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frugal cooking, frugal living, Uncategorized

Zojirushi Bread Makers: What Model To Buy? An In-Depth Review.

As I mentioned in previous blogs, three things excite me: I love to learn, I love to create, and I love to teach.  That’s my jam.

I enjoy delving beyond the superficial and exploring various topics in depth.  Some of my interests are mainstream, while others are not.

 As a child, I was fascinated by watching my mom knead yeasted bread dough on the kitchen table. However, kneading dough by hand is not my thing. 

One of the few items that I got from my divorce in the 1980s was a large food processor, as my ex was not a cook and didn’t want it.  I studied that gadget and prepared many foods using it, including kneading bread dough. When you are a dirt-poor resident physician living on generic food, the prospect of bakery-quality bread is compelling. 

My love of machines, along with my love of food, got me interested in bread makers, and I did a deep dive to understand them in the 1990s and early 2000s.  I explored many machines in my study, from expensive to bargain, most of which I gave away when my interest waned. 

For many years after that, I continued to bake bread, making many loaves at a time, first with a Kitchenaid, and then with a Bosch Universal mixer.  Now, my kids are out of the house, and I no longer need such productivity.

For many years I made six loaves at a time of 100% Whole Wheat Bread using my Bosch Universal Mixer.

I’m not a professional chef, and I’m sure that many know a lot more about bread-making than I do.  However, I do know more than some, and I would like to offer that knowledge in this post. Remember, this is my opinion; you may have a different one.

About a year ago, I rediscovered my remaining bread makers on a basement shelf and was once again fascinated by these simple gadgets that could do something extraordinary: make delicious bread at the touch of a button.  I got hooked again.

I have used many different brands of bread machines. After baking hundreds of loaves in various machines, I’m here to state that all bread makers have the potential to produce an excellent loaf of bread if their instructions are followed precisely.  If you don’t believe me, just check out the many YouTube videos showing folks getting great results with every brand under the sun.

If I believe that all bread makers can make a great loaf of bread, why would I ever buy a premium machine, like a Zojirushi?  Let me use a car example.  Both a Yugo and a Lexus will get you to the same place in the same amount of time.  However, the Lexus will get you there in style, and it will likely be more reliable as well.

I thrifted a vintage Japanese-manufactured Regal bread maker for $14. Although not as well-built as my Zojirushi machines, it was still built like a tank. I recently tested an inexpensive and newer Briskind bread maker.  It makes a perfectly nice loaf of bread, but it is light as a feather and feels a bit cheap. How long will it last with regular use?  You can watch teardown videos for cheaper brands where the low-quality drive belt has shredded or some other part has failed. This usually means that it is time to send the bread maker to a landfill. 

This thrifted Regal machine was made in Japan and is built like a tank. It was likely manufactured in the mid-1990s.
This recent Briskind model made a decent loaf of bread, but it is light as a feather, and I wonder about the quality of its components.

I have Zojirushi machines from the early 2000s that still work perfectly. Additionally, Zojirushi sells replacement pans and paddles and also has a bread maker repair service. If you have the cash and know that you’re committed to bread machine bread making, it is reasonable to consider a Zojirushi machine.  

Currently, Zojirushi offers four models of bread makers. Two of them make 1-pound loaves, and the other two make 2-pound loaves.  I’ll only be discussing the 2-pound machines, as those are the ones with which I have experience. Specifically, I’ll be talking about the Zojirushi Supreme and the Zojirushi Virtuoso (Plus).

I did some research before this post to get some others’ answers on the benefits of one model over the other. YouTube comparison videos were primarily based on repeating the manufacturer’s listed feature sets; therefore, they were of no use to me, as they provided zero actual usage information.  Contributors on sites like Quora, Reddit, and Amazon Reviews commented when someone asked if they should buy the Supreme or the Virtuoso, stating, “Get the Virtuoso, there is no comparison,” and “Get the Virtuoso, you won’t regret it.” But why?  Clearly, those commenters had a Virtuoso and were happy with it.  But would they have been just as pleased with a Supreme? Commercial review sites often list the Virtuoso Plus as the number one bread machine, but they don’t examine the two models side by side.  I could find only one review that examined both; America’s Test Kitchen preferred the Zojirushi Supreme over the Virtuoso Plus due to its more straightforward user interface.  

Please do not use AI to explore the differences or capabilities of any of these machines.  I found multiple serious errors in the information provided by AI search engines during my research for this post.

I have owned and tested all four versions of these Zojirushi machines, so I feel that I can offer a fair opinion.  

I have used both the X20 (discontinued in 2010) and CEC20 (current model) versions of the Supreme machines, as well as the PAC20 (discontinued in 2018)  and PDC20 (current model) versions of the Virtuoso (Plus). All make an excellent loaf of bread.

Zojirushi bread makers have unique features.  However, some of these features have drifted down to less expensive bread machines. Innovations tend to do that. Beyond the classic features that all bread makers have, here are a few more unique ones that both the Supreme and the Virtuoso/Virtuoso Plus share:

-Preheat.  Zojirushi bread makers will heat up and warm ingredients before they start the kneading cycle.  A few other machines that feature this option include models from Panasonic, Breadman, and Brevelle.

