Clearly, I had to pursue this question further.

I have made many loaves in both the Supreme and the Virtuoso, but never in a controlled setting. Time to get sciency! Would a controlled bake show a significant difference in top browning between the two models? Would it show a mild difference? How could two observers have such a different interpretation?  Dear readers, let’s get into the weeds as we explore history, marketing psychology, and actual data! 

History

Bread makers were developed in the late 1980s by the now Panasonic Corporation. Bread makers have not changed much in their basic design from those early days, which is why many early models can still make an excellent loaf of bread. 

The invention of the bread maker was made possible by the availability of microcontrollers, which are essentially computers on a chip. Bread makers were among the first home appliances to use microcontrollers, as were high-end microwave ovens.  Now, microcontrollers are in almost every home appliance, from refrigerators to blenders, as they have become less expensive and more capable.

The process of making bread follows a sequence of steps. It would be possible to complete these steps using a wholly mechanical machine. Old automatic washing machines implemented a sequential set of steps using a mechanical timer.  However, doing this for a small appliance would have added both bulk and cost.  The microcontroller solved these problems. 

Early microcontrollers were limited in their capabilities.  Programs had to be short.  Additionally, electronic displays were expensive, so many early machines had a simple 3-digit LED display with a colon.  Over time, both components decreased in price and increased in capabilities, enabling manufacturers to add features at little cost. 

When bread makers were introduced, they were considered a luxury kitchen item, since most people bought their bread.  However, as they gained popularity, less expensive brands entered the market. This trend has continued to this very day, and it is wholly possible to purchase a machine that makes a decent loaf of bread for under $100.

I purchased this fully functional bread maker for less than $50, new. But, can it make a loaf of bread?

Yes it can!

Some newer units have achieved a very low price point by taking shortcuts in manufacturing, consolidating R&D, and using less expensive parts. Over time, the cost of electronic components has decreased, making it cheaper for manufacturers to add value-added features such as additional programs and more informative displays.  

Many early bread makers were built to high standards. Ongoing efforts to create more affordable units rely on shortcuts and lower-quality components. However, since the basic design of breadmakers is simple, these units can still work well, but their longevity will likely be lower, and more in line with other current small electrics.

This Breadman Ultimate is from the 1990s. It is built like a tank and offered many advanced features like a fruit and nut dispenser and the ability to modify exisiting programs and to write new programs.

The race to differentiation

Small appliance manufacturers are in business to make money.  To make money, you have to sell products.  Many options are used to accomplish this goal, and some of those tools are under marketing’s control.  Marketing is applied psychology. I could write quite a bit about this, but for now, let’s look at two aspects.  The phenomena of “new,” and the phenomena of “improved.”  I’m sure you have heard those terms often when dealing with products.

Humans are attracted to both; we are novelty seeking.  Bread maker cases can be remade into different or novel shapes or packaged with a different finish, such as stainless steel.  These changes would fit into the category of “new.” Additional programs can be added, or bread pans can be re-configured from a vertical to a more traditional horizontal pan. These changes would fit into the category “improved.”  It is more important for a product to be perceived as new and improved than for it to really be new and improved. There have been times when these titles have been used to grossly manipulate consumers.  Have you ever bought a box of cereal that proudly proclaimed “NEW!” only to discover that what was new was that the box had less cereal in it? That was a new change, but not one that benefited the buyer.

This mid-2000s Sunbeam has a “new” shape very different from the rectangular boxes of the first machines.

Although the design of bread makers has remained the same, there have been tweaks over the years that would fit in new and improved categories.  A very common one was adding more programs.  Different bread types may do better with different rise or bake times, but how many are really necessary? 

Some programs add features that are not bread-related but take advantage of a bread maker’s stirring and heating ability.  Examples include jam and yogurt-making functions.  Other programs tweak bread-making algorithms.  For instance, a whole wheat function may allow for more soaking time or a longer ferment time. 

The sweet bread function is present on just about every modern bread maker. Premier Zojirushi bread makers have memory capabilities for different programs, but did not slot in one for a sweet course.  Apparently, they felt that this was unnecessary.  Another poster (sorry, I can no longer find the post) compared all the Virtuoso Plus’s many courses to the more standard functions of the Supreme. Her finding was that there was little to no difference between breads made with a new course vs. those made with an older course.  The only outlier was the gluten-free setting. That makes sense, as gluten-free bread really isn’t a bread; it is more of a cake that uses yeast as a leavening agent.  

Manufacturing decision choices

The majority of the original breadmaker manufacturers have either ceased production or opted for cost-cutting measures.  Breadman was an innovator in bread makers. The brand is now under its third ownership. I recently tested the Breadman TR520 machine.  It makes a decent loaf of bread despite being mostly fantastic plastic.  However, it doesn’t compare in innovation or construction quality to the excellent Breadman Ultimate, which I purchased new sometime in the 1990s. 

This old Toastmaster still has what it takes to make a good loaf of bread.

There are many lower-cost Chinese brands on the market that make good bread (I have tested a bunch).  How have they been able to do this?  Cheaper components, more plastic, and the use of ODM manufacturers.  An example of a very inexpensive ODM machine is the BM1333 bread maker, which is sold worldwide under various brand names.  In the US alone, I found it rebranded as Kitchen In The Box, Rosewill, and Wolfgang Puck machines. The BM1333 makes a decent loaf of bread, and it is full-featured.  However, with regular use, it will likely last only a couple of years before being retired to a landfill (my opinion). For many, that is good enough.

The BM1333 bread maker is sold worldwide under different names. In the US, I found it sold under the Kitchen In The Box, Wolfgang Puck, and Rosewill brands. The inner workings are very basic, but it still can make a decent loaf as the base bread making technology hasn’t really changed.

A different approach

A few manufacturers have decided that quality is the way to go.  Notably, they are Panasonic, Breville (branded Sage in Europe), and Zojirushi.  From everything I can research, these machines are still being built to the high standards of the bread machines of yore. You are going to pay much more for a machine with high-quality components that was designed by that company rather than an ODM manufacturer. What do you get in return?

Is the bread better? Taste is subjective, but there is some evidence that the loaf structure is better.

Will the machine last longer?  Most certainly.

Will it have more innovative features?  Possibly, depending on the manufacturer.

What you are paying for is a machine that will probably last longer with regular use, which may offer some advantages to the loaf itself.  Yes, premium bread makers are worth the extra money, but not everyone has the extra money. Cheap bread makers offer reasonable options for cost-conscious individuals.

Breville, along with Panasonic and Zojirushi, have continued to make very high-quality machines. Naturally, you will have to pay the price to own one.

What is Zojirushi’s philosophy?

I am not a mind reader, so I can only speculate.  Zojirushi has avoided some potentially useful features, like a fruit-and-nut dispenser, while embracing others, such as the ability to write custom bread programs.  They have an overall superior build quality.  I believe they are targeting the elite customer.  That person who has a little cash to burn, who will only settle for the best. A second client would be the serious bread maker who bakes regularly and plans to keep baking for a long time. In other words, a  “Buy once, cry once” type buyer. 

Everything about Zojirushi bread makers echoes this philosophy, from the size and weight of their machines to the quality of their bread pans to the thoughtfulness of their recipe guide.  Unfortunately, Zojirushi buyers represent only a small segment of the market. A segment that will likely keep their machine for a long time. Shunning planned obsolescence puts Zojirushi at a disadvantage.

What can Zojirushi do?

Pivot on its strengths.  Use its marketing muscle. Emphasize its premium status.  Entice existing customers to upgrade.

Premium brands can command a premium price based on the perception that they are premium. At times, charging a premium price elevates a product in a customer’s perception.  A prestigious college will charge an exorbitant tuition, a T-shirt will be tagged at an astronomical price because of a graphic or logo, or a trendy restaurant will command big bucks even though it is serving the same Sysco food as the less expensive eatery down the block.

Companies can intentionally cripple their cheaper offerings to encourage upselling.  I bought my first DSLR, a Canon Digital Rebel (300D), in 2003.  That camera was the first sub-$1000 DSLR to hit the market.  In many ways, it was a clone of the much more expensive Canon 10D.  It could potentially do many of the same things as the 10D, but they were intentionally hobbled on the 300D.  If you wanted those features, you had to pony up to the much more expensive camera.

I’m not saying that Zojirushi does the above tactics.  I’m just noting them as they are common practices that manufacturers do to sell their products.  

If you have invested in a Zojirushi bread maker and use it, you are likely happy with it.  It will probably last a long time, so the need to replace it will be low, unless there is a compelling reason. Perhaps a design change that makes it look more modern, like a stainless steel case?  Maybe adding a few more features, like additional custom programs?  So many cheaper brands feature a dozen or more programs for special options like soft bread and sandwich bread.  It looks like the good people at Zojirushi took notice, but with a twist.  They still don’t have a sweet bread course, but their top-of-the-line model offers exotic options like Multigrain Bread and Vegan Bread.  Just between the two of us, how different is the program of the Multigrain Bread course from the Whole Wheat course?  And to be honest, I often make excellent bread using water and olive oil, using the Basic Bread course. That sounds like vegan bread to me.

The Zojirushi Virtuoso Plus updated the Virtuoso with a cleaner user interface. It also offered a number of new courses (programs). However, how varied are they under the hood? Your opinion may be different.

I want to emphasize that Zojirushi has valid reasons for charging more for its products than lower-cost brands.

-They do their own R and D instead of relying on an ODM manufacturer.  That is expensive.

-As a well-known brand, they do marketing.  That is expensive.

-Their components and construction seem to be of much better quality than those on less expensive machines. That is expensive.

-They maintain their own manufacturing facilities, where many other small appliance companies use third-party manufacturers. That is expensive.

-It appears that they have their own recipe testing facilities and don’t just copy and paste recipes from other sources. That is expensive.

-They invest in the entire experience.  Even their operating manuals are beautiful. That is expensive.

