Monthly Archives: September 2025

Baking as science, bread making, Uncategorized

Fix Your Bread Maker Loaves Of Bread!

One of my favorite things to do is to dive deeply into a topic to gain a broader understanding of it. My fascination may last a day, a week, or sometimes decades. Eventually, I’ll feel that I have learned enough, and I’ll move on to another topic.  However, it is not uncommon for me to return to an area of former interest years later, and so it is with bread makers.

I became interested in bread makers sometime in the 1990s, and that interest lasted for quite a few years. I was fascinated that someone had developed a home appliance that could automate the laborious process of bread-making using a simple, consumer-oriented machine. I was intrigued not only by the process of making the bread, but also by the mechanics of the bread makers, as well as how they differed from each other. As a result, I had an extensive collection, most of which I purchased used or on closeout. I also requested and received some premium machines as Christmas and birthday gifts. Over time, I gave away most of the bread makers, but saved a few on a basement shelf where they sat for over a decade, only to be rediscovered about a year ago.  

During that interim, I continued to make bread but did so using a high-end mixer, often baking six loaves at a time.  Now retired, with most of my kids out of the house, that industrial-level operation is no longer needed, and the single-loaf abilities of a bread machine once again are interesting to me.

I was pleased that my old machines worked, and so I am back on a bread machine baking journey.  Along the way, I have had to rely on my old knowledge as well as new skills to optimize my loaves.  This post is to share some of that knowledge with you.

Are some brands of machines better than others?

The top 4 high-end brands, in my opinion, are Panasonic, Breadman (now discontinued?), Brevelle, and Zijurushi.  I have extensively used all but the Brevelle brand, and I am very familiar with them. I have also used more cost-friendly machines from Oster, Toastmaster, and Regal, among others.  

This Zojirushi bread maker is a well loved classic.

The expensive brands are first to innovate features and may offer a better build. I have examined the bread made from both high-end and cost-friendly machines, and the costly machines produce a better loaf, but the difference is minor.  However, their overall build quality and innovative features may be enough to sway you to pay a higher price. Note that premium features often migrate to cost-friendly brands over time. For instance, you can now find fruit and nut dispensers, end-user programming, and twin paddle loaf pans on a number of breadmakers in the $100 range.

The bottom line is, if you have a cost-friendly brand, fear not, you can still get it to produce a very nice loaf of bread.

Does the shape of the loaf pan matter?

Early bread machines had a vertical “skyscraper” pan that produced a rectangular loaf with slices similar to sandwich bread or a Pullman loaf. They kneaded the dough well, as the shape of the pan kept the dough in contact with the kneading paddle. These machines yielded bread with uniform slices, but the bread, being square, had more of an industrial look.

This thrifted Regal bread maker cost $14 and is still in excellent condition. It makes a perfectly fine vertical-style loaf.
All of the early bread makers had vertical pans, including this Regal machine, and you can still find some newer machines with this style of pan. It makes a squarish slice that cuts nicely, but looks a bit industrial. However, this style of loaf pan possibly does the best job when it comes to kneading and making a loaf with consistently sized slices. However, its bread’s poor aesthetics were likely its downfall in popularity.

Single paddle horizontal loaves were then introduced and are the most popular form factor today. The bread from these machines resembled a traditional loaf, which made it more appealing.  However, the loaves were often very tall, necessitating the end-user to cut the bread in half so it could fit in a toaster. 

I first saw a twin paddle horizontal loaf pan on a Zojirushi machine.  This design produces a loaf that most closely approximates the standard loaf that you would buy at a bakery, as it is both horizontal and the correct height. The downside of this machine is that it creates two holes in the bottom of your bread instead of one due to its twin paddles. Also,  it is more likely to make bread with an uneven top (in my opinion).

The twin paddles on this Zojirushi pan allow it to be a bit longer, making its bread resemble a traditional bakery loaf the most.

None of the above problems impacts the deliciousness of the final product. Your choice of pan is strictly a matter of preference.

How many programs do you need on your machine?

Breadmakers have gained an ever-expanding number of programs, some for specialty breads and others that do tasks ranging from making jam to cooking rice. Most specialty bread programs are not significantly different from standard programs and may be unnecessary. Additionally, I have no plans to stir-fry or make jam in my breadmaker.  The three essential programs that every machine should have are basic (white bread), whole grain/multi-grain, and dough. Some may want a program for gluten-free bread, if that is the reason they are buying a machine. I have made many different bread types using the standard settings on multiple bread makers with success. Some of the extra programs seem more gimmicky than anything else to me.

You can do all sorts of things using the dough program. Here I made the dough in the bread maker and then formed it into hamburger buns that I baked in the oven.

Additional stuff

Bread makers sometimes have convenience features that you may want.  Some Breadman, Panasonic, and other brands feature an automatic seed and fruit bin that drops these ingredients into the bread dough at just the right time.  Other bread makers, like many of the Zojirushi units, can be programmed to the user’s baking specifications.  Many machines have crust darkness controls, delay timers, warming features, fast bread cycles, and other options that some may find desirable.

My problem

When I returned to bread maker bread making, I had a few clinkers, but most of my loaves were delicious.  However, they often seemed much shorter than the ones I saw on YouTube. This led me to dig deeper into the topic once again, and I have come up with some solutions. 