-Custom courses (baking programs).  These machines have three custom courses, allowing the end-user to program all aspects of a baking program in lieu of using the factory-programmed courses. Most will never need this function, but if you are serious about bread-making or need to adapt a recipe to your bread machine, this option could be invaluable. Several models from other manufacturers can also do this, including some machines from Breadman, Panasonic, Brevelle, Vevor, and others. 

-Sourdough starter course.  You use the machine to quickly incubate a yeast-based sourdough starter, allowing you to make a sourdough-like bread the same day. I believe that some Cuisinart machines also have this feature.

-Twin kneading paddles.  All Zojirushi 2-pound machines feature bread pans with two kneading paddles, which produce a loaf more similar in shape to bakery bread.  This makes the machines slightly more mechanically complicated and sometimes leads to an uneven loaf top.  However, the loaf shape is a definite aesthetic plus over other bread makers. Several other brands have models that use a similar double paddle system, including Vevor, West Bend, and Saki. 

Zojirushi machines omit some of the cycles, like “sweet dough,” that you can find on many other machines.  However, their Basic white bread course, combined with their crust color control, does a good job with many types of bread. 

In addition to bread-making programs, Zojirushi 2-pound bread makers also have a Jam course and a Cake/Quick Bread course.  These programs are also available on many other bread makers.

Other brands may have programs for everything from stir-frying to making rice.  Most of us will not use all of these extras, as it is usually better to do these tasks more traditionally. 

What is the difference between the X20 Supreme (discontinued) and the CEC20 Supreme (current) models?

The X20 was the earlier version of the CEC20, and for the life of me, I can’t see a difference between the two.  They appear identical, offer the same options, and perform similarly in my tests.  I’m guessing (and this is a guess) that some internals have been changed.  

Should you buy a used X20  instead of a CEC20, as a used X20 will be cheaper?  You would have to decide if the cost savings are worth having an older machine.  In my limited sample, the X20 remains an excellent performer.

The Zojirushi X20 has a control panel that is identical to the CEC20 and performs similarly to the newer model, in my opinion.
Here is the control panel from the CEC20. It is the same as the X20.

What is the difference between the Supreme models and the Virtuoso models? 

The Virtuoso bread makers add the following features:

Making a loaf using the Virtuoso Plus.
The Virtuoso looks very similar to the Virtuoso Plus, but the user interface is a bit different.

Top Heater

Both the older Virtuoso and the newer Virtuoso Plus have a top heating element to more evenly brown the top of a loaf of bread.  All breadmakers must have the ability to brown the tops of their bread adequately, and they all incorporate passive or active systems to achieve this.

In the case of the less expensive Zojirushi Supreme, a passive convection system is utilized, where heat rises from the baking chamber and the outer wall space. It is then vented through the bread maker’s cover.  

The dedicated top heating element in the Virtuoso machines does a slightly better top-browning job, but the system used in the Supreme also works well. The top heating element is not a deal breaker, in my opinion. 

Gluten Free Course (program)

Kneading bread dough helps gluten form from glutenin and gliadin, yielding a delightful chewy yet tender slice of bread. However, gluten-free bread doesn’t have gluten, so the kneading cycle is really just a mixing cycle when making this type of loaf.  Additionally, long multiple rises are not helpful, so this course focuses on the final rise. You could program a Supreme machine to do the same thing, but it is more convenient to have a dedicated button for this purpose. Other bloggers on the internet report that using this cycle gives a better finished product than using the Basic course (white bread) when making gluten-free bread. 

Baking Pan With Handles

Both the Supreme and the Virtuoso have top-notch baking pans.  They are heavyweight and have an excellent system to mate with the bread maker.  However, the Virtuoso Machines took a step further by providing exceptionally high-quality handles on the bread pan. The non-handle pans on the Supreme work fine, but the handles on the Virtuoso are a nice addition.

Real Time Clock

Most breadmakers only provide the time to completion when you select a course (program).  For instance, a display may show 3:25 when you choose a white bread (Basic) course. If you start your machine at 10:00 AM, you need to mentally add three hours and twenty-five minutes to determine the finish time (1:25 PM).  Honestly, this is no big deal.  However, the Virtuoso Machines will give you the actual time of completion.  If you start the bread at 10:00 AM, and the bake is three and twenty-five minutes, the completion time will read “1:25 PM” on the display of Virtuoso machines.  

Pause On Cover Lifting

Kneading will pause when you lift the cover to “take a peek” on Virtuoso machines. On the Supreme, the kneading keeps on going.  

Shape Cycle

The homemade option allows you to create a custom course where you can program the timing of each step of the baking process.  Both the Supreme and the Virtuoso machines allow you to do this.  However, the Virtuoso adds the ability to add a step called Shape after kneading.  This will enable you to remove the dough and reshape it if you wish. I don’t believe that there is a way to replicate this Shape function on the Supreme models.

The Virtuoso Plus offers the following features in addition to the older Virtuoso machine.

The user interface on the Virtuoso Plus is cleaner than that of the older Virtuoso.

Cleaner-looking button interface

The buttons on the Virtuoso Plus have a cleaner look compared to the slightly more cluttered look of the buttons on the Virtuoso. 

Multiple New Courses on the Virtuoso Plus

Many less expensive bread makers have long offered a dozen or more programs, catering to a wide range of options, ranging from sweet breads to pasta dough.  However, traditional courses like Basic, Whole Wheat, and Dough do everything that most of us need.  The one exception is the Gluten-Free course mentioned above, as gluten-free bread is a hybrid between a dough and a batter.   