-They have repair facilities, where when other machines “die,” they are simply discarded. That is expensive.

-They stock replacement parts for their machines. That is expensive.

Are the Supreme and Virtuoso significantly different from each other? 

Companies use similar components across different models because it is the most cost-effective approach.  Why buy and source two different motors that do the same thing when economies of scale would tell you that it is more cost-effective to use the same component in multiple models? 

However, if a product has been on the market for quite some time, a company may make design tweaks.  Perhaps a motor shows excessive bearing wear, so a different model gets subbed in.  Maybe a heating rod can be found that is equivalent, but at a lower price.  How about making a small change in the diameter of the paddle’s mounting post for slightly better torque or durability? Usually, these changes have little significant impact on the end result unless they are implemented to correct a design problem. Additionally, some manufacturers substitute a less durable component for cost reasons or to create a planned obsolescence scenario. There is the famous story of Henry Ford sending his engineers to junkyards to see which parts of his cars were still in good shape.  It turned out that the radiators were, so he purposely designed them to fail sooner. However, cheapening products would be contrary to Zojirushi’s philosophy of designing high-quality products.

Available specifications suggest a strong similarity between the Supreme and Virtuoso machines. Their motors are the same wattage; their heating capabilities are very similar (600 vs 640 watts); their pan mounting mechanisms are identical; and so forth. 

So are you saying that they are the same machine?

No, just looking at the two will show you that they are similar in design, but hardly identical. The Virtuosos is larger and bulkier. The lid is completely different, and the bottom heating element is configured differently.  The control interface differs, as do several design and operating tweaks.  That said, they are both very high-quality pieces of kit with many similarities. 

Here is a Zojirushi Supreme flanked by a Virtuoso Plus and a Virtuoso. It is clearly smaller but carries many of the design cues from its more premium relatives.

Mike, can you finally talk about that lid heater?

In my September 17, 2025, blog post, I stated that the lid heater offered a marginal improvement in overall browning compared to bread made in a Supreme bread maker.  I didn’t find the lid heater compelling enough to upgrade on its own, in my opinion.  

Every bread maker has a way to brown the top of their loaves. All bread makers use an inner metal lid to capture heat and radiate it back to the top of the loaf. Different bread makers achieve top browning through one or more additional methods:

  1. A single heating element is located at the bottom of a bread maker. Heat from that element rises and is drawn upward by a vent in the lid.  

This is an example from the Breadman Ultimate. Clearly, this very simple system can brown the tops of a loaf. This is a very common method for top-browning.

  • Slots are opened in the top separator between the oven pan and the outer wall of the bread maker.  Corresponding slots are made in the lid of the bread maker.  Air heated in this space rises passively and is channeled into the lid. This is the method the Supreme utilizes. It is combined with option #1.

This Panasonic uses slits between its oven and outer walls to direct heat to the lid. This is likely the most common way bread makers brown the top of loaves, and it does a good job. The Zojirushi Supreme also uses this method.

Here you can see the Zojirushi Supreme in action. It has made a beautiful loaf.

  • Two separate heating rods are incorporated at different levels of the bread pan to improve temperature uniformity in the bread oven. Additionally, option #1 and option #2 are also incorporated.

This Rosewill unit incorporates twin heating elements. In addition, it also uses methods #1 and #2.

Another beautiful loaf. I don’t see a particular advantage to the baking process/top browning compared to the other methods listed above. However, Rosewill notes that it bakes a bit faster using this two-heating-element design.

  • A small accessory fan is incorporated to circulate and mix the air in a style similar to a convection oven. Additionally, option #1 (and sometimes #2) is used in this configuration.

This Cuisinart unit uses a small fan to turn its oven into a convection oven. It also uses method #1. The idea of using a fan isn’t new, Oster had a machine in the 1990s that had a convection fan.

  • A secondary heater can be placed in the lid of the bread maker to help brown the top of the loaf. This is what the Virtuoso does. Option #1 is also utilized, and is likely the main source of top browning.

The Zojirushi Virtuosos (Plus) uses a 40 watt heater in its lid plus the method used in #1.

The Plus does a nice job browning the top of a loaf, but is it objectively better than the other methods?

Mike, do you think that Zojirushi deliberately made the Supreme’s top browning capabilities worse to sell more Virtuoso machines?

No, that would be contrary to their branding.  Anyway, if you can buy a decent Chinese bread maker for less than $100 that browns the tops of breads perfectly well, it would not be in Zojirushi’s best interest to make a $350 bread maker that performs poorly.  However, I’m getting ahead of myself.  I need to construct an experiment to demonstrate whether my hypothesis is correct or incorrect.

The hypothesis

The Zojirushi Supreme does an acceptable job in browning the tops of bread.

We are interested in comparing options 2 and 5.  Also, why isn’t option 5 used by other manufacturers?  The most obvious answer is that options 1-4 provide sufficient browning, often at a lower cost. However, other issues are at play.  Let’s explore some of them:

The heater in a Supreme has a power rating of 600 watts.  The bottom heater in a Virtusos is 600 watts, while the top heater is only 40 watts.  That is roughly a 6% increase in heating power.  In other words, the top heater provides a heat increase roughly equivalent to a 40-watt refrigerator/appliance light bulb.  An Easy-Bake oven requires a 100-watt light bulb to bake a tiny, thin cake in a minuscule oven. The average mid-sized slow cooker uses between 150 and 200 watts.  Forty watts does not provide much heat, only about 136 BTUs in an hour, compared to the 600-watt heater, which produces 2027 BTUs in an hour (almost 15 times more heat).  The majority of any browning action will be accomplished by the main heating element, not by the extremely puny 40-watt lid heater. It’s possible the designers realized the additional size/build of the Virtuoso needed that extra small boost.

You can see from this specification sheet that the Virtuoso model’s top heater is a very small 40 watts, and that most of the baking is done by the main 600-watt heater.

The power requirements for the Supreme are similar to the Virtuoso, with a 100 watt motor and a 600 watt main heater.

You may ask why Zojirushi didn’t use a bigger lid heater?  I can only speculate, as a larger heater would certainly have a greater impact on top browning. However, doing so presents engineering problems:

  1. A powerful top heater may make it more difficult for end users to use recipes that have not been specifically calibrated for it.
  2. A powerful top heater could pose a fire hazard if the dough came into contact with the lid.
  3. A powerful top heater could melt the plastic lid.  If the lid were changed to metal, it would then become a burn hazard (users touch the lid a lot). If extra insulation were added to the lid, it would increase the lid’s cost and make the unit even bulkier. The Zo’s are already huge; few people desire an even bulkier bread maker.  Additionally, adding insulation would likely require a redesign of the entire unit, resulting in greater expense with little actual performance gain. Remember, I have already shown that simpler designs produce nicely brown breads. 

What can be expected from a light-bulb-level heater that adds 6% more heat?  Well, hmm.. Perhaps a slight increase in even browning.

The experiment and choice of test equipment

The original Virtuoso and the Supreme list detailed timing information for their courses.  For white bread, they are very similar, with slightly longer fermenting times being used by the Supreme.  There is also a slight variance in the amount of yeast used.  This suggests that the Virtuoso uses a slightly different fermenting temperature, but it is pretty close to those used by the Supreme. 

Why not use the newest Virtuoso Plus, which I also have?  The Virtuoso Plus manual removes precise course time information.  Why would they remove such information?  It’s possible that several of the new courses are very similar to each other. Was the addition of some of these courses based on adding useful features, or was it a marketing decision?  I don’t know.

The Original Virtuoso includes timing details about each cycle. Very useful information if you want to write a custom course (program).

The Virtuoso Plus eliminates this information.

I always weigh my bulk ingredients, but measure light ingredients like salt and yeast.  I believe the degree of error of kitchen scales is significant when weighing items under 10 grams. However, I do possess another scale that registers with a 10-milligram resolution (0.01 grams).  For this experiment, I’ll weigh any ingredient under 15 grams using that scale rather than measuring spoons. Additionally, I have checked the accuracy of both scales using standardized weights. They are home-use scales, not lab equipment. However, they are both accurate enough for this test.

I used a precision scale for any ingredient that weighed under 15 grams. This scale has a resolution of 0.01 grams (10 miligrams).

I’ll use Zo’s white bread loaf as listed in their manuals.  The only difference in the recipe in the two manuals is a tiny change in the amount of active yeast. This is likely due to the slightly different fermenting temperatures of the Virtuoso.  

I don’t have access to an instrument-grade colorimeter, so I made my own manual one. It will act as the browning standard for this experiment.  Due to design limitations, its resolution is set in 10% increments.

I didn’t have access to a colorimeter, so I made this manual one so I had a physical standard to compare the bread tops from the Supreme and Virtuoso machines.

Lastly, the breads will be made simultaneously to negate any environmental differences.

Let’s begin!

Let the experiment begin!

Both machines were set to the basic course, medium crust, with preheat on.

The standard ingredient loading protocol was followed, and each bread pan was loaded identically. Ingredients were the same, except for a slight variation in the yeast per each manual’s instructions. The Virtuoso may have a slightly higher fermenting temperature.

Here we have the loaf from the Zojirushi Virtuoso. I would say that the level of browness is around 45%. Note the camel hump pattern which is common with two paddle machines.

Here is the loaf from the Zojirushi Supreme. The top of the loaf is uneven, which (in my experience) can happen with any bread maker, including the Virtuoso. The general darkness is also around 45%. However, there are some areas that are closer to 50%. I think this is due to the unevenness of the loaf’s top. However, it may be due to the browning method, so a purchaser should take that into consideration, though it does not affect the quality of the bread produced. With that said, I have baked Supreme loaves with evenly browned tops and Virtuoso loaves with unevenly browned tops.

Discussion and Conclusion

This experiment shows that the Supreme is capable of browning the tops of bread baked in it. I believe the uneven browning is due to the loaf’s unevenness, as an earlier photo of a loaf baked (see above) shows perfectly even browning.