But first acceptance!

Realize that a bread made from freshly ground whole wheat will never rise as high as a bread made from commercially milled white bread flour. The same can be said of bread loaded with seeds, cheese, or other weighty additions.  Yeast can only do so much heavy lifting.  However, it is possible to optimize these breads so that they can be the best that they can be.

Use the right recipe source

Your machine will come with a variety of recipes that have been tested with that machine.  Start there, as you are likely to have the greatest success, and you will gain an understanding of how dough performs in your bread maker.  I have used recipes submitted by others on the internet with good results, as well as recipes from known sources, like Better Homes and Gardens or a flour or yeast company’s website.  Remember, you can download instruction/recipe manuals for many bread makers by searching for them online. 

Recent cookbooks (published in 2024 and 2025) on Amazon from unknown sources may be problematic, as some are now created with AI, and the recipes may not have been thoroughly tested. Make sure that you read the book’s reviews carefully when buying a newly published book. Likewise, you may have to do some trial and error, adapting Grandma’s famous bread recipe. 

Using a recipe from a bread maker’s cookbook is a great way to start your bread-making journey, as it is designed to be as foolproof as possible. This recipe makes a wonderful light wheat bread. I leave out the basil for general-purpose sandwich and toast making.

About flour

Flour is simply a vegetable product made from milling a vegetable down into a fine powder.  Most often, the vegetable is a grain of some sort.  There are many different types of flour, with common ones being wheat (of various kinds), buckwheat, and rye.  However, flours can be made from other grains, like spelt, and even nuts, like almonds. Each of these flours will have its own unique characteristics. 

Wheat flour is often categorized by the amount of gluten that it has.  Bread flour contains around 13% gluten, AP flour has around 11% gluten, and cake flour has around 8% gluten. Gluten is what gives bread its remarkable chewy tenderness.  This characteristic is excellent for bread; not so good for cake, as no one wants a chewy cake.  Hence, less gluten in cake flour.

Some folks have gluten allergies and can’t eat breads made from flours that contain gluten.  They eat breads made using more complicated gluten-free recipes, which are a compromise as they don’t have the same bready characteristics as gluten-containing breads. 

You can make gluten-free bread using a bread maker’s basic cycle, but because the bread doesn’t contain gluten, it doesn’t require all the kneading that develops the gluten in traditional bread. A gluten-free bread program reduces the kneading times, which may result in a better gluten-free loaf.  If you have Celiac disease and are primarily making bread to produce gluten-free bread, you may want a machine with a gluten-free bread program. 

The chemistry

Bread making has existed for thousands of years and has been the staff of life and main calorie source for many different cultures.  Flour is mixed with water and yeast and kneaded.  The kneading process alters several proteins in the bread, specifically gluten and gliadin. This results in an elastic dough and a deliciously chewy and spongy baked bread. 

The yeast, being a live organism, utilizes the sugars and starches in the dough and produces carbon dioxide, a harmless gas.  This gas causes bubbles in the dough, making the bread rise and expand. Baking the bread kills the yeast, leaving us with a delicious, light loaf of bread. 

Other ingredients can be added to the bread to modify it.  Salt adds flavor and controls yeast growth, while sugar adds sweetness and helps fuel the yeast. Eggs and milk add richness and can alter the texture of the bread. Butter and oils add richness, flavor, and tenderness. Spices add flavor, and seeds and nuts contribute texture.  

If you understand how yeast grows and how ingredients impact yeast, you can solve most of your bread maker problems.

Common bread machine bread issues

-The clinker.  In this example, the bread never seemed to rise and is a hard, horrible baked mess. Causes: This is often caused by using bad yeast, forgetting to add yeast, improper mixing, leaving the paddle out of the machine, or insufficient liquid.

-The collapse.  In this example, the bread seems to rise rapidly, but then collapses during the baking process. Causes: This is often caused by excessive yeast, or too warm a proofing temperature, overproofing,  or dough that is too slack.

-The shorty. In this example, the bread does rise, but not to an expected level. Causes: Insufficient or poor-quality yeast, inadequate liquid in the dough, insufficient proofing time, inadequate gluten development, insufficient kneading time, or unfavorable baking conditions.

This bread was still delicious, but it should have been at least 50% taller.

-The uneven top.  In this example, the bread’s top is uneven or bumpy. Causes: This is common in bread machine bread, especially bread from those machines with two paddles.  You can smooth out the dough before the final rise, or do what I do, which is nothing. On dual paddle machines, some say that pointing the paddles in the same direction at the start of baking solves this problem, but Zojirushi says it doesn’t make a difference. 

-The paddle holes.  Causes: The kneading paddles create holes in the bottom of the bread.  You can remove the paddles at the start of the last rise to minimize the holes, or do nothing.  I do nothing; it is not a big deal.

-The yuck.  In this example, something went terribly wrong.  The bread is too salty, bland, or otherwise disgusting. Causes: Bad ingredients, spoiled ingredients, or user error.

The good news is that we know that the machine is doing what it does correctly, so the above problems are most likely due to user error or, rarely, environmental issues.