Zojirushi didn’t just copy a bunch of programs from other companies; they tried to be different with “healthy options’ like Vegan Bread course, as well as specialty courses like Multigrain and European Loaf. However, another blogger tested these courses against the standard Basic course and generally found little difference in the breads made with the dedicated courses vs. the Basic one.  

It is possible that, under some conditions, a dedicated course may yield a better loaf, but that is unclear. Most of us just want regular bread.  Using the standard Basic bread course, I have made a variety of white breads, herb breads, cheese breads, and raisin breads.  Using the Whole Wheat course, I have created multiple types of whole wheat bread, 7-grain bread, oatmeal bread, and rye bread. I have made many different doughs using the dough cycle, too.  If you are a typical baker, you may not need all those additional courses, and it isn’t clear (except for the Gluten-Free course) that they are significantly better than using the standard courses on the Supreme model. In some ways, all of the extra courses feel more like gimmicks rather than essential additions.  But that is just my opinion. Your mileage may vary.

Ending thoughts

Zojirushi machines are pricey, and if you are just testing the bread machine waters, you may be better served by a less expensive brand, either new or thrifted.  However, if you are in for the long haul, then the additional quality of a Zojirushi machine may be for you. 

I have used all four models, and the one additional Virtuoso/Virtuoso Plus feature that may be useful for some is the Gluten-Free course.  If you don’t need that feature, you might consider the Supreme model, which is considerably less expensive and offers most of the abilities of the Virtuoso machines. 

In my opinion, I don’t believe that the bread coming out of a Virtuoso machine is significantly better than the bread coming out of a Supreme machine. Let me once again use a car analogy.  Let’s say you knew what model of car you wanted, but you had to decide what trim level you were going to buy. You could choose between the base model, which had all of the basics covered, or you could buy the platinum version, with many little refinements that made it just a bit nicer. Some would say, “I will save thousands as the basic car has everything that I need.”  Others will say, “I want all of those little extras, and I’m willing to spend the extra cash to get them.”  If you are in the first category, get the Supreme.  If you are in the latter category, go with the Virtuoso Plus. 

Should you consider the used market? I would say yes, but there are risks. Check sites like ebay, and Facebook Marketplace. If you keep searching over time you can find machines for significantly less than others of the same model on the same site. Just make sure that you read the description carefully and that the paddle and kneading blade are included, and in good shape.

All bread makers are devices that make our lives better by allowing us to bake delicious, homemade bread with the touch of a button. I accept their imperfections, like the paddle holes in the bottom of the bread.   If you want artisan loaves, then bake by hand. And, yes, I know that you can remove the dough from a machine and hand-form it.  I’m just trying to make a point that most of us use bread machines to provide home-made bread for our families, not to enter into contests. Additionally, most just want bread, and decent basic machines accomplish that function well.

How about a slice of warm bread with a little butter and jam?

Happy bread machine decision-making!

Mike

frugal cooking, frugal living, Uncategorized

Save Money, Make Grandma’s Light Rye Bread

My grandparents didn’t speak English. Well, I guess they did speak English but they chose to only use their native tongue at home. Sadly, this meant that I knew little about them or their former lives in Eastern Europe.

The one connection to my heritage was through the wonderful foods that my grandmother made.

My grandparents saved and bought a two flat on the west side of Chicago where they raised their family of seven children in a tiny upstairs apartment. Three minuscule bedrooms, a living room, and a kitchen big enough for a large table and a built in china cabinet. There was a old fashioned farmer’s sink, a white refrigerator with a rounded top, and a stove. My early memories were of a stove that possibly used wood or coal, but later on I remember a gas stove that had some sort of a heater built into it. I don’t think their apartment had any sort of central heat, and they relied on space heaters to keep warm in the winter.

My grandmother was a short woman, and to me, appeared to be a bit stout. She was always in motion getting this or that. My grandparents were elderly by the time I was around, and my grandfather spent most of his time in bed. I remember him as a frail man. However, he was quite strong in his younger days.

The kitchen, was the heart of the house. When my parents would visit we would all sit around the kitchen table. Coffee was served along with some sort of homemade strudel, a rolled coffee cake called a kolache, or jam filled cookies called kolachky. I was offered coffee, even at a young age. Mine was usually equal parts coffee and milk with an overdose of sugar. The adults drank theirs black.

I was probably six in this photo, and even then, I would drink coffee when I visited my grandparents.

My grandmother wore her hair pulled back in a bun, and unless she was going out, she wore one of her house dresses that had tiny patterns on them. Some were pink, others yellow, but all in the exact same style. Over her house dress would be some sort of an apron. Hair bun, house dress, and apron, I thought of them as the required uniform for grandmothers.

A birthday party for my grandmother, likely in the late 1940s.
My grandparents, circa 1950s?
My grandfather is standing, and seated directly below him is my grandmother. By the style of the outfits, I’m guessing the 1920s.

When she would see me she would smile and say, “Good boy,” at which point she would give me a hug. She smelled vaguely of yeast and garlic. It was a pleasant smell.