I have also shown that there are multiple ways to achieve top browning, and they all seem to work well. Why one designer choses one over the other is unclear. Perhaps the shape of the bread pan requires it, or the size of the machine, or some other unknown problem that the designer was trying to solve.

It is also important to recognize the commenters’ observations and to assume they are valid. She clearly had a very different experience, and that experience went well beyond novice error (20 years of use). Some possibilities include:

-She had a very early machine that was programmed differently.

-She had a defective machine.

-She has a different standard than mine. I’m a guy who eats bread. If it looks like bread and it is baked through, I’m happy. I have been baking bread for almost 45 years, using everything from a food processor to a KA to a Bosch Universal. I have been using bread makers for over 37 years. Despite all that, I would not consider myself an expert baker. Generally, I make bread, and people eat it. That is as far as it goes.

I did this experiment for my own interest. But I also did it for other Zojirushi Supreme users. Many have the X20 and C20 versions of these machines. I think this experiment shows that the Zojirushi Supreme can make an excellent loaf of bread. That makes sense. Why would anyone spend $350 for a Supreme that didn’t work well when you can buy a brand new Chinese bread maker that works great for around $50?

I’m not saying that the Supreme and the Virtuoso (Plus) models are the same. The Virtuoso models have further refinements, and those refinements may be what some users want. I’m just saying that they are both great machines. If you are a Supreme owner, be proud. You own a superior appliance.

I welcome others to run this experiment if they have both machines. If there was a pattern of difference, we could explore this topic more and perhaps come up with a reason for that difference.

It is important to explore any contrary opinion using critical thinking. So many people formulate opinions on just about everything based on limited information or others’ opinions. This is off topic, but I think that it is important enough to emphasize that if something doesn’t hit you right, it is easy to investigate further. The other day, I was assaulted by advice-giving “doctor” videos on YouTube. As a doctor, I could easily tell that what they were saying was inaccurate and misleading. It turns out these very real-looking doctors were created by AI. They were totally fake. Please don’t be influenced by one-sided arguments or groups/individuals who are manipulating you for their own ends. You deserve more than that. OK, I’ll get off my soapbox now.

Peace

Mike

Good relationships

My Friend, Tom

I’m a planner who projects multiple scenarios into the future and then plots the best course of action.  That sometimes works out well for me.  However, some of the best decisions that I have made were based on a feeling, and those feelings were often contrary to my best laid plans.  Strange, don’t you think?

I’m a person who loves being in my head.  It gives me pleasure to dive deeply into obscure topics. I can sit and think or write for hours and completely lose myself.  I’m not anti-social. I have to have my alone time, but I also need to have people in my life. I am beyond fortunate to have an immediate family who loves me, extended family who are awesome, and true friends who I know will stand by my side no matter what.  However, I’m not a person who values volume over quality.  I have never needed to be the most popular kid on the block.  In fact, that would be too much for me as it would take away my thinking time, which I value greatly. 

I met Tom 13 years ago when he replaced a roof that another contractor botched.  It was a short time together, perhaps a week, but I instantly liked him.  Two years later we needed our bathrooms remodeled and I called Tom and two other contractors.  Tom was the first one to estimate the job and against the logic of getting at least three quotes, I hired him on the spot.  

During those days I was able to do tele-medicine two to three days a week from my home, so I was constantly running into Tom and we would talk.  Tom is exceedingly bright and very creative, so it was always a pleasure. I think the whole project lasted around 6 weeks and I found myself in a quandary.  I was really going to miss our chats, but what to do?  Dear readers, I never pursue friendships, not because I think I’m so great, rather because I’m a bit of an odd duck.  I am intense, committed, and very loyal. I think that I can be (unintentionally) a bit intimidating. That can be a bit much for someone who just wants a friend to drink beer with. My friends accept me and embrace those quirks, but not everyone can do that.  That is why I always let a person make the first (or third) move before I’m certain that they want to connect.  That was not the case with Tom.

As the job completed I sat Tom down and formally asked him if he would consider being my friend.  It was super awkward, and I was super awkward. Tom looked at me and said, “Yes.” I had a sense of relief followed by a lot of self-doubt.  The next day when I was working I would have flashes of Tom laughing with his construction buddies about that crazy guy who asked him to be his friend.  Of course, that did not happen, but I had just done something that put me into a very vulnerable position, and if you know me you know that I never do that intentionally. 

Tom and I are completely alike and completely different at the same time.  We both like to get into the weeds when thinking about ideas.  We both like to figure out creative solutions to problems.  We both tend to marvel at things that most others would ignore.  Yet, we are different.  Tom is very spontaneous, where I’m plodding.  Tom tends to be pretty free with money, where I’m the guy who saves for the future.  When Tom bought a pickup truck it was well over 6 figures.  When I needed to replace a car I bought a sedan that was a demo with 4K miles already on it so I could save around 20% off the sticker price.  

Often, our differences have benefited each other.  Tom is an expert in all things mechanical.  I’m an expert (sort of) in many technical things. As a doctor, I have extensive medical knowledge, and as a psychiatrist, I understand psychological topics, such as marketing and how to deal with difficult individuals. We are constantly helping each other, and that is a very new feeling for me. I have always been the person people came to for help.  You have no idea how great it is for me to ask someone else for help, especially someone who has expertise in areas where I don’t. 

Recently, our sunroom was leaking when it rained heavily. I knew that I needed to get up on a ladder to assess the problem.  However, I am very uncomfortable being on a ladder, and that feeling has only worsened as I have gotten older and less steady.  I asked Tom if he would give it a look and an opinion so I would have at least some knowledge before dealing with a roofer. Tom did this and said that the problem wasn’t the roof, it was the junction between the house and the sunroom.  That was great news, and I thanked him.

This morning, Tom showed up with tools and caulk.  Thirty minutes later, the job was done.  Who knows what a roofer would have recommended or charged?  How great it is to know someone who “knows.” I tried to thank him and offered to take him out to lunch.  Tom just shrugged and said he had other things he needed to do. 

As I sit and write this, I am so grateful for those around me who accept and love me for who I am.  We live in a society where success is measured by the square footage of your house, the branding on your car, the numbers on your paycheck, and the title of your job.  How silly that is.  For me, success is mattering to others and having them matter to me.  Why is it that we have become a country where hate of others is celebrated, and acceptance of others is considered a weakness? It makes no sense to me.  I’m glad I took a risk and embarrassed myself by asking Tom to be my friend.  It was one of the best decisions that I have made. I think both of our lives are better because of our connection. Life is short; sprinkle others with kindness, not hate. Differences can be a strength, not a weakness.  On the surface, Tom and I are very different.  Underneath, we are very much the same; all we had to do was take the time to look.

Peace

Mike

Tom, patching the junction between my sunroom and house.

Tom and his son on a camping trip that we took together.

Julie enjoying one of Tom’s famous tacos.

On the job.

I’ll often grab a professional camera (I’m a photographer too) and shoot some of Tom’s finished jobs so he can use them in marketing. I took this artsy shot during one of those shoots.

bread makers, bread making, frugal cooking, frugal living, Uncategorized

Buying A Breadmaker, Part II-Hopefully, the final chapter!

What bread maker should you buy?

Lately, I have been writing a lot about bread makers in this blog.  I’m sure I’ll be veering off into other topics, but this is where my interests are at the moment.

These are the questions I have been asking myself: 

Is it better to buy a used bread maker or a new one? 

Are premium bread makers worth the upcharge? 

Do premium bread makers make a better loaf?

How have I explored these questions?  I have used many, many different bread makers, some new, many used. I have made hundreds of loaves of bread of all kinds over almost 40 years (actually 37 years) of using bread makers.

I have read countless threads on Facebook, Reddit, and other sites. I have watched many YouTube videos from first-time users, experienced users, professional chefs, and even shopping channels. I have also watched as many bread maker teardown videos as I could find, including some in foreign languages. 

I was trained as a research scientist before I decided to switch teams and go to medical school.  I’m also a chronic comparer.  I have always loved comparing things to see how different designers and engineers approach the same problem, often with different objectives. Sometimes the objective is to produce the best product possible; sometimes, it is to produce a good product the cheapest way possible; and sometimes, it is to design a product that will last just long enough to satisfy the customer while promoting the purchase of a replacement product. This last category has been classified as the ensh*tification of a product. Ensh*tification seems to be a recent trend in everything from cars to washing machines.

This is a teardown of an Oster bread maker from the early 1990s. Oster was a popular mid-priced appliance brand. You can see the quality of this appliance in the solid, well-designed chassis, the large, well-protected motor, and the thick oven chamber. The average bread maker in 1990 sold between $100-$300, with premium models selling for as much as $400. Four hundred dollars in 1990 is equivalent to $992 in 2026.

Here is a teardown of the very popular Oster 5838, introduced in the early 2000s. It still has a decent motor, but it is no longer protected. There is custom housing for the electronics, so that is good. The chassis is well-engineered, but it is clearly smaller, thinner, and cheaper than the 1990 Oster example. The case is now plastic, instead of metal. Still a great machine, but its design has been scaled down.

Here is a teardown of a BM1333, an ODM machine sold under many different brands. I have used this machine, and it makes decent bread. However, the chassis has been reduced to the bare minimum, the electronics are not protected, and the motor looks small and cheap. With that said, you can often find these bread makers in the $50-$70 range in 2026. That would be between $20-$30 in 1990s money!

Can I offer you absolute answers for the above questions?  Sadly no.  Despite using many bread machines, I don’t have the resources to examine all of them, let alone multiple copies of each model.  

Any information is impacted by a phenomenon called “confirmation bias.”  Humans tend to accept information that supports their beliefs and reject information that contradicts them. Before I retired, I couldn’t tell you how many people wanted me to prescribe an inappropriate treatment because some enthusiastic influencer heralded it as “the miracle cure that doctors don’t want you to know about.” In most cases, I was able to explain to the patient why a particular treatment wasn’t in their best interest, but a few were so convinced that they assumed that I was part of the conspiracy. Alas!  I mention this because no matter what I present, some will reject it because it contradicts what they want to believe. So be it.