Yeast issues

Yeast is a living microscoping organism. The dried yeast that we buy is a cultivated strain of yeast known to produce a flavorful bread product.  Yeast manufacturers carefully grow yeast in a solution and then remove the water by dehydration.  The yeast is ground into a fine powder.  Dried yeast is still alive, but in a suspended state.  Adding water will hydrate the yeast and revive it. Provide a bit of sugar in the water, and the yeast will start to metabolize the sugar and produce carbon dioxide bubbles. 

Yeast will eventually die in a suspended state, but you can lengthen the time before its demise by refrigerating the yeast or, better yet, freezing it. You can take it directly out of the freezer and use it in your recipe.  

Yeast exists everywhere, and it is floating around the room that you are sitting in right now.  Sourdough is bread made from this natural yeast that is allowed to grow in a solution of flour and water.  Making sourdough is an art, but the result is a delicious, crusty, slightly sour bread.  

You can buy commercial yeast in soft “cakes,” but these are now hard to find.  Dried yeast is readily available in packets, jars, and “bricks.” The bricks are substantially less expensive than individual packets.  Yeast comes in two forms: Active and Instant.  Instant yeast is sometimes rebranded as Rapid-Rise or Bread Maker Yeast. 

Bread-making machines will specify which type (Active or Instant) to use.  Typically, active yeast must be activated in water before use, but it can be added without activation in a bread maker.  Instant Yeast does not have to be activated to be used in baking.  The main difference between the two yeasts is that Instant yeast is pulverized into smaller granules.  

These two forms of yeast products have become more similar over the years, and some home bread makers directly substitute one for the other.  However, others are more strict and use different amounts when switching from one type to the other, and some avoid substituting altogether. 

Dead yeast is the most common reason why your bread will not rise properly, and this is easily testable.  Add a small amount of yeast to warm (not hot) water that has a pinch of sugar in it.  Wait a bit, if your mixture starts to have bubbles, it is good.  No bubbles, and the yeast is dead and useless. Yeast within its expiration date can still be bad if stored in a hot place in your home, a store, or in a warehouse. 

I buy yeast in bulk as it is significantly less expensive. I store it in the freezer to increase its freshness.

The measurement issue

Another widespread end-user problem when bread-making is measurement error. 

In the US, it is common to measure by the volume of ingredients using a measuring cup. This is especially error-prone when measuring flour, which can be packed fluffy or solid in a cup, significantly changing the amount of flour added to a recipe.  Additionally, flour can attract water in a humid environment or lose water in a dry climate, which impacts its volume. Add other errors, such as not leveling the cup, and it is easy to understand why this method is less than ideal. 

A much better way to measure is by weight, in grams.  This is also a more straightforward method, as you can place your baking pan on a digital kitchen scale and then tare the scale, which sets the display at zero.  Add the amount of flour in grams for a more accurate measurement. 

I now weigh almost all my ingredients, including liquids. Not only is it more accurate, but there is less cleanup.  I simply tare the scale and add ingredient one, then tare the scale back to zero and weigh the next ingredient, and so forth.  

I have an older scale that can bounce back and forth a few grams, so I still use volume measurements when weighing anything less than 20 grams.  Therefore, when measuring my salt and yeast, I still use measuring spoons. For everything else, I use the scale, and it has definitely resulted in better bakes in my bread machine.

You can find many volume-to-weight conversion tables on the internet.  Here are some common ones:

Bread flour 1 cup = 120 grams

AP flour 1 cup = 120 grams

Water 1 cup = 227 grams

Milk 1 cup = 227 grams

Butter ½ cup = 113 grams

Sugar 1 cup = 198 grams

Yeast 2 ¼ tsp = 7 grams

Salt 1 T = 8-18 grams, depending on the salt type

Place your pan on a kitchen scale and press tare, and the scale will zero out. You can then weigh your ingredient. Press tare again for the next ingredient. The weight for this flour was supposed to be 340 grams, and I have 342 grams. Such a small difference will not harm the bread.
My scale is old, and I don’t trust it to properly weigh tiny amounts. If the item is less than 20 grams, I use measuring spoons.

Ingredient temperature issues

Only a few bread makers have an ingredient warming feature. Yeast, being a living organism, is sensitive to temperature fluctuations. Too hot, and you kill the yeast.  Too cold, and you slow its growth.  The ideal temperature range for yeast is between 80° F and 90° F (27° C and 32° C); however, going up to 110 ° F (43 ° C) is typically OK, and some dry yeasts may prefer this slightly warmer environment.  If the temperature is too hot for you to put your finger in a liquid, it is too hot for the yeast.  Conversely, if you are adding cold milk and butter to your mix, don’t expect the yeast to be happy. Try to have ingredients at room temperature or a bit warmer when making bread.

Environmental issue

If your environment is too hot or too cold, or if your machine is placed next to something too hot or cold, it will impact your rise.  This is usually an easy problem to solve using common sense.

An additional measuring issue

You can measure everything correctly and still be off. Many bread machine bakers will check their machine after 5-10 minutes of initial kneading.  If the dough ball looks too liquidy, with the dough not completely incorporated into a ball, or too dry, with a ratty-looking ball or a lot of raw flour present, this is the time to fix it. For liquidy dough, add a tablespoon of flour and wait 30 seconds; if the dough doesn’t all form into a ball, repeat until it does.  Do the same if the dough is too dry, but add a tablespoon of water in place of the flour every 30 seconds until the ball is smooth and roundish. Once you achieve a smooth ball, you can close the lid and go about your business.  The machine will do the rest of the work on its own.