Many years later I learned that both my grandmother and my grandfather spoke fluent English. In fact, my sister told me that my grandfather didn’t even have an accent. I believe that he wanted the grand kids to learn their native tongue so he never spoke English around us. None of us took the hint.

My parents lived in my grandparent’s downstairs apartment until my oldest sister was nine. She has fond memories of going upstairs and being pampered by our aunts, who were teens at that time. This was during the war years and she recalls sitting on the front porch with my aunts and soldiers who were on leave, “I have a photograph of that somewhere,” she told me.

My aunts had cleaning duties on Saturday and my sister would go upstairs and watch them as they meticulously washed and dusted the entire apartment. When all was done my Aunt Susie would play on the piano “Lilli Marlene, ” “The Parade of the Wooden Soldiers.” and a few other tunes, a recollection that my sister cherishes to this day. Apparently, an unnamed soldier had sent my Aunt Lil the “Lilli Marlene” piano music, since her name will Lillian. I’m guessing that this was from a hopeful but unsuccessful suitor, as she eventually married my Uncle Steve.

My sister remembers my grandmother making bakery every Saturday. She would set up a folding table and place it in the kitchen next to the china cabinet. My grandmother would heap flour on the table and make a crater in the center of the flour mountain. There she would add her liquids, which varied depending if she was making a sweet bread, or her luscious light rye. She did this all from memory; no recipe or measuring cups or spoons were required. She knew how much liquids to add, and when the knead was done by the touch of her hand. I had dozens, possibly hundreds of slices of her rye bread over the years and I never remember a single one being less than perfect.

Here, my Uncle Jim is holding one of my grandmother’s rounds of light rye bread.

I’m 15 years younger than my oldest sister, and my aunts were long married by the time that I came around. However, my grandmother’s habits continued. She was always busy, always making things from scratch. She would still can vegetables from her Victory Garden, grind her own hamburger meat, make her own noodles, and bake her own bakery.

Her bread is my fondest memory of her. I remember that the light rye bread was often dotted with caraway seeds that added their own distinct flavor. She would bake it into a giant round, so large that it had to cut into reasonable chunks before slicing. The bread had a hard crust and a solid, yet soft interior. It was heaven in a slice and was delicious with cold butter, or served up in a ham, hard boiled egg, and horseradish sandwich.

In memory of my grandmother I decided to make a light rye in the bread maker. My goal was to make a bread similar to her’s as a homage, rather than trying to duplicate her recipe. Let’s be honest, there were no bread makers when she was making bread, and if one did exist it is unlikely that she would have used it.

This bread tastes very similar to hers, but the crumb is a bit lighter and more spongy. The crust, however, is dead on. Here is the recipe that I used from the Zojirushi bread maker manual:

The ingredients are very simple. Use the the Active Dry Yeast amount listed. The Rapid Rise Amount is for when you are using the “Quick Wheat” setting on the bread maker.
Since all of the ingredients were listed in grams, I was able to weigh everything, including the water. No mess, and so easy!
Here is everything in the bread maker. Remember, liquids on the bottom, then dry ingredients, finally yeast in a little well made in the flour.
I set the course to “Basic Wheat” and pressed start. That was it!
The finished loaf. Not the beautiful round that my grandma made, but a lot easier!
You can see that the crumb is soft and airy. Childhood memories restored!

Peace,

Mike

frugal cooking, frugal living, Uncategorized

Save Money, Make Homemade Yeasted Rolls

Most families have their own traditions, as does ours.  Their significance may or may not be recognizable to others, but they are still important.

One of our traditions centers around our birthday celebrations.  When someone in our family has a birthday they get to choose the dinner menu for their special day.  The rest of us work as a team to make that dinner for the celebrant.  Our labor is part of the gift that we give them.

Inflation, the Trump tariff taxes, and other factors have made beef prices skyrocket through the roof and now we think twice when considering hamburgers for dinner.  Steak has become a rare luxury item in our home, so it is no surprise that it is a frequently requested item for a birthday dinner.

We recently celebrated my daughter’s birthday.  This was her chosen menu:

Steak, salad, broccoli, real mashed potatoes, cut up strawberries, yeast rolls and Rainbow cake.  

What is Rainbow cake? When my kids were very young my wife had a major operation that left her bed bound for many weeks.  I took off time from work to not only take care of her, but also our small children, one who was still in diapers. I wanted things to be as normal as possible for our children, and I came up with activities that we could do ranging from going to the zoo to having picnics at our local park.  I did all of the cooking during that time and one day I came up with the idea of making a rainbow cake. I added a magical descriptions about the cake concerning the power of the rainbow, and the cake became a hit.  In fact, some of my kids request that I still make Rainbow cake for their birthdays to this very day.

My daughter enjoying a slice of Rainbow cake for her birthday.

All of the above is just background for the reason of this post, which is another writing to encourage you to save money by using a bread maker.

I  have done several posts showing how easy and inexpensive it is to make bakery quality bread using a bread maker.  Today, I’ll write about using the dough function to make other yeasted products.  In this case, dinner rolls.

I don’t think that I have made dinner rolls in over a decade, so don’t expect perfection.  The bread maker easily makes a perfect dough, but dinner rolls are still more work than pressing a button as you have to form them, and bake them in the oven.