That said, you should use this information as only part of your decision-making process, as it does have flaws. There is only so much information I can glean indirectly.  I can tabulate on YouTube which bread machines are getting their drive belts replaced or their leaking bread pans fixed, but these are only indirect indicators, since the majority of bread makers are simply discarded when they stop working, and I am only seeing those being fixed. Once a bread maker is in the trash, its history goes with it.

DIY teardown videos do allow me to indirectly assess the quality of the components used by their visual appearance.  How big is the motor? Are the electronics protected? How good is the overall construction?  How thick is the drive belt? …and so forth. 

I have also looked at repair parts sites to see what replacement parts they offer.  They wouldn’t be selling drive belts, bread pans, and dough paddles unless people were buying them.  

To summarize, the ways I evaluate these products affect the confidence in my conclusions.  However, they are still useful, if not absolute. Consider this information as a potential data point for your own purchase journey.

Lastly, I’m not accounting for the psychological reasons of choosing one machine over another.  I’m a practical guy who believes that form should follow function.  To use a car example, I would much rather have a good ol’ reliable car than an ultra-expensive head-turner that costs 4 times as much but doesn’t improve my trip to the grocery store.  However, there are those who insist on driving their kids to school in a G-Wagon or a loaded Escalade. It is all good,  I’ll do me, and you do you.

Observation 1

Most unboxing and first-time breadmaker users will rave about their first loaves.  However, I would consider many of their results sub-par, with a high percentage of their breads being either overproofed or underproofed. 

What these videos have in common:

-The users are inexperienced.

-The users don’t check on their dough ball.

-The users sometimes don’t measure properly

-The users almost never weigh their ingredients.

Observation 2

Experienced bread makers seem to produce pretty good-looking loaves no matter which bread machine they use.  This seems to apply to many types of bread.  There are many of these experienced bakers on YouTube.  However, two stand out for making a wide range of breads with consistently excellent results.  They are Dorinda from the channel Butterfly Meadows Homestead and Robyn from the channel Robyn On The Farm.  Dorinda uses an inexpensive KBS 17-Program machine, but has also used other machines. Robyn mostly uses a Zojirushi Supreme machine, but sometimes uses other machines as well. 

What they have in common:

-They know what a dough ball is supposed to look like and check the dough ball.

-They are very familiar with how their ingredients work, and they seem to stick to those ingredient brands that they are familiar with. 

-Their many years of experience have seemed to give them an intuitive skill in the art of making bread.

Observation 3

The construction of newer economyal machines seems cheaper than that of older ones.  More plastic and thinner plastic are being used. Many newer machines are significantly lighter than older machines. 

Implication

-Plastic is cheaper than metal. That doesn’t directly affect the machine’s quality.  However, it may imply that other components may be of lesser quality. 

-A mid-range bread maker from the mid-1990s would cost (in 2026 dollars) $300-$400.  You can buy a brand-new bread maker (with some hunting) for around $40-$70 in 2026.  How is that possible? Likely due to standardized designs, cheaper components, and less R and D (one model with many secondary brands).

This Tesco BM10 machine teardown illustrates how newer, less expensive bread maker designs have reduced costs by using lower-cost components and design shortcuts. Look at how thin the wires are.

Observation 4

There are a number of videos where individuals replace a shredded drive belt on newer, less expensive machines.  Often, these machines have been used consistently multiple times a week for several years. Some older machines have easy access to the drive belt.  It seems that most newer machines (including expensive ones) require extensive disassembly to accomplish a simple belt replacement. I have not seen any belt-replacement videos for expensive machines (like a Zojirushi); however, belts for such machines are sold, suggesting that someone must be replacing them. 

Here is a drive belt from an economy machine. Check out the arrow, this belt is pretty thin.

The forces on the drive belt are tremendous when kneading dough. This takes its toll on a thin drive belt.

Here is the drive belt on a Zojirushi (premium) bread maker. It is much more robust. Could it also fail? Of course, but it is likely to last much longer than the belt shown above.

Implication

-Some less expensive machines do seem to use cheaper drive belts, which can be a point of failure.  

-When the information is provided, it seems like these machines were well used and did provide years of service before their belts failed.

-I could find no DIY videos of belt replacements in premium machines, but replacement belts are being sold, suggesting that some are failing to some degree. 

-It is likely that someone who invests in a premium machine is serious about their bread making, and that group as a whole is more likely to regularly use a bread maker than someone who casually picks up an inexpensive machine. This would be a factor to consider when comparing the reliability of an inexpensive vs. a premium machine.

Observation 5a

All the articles and videos on what is the best bread maker are flawed in many ways (mine too).  Some are outright commercials with influencers gushing about a particular bread maker that they were given for free by the manufacturer.  Some of the top five videos appear to be AI-generated and just repeat the selling points from a manufacturer’s product page. Better reviews are also limited by the number of machines that they compare. Many will throw in a Zojirushi Virtuoso, which often gains the top prize, but they don’t compare it with the lower cost Supreme (which, in many ways, is the same machine with a few less bells and whistles-and yes, I have both). When the American Test Kitchen compared the two, they preferred the Supreme because of its simpler controls, so you have that.

Observation 5b

When some reviewers test machines, they use the same recipe across all machines for consistency.  This makes sense, but it also has problems. If you look at recipes from various bread machine manuals, you may be surprised to see that different machines are designed to use different amounts of yeast. A large white bread recipe from a Welbilt AMB6000 bread maker requires one tablespoon of yeast using the basic setting, while an even larger white loaf from a Panasonic SD-R2550 uses only ¾ of a teaspoon of yeast. It would be very difficult to adequately compare these two machines using the same generic recipe. 

-If a machine isn’t compatible with a particular recipe, it will produce a loaf that is inferior to a machine that is compatible with that same recipe. That could bias a reviewer’s opinion.

Observation 5c

When some reviewers test machines, they use the specific basic white bread recipe from the manual for those particular machines. Each machine is judged on a different recipe, but a recipe that the manufacturer felt was best for that machine. This makes sense, but it also has problems.  Case in point:  I sometimes make bread at my sister’s house using her older Breadman Plus breadmaker (a good machine).  In one instance, I made a very nice loaf, but my sister thought that it was rather “meh” in flavor.  On another day, I used a different recipe in the same machine, and she thought that that loaf was fantastic.  Both looked the same. What was the difference?  The second loaf had twice as much sugar!  

-Different recipes will have different flavor profiles, which can bias a judge’s opinion. 

Observation 6

I have observed that older used machines are more likely to over-proof bread, and some will also over-brown a loaf.

Here is an Oster 5838 (mid-range) breadmaker from the early 2000s. It can still make a great loaf of bread, but I had to do a little tweaking to convince it to do so. I’ll sometimes take a photo of my adjustments to a recipe so my retired brain doesn’t have to remember my alchemy.

-Some of the machines that I use are close to 30 years old.  It is shocking that a 30-year-old home appliance would even work.  When a machine is both overproofing and over-browning, the thermostat may be off. This can often be corrected by using a little less yeast and the light crust setting on the machine. 

-What if a machine is overproofing, but not over-browning? If you have been baking for a long time, you likely have noticed that the difference between active and instant yeast has narrowed over the last 30 years. If a machine were calibrated for the active yeast of the 1990s, it could possibly overproof using 2026 yeast.  The solution is to cut back on the yeast, typically starting at a ¼ teaspoon reduction.  

Observation 7

There does seem to be a reduction in the quality of bread machine components over time.  Tear-down videos of older breadmakers show very robust components, especially the motors.  Tear-downs that I have seen of newer Panasonic and Zojirushi machines also have robust components.  Teardowns of current economy machines vary; some have robust motors, while others have smaller, cheaper-looking motors.  

-The motor is a visual item that I can assess on a video.  It is likely that if a manufacturer is using a cheaper motor, they are economizing in other ways, for instance, by using lower-quality components on the unit’s computer board.  Cheaper components will fail more quickly than higher-tolerance ones.  

This is a teardown of a Panasonic SD 256 introduced somewhere around 2010. Man, look at this quality. Strong motor, fat drive belt, beautiful chassis, highly protected electronics, and so on. This is why you are paying hundreds for this machine, and it why you pay hundreds for other premium machines. Cheap bread makers can make excellent loaves of bread, I have used dozens of them. But a premium machine is built to last. That is why I can still use a quality machine from the early 1990s in 2026. It is unlikely that I will be able to use a cheap 2026 machine in 2056!

I don’t want to leave the Zojirushi fans out. Here is the drive mechanism for a Zojirushi unit. It looks solid enough to be used in a Mac truck. This is also a premium product.

Observation 8

Bread pans seem thinner in economy machines than in older or premium machines.

-This doesn’t seem to impact the final loaf.  However, I’m concerned that the non-stick coating may also be thinner, which could affect a bread pan’s longevity. 

Observation 9

With heavy use, bread pans can fail, often leaking, and bread paddles can strip.

-This occurs with both economy brands and premium brands.  This is normal wear and tear, but it should be considered if a used machine appears to have been well-used.

Observation 10

With economy brands, drive belts fail more than with premium brands based on the number of repair videos on YouTube.  In premium brands, drive mechanisms can fail, as shown in YouTube videos. 

-It would appear that premium brands use higher-quality belts, but mixing systems in these machines can be subject to malfunctions. 

Observation 11

There has been a race to differentiate bread makers based on the number of functions.  Newer bread makers are becoming more versatile by offering options like yogurt-making and stir-frying.  

-Although some may find some of these additional features useful, they are not part of the core bread-making functions.

Observation 12

Some machines seem to be more flexible and adaptable to outside recipes.  Other machines are picky with recipes.