Your dough should look like the above. Add flour slowly in small amounts; if it is too slack, add water in small amounts; if too dry.

If you see a lot of flour stuck to the sides of the pan, you can use a silicone spatula to knock it down into the pan at the same time.

Wrong setting issues

I already stated that most of us only need a few program settings on our machines.  However, you still need to use the right setting.  Whole wheat bread needs different kneading and rising times compared to white bread.  If you try to make whole wheat bread using the “basic” setting, you will likely be disappointed with your results. 

Bread flour vs. All Purpose (AP) flour

Bread flour has a bit more gluten, and this will give you a better product and a better rise.  Many recipes will ask you to use bread flour for this reason.  However, I have often used regular AP flour even when the recipe calls for bread flour.  Would my bread have been better with bread flour?  Probably, but it was still excellent with AP flour. 

Ingredient concerns

We already talked about bad yeast, but it is possible that another ingredient that you are using is not up to standard.  This is most common with flour. It is easy to try a different brand or batch of flour if you are concerned about this.

I have a problem with my city water, and I’m guessing that the water treatment chemicals inhibit yeast growth.  To compensate, I very slightly increase my yeast and very slightly reduce my salt, which is yeast-inhibiting, in my recipes. If a recipe calls for two teaspoons of yeast and 2.5 teaspoons of salt, I may change that to 2.25 teaspoons of yeast and 2.25 teaspoons of salt. Another option that I could try would be to use distilled or filtered water.  

Salt issues

Salt adds flavor, but it also inhibits yeast growth.  Because it can inhibit yeast, it is also used to modulate yeast growth.  Too little and the yeast will overgrow, too much and the yeast is inhibited or dies. All salts (table, Kosher, sea salt, etc) are the same chemical, sodium chloride.  However, the granular sizes of different salts vary significantly.  A tablespoon of one type of salt may have more or less actual salt than another.  For instance, table salt is finer and therefore more concentrated than Kosher salt.  If a recipe calls for one teaspoon of Kosher salt, the conversion is to use around ½ of a teaspoon of table salt.  Doing a one-to-one conversion will lead to too much salt, and this could inhibit the bread from rising. Conversely, going in the opposite direction can lead to overproofing and having a loaf collapse.

It is essential to separate the dry salt and yeast when loading your bread maker.  I put the salt on one edge of the pan and place the yeast in a little depression in the middle of the pan.  If they touch when they start mixing, the strong initial concentration of the salt could kill the yeast. Separating the two dry ingredients prevents that from happening. 

To protect the yeast, I place the salt along one edge of the pan and the yeast in a little hole in the middle of the flour.

Order ingredient concerns

Bread makers require that you add ingredients in the order listed. Some of this is because some delayed recipes can sit for hours before baking.  You don’t want your yeast bubbling away or your powdered milk going sour.  Develop good baking habits and add the ingredients in the order listed.

Adding extras

There are products called dough enhancers designed to improve your bake.  These are a combination of ingredients that may contain several ingredients like Vital Wheat Gluten, Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid), lecithin, yeast nutrients, and diastatic malt.  However, you can use these additions separately if you wish.  I sometimes add a tiny bit (less than 1/8th of a teaspoon) of ascorbic acid, which helps my rise.  Additionally, Vital Wheat Gluten (VWG) added at 1 tablespoon/2 cups AP flour can turn AP flour into bread flour.  VWG can also help with the rise of breads made with 100% whole wheat flour. Diastatic malt can aid in rise and texture.  Lecithin can assist in the texture and tenderness of the bread.  All of these are optional, but one or several may help if you have tried more conservative options and you are still not getting the results that you want. 

Adding fruits and nuts

If you add fruits and nuts at the beginning of your baking, the paddle will chop them up too much.  Some machines can drop them in at the right time, and others will beep to tell you that it is time to add them.  This is usually towards the end of kneading.  

If your fruits and nuts are clumping towards the bottom of your finished loaves, toss them in a bit of flour before adding them to your dough.  This is especially useful for sticky ingredients like raisins. 

Dealing with an uneven top

This can happen with any machine, but the dual paddle ones are more susceptible.  Honestly, an uneven top doesn’t bother me a bit.  However, if it bothers you, you can smooth the top of the bread at the start of the final rise. 

Bread machines are more likely to make a loaf with an uneven top. This doesn’t bother me at all. If it bothers you you can redistribute the dough before the machine’s final rise.

Soggy bread issues

Leaving your bread in the machine after it is baked or immediately sticking hot bread in a plastic wrapper will result in a soggy loaf.  It is best to cool it out of the pan on a rack if you want a crisp crust.  I often leave it in the pan for 5-10 minutes first, which causes less tearing at the paddle site. If you like a softer crust, wrap the bread in a clean dish towel to cool.

Mold and stale bread issues

I have found 3-week-old store-bought bread at the bottom of our bread basket that was perfectly edible. That is scary. Homemade bread is fresh and natural and doesn’t have preservatives.  When stored properly, expect 3-4 days before you need to turn the bread into bread crumbs, French toast, or bread pudding. 