I found a traditional recipe from an author named “Sally” that looked good, so I went with that.  Honestly, they turned out delicious.  They were exponentially better than commercial dinner rolls and significantly better than those from the grocery store bakery.  Rich, yet light, they had a slightly sweet and eggy flavor and were a dynamite addition to our birthday feast. For me, they were extremely nostalgic, as they reminded me of the wonderful rolls that my mom made so many years ago. 

I was too lazy to cost out this recipe, but I know that they these rolls are significantly less expensive than comparable ones purchased from a good bakery.  The level of work is a bit more than the “press and forget” bread from a bread maker.  But since the machine does all of the heavy lifting, it is a pleasure to make them.  

Consider giving this recipe a try, and you will elevate a simple dinner into something special. Let’s take a look at the recipe.

This recipe is for a traditional bake. To convert the recipe for a bread maker remember to add your liquid ingredients first, followed by the dry ingredients and the yeast last.

I measured the milk and added the butter to it. I microwaved the mixture for around 15 seconds until the milk was warm to touch but not hot.

Into the baking pan it went.

In went an egg and then the salt.

Next, I added the sugar.

I weighed the flour, as that is the most accurate way to measure it.

Lastly, in went the yeast.

I selected the basic dough course and pressed start.

This is an extra step, but do it if you have time. After the dough was kneading for 5-10 minutes I checked it. It was looking a bit slack. There was still dough that wasn’t incorporating into the dough ball. This can happen even with careful measuring for a variety of reasons ranging from humidity, to variations in the brand of flour, to the size of the egg. If I did nothing the dough would probably be OK, but fixing it is easy.

I added about one tablespoon of flour and waited about 30 seconds to see if I needed to add more. That one tablespoon was enough, all was good.

Now the machine was on its own. I would come back when it beeped that it was done making the dough.

Here is the dough all puffy and beautiful.

I placed the dough on a lightly floured surface and allowed it to rest for around 10 minutes. This makes it more “cooperative” with shaping.

The next step involved a pastry scraper. This is a very inexpensive gadget with many uses. If you don’t have one you can just use a knife.

The dough was divided into 12 pieces. You can use a scale to be precises, but I just eyeballed it.

The edges of each piece was pinched together, and then I rolled the dough in my hand to form a nice ball.

The dough balls were placed in a 9 x 13 pan that I had sprayed with some cooking spray. Yes, not professionally shaped, but good enough. Don’t let perfectionism prevent you from bread making!

I covered the pan and placed it in a draft-free location and allowed the buns to double in size. I think it took between 30-40 minutes (I lost track of time).

I then baked them at 350F (175C) for 20-25 minutes. My oven may vary from yours so keep an eye on your rolls.

The rolls were a hit at dinner. The amount of work was more than making a bread maker loaf, but it was still very easy. The biggest drawback was that I had to be around when the dough was rising and then baking. Neither was a big deal.

Happy Baking

Mike

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 glutenin and gliadin which form gluten. 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 microscopic 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

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

frugal cooking, frugal living, Uncategorized

How To Buy A Used Bread Maker For Cheap.

I recently wrote a post encouraging the consideration of home baking using a bread maker.  A big part of this effort is to offer people options as they feel ever pushed by inflation and the Trump tariff taxes. 

Being raised in a one-income family of seven, I learned ways to stretch a dollar without feeling like I was being punished.  With a bit of ingenuity, it is possible to have a good life without spending a lot of money.  What could be a better mood lifter than homemade bread, pizza, and rolls?

If you have read my other posts, you know I love machines, especially kitchen gadgets.  OK, I love power tools too. My rediscovered bread makers were high-end in their time, and I am accustomed to high bread standards. At the same time, it makes little sense to encourage potentially struggling readers to drop hundreds of dollars on a bread machine to “save money.”  That is why it was interesting for me to see all of the used machines on the market for less than the cost of breakfast for two at a dive restaurant.  

Taking a few precautionary steps can help you obtain a decent machine for next to nothing.  I wanted to prove this to myself using my own hard-earned cash.  I stopped by a local second-hand store and spied a Regal bread maker, likely from the 1990s.  I checked it out in the store and decided that it was worth my $14.  Today I’ll walk you through the process so you can also make an informed decision if you decide to take the used bread maker plunge.

First, do a visual inspection. Normal wear and tear is OK, but avoid machines that look dented or abused. This Regal machine was dusty, but it cleaned up nicely with a little TLC. The bread maker came with its original box and recipe guide, another plus! This suggests that the former owner treated the machine with care.

Check out the inside. Make sure that the machine has both its bread pan and its kneading paddle. Make sure that the bread pan can lock in place. This model’s pan had to be twisted in. Remove the bread pan and examine the baking chamber. Crumbs are normal, but avoid machines where the interior looks burnt or smells burnt. This machine was pretty clean.

This machine was made in Japan, so it is likely a quality build.

Check to see if the machine does what you need it to do. You mostly need a standard white bread program, a whole wheat program, and a dough program. This unit has a few other options too. I was able to plug in the machine at the store and test the display and buttons. Everything seemed to work.

Examine the unit for any hidden damage. In this machine the plastic pins that held the cover in place were broken. However, this did not impact the functioning of the machine.

Bread pans are expensive to replace and it is likely that an old model like this one wouldn’t have replacement parts anyway. Make sure that the non-stick coating on the pan looks good and that the paddle rotates freely.