-Most premium machines that I have tested tend to be a bit more flexible when using different recipes.  However, there are a number of economy machines that are also flexible.  The KBS 17 function machine comes to mind. A premium machine manufacturer invests in R&D to tweak their machines for specific regions.  

The yeast potency from one region of the world may differ from that used elsewhere.  A bread machine calibrated for an Asian market may not work as well as one specifically programmed for a US market in that market. However, with a little experimenting, you can get most bread makers to behave.

Observation 13

Bread pans can be deceptive.  Many economy 2-pound horizontal bread makers produce a 1.5-pound, normally shaped loaf or a 2-pound, oddly tall loaf.  Premium horizontal pan machines (both 1- and 2-paddle models) tend to have bread pans that are slightly larger, producing a more normal (but still not classic) two-pound loaf.

Here is a 2-pound loaf from a mid-priced Cusinart bread maker. This is a perfectly fine loaf, but it is oddly tall. However, if you make a 1.5 pound loaf in this machine you will get a more traditional looking bread.

Here is the teardown of the above Cusinart machine. The design and quality are not bad, certainly better than the BM1333 shown at the top of this post. However, it is not nearly as good as a premium machine, which is reflected in its lower price.

-I find that it is more realistic to make a 1.5-pound loaf in many economy machines if I want a normal-looking loaf.  I have better success making 2-pound, aesthetically pleasing loaves in premium machines, as the larger pans create a more traditionally shaped loaf.  Note, there are a number of two-paddle economy machines on the market that will give you a more normal-shaped 2-pound bread, too.  

Observation 14

A trend in breadmakers is to have more and more bread programs.

-This seems to be a way to differentiate models, but it may have limited utility. There may be a difference between a basic cycle and a whole wheat cycle, but how much real difference is there between a whole wheat cycle vs. a whole grain cycle?  

Observation 15

Older machines may lack features common in newer ones. I have used older machines that don’t have a nut/fruit “ding” reminder or even an end-of-cycle alert.  Some older machines may not have a power-failure feature, which restarts the machine from where it left off during a brief power outage. 

-All of these issues have workarounds, but they are less convenient. 

Observation 16

There are a few videos and posts in which professional bakers tested a very limited number of machines.  They typically cite that the premium machines make a technically better loaf of bread.  However, that difference is marginal. 

-They are often basing their opinion on the structure of the loaf, but still say that the economyal machines produce a pleasant,  acceptable loaf.

Observation 17

Reseller platforms like eBay and even Facebook Marketplace appear to inflate the price of used bread makers.  When shipping is added, some can be as expensive as a new, fully featured machine. 

-It is imperative to be a savvy shopper when buying a used machine.  Many bread makers have a long lifespan, but they were never built to last through the ages. A very old machine with an inflated price tag and a high shipping fee is no bargain.

The Bottom Line

Consider the above observations and your own research to formulate the best decision for you.

  1. It is surprising how well old thrift store machines can work. You can often find a bread maker for less than $10 with a little hunting.  I wrote about what to look for in my last post.  Read that article for more information. Taking a reasonable risk on a machine that costs $20 or less is… well, reasonable.
  2. Facebook Marketplace or eBay are often the places to find used premium machines, as they seem to have evaporated from thrift stores. However, expect to pay considerably more than $20.  It is reasonable to pay about 50% of the retail price for a used premium machine in very good to excellent condition.
  3. Panasonic makes excellent machines, but resellers don’t view them the same way they do a Zojirushi unit.  You may be able to find a good older Panasonic at a thrift store at a great price.
  4. I have seen ancient Zojirushi models being sold on eBay for insanely high prices.  Zo’s are built very well, but they are still built to consumer standards.  Buying a very old model from many years ago is only worth it if you can score one for a good price.
  5. I have used both versions of the Zojirushi Virtuoso (Virtuoso and Plus) and the Supreme models (X20 and C20).  They are all great.  Unless you have exceptional needs, the Supreme model offers better value, with performance similar to the Virtuoso in many instances. 
  6. There are a number of economy machines that work very well and bake great bread.  Many of these machines are made by ODM (original design manufacturer) companies and sold under different brand names. For instance, the BM1333 bread maker is sold under the Kitchen In The Box, Rosewill, Tesco, K-Mart, Aumate, Anko, Lotus, Gamit, and likely other brand names worldwide. Identical but rebranded machines that can vary considerably in price.  Shop around for the best value.
  7. Since many economy brands use ODM machines built by different ODM companies, it is possible to find a brand with one model that is excellent, with another model only being so-so.  
  8. There are some objective criteria for what constitutes a good loaf of bread, but taste criteria are often personal preferences.  When experts compare high-end machines with economy machines, they may objectively prefer the high-end loaf. But that is often based on the bread’s physical structure. However, the same experts often say that the economy machine produces a good loaf, just not as excellent as the premium machine. Most of us would not notice the difference.

I believe this Welbilt ABM 6000 machine was marketed in the mid-1990s based on its display/control panel characteristics. This bread maker is built like a tank and produces absolutely beautiful bread in 2026.

Here is a slice of bread from the Welbilt; it is as technically good as a slice from one of today’s premium bread makers, and it was delicious. Excuse my socks being in the shot!

So, what should you buy?

  1. If you are on a budget or just toying with the idea of making your own bread, consider a thrift-store machine.  The investment is low.  I have used many of these bread makers, and if you follow my purchasing guidelines from my previous post, you are stacking the odds in your favor.  I have been able to get every machine that I have ever tested to make a decent loaf of bread, with one exception: a DOA (dead on arrival) machine that I returned to Amazon. However, I have had to tweak some recipes to achieve acceptable results with some models.
  2. If you already have an old machine, consider resurrecting it from the basement before buying a new one. It is a great place to start and may be all that you need.  Additionally, it is easy to replace a stripped kneading paddle or leaky bucket, and if you are moderately handy,  you can probably change out a drive belt if needed. 
  3. If you are a more experienced baker looking to check out bread-making machines, consider one of the many excellent economy machines.  Many make wonderful bread.
  4. If you know you are committed to bread-making and want a machine that will likely last, go with a premium brand such as Zojirushi, Breville, or Panasonic.  Different brands have different features, but they all seem to be built like tanks and shriek quality. 
  5. If you want to go with the Zojirushi brand and make typical breads, consider the excellent Supreme model. It is more similar to their top-of-the-line Virtuoso line than different.
  6. If you want to go with the Zojirushi brand but only the best will do, or if you have special wants like a built-in gluten-free program, consider the Virtuoso Plus. It is top-of-the-line, but you will be paying for that status.
  7. If you only use your machine to knead and ferment dough, and then bake your bread in the oven, most any working machine will do the job, from a $5 thrift-store find to a $500 premium brand.
  8. If you only use your machine for kneading and fermenting dough, you may want to consider a Chinese dough maker. Depending on their bowl size, they can make enough dough for 2-4 loaves at a time.  These machines are inexpensive and function similarly to bread makers but without the specific programs and baking features. 

Here is a decent loaf from a BM1333 bread maker. The machine isn’t built to last through the ages, but it is very inexpensive. It can introduce you to using a bread maker, and it will likely work for several years or more.

This Osipoto bread maker is inexpensive, but it does a very good job making bread. It also seems to be a bit more flexible when using recipes derived from sources outside of its instruction manual.

You don’t hear as much about Breville bread makers in the states, but Breville makes premium products. This single paddle machine has a bread pan that is a bit larger than those on economy machines so its bread has a more traditional look. This loaf was excellent and delicious!

Here is a wonderful loaf of bread made in a premium Zojirushi Supreme. Less expensive bread makers can also make an excellent loaf of bread. The increased cost of the Zojirushi is warranted due to the significantly better build quality.

Here we have the top-of-the-line Zojirushi Virtuoso Plus. As far as I can discern, the mechanics are the same as a Zojirushi Supreme with the addition of a top-heater, a different control interface, and a micro-switch. It is also possible that additional memory has been added to allow for more custom programs, or as Zojirushi calls them, “courses.” I have both the Virtuoso Plus and the earlier Virtuoso. If you want the niceties of the Plus, but at a bargain price, consider a used Virtuoso. Beyond the interface, the main difference between the two is the additional courses. In my opinion, some of the additional courses are a bit… hmm, gimmicky. However, your opinion may be different. As always, you do you.

Peace, and happy bread making!

Mike

Images are either my own or screenshots from YouTube creators.  All images are used for educational purposes only. 

bread makers, bread making, frugal cooking, frugal living

How To Fix Underproofing In Bread Machine Bread

I am a big fan of bread makers.  Why? I love machines, and I love food!  When bread makers came out in the 1980s, I was in line and purchased a Sanyo that made 1-pound loaves. It was very basic, but I thought it was amazing.  Soon, manufacturers were making machines that made 1.5-pound loaves, then 2-pound loaves.  Some machines offered programs for different types of bread, like whole wheat.  Still others went from vertical to horizontal pans, while still others adopted a two-paddle system, and so it went.  I was very curious about these innovations, and so I explored them.

The popularity of bread makers waned in the late 1990s, and that was actually a boon for me.  People were dumping their bread makers at thrift stores, and they could be had for pennies on the dollar.  With patience, I could pick up a perfectly good machine that originally cost several hundred dollars for less than $5.  Editor’s note:  see my post from March 26, 2026 for a very comprehensive guide to buying a used bread maker. 

I have used many, many bread makers.  I have given some away, returned some back to thrift stores, and sold some at garage sales. With that said, I still have way too many of them that I can’t part with.  If you are a practical person, you are likely shaking your head and thinking,  “You only need one bread maker!”  I’m not always practical, as I like to compare things to see how one engineer or designer rethought and reimplemented an idea.  That’s just me. However, since I have used so many bread makers, I have gained a broad knowledge of the machines and of baking bread in them. All bread makers are extremely similar, but their nuances can impact the end user’s experience. Your friend may give you a recommendation based on their particular machine; it may be a great suggestion or not pertinent to your gadget.  This post is based on a crazy guy who has used dozens of machines.  I have baked many wonderful loaves, but I have also had my share of less-than-wonderful ones, too. Let me share my experiences with you.