The best way to store bread is in a cool, dry place in a container with some ventilation to prevent mold growth. There are many options, including a bread box, a bread bag, or wrapping the bread in a clean kitchen towel.  I use a cake cover that has a vent hole on its top. If the bread looks good at the 5-day mark, I may still eat it, but I’ll toast it first to make it more palatable. 

I store my bread under a cake dome that his an air hole.

If the bread is thoroughly cooled, you can store it in a plastic bag or Tupperware container; however, this will soften the crust, and your chances of getting moldy bread will increase. 

Storing bread in plastic will keep it fresher for longer, but it will also increase the likelihood of mold growth.

Another way to preserve bread is to freeze it or freeze half of it.  Thawing on the counter will give you bread nearly as fresh as when it was baked. 

Cutting the entire loaf into slices will hasten its demise as you have more surface area to dry out.  However, I do that as my family won’t eat it unless it is convenient.  It is a compromise that I have to make.

My family won’t use my bread if they have to slice it themselves. Although not ideal, I pre-slice my bread. I use a slicing guide as I tend to cut on a slant. Slicing as needed will keep your bread fresh longer, but “ya gatta do what ya gatta do!”

There you have it – a collection of tips to turn you into bread machine experts.

Happy bread baking!

Mike

frugal cooking, frugal living, Uncategorized

Save Money, Bake Your Own Oatmeal Bread

It amazes me how inexpensive bread is when you make it yourself. Yes, you can buy a loaf of bread for a couple of bucks at the supermarket, but that bread is awful and has almost no substance.

To buy bread that has bread like qualities expect to pay anywhere from $4-$10 a loaf.

You can make homemade bread for a fraction of those costs, and customize it to suite your tastes and needs. However, making bread can be a labor intensive process. You can circumvent the labor by using a bread machine.

I have been rediscovering my bread maker, which is over 20 years old. Additionally, I found another used bread maker at a thrift store for only $14 which works well. As you know, I like to play around with machines.

My bread maker has to be at least 20 years old.

I picked up this bread maker at a second hand store for $14 and it works surprisingly well. It even came with its original guide and recipe book. In fact, today’s recipe is from that book!

The wonderful thing about a bread maker is that you add the ingredients, which takes a few minutes, and press a button. Everything is then done automatically. Imagine having your house filled with the aroma of freshly baked bread. It is quite intoxicating.

I have been experimenting with a lot of different loaves from simple white to pesto bread. I made an excellent 7 grain bread that was considerably less expensive than its store bought counterpart. However, I wondered if I could reduce the cost further by using oatmeal as my multi-grain component. I followed a recipe in the Regal bread maker manual/cookbook and it turned out with great success. The cost of the loaf? Only $1.02!

Here is the recipe:

9-11 ounces water

1.5 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons honey

1.5 tablespoons butter or margarine

2/3 cup quick oats

3 and 1/4 cups bread or AP flour (I used AP flour)

2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Add ingredients in the order listed and use the white bread or “basic” cycle. This recipe is suitable for a bread maker that can make a 1.5 or 2 pound loaf.

Start with 10 ounces of water. If you want to do things right, check the dough after it has been kneaded for around 5 minutes. If the dough looks ratty and not in a smooth ball add more water, about 1 tablespoon and wait 30 seconds before you add the next tablespoon. Stop when the the dough forms a ball. If the dough looks too wet, add a tablespoon of flour in the same manner that you would add the water. You are looking for a smooth ball similar to the photo below.

Let the bread cool for around 20 minutes before attempting to slice it. A serrated knife makes slicing easy. If the paddle is stuck in the bread carefully remove it using something like a plastic spoon as you don’t want to scratch the non-stick coating on the paddle. I take the pan out of the machine as soon as the bread is done. Then, I usually leave the bread in the pan for 5-10 minutes before trying to remove it. This results in less tearing of the bread at the paddle site.

The bread was really delicious. It is best to slice as you go as homemade bread lacks the preservatives that store-bought breads have. However, my family is more likely to use the bread if it is pre-sliced. I like to store it in a container that protects it while having a bit of air circulation. This keeps it the freshest and minimizes mold. The bread is best on day one and two, and usable as excellent toast on day 3 and possibly 4. After that save remains for croutons, bread pudding, stuffing, bread crumbs, and French toast. Remember, you can always freeze part of the loaf if you can’t consume it all in a couple of days.

I’m keeping mine fresh using a cake dome that has a little air hole in the top. Others use a bread box that has ventilation holes, while others use a bread bag. Plastic bags will keep it the softest the longest, but plastic traps moisture and promotes mold. However, I have stored my bread that way too.

Peace

Mike

getting into a highly selective college, highly selective college, Kids going off to college

The College Dilemma

Parents, please read this if you have kids who are in or plan to go to college.  It could make the difference between them having a good life vs. a life of despair. 

My parents impressed on me the need for a higher education.  I remember my mother telling me, “You can lose a fortune, but no one can take away your degree.”  

She was singing to the choir; I knew I had limited talents, and I also knew I needed to utilize those skills if I were to have a successful life. I wasn’t athletic, I am too truthful to be a salesperson, and I’m an introvert.  The things that interested me were uncommon.  However, school came easily for me.  I seemed to understand things that others didn’t, and I had a knack for doing well on standardized tests.