I decided to make a small loaf just to see if the machine worked. The loaf baked properly, but it was a bit smaller than expected. However, that can be corrected with a little ingredient tweaking.

The texture was not quite as good as my expensive bread makers, but the crust was good, the bread was fully cooked, and it was delicious. This bread maker makes the older style vertical loaf, but that works if you cut the bread perpendicular to the pan (as above). It makes up to a 2 pound loaf, which is another plus at this price.

All in all, an amazing value for $14. This small purchase opens up a world of fantastic homemade breads of all types as well as dough perfect for rolls, pizza, and baguettes. It also features a few extra cycles for foods like quick breads, and sweet breads. A great purchase!

Check out your local thrift store or Facebook Marketplace to find your bread maker today! You could get stuck with a broken machine, but at this price… well, you have to sometimes take a few risks in life.

Peace,

Mike

Uncategorized

Save Money, Make Biscuits and Gravy For Dinner.

Let’s face it, not all of the meals that you make have to be cross-checked with the Department of Agriculture’s nutritional guidelines or some TikTok influencer’s biased opinion.  Sometimes you just need to eat something that fills your stomach, or you need to use up the food in your fridge.  That’s okay, life isn’t about being perfect.

I’m close to my kids, and they are close to me.  All but one have launched into their own apartments, and it is clear that we miss each other.  We have had plenty of times to get together, but my one daughter wanted to formalize another activity where we all could participate.  She suggested that we have regularly scheduled rotating Sunday brunches. I was immediately on board.  Naturally, all were welcome, including their significant dates (I’m not sure what the proper term is for a boyfriend or girlfriend in 2025). 

The family brunch rotated to our house a week ago, and we made sure that there was plenty of food.  We had freshly baked cinnamon rolls made by my daughter, an egg dish casserole, fresh fruit, juice, and all sorts of other goodies. When I was at the store, I spotted some precooked turkey sausage patties on sale, and so I picked those up too.  However, I forgot about them in the fridge.  The other day, my wife asked me, “So, what are we going to do with those sausage patties?”  Hmm, sounds like an easy weekday dinner idea.

It was great to have the kids and their friends over for brunch, but I forgot to make the sausages!

I love having traditional breakfast meals for dinner.  Heck, sometimes I eat dinner leftovers for breakfast.  I have no shame.  My kids are used to this flexibility and are fine with it.  It was a Wednesday night, and it was my turn to make dinner. What to do? Hmm, I’ll make some biscuits and gravy for dinner! Being a weekday, I lazily used some tube biscuits, and I had to be somewhat creative with making the gravy, as precooked sausages don’t render a lot of fat.  However, all worked out. 

My son was afraid that he would still be hungry, so he took on the task of adding some scrambled eggs. Honestly, they were not needed, but it made him happy, and he even washed his pan, so I can’t complain.  

Biscuits and gravy are a soul-satisfying dish.  I probably had it for the first time at a Shoney’s on a trip down South. I instantly loved it as it was strangely familiar.  It dawned on me that it was very similar to a no-meat Friday dish my mom used to make, called creamed eggs on toast.  In that dish, the biscuit were replaced with toast, and the sausage was replaced with slices of hard-boiled eggs.  Don’t knock it if you haven’t tried it!

The recipe is super simple and very inexpensive.  It easily fed three of us, and both Will and I had the leftovers for lunch. The leftovers reheat in the microwave. 

I suppose this would be called a struggle meal, but it doesn’t feel like one when you eat it. Refer to the photos for my step-by-step recipe. 

Traditionally, fresh pork sausage is used. However, these were precooked, and when I browned them, they didn’t release much fat.
After I browned them, I chopped them up. If these were traditional sausages, I would have just broken them apart in the pan. Oh, take off the skin if you are using links.
Usually, there would be enough grease from the sausage, but these pre-cooked ones were pretty lean. I added a couple of tablespoons of butter to make up the difference.
I mixed everything up and sprinkled 1/4 cup of AP flour over the sausage.
I slowly poured in 2.5 cups of milk (whole milk is the best), constantly stirring, over medium heat. It will take a couple of minutes for the white sauce to thicken. Then I tested for salt, but it didn’t need any as the sausage was salty. The secret to good biscuits and gravy is having enough pepper. Start with around 1/2 of a teaspoon and add more until it tastes right. The white sauce should be peppery, but not excessively so.
This is what the gravy should look like when it is ready to serve.
Here it is served up on some tube refrigerated biscuits. Naturally, homemade biscuits would have elevated the dish even more. My son made the eggs, but they weren’t really needed. The overall results? Delicious! Yes, I’m expecting “heart attack on a plate” comments, but “ya gatta do what ya gatta do!”

Peace,

Mike

bread making, cooking, cooking appliances energy savings., frugal cooking, Uncategorized

Save Money, Make Inexpensive And Delicious Bread Machine Bread!

This is another in my series on saving money on groceries while improving your dining experience. 

As inflation and the Trump tariff taxes continue to push up prices, it makes sense to find ways to stretch your food dollars.  Making your own bread is not only less expensive than store-bought bread, but it also tastes better and can be customized to your needs. Like thicker or thinner slices?  No problem., Sick of the outrageous prices of gluten-free bread?  Make your own. Desire a specialty bread for a special meal?  Absolutely!