The biggest problem that I have had to conquer has been overproofing.  This is likely because the older machines (some 30 years old) I frequently use may have thermostats slightly out of calibration. Additionally, over the decades, yeast strains have likely changed, with active yeast and instant (bread machine) yeast becoming increasingly similar. A machine programmed for a yeast strain from the 1990s may overproof a bread dough using a 2026 yeast strain.  I wrote a detailed post on how to deal with overproofing on March 9, 2026.  Check that post out if you are dealing with overproofing issues.

This is NOT underproofing. This is a severe case of overproofing where the yeast expanded so much that it actually popped the top of the loaf during baking.

This post will explore the opposite problem, underproofing, or what to do when you bake a brick instead of a loaf of bread.  Underproofing is often easier to deal with than overproofing, so that is the good news.

Here is a severe case of underproofing. However, it is more common to have a “too short” loaf, where you don’t get the expected rise.

Is underproofing the bread machine’s fault?

In almost all cases, the answer is no.  The only exception would be a bread maker so broken that it would need repair. 

Let’s look at some problem areas and solutions

Solutions: 

The operator error issue

We all make mistakes, and sometimes those mistakes can lead to baking a brick instead of a nice loaf of bread.

Solution: The solutions are obvious here.  If you left out the paddle, insert it next time.  If you used the wrong program (pressed jam instead of basic loaf?), use the right one next time.  You get the picture.

The recipe issue

All bread makers follow a similar pattern of operations, but they are not identical.  A recipe that works well in one machine may not work as well in another.  This makes it tricky when using a recipe developed by an individual.  Cookbook writers often test recipes across multiple machines, so their recipes tend to be more reliable.  However, with AI, many bread-making cookbooks use recipes that are basically borrowed (stolen?) from internet sweeps.  I’m leery of books that tout “New For 2026!!” and list a specific bread maker brand in the title. They will often include a folksy author’s name and even an AI-generated photo.

I purchased one of these books, and it was an absolute mess with some of the worst editing that I have ever seen.  It felt like the “author” told an AI bot, “Find bread maker recipes and turn them into a book.”  Formatting was abysmal, there was no consistency between recipes, and some were clearly very wrong.  

Solution: All bread makers will come with a recipe booklet.  If you bought a used bread maker, you can likely find that machine’s manual/recipe PDF online. An established brand will provide you with tested recipes.  I did find some brands that used OED-distributed machines that had terrible recipes, for instance, listing regular flour as an ingredient in gluten-free bread, so they can be poor, too.  With that said, start with your machine’s basic white bread recipe.  If you have success, you can examine that recipe to discover its secrets.  I have seen some machines that use only 1 teaspoon of yeast for many of the basic recipes, and others that require a packet of yeast (2.25 teaspoons). Obviously, the amount of yeast will make a difference. 

If you want to go the cookbook route, there are some classics (pre-2004) books that have very adaptable recipes.  Invest in those.  Are there good recipes developed by individuals?  Absolutely!  I have used many of them.  However, start with the white bread recipe from your owner’s manual first, so you know that you are doing everything right before you venture into the unknown. 

The “I’m smarter than the recipe creator” issue

I sometimes see folks on YouTube “adjusting” a recipe.  They may substitute one type of sugar for another, or change the ratio of white to whole-wheat flour.  Perhaps, they believe that twice as much butter would be nice, or maybe buttermilk might work better than regular milk.  Sometimes they are successful and create a whole new bread.  Sometimes they are not. Bread makers run on very rigid programs and are more intolerant of recipe change than making bread by hand.  

Solution: Stick to the recipe as precisely as you can.  You may find that a recipe variation is incompatible with your machine, even if it works well in your friend’s machine.  For whatever reason, some bread makers are more tolerant of recipe changes than others.  Know your gadget!

Once you successfully bake a recipe, feel free to modify it to your liking.  You will quickly discover what works and what doesn’t work at that point.

The environmental issue

Most breadmakers will turn on their heating element during proofing; however, if you are making bread in a cold environment (let’s say below 60º F/16 °C), most breadmakers won’t compensate adequately.  

If your bread maker is in a very drafty place, it can also negatively impact bread proofing.

The solution: Move your machine to a more environmentally friendly spot.

The measuring issue

You hear about this time and time again.  If you are making bread by hand you can often compensate for poor measurements.  However, that is not the case with a bread maker as it uses a fixed program.

The solution: If at all possible, weigh your ingredients (especially your flour)  instead of using standard measuring cups.  I always weigh my flour, and it is easy to convert cups to grams: 1 C of flour is around 120-130 grams. I will often weigh my other ingredients as well.  However, I use standard measuring spoons for the yeast and salt.  Most scales are not very accurate below 10 grams, and salt and yeast are typically below that amount.  Naturally, I level off the measuring spoons just like someone would level off a measuring cup. 

The yeast issue

Most of us know that very old yeast eventually dies.  However, it is possible to buy a brand-new block of yeast, which can be bad if stored improperly in the warehouse or transported incorrectly. 

The solution: Yeast is extremely easy to test. Sprinkle some into ½ cup of warm water, along with a pinch or two of sugar.  Wait about 15 minutes and check if the mixture is frothy.  If it isn’t, your yeast is bad. 

Although active and instant yeast have become more similar over the years, you should use the type recommended for your machine until you are very comfortable with its workings.  Once you have successfully proofed bread, you can experiment.

I always store my yeast in the freezer (not the refrigerator).  I’m using yeast that is over a year old, and it is still doing its yeastly work. 

If you are feeling desperate or particularly wild and crazy, you may want to try a small bump in your yeast, let’s say a 10-25% increase, or try around ¼ of a teaspoon extra.  Do this at your own risk.

The ingredient issue

When it comes to ingredients and underproofing, yeast is your number one culprit.  However, other older ingredients, especially flour, can also affect your final product.  

Solution: Flour is cheap; when in doubt, buy a new bag to test. You can also try a different brand of flour. 

The type of bread issue

Different types of bread require greater yeast lifting power.  Whole-grain breads or breads with a lot of heavy ingredients won’t rise as much as basic white bread. That is normal.

Solution: Adjust your expectations and/or seek out recipes that have been created to achieve maximum rise in a whole-grain/heavy loaf. A 100% whole wheat loaf won’t rise as much as white bread, but if you are baking bricks, you need to make adjustments.

The dough ball issue

Even if you weigh your ingredients, you may still need to make a micro-hydration adjustment to your dough.  A dough with insufficient liquid will be too stiff and won’t rise properly.

Solution: During the first knead, check your dough.  It should form a smooth, slightly tacky ball.  If it forms a rough, ragged ball or several balls, it is underhydrated.  Add one tablespoon of water and wait around 30 seconds.  Repeat as needed until you achieve the desired consistency. Naturally, you can have dough that is too slack; in that case, you do the same with flour.  However, over-slacked dough is a cause of over-proofing, the opposite problem that we are talking about here.

The salt issue

I often hear people talking about the different salts that they insist on using when baking bread.  Sea salt, mineral salt, “real” salt, Kosher salt, table salt, so many salts!  Here is the truth: they are all the same sodium chloride.  Will you get any significant extra minerals using special salts?  No, the levels of extra minerals are insignificant.  If you believe otherwise, congratulations, you have been played by excellent marketing. However, different salt types do come in different grain sizes depending on how the sodium chloride has been processed.  Table salt is very fine, Kosher salt and sea salt are much coarser, and some finishing salts have absolutely huge crystals.  The size of the crystals determines how much salt you can pack into a teaspoon measure.  The finer the crystals, the more you can pack. Salt not only adds flavor to bread, but it also modulates yeast growth. Too little salt and you will get yeast overgrowth and overproofing, too much and you will inhibit the yeast and produce a brick.  

Solution: Salt is cheap; use the type of salt recommended by the recipe.  If it says “salt,” use table salt.  If it says Kosher salt, use that. In most cases, I recommend using standard measuring spoons for salt instead of weighing it.  Kitchen scales are awesome, but have a higher error rate when measuring very small amounts, let’s say below 10 grams.  What about those scales that can measure in 0.1 gram resolution?  Well, I guess they would be better, but they are far from “lab accurate.”  When I was a research scientist (yep, I did that before becoming a doctor-I guess I couldn’t make up my mind!) I used lab-grade scales that cost hundreds of dollars.  You can only expect so much from a scale that costs less than $20. 

I have compared many kitchen scales (I’m one of those kinds of people).  Every one I have tested is accurate enough for measuring heavier ingredients like flour, and I’m pretty confident using them for non-critical items that weigh over 10 grams, such as powdered milk.  I just won’t use them for salt and yeast.  However, you do you. 

We all hear not to mix salt with yeast.  That is good practice, but probably doesn’t make too much of a difference if the salt is in crystal form on top of the flour, along with the yeast, and you immediately start the baking process.  It will all get mixed up and diluted. However, it could make a difference if both the salt and yeast were in solution at the start of mixing.  I always separate the two out of habit.  It takes no more effort, so why not?

Desperation move: If all else has failed, you may consider making a very small reduction in your salt to see if that helps.  However, this would be a last resort measure and could alter your overall end result.  

The sugar issue

Yeast is a living organism that produces enzymes that break down the starches in flour into the sugars it needs to grow. Given enough time and the right conditions, it is possible to make an excellent loaf of bread with zero added sugar. Bread is mostly starch, and starch is simply sugar molecules chemically linked together, so don’t get hung up on adding a tablespoon or two of sugar when making a loaf of bread. A little sugar will enhance yeast growth, just like having that candy bar at 4 o’clock may give you that little extra boost of energy.  However, too much sugar can have the opposite effect, inhibiting yeast growth for a completely different reason: it can draw water out of yeast cells, dehydrating them. 