Understanding how stuff worked and how seemingly unrelated things connected was as exciting to me as watching the Super Bowl was to someone else. I have always become wholly absorbed in learning the most trivial things and becoming an expert on a topic. 

I grew up in an era where science was king and America was at the forefront of science.  A time when it was thought that anyone could do anything.  When it came time to go to college, my attendance was not in question.  However, my resources were.  Those resources were limited not only financially but also informationally.  I had little understanding of where to go or how to pay for it.  My father made that decision easy.  “You are going to a community college,” he said.  And so it was written. The community college was nearly free in terms of tuition costs.  I had been working as a janitor during the summers and had enough money to buy a new 1972 Pinto for $2,700. College plus a car? Life was good.

To be honest, I enjoyed my 2 years at a community college.  I made good friends, had a lot of fun, and did well.  But what next? I still didn’t understand how the higher education system was wired. I knew that I would need to go to a state school to complete my degree, as tuition was lower.  I applied to exactly one school, and to be honest, I’m unclear why I chose that school.  I thought it was because my best friend, John, was going there.  John now tells me that I was the one to convince him to continue his education.  Perhaps it was just fate. 

The 1974 tuition for that school was roughly $500/year ($3,270 in today’s money). My parents agreed to cover that, but I was responsible for my personal expenses, from clothing to shampoo.  Naturally, I was expected to finish in 2 years, which I did.  Just like the community college, I did very well in school. What next?

I was a Biology/Chemistry student, and I knew graduate school was needed to go further.  I planned to become a university professor, and the graduate school I had my sights on would pay me to attend and even provide a stipend.  I worked hard in grad school and did well, but felt that I was being called in a different direction.  I left with a Master’s degree and didn’t pursue the PhD that I had initially intended.  I applied and got accepted into medical school, which was roughly $14,000 a year.  I actually debated going to that school, as other schools that I considered were in the $10,000/year range.  However, I believe that my career as a doctor would allow me to repay a reasonable student loan.  It turned out that my school made this burden even easier.

Due to circumstances, parental pressure, and self-luck, I made a lot of good financial decisions when it came to my educational choices.  I entered medical school debt-free.  I knew that I would have medical school loans, but taking them out was a reasonable decision.

During my decades of psychiatric practice, I have worked with every age range, from teens to seniors.  My career has allowed me to gain insight into what teens think, their emotional maturity, and their understanding of the real world. I’m here to report that their knowledge of the real world was not that different from mine at their age. In other words, not very good. Almost all had a feeble concept of finances and how student loans would impact them or their parents. 

Universities have steadily increased their tuition, far exceeding inflation and, in fact, surpassing many other costs, including those for housing and health. Part of this was due to the readily available and ever-expanding student loan machine, which eventually included parent PLUS loans. Student loans were originally a government program, but have long become privatized.  The government guarantees the loans, and they are unforgivable by bankruptcy. 

Colleges and universities saw this windfall, and tuition has reached astronomical proportions. Students are enticed by the promotion of the “college experience,” which often seems marketed more like a vacation than an education. Colleges promote their fancy dorms, deluxe gyms, and football teams more than their libraries.  

The US News and World Report became an artificial college rating benchmark, and schools saw ways to manipulate their rankings to allow even higher tuitions for those places deemed highly competitive.

The old dogma that a college degree was necessary to have a good life was not countered by the realities of astronomical tuition prices or the fact that many degrees didn’t justify their high cost in the real world.  Yes, if you were wealthy, a degree in Art History might be a fine option, but does it make sense to incur tremendous debt for a potentially low-paying job?  That’s assuming that you could find a job in your field of expertise.  No one seems to be talking about that reality. 

There have always been professions that fluctuate in demand, such as teaching, engineering, healthcare, computer science, and the like. However, many of these graduates are now facing difficulties in finding employment, yet they still have to repay their student loans, which begin six months after graduation. 

We have been charmed by colleges that showcase their beautiful campuses, fun parties, and happy student life.  The reality is that any college can provide a great experience, or not; it depends on the student.   I was treating a college student who was attending the same university that my daughter was going to. That student said that the place was terrible and unfriendly.  My daughter had the opposite experience and still sees friends from that school regularly.  She thought it was a wonderful place. It is what you do in college that makes it a good experience, not where it is.

You may think that I’m a super-frugal guy.  That isn’t the case.  However, I was fortunate to be raised in a family of limited means.  We delayed our gratification for things we wanted, my mother cooked most meals from scratch, and we repaired things or did without.  Life went on, and I knew that happiness wasn’t equated to my latest credit card purchase.  Having stuff is excellent as long as it doesn’t become a means to an end or a financial burden. 

I live in a nice town, and in a nice house. My kids attended good schools.  We go on vacations. I use a credit card.  However, I never have a balance on a credit card, and we now consider foods like steak as a special occasion food.  Trust me, there are many delicious foods that aren’t $15 a pound!  We are not deprived.  

However, it would have been easy to have changed my life situation.  If I ran up my credit cards, went on trips via loans, or got into BNPL in the past, my current life would be significantly different.  Society says we must buy, buy, buy, buy, and experience the exotic. Why is that?  It’s not to make you happy, it makes the rich richer and you poorer.  More importantly, it leads to tremendous stress.  That trinket you bought on Amazon, the one you lost interest in five minutes after receiving it, well, now you have to pay for it.