My wife made a run to the grocery store and was happy that Ezekiel Bread had been restocked.  However, she wasn’t pleased when she realized that a small loaf was now ten dollars. She didn’t buy the loaf.

Bread is the staple of life, and just about every culture has some form of bread.  Bread is considered a subsistence food that provides the calories, vitamins, minerals, protein, and fiber necessary for life.  

When I was growing up, my mother bought “Silvercup” bread, which was one step above “Wonder Bread.”  It was good for sandwiches, but likely not the best in terms of nutrition.  We also bought bread from our neighborhood bakery. What a difference that bread was.  I have fond memories of walking into that place and being welcomed by the scent of freshly baked bread.  I remember, with fascination, the clerk taking a fresh loaf, pushing it through a slicing machine, and then deftly shoving it into a waxed bag.  That bread was the best.

My grandmother made most of her family’s bread, and it was delicious.  She made a light rye bread that was baked into a large, round loaf.  She didn’t buy yeast; instead, she would seed a new batch of dough with a portion of the dough she had saved from the week before.  I can’t imagine that she measured anything; she just knew what to do after baking thousands of loaves of bread by hand. Making bread was part of her life, and I’m sure it occupied at least one whole day of her week.

My mom would make yeasted bakery, but I don’t recall her making bread.  Most of her yeast bakes consisted of various filled coffee cakes, which we called kolaches, not to be confused with those delicious fruit-filled cookies called Kolacky.  

I’m not sure exactly when I made my first loaf of bread, but I started to make it regularly during my residency.  I was divorced at that time, and one of the few things that I took from that marriage was a large Cuisinart food processor, as my ex had no use for it.

I love machines, and the Cuisinart is one of them. I was determined to learn how to utilize every aspect of its capabilities, including its ability to knead bread dough.  I read somewhere that a flour company had a recipe book for “cool rise bread,” and I tracked down their address, which was in another state.  This was before the internet, so that task was more complicated than typing in a query in Google. I wrote them a letter..

A few weeks later, I received a nice note from the flour company, saying that they were surprised to hear from me, as their flour was not sold in the Chicago market.  However, they sent me the booklet and wished me well. I adapted their recipes for my food processor.

Cool-rise recipes were ideal for me at that time, as I could quickly mix and knead the dough in the food processor, then drop the dough into a couple of bread pans that I placed in the refrigerator, where they would slowly rise. Eight to 48 hours later, I would bake the bread at my convenience.  Having fresh bakery fresh bread as a poor medical resident was a tremendous morale booster. Typically,  I ate generic white bread that tasted like sawdust. 

When the bread machine craze hit in the 1990s, I bought a machine that made one-pound loaves.  I upgraded to a machine that made 2-pound loaves sometime in the early 2000s, and I still have that machine today. However, I eventually stopped using my bread machine, and I’m not sure why.

This bread machine is over 20 years old, and it still works!

As my kids got older, I would make bread for them as a treat; soon, they were helping me in the process. By then, I had graduated to a Bosch Universal Mixer, a tremendous mixer that could make six loaves of 100% whole wheat bread at a time.  It was great. However, the Bosch method still required work, and I no longer need six loaves of bread. 

My Bosch Universal Mixer can easily make six loaves of 100% whole wheat bread.
I rarely need this much bread now.
The bread made in the Bosch is fantastic, but it still requires some work.

During the pandemic, I was cleaning my basement and rediscovered my bread machine. Would it even power up after sitting dormant for years?  The answer was yes!.

I do most of the household’s cooking and make a lot of food from scratch.  I cook many combination foods, such as soups, stews, and casseroles.  These types of foods lend themselves well to a bread product, and I’ll often whip up something ranging from cornbread to a savory muffin.  However, nothing has quite the allure of the smell of freshly baked bread.

Humans have been making some form of bread for over 14,000 years, and it is possible to make bread with the simplest methods and ingredients.  Some people love the physicality of kneading dough, but I’m not one of them.  However, I love the taste of homemade yeast products, and that is where my old bread machine comes to my rescue.  I can toss in a few inexpensive ingredients, press a button, and a few hours later, I have a fantastic loaf of warm bread.

There are hundreds of bread recipes that can be made in a bread machine.  White, rye, wheat, fruited, nutted, egg-enriched, sweet, savory, you name it. I made a nice white loaf today.  What did it cost me for a 2-pound loaf of fresh, delicious bread?  Around seventy-eight cents, including the cost of the electricity. 

Bread machines are no longer trendy, so you can often get a used one at a second-hand store for almost nothing.  Just make sure that the pan and paddle are included and that it powers up when plugged in.  They are very durable, as mine is still running strong, despite being over 20 years old. Most electronic gadgets left in a basement for years would be out of commission. Mine is not an isolated case, as there are internet reports of others who are still using their bread machines decades after purchase.

In fact, I recently searched for bread machines on Facebook Marketplace and found many used models in the $10-25 range.  You can’t even go to McDonald’s for that amount of cash.  If you are interested, this is what to look for:

-Get a machine that makes between a 1.5 and 2-pound loaf

-Most prefer a traditional horizontal pan, but a vertical pan also works.

-Make sure that the unit comes with the baking pan AND the paddle. 

-Make sure it powers up when plugged in.