Different sugary ingredients contain varying amounts of actual sugar.  For instance, half a cup of honey contains about 140 grams of sugar, while half a cup of molasses contains only 96 grams. This probably doesn’t make much of a difference when a recipe calls for a tablespoon or two of sugar, but it could impact your loaf when making sweeter breads with higher sugar contents. Remember, your bread machine runs on fixed programs.  If you are traditionally baking bread, you can lengthen or shorten proofing times.  Your bread machine can’t.

Solution: Use the recommended type of sugar until you successfully make a particular recipe.  Then experiment with other sugars if you wish.  

Desperation move: If all else fails, consider a slight increase in your sugar.  Remember, too much sugar can actually hamper yeast growth and alter the characteristics of your final loaf. Note: It is well established that sugar adds flavor and helps brown the crusts of bread. However, it is less clear if sugar increases fermentation.  Virtually every cookbook and breadmaker manual I have read says it speeds fermentation.  However, a couple of YouTube videos show that it doesn’t have much impact on the dough’s rise, as the yeast gets all the sugars it needs by breaking down the starches in the flour. Take this information into consideration before you decide to increase the sugar in a recipe in hopes of fixing an underproofing problem.

The water issue

This had a negative impact on my bread-making, and it took me a while to figure it out.  I have municipal water that is chlorinated.  I’m very happy that this is the case, as chlorine protects my family and me from all sorts of nasty pathogens that could make us sick. However, yeast doesn’t like chlorine, and chlorine in the water can slow its growth.  

Solution: Use non-chlorinated water in your recipe.  You can use bottled water, but that can be expensive.  I use the filtered water from my refrigerator.  If your fridge doesn’t have a water filter, you can buy an inexpensive pitcher filter that removes chlorine.  These are the filters with activated charcoal. Using non-chlorinated water made a huge difference in increasing my bread rise.

The ingredient temperature issue

Being a living organism, yeast grows very slowly in cold environments and can be killed in hot ones. 

Solution: The best practice is to have all ingredients at a normal room temperature.  However, you can speed things up by warming your liquids. Don’t get too crazy about this.  I warm my fridge-cold water or milk until it is, well… warm. If I can keep my finger in it, it is probably OK. That “warm but not hot” rule goes for all ingredients.  For instance, if the recipe calls for melted butter, wait until the butter cools to warm before adding it to your mixture. 

Bonus Round!

Are there other things you can do to prevent underproofing?

Dough enhancers

These are commercial concoctions that vary widely in formulation, but many include yeast enhancers.  Typically, a small amount is added to your ingredients.  You may have greater success trying one of these.

Diastatic malt

This may sound very sciency and chemically, but fear not.  Diastatic malt is simply spouted barley that has been carefully dried and ground into a powder.  It is different from regular malt powder.  The process of making diastatic malt increases the barley’s natural enzymes, which break down starch into sugar.  This speeds up yeast growth and yields a darker crust.  Only use a little of this stuff.  I typically use one-half to one teaspoon per loaf.  Too much will cause excessive conversion of starch to sugar, resulting in a gummy loaf.  However, if used properly, it can help. 

Other agents

Yeast is a living organism, and, like all living organisms, it requires specific nutrients and conditions to thrive. Commercial bakers may add enzymes to convert starches into sugars, yeast needed vitamins, essential amino acid mixtures, phosphorus, and inorganic compounds to supply the nutrients that yeast needs to grow.  However, these additions are well beyond the scope of a home baker.  However, you may find some of these agents in dough enhancers available to home bakers if you choose to experiment a bit. 

There you have it, a guide to solving your underproofing problems.  Best of luck to you, and happy bread-making!

Mike

A tale of two breads, made the same day in the same machine. Something went very wrong with the bread on the right, but I corrected the problem to produce the very nice loaf on the left.

bread makers, bread making, frugal cooking, frugal living, Uncategorized

A Very Comprehensive Guide To Buying A Used Bread Maker.

If you have been reading my blog, you know that I’m a chronic comparer.  I take great pleasure in seeing how a similar item or problem can be approached in different ways.  Variation is the essence of creativity; variation sometimes improves a product, and at other times it does the opposite. 

My habit of comparing things is lifelong. When I was a pre-school kid, I had no resources, so I collected and compared pencils. You would think that all pencils are alike, but they are not.  When I got a little older, I did the same thing with pens.  Why pens?  For the same reason as pencils.  They were inexpensive and varied by brand. 

Over the years, I have compared many things.  A few years ago, I compared many blood pressure cuffs and found most of them somewhat inaccurate, with the expensive ones not much better than the cheap ones.  A note about home blood pressure cuffs: although they’re not as precise as those in the doctor’s office, they still provide valuable information.  If your doctor wants you to record your blood pressure at home, please do.

It must sound funny to some readers that a person would devote energy to such trivial pursuits, but my chronic habit of comparing is harmless. It used to bug my wife, as it made little sense to her. To be frank, it makes little sense to me, but I love doing it. My wife now understands how much enjoyment my habit gives me, so she now accepts me for who I am.  Interestingly, this strange interest has benefited me throughout my life, as I am able to examine things with a critical eye trained since childhood.  It is easy for me to evaluate what is an important change vs. one that is just fluff. 

So why compare bread makers? I love gadgets, and few things are more gadgety than kitchen appliances. Most kitchen appliances are simple machines that need to differentiate themselves from one another.  Sometimes this is done by improving the unit’s quality.  For instance, a stand mixer may have a more powerful motor and an all-metal housing.  Sometimes this is done by fluff.  Using the same example, a stand mixer may come in a variety of colors. 

I have been comparing bread makers since the late 1980s, with my first purchase being a Sanyo that made a one-pound loaf.  Bread makers are interesting devices, as they are simple in design, consisting of a motor, a heating element, a thermostat, and a control board with a display and buttons.  All bread makers have these components, so why are some new ones $70 and others $500? Partially, this is due to brand recognition, but the price increase is also due to the level of construction, the feature set, and the quality of the components.  I’ll talk more about that later.

I have been able to coax just about any bread maker into making a nice loaf, but each has its quirks.  However, to quote Father Flanagan, the founder of Boys Town, “There is no such thing as a bad bread maker.”  Well, I think I almost got that famous quote right.  With that said, some do this with fewer adjustments than others.

My wife knows me and thoughtfully found a used bread maker, which she cleaned up for my birthday. This old Oster had a tendency to overproof, but with a little tweaking and some basic food chemistry, I was able to coax it back to its former greatness. My wife told me that she paid $10 for this gem.

It is surprising how robust bread makers are.  I have used many that were sold in the 1990s that are fully usable in 2026.  How many other small appliances can say that?  Perhaps a KitchenAid mixer, but that is about it. 

I picked up this used bread machine for $5.99. It was produced sometime during the 1990s, and it still works great today!

Are the older bread makers built better than the newer ones?  I can’t say for sure, but it would seem so on first blush. Many older units are made of solid metal and have a heavy, quality feel.  New premium brands continue this tradition, but many newer, less expensive bread makers are lightweights.  Does that impact their longevity?  There are no MTF (mean time failure) rates available on bread makers for end users to peruse. However, a lighter machine could suggest lighter-duty components, such as the motor and the drive belt. 

Since I have been unable to obtain actual statistical data on bread maker failures, I have had to use softer data.  This is what I know:  In a heavily used bread maker, the first component that is likely to go is the paddle.  Paddles are made of aluminum, a soft metal, and with heavy use, they tend to strip.  The next component to break is often the bread pan, which has several failure points, including the non-stick coating, the paddle assembly, and the seal around that mechanism.

The motor of a bread maker connects to the paddle assembly via a tough drive belt.  I have read reports that lower-cost bread makers’ belts will strip under heavy use, and I have also read that the premium Zojirushi brand is built with an extra-thick, strong drive belt.  

I bought up this used Zojirushi at a reasonable price. It is a quality machine that runs like new today.

Replacement belts are available for many bread makers, but installing one requires extensive disassembly. There are several YouTube videos where YouTubers have replaced a belt and restored their broken bread maker.

Naturally, any other component on a bread maker can fail, from displays, to buttons, to computer boards, to the heating element.  However, these seem less likely to do so.

How to test a used bread maker.

Ideally, the best thing you can do is to bake a loaf of bread, but that isn’t going to happen with a used purchase. You can run some basic tests to tell you whether a machine is likely to work.

  1. Check for obvious signs of severe wear and tear.  Make sure that the baking pan and paddle are present and in reasonably good condition. They don’t have to be perfect.
  2. Plug in the machine.  Make sure its display lights up.
  3. Press every button to make sure that they work.
  4. Press the cake/quick bread cycle.  The kneading paddle should start up.  If the machine doesn’t have a cake cycle, press the dough cycle.  This second option can be a little tricky, as some bread machines have a rest period to allow ingredients to reach an optimal temperature, and they can appear inoperable during that time.  Note: If you hear abnormally loud squeaking when the paddle is moving, the machine has failed, and move on. On most machines, the paddle starts and stops repeatedly; this is normal. The goal of this test is to see if the motor mechanism works; you only need to run it for about 30 seconds. Cancel the cycle by long-pressing the stop or cancel button, then move on to the next test.
  5. If the bread maker has a bake-only cycle, press it and wait a minute or two to see if the heating element starts to warm.  If both #4 and #5 work properly, the bread maker has passed a basic electrical/mechanical test. Long-press stop or cancel to end this cycle and move on.
  6. Look for obvious signs of misuse.  The stainless steel on newer bread makers is very thin, so don’t be discouraged by small dents.  However, such damage should lower the asking price.  However, if a machine has been clearly abused, give it a pass.
  7. Many machines at thrift stores are pretty grubby, but most will clean up well with soap/water and a bit of effort.
  8. It is possible to buy new paddles and even bread pans for selected machines, but some can be pricey, so be aware. 

What size loaf should you consider?