Our lack of financial knowledge starts early, and opportunities to increase our knowledge are often ignored. One of the greatest failures that can destroy a life is poor college financial decisions.  We want our kids to succeed and be happy.  We want them to have a good life, but our efforts can sometimes have the opposite effect. 

College is not an experience; it is a place to gain a higher education that can be applied to help create a better life and hopefully benefit society.  There are many other options that can achieve this.  Learning a trade, going to a community college to obtain a certificate, attending a technical school, being self-taught, and so much more.

Now, you may be thinking that I’m saying you shouldn’t go to college.  No, not at all.  I’m saying that other options may be suitable for some individuals.  Options that will cost less and produce a better outcome.  So many kids are forced into college only to waste money and never get a degree.  Why is that?

My kids were academically gifted, and I knew that they would have merit opportunities when it came to college choices.  I began to discuss higher education with them when they were in middle school.

My wife is a professional, but she took 12 years off to raise our kids.  That was a mutual decision that we will never regret.  However, this meant that I not only had to work harder, but it also meant that our overall income was much less than what it could have been.  When she did return to work, she initially did so part-time.  I continued to wholly support our family, and every penny that she made for several years went into a college fund for our kids.  Although substantial, it was small compared to the potential costs of sending three students to college. 

When my kids were approaching college, we did more research.  It was clear that they would be going beyond bachelor’s degrees, and we discovered that getting into a good post-graduate school depended more on their grades, test scores, and activities rather than the university that they attended.  

Because of their academic excellence, they got into top-tier undergraduate schools; however, any scholarships offered by these schools would only cover a portion of their overall tuition expenses. However, great but less nationally known schools wanted them and were willing to give them free rides, as my kids’ academic credentials would help the schools’ admission statistics (I know, this sounds crazy, but it’s true).

It’s tough for an 18-year-old who could attend a school with bragging rights to decide between that school and another.  They lack the mature financial understanding of a seasoned adult, and signing a loan for tuition doesn’t carry the same significance as if they had to withdraw that cash from their savings account.  Likewise, high schools want their students to attend the most prestigious colleges, as it enhances the school’s reputation, and colleges are more concerned about collecting tuition rather than loan repayments.

Loan companies make a substantial profit on student loans, some of which have loan terms similar to those of payday loans.  I read about one woman who paid $1000 a month for 10 years and actually owed more money than she borrowed after that period.  There are many stories of people who are in 100K debt, or much more, with degrees that only offer low-paying jobs. 

A line among student loan companies is “forbearance, forbearance, forbearance!”  If someone can’t afford to pay back their loan, reduce the installment.  Of course, the company makes more money on interest in the process.  

My kids graduated from college debt-free and all went on to higher levels of education.  However, now they had the tools to make informed decisions. One went on to a professional school which did have a sizeable tuition.  She was accepted at multiple schools and chose the one that was the best balance between excellence and affordability. She does owe a considerable amount, but she has already crafted a plan to pay off her debt as quickly as possible.  This plan was not made easy by the loan companies. She wanted to set up automatic payments, but they said they could only do this for the minimum amount, and not any other amount. This would mean she would accrue an astronomical amount of interest.  She found a way to subvert that plan, but it was not with the lender’s help.

Here are some tips:

-Please look at college like any other investment and discuss this frankly with your pre-college and college-age kids.

-Explore the benefits of a particular degree.  A student may want to study medieval languages, but is there a job available for them upon graduation?

-Run the loan numbers with your kids.  There are calculators on the internet that can do this for you at the touch of a button.

-Start talking to them early about college and money; add information as they can handle it.

-I never told our kids that they couldn’t go to a particular school.  What I did was to show them how much money we could contribute and then examine the financial burden that they would have to bear, depending on the school.  For instance, school “A” might cost them 70,000 in student loans even with that school’s scholarship, while school “B” would essentially be free.

-I let them know that I would help them in any rational way that I could, but I would not sign parent PLUS loans, as I was getting close to retirement, and it didn’t make any fiscal sense for me. 

In the end, they not only made good college choices, but also good financial choices.  But what if they weren’t academically gifted and couldn’t get merit scholarships?

-Does your child have a clear idea of what they want to do with a college degree?  If not, other alternatives, such as a gap year, may be a reasonable option.

-Consider a community college that can offer two years of general education classes at a fraction of the cost of a university. They can transfer to a 4-year college afterwards.

-Consider a local college to save on room and board costs.

-Consider the school that offers the best financial aid and quality of education combination rather than the highest-ranked school to which your child was accepted.

-Consider a trade school or certificate program.  Many do very well with these options.  I know of people in the trades who have a better lifestyle than mine. That is especially true for those who have some business skills and start their own companies. 

-Avoid parental narcissism.  “My kid has to go to the best school, as it gives me bragging rights!”

-Explore all of the many college scholarships offered.  Those small scholarships can add up to big money, and many go unclaimed.  

-Does your kid have special talents?  I have known several kids who received free rides, including room and board, due to their athletic abilities.  I have a friend with a very musically talented son who will certainly receive a scholarship. 