A machine that can make both a 1.5-pound and a 2-pound loaf is ideal.  But a machine with a maximum loaf size of 1.5 pounds can also do the job. Some machines make only a one-pound loaf.  That size can be limiting, but it may be adequate for a single person or a couple with low bread needs. 

Vertical or horizontal loaf?

Most modern bread makers produce a horizontal loaf that looks like a typical loaf of bread when making a 1.5-pound loaf, but can make a very tall yet horizontal 2-pound loaf. 

Some bread machines have a longer horizontal pan that has two kneading paddles. These tend to produce a more traditional loaf.

Some bread machines produce a vertical bread tower.  Cutting perpendicular to the loaf creates a slice that resembles some commercial sandwich breads.  I used to have negative feelings about these machines, but I have come to appreciate them.  The loaf may not be as aesthetically pleasing as a horizontal loaf, but in many ways, it produces a more practical slice of bread for sandwiches and toast.

What cycles are important to have?

Less than you think.  You need a basic/white bread cycle that allows you to choose loaf size and crust color.  This cycle can be used to make many types of bread.

Many machines have a whole wheat cycle that may allow for extra kneading or a slightly longer rise time.  If your machine doesn’t have this feature, you can still make whole wheat bread using the basic cycle.

Many machines have a fruit/sweet cycle that may bake a loaf at a slightly lower temperature, as sugary breads tend to brown quickly.  However, if you don’t have this cycle, you can still succeed with the basic cycle.

A dough cycle is very useful, as most will knead and ferment bread dough, which can then be removed to form and bake in your regular oven.  Think pizza, dinner rolls, and the like.

Many machines have a quick loaf cycle that bakes bread in record time. However, a quicker ferment often results in a less flavorful bread with a poorer texture.  I don’t think I have ever used a quick cycle on a bread machine.

Many machines feature a dozen or more cycles, but most are slight variations of the above cycles.  You may find them useful, but I typically don’t

Many newer machines have a gluten-free cycle that may or may not be useful for making gluten-free bread.  I don’t make gluten-free bread, but I have explored this topic, and it seems that some gluten-free users like using the gluten-free cycle, while others use the basic bread setting. If I had Celiac Disease, I probably would opt for a machine with a gluten-free cycle just to have that option.

Extra Features

Some bread makers have features ranging from a fruit-and-nut dispenser to dual heating elements to very fancy displays. Most of these features are unnecessary.  You may find some handy, but if you don’t have them, you can still produce a good loaf of bread.

Programmability

Most machines have fixed programs; some machines allow you to change some parameters of a program, some have additional programs that do a singular function, like kneading or baking, and some machines permit you to write a complete custom program that allows you to control every aspect of the bread-making process from start to finish.  

If you have a machine that is working up to spec and plan to make standard breads, like white, whole wheat, and raisin.  You don’t need programmability.

I have used a number of programmable machines and have made hundreds of loaves of bread, including many specialty breads, without ever needing to customize or write a program. One exception may be a used machine that is slightly off calibration.  If you had such a machine, the ability to program various parts of a baking program may be useful. With that said, I have used machines with slight calibration issues and simply adjusted the yeast or made other easy recipe fixes to achieve a good result.  

What has my experience been in buying used machines?

The least expensive place to buy a used machine is a thrift store, where you can often score one for under $10.  Next would be Facebook Marketplace. There are some great deals to be found on Marketplace, but you will also find resellers who buy thrift store machines and then jack up the price.  eBay is also a viable option, but it usually has the highest prices, plus shipping. However, eBay is often where you can find premium used machines, such as Zojirushi models. Amazon sometimes sells refurbished and used machines via affiliate sellers. 

This thrift store special looks pretty grubby, but she was less than $5. I had to rescue her!

A little soap, a little water, and a little elbow grease and she is as good as new!

I have purchased machines from all four venues.  Thrifted machines are often very grubby, but typically clean up well with some soap and water. Marketplace machines are usually cleaner, and Marketplace often has newer machines than thrift stores.  EBay is variable, but typically these machines are cleaned up and tested in a rudimentary way.  The one used machine I bought from Amazon looked brand new, but it was the only one that was D.O.A. Luckily, Amazon has a good return policy. 

When possible, I follow the above testing rules.  I consider machines under $20 to be a casual purchase, and as long as they seem to be working, I’ll buy them.  If a seller expects a high price, I expect the machine to be working at factory specs. 

What is the number one problem I find with used machines?

The number one issue that I find with used machines is a slight temperature miscalibration.  This usually means the machine is running slightly higher than normal, which can lead to overproofing and, sometimes, a darker crust. I wrote an entire post on how to deal with overproofing (see my March 9, 2025 post). You can always use a lighter crust setting if your crust is too dark, or take your bread out 5 minutes before the bake cycle ends. 

Once I know a particular machine’s quirks, temperature miscalibrations become a non-issue.

I have seen more minor temperature miscalibration issues with used Cuisinart machines than with other brands. However, I have also seen these problems with a newer KBS machine, a very old Breadman machine, and a very old Oster machine. I can make excellent bread in all of these machines with just minor recipe tweaks. What tweaking?  Again, see my post from March 9, 2026, for exhaustive details.

All the thrifted Cuisinart machines I have tried tend to overproof, likely because their thermostats are slightly mis-calibrated. However, with a little tweaking, I can get them to behave. In this case, all I had to do was reduce the yeast by 1/4 of a teaspoon.

Another issue

I have found a few machines (usually newer ones) that seem to have been programmed for a different market.  These machines can be used successfully, but they can be a pain, as each type of bread requires some trial and error.  These problems have occurred with bread makers from companies that also sell some excellent machines, so it is difficult for me to give advice on brands to avoid.

In-house, OEM, and OED manufacturing

Zojirushi designs its bread makers and has its own manufacturing facilities.  Other premium brands design their bread makers, but then have an OEM manufacturer build them.  A more recent trend involves OED manufacturers. These third-party companies not only build a product, but they also design it.  That is why you may find nearly identical bread makers sold under several different brands.  A company may sell an awesome machine alongside a so-so model, as the models may have come from two completely different OED manufacturers.

I bought a nice, lesser-known KBS machine for under $100, and found the exact same machine selling for over $200 under a different brand name at a different store. 

What brands to consider?

Premium brands like Zojirushi, Breville, and Panasonic are built very well and may last longer than those from a more price-conscious brand.  I have a Zojurushi Supreme BBCC-X20 from around 2008.  This almost 20-year-old machine was purchased used and runs like a new machine. I also have a Panasonic SD-150 bread maker that was purchased new in the 1990s, and it works flawlessly in 2026. 

Here is a Zojirushi Virtuoso (top-of-the-line) that I picked up for $70. You may think that is a lot of money for a used machine, but these bread makers retain their value. In fact, the price was low. It works perfectly, but it has some superficial dents, which lowered its resale value.

Every once in a while, I see a post from someone who scored a Zojirushi, Panasonic, or Breville machine for next to nothing.  However, these desirable machines are often picked up by resellers and up-charged on sites like eBay.com or sold on ShopGoodwill.com. With that said, I have bought a couple of premium machines on eBay at a reasonable (not bargain) price, and you can too if you are patient and catch the right deal. When it comes to eBay, always check the shipping costs, as I have seen sellers list a machine at a reasonable price only to tag on an astronomical shipping fee. 

My wife bought me this Panasonic YD-150 new sometime in the 1990s. It works perfectly in 2026.

Two quality brands you can still find at thrift stores are Breadman and Regal.  Both of these brands are built very well, and I have found units from the early 1990s that run perfectly.

Oster has been making bread makers since the 1990s.  They tend to be more lightweight (more plastic), but users seem to like them.  The same can be said of Wellbuilt.  I have never tested a Wellbuilt machine, but it is not uncommon to see people using old thrifted ones on YouTube videos. I also watched videos of people happily using thrifted Sunbeam machines.  On the surface, their construction appears similar to that of an Oster unit. 

There are many other machines from the past from brands like Toshiba, Toastmaster, and even Betty Crocker.  My view is that if a machine passes the simple test I listed above and costs under $20, it is worth giving it a try.  Your mileage may vary. 

A number of newer brands have emerged, many of which seem to be made by OMD manufacturers. I have tried several KBS machines with good results; however, one KBS machine tended to overproof.  I bought that machine on Marketplace for $20, and it looked brand new. The overproofing was easily corrected with a simple recipe adjustment.  I have also tried the brands Kitchen-In-A-Box and Osipoto with good results. 

I picked up this KBS machine on Marketplace for $20. It looked brand new, but it was overproofing, which is likely why the seller wanted to get rid of it. However, all it took was reducing the yeast by 1/2 teaspoon, and it is now making great bread.

So what do I do?  I make most of my own bread and bread products.  At this point, making bread takes only 5 minutes. I often rotate my machines for no reason other than that I think it is fun.  Yes, a bit weird to think that using different bread machines is fun, but no shaming, OK?

The bottom line is that you can very likely find a working bread maker for very little cash if you shop the used market.  It is also likely that you can buy a premium used bread maker for considerably less than new if you take your time and do a little hunting. 

You likely don’t need all of the bells and whistles that some bread makers offer, as most of us will only use the machine’s basic functions.  However, you may want those additional features if you do a lot of experimenting and recipe conversion.  The vast number of bread machine users (based on my watching of dozens of YouTube bread-making videos) make one or two types of bread.  Many also use their machines to make dough.  Those who are regularly making different types of bread seem to be the exception rather than the rule. Lastly, don’t forget that you can start with a decent used bread maker to test your bread-making chops and to see if using a bread-making machine becomes part of your regular routine.  If you then get the itch for a new premium machine, you have lost little in the process.

Happy purchasing!

Mike

This is a gag photo that I sent my wife, telling her that I “accidentally” found myself in a thrift store and couldn’t leave this lonely little breadmaker. In reality, I couldn’t pass up its $5.99 price tag.

Random thoughts and my philosophy of life.