-Be practical about a degree.  My friend’s musically talented son could make it big, or not.  For him, it would be beneficial to also have a degree in music education as a backup.

I could provide you with more options and statistics on the topic, but the movie linked below does a much better job than I could.  Please watch it with your college-bound and college-attending students and discuss its content.  

I believe that a successfully raised child becomes a kind, empathic adult who can support themselves.  Expecting an 18-year-old to make a decision that will result in over $100,000 in debt is not reasonable.

We have a whole generation of recent college graduates who, because of student-loan debt, can’t get married, buy a house, or have kids.  Is that what we want for our children?

Please watch this video with you kids and discuss it afterwards. It may save you and your children a lot of future grief!

Peace

Mike

Me graduating from medical school. So young and with hair!
frugal cooking, frugal living, Uncategorized

Save Money, bake whole wheat bread. Zojirushi vs. Thrifted Bread Maker: Who Wins?

I have now written several post on making bread using a bread maker. I’m a gadget guy who has a couple of bread makers as I like to compare how different machines work. Along these lines my $14 thrifted bread maker works well as does my Zojirushi Virtuoso, which is considered a top of the line machine.

Today, I’ll make some bread in the Zojirushi machine and explore the differences between it and my $14 thrifted bargain.

Here is the recipe that I’m using today.

Remember to add the ingredients in the order listed. I’m using the whole wheat setting on the Zojirushi. The Zojirushi frequently wins top awards for the quality of the bread that it produces. It has a unique twin paddle system that makes a loaf shaped similar to the bread that you would buy at a bakery. It also has a second heating element in the lid to help with browning of the bread. You can create your own bread programs on the Zojirushi. Lastly, it has a pre-warm cycle that heats up all of the ingredients before it starts the kneading process. How important are these features? Let’s make some bread and find out.

I like to weigh my flour to get a more accurate measurement. You can weight all of your ingredients, but many of my recipes are in standard volume measurements and I’m usually too lazy to convert every single ingredient.

To 9 ounces of water I added 1.5 teaspoons of salt.

And 1.5 tablespoons of oil. I’m using olive oil here.

The recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of molasses, but I’m using honey. If you use the same measuring spoon that you used for the oil, the honey will easily slide out.

I thought I would try adding 1/8 teaspoon of ascorbic acid as this can help with rise and has some some mold fighting qualities. This step is completely optional.

Now its time to add the flour, which I did by weight. Half whole wheat and half bread flour, two cups each.

In went the two teaspoons of active dry yeast.

A bread maker is a set it and forget it gadget. However, since I’m using this recipe for the first time I wanted to make sure that the dough looks good. If there was a lot of flour remaining or if the dough ball looked “ratty” I would have added a tablespoon of water and repeat this step until I had a nice smooth ball like the one above. If the dough looked too wet and was not forming a clean ball I would add a tablespoon of flour and repeat after 30 seconds until it looked like the above.

Into the bread maker it went on the whole wheat setting.

The bread turned out well, it was soft with a good crumb.

Here are my conclusions on my $14 thrifted Regal machine versus my top of the line Zojirushi Virtuoso.

-Both can make a decent loaf of bread.

-The $14 thrifted machine has a vertical pan, so when you slice the bread you get a square slice that reminds me of square sandwich bread. The Zojirushi machine makes a long loaf that resembles bakery bread. Its somewhat unique double paddle pan creates a more traditional loaf than most other horizontal pan machines with a single paddle. Those slices can be quite tall. Note, if you cut those tall slices in half they fit just fine in a toaster.

-Both machines bake the bread well, but the Zojirushi has a finer and more even crumb.

-Some say that the double paddles on the Zojirushi kneads a better dough. However, I don’t see much of a difference.

-The top heating element on the Zojirushi does brown the top of the bread a bit better, but not enough to make it an important feature in my opinion. I have also used the Zojirushi Supreme which doesn’t have a top heater and it seems to brown the top of the bread well too.

-The Zojirushi allows you to program three additions “courses” (programs) where you can determine all aspects of the kneading, raising, and baking process. This is pretty cool if you are a baking nerd.

-The Zojirushi machines is much heavier and robust than my thrifted machine. It will likely last longer.

-Usually the paddles followed by the bread pan are the first things that need to be replaced on a bread maker. Zoljirushi will sell you these replacement parts, while most other companies won’t. However, they are quite expensive, close to the cost of a new off-brand bread maker.

-The Zojirushi sometimes makes a lopsided loaf. This doesn’t happen with the thrifted machine as the pan is vertical.

In conclusion: Yes, the Zojirushi Virtuosos makes the best loaf, but my $14 thrifted machine also does a fine job. If you are into making bread machine bread get the Zojirushi. However, it is quite expensive. I picked up mine used for much less than the retail price. If you want to save some money but still want a Zojirushi consider the Zojirushi Supreme which is basically the same machine as the Virtuoso, but without the top heater. Additionally, it has a few less “courses” (programs). However, the only additional program that is worth considering on the Virtuoso is the gluten free program. But you can program one of the memories in the Supreme to do the same thing.

With all of my praise for the Zojirushi I have to say that my thrifted machine makes fine bread and great dough. Unless you are a nerd like me it is hard to justify the additional expense of the Zojirushi machines. However, you do you.

Peace

Mike