-You can find recipes on the internet, and you can likely download your particular machine’s manual/recipe guide from the manufacturer’s website.

Many new bread machines sell for under $100, but top-of-the-line machines, such as those from Zojirushi, cost hundreds.  Zojirushi is considered the best, but most will do fine with a less expensive brand.

Machines come with multiple programs to make different types of bread.  Most users will use only three types: standard (white) bread, whole wheat, and dough.  The dough setting is a great option, as the machine will do all of the hard work of making the dough, and all you have to do is form it for baking.  The dough setting is terrific for making pizza dough, rolls, coffee cakes, and braided breads, where you make the dough in the machine but bake it in your regular oven.

Most bread machines come with various programs to bake different types of bread, such as white and whole wheat. The controls may appear complicated, but they are very easy to learn, and in most cases, all you need to do is press a button.

Some additional program settings may be included such as sweet breads, and gluten-free bread. If your bread maker doesn’t have a particular specialty setting you can try using the standard white bread setting. Additionally, some machines allow you to create programs where you determine each step of the bread making process. This last option is for advanced users who develop their own recipes or who use unique bread flours that require unusual mixing, kneading, and backing times. Will you use the cake, yogurt, or jam settings that your machine may have?  Probably not, but that’s your choice.

Although many ingredients can be used to make bread, here are the basic ones and why they are necessary:

Flour – There are many types of flour, but for simplicity, let’s focus on white flour.  Most bread machine recipes instruct you to use bread flour, a flour with a 15% gluten content.  When your machine kneads dough, the gluten proteins are altered, becoming stretchy and more flexible.  This results in a delicious, chewy, and spongy bread.  All-purpose (AP) flour is a versatile flour suitable for a wide range of applications.  It typically has a gluten content of 12-13% so bread made with AP flour won’t be quite as chewy or structurally sound as bread made from bread flour.  In an ideal world, use bread flour for optimal results. You can simulate bread flour by adding a couple of tablespoons of Vital Wheat Gluten to AP flour to your bread ingredients, or just forgo the vital wheat gluten and still make a delicious breadmaker loaf using only AP flour. I often do that as I always have AP flour on hand. Lastly, cake flour contains only 7-9% gluten, as you don’t want a chewy cake; the low gluten content assures a tender result. 

AP flour is inexpensive. This bag will make five one-pound loaves of bread. I often use AP flour because it’s in my household stock.
Bread flour is also inexpensive, and it makes a better loaf. If you make bread regularly, consider buying and using bread flour.

Yeast-yeast is a living organism that feeds on the sugars and starches in bread dough and produces carbon dioxide gas, or CO2, as a byproduct.  It is the CO2 gas bubbles that cause bread to rise. The yeast is killed in the baking process. Yeast comes in various types.  Some bread machines use Active Dry Yeast, while others require Bread Machine Yeast, which is also called Instant Yeast. Instant Yeast granules are smaller and dissolve faster than the granules of Active Dry Yeast.

My bread machine uses Active Dry Yeast that I can buy in bulk at Costco. Each loaf uses only around ten cents’ worth of yeast.

Sugar-any form of sugar can be used, white sugar, brown sugar, honey, and molasses.  Small amounts of sugar are added to help jump-start the yeast’s growth. 

Any sugary product can be used for bead making, but most people have white sugar on hand. The recipe below uses around five cents of sugar.

Salt-salt adds flavor and also controls yeast growth.  Never mix salt with the yeast when you add your ingredients; put them in a separate spot in the machine’s bread pan.  

Water– is needed to bind all of the ingredients together.  Naturally, other liquids, such as milk, are sometimes used to achieve a different type of loaf.

Other ingredients-.Eggs, dried fruits, spices, cheese, meats, different types of flours, nuts, butter, cooking oil, powdered milk, you name it.  Each addition requires a slightly different recipe and may require different rising and baking times.  The good news is that others have already figured out all of this. If you have a new machine, read the manual/recipe booklet.  If you purchased a used breadmaker, download its manual, which will include recipes ranging from white bread to pizza dough, specifically created for your machine.

A simple and inexpensive white bread recipe.

*You must add ingredients into the baking pan in the order written. 

-1.5 cups warm water

-2 T cooking oil

-1 and 3/4 t salt

-4 cups or 500 gms bread flour (or AP flour)

-2 T sugar

-2 ¼ tsp bread maker yeast (I use regular Active Dry Yeast with good results)

I weigh my flour for better results. Five hundred grams is equivalent to 4 cups of flour.
Add ingredients in the order listed. I keep the salt and the yeast in separate spots, as salt can kill yeast if it is too concentrated.
Just press a button and the machine will mix and knead the dough in several cycles before baking it.
A perfect loaf!
Use a serrated bread knife when cutting soft breads. The knife on the top is a food service knife, and it wasn’t very expensive. Its slightly longer length works well to make short work out of making slices.
Nothing is quite as wonderful as fresh, warm, crusty homemade bread!

Use your bread maker’s “normal” or “white loaf” setting. Mine makes a great loaf of white bread in 3.5 hours. Total cost of the loaf, including electricity?  $0.78!

Allow the bread to cool at least 30 minutes before cutting.  A serrated knife works best. Any will do, but I like a knife that is a bit longer. It is not necessary to buy an expensive serrated knife, as they are no different from a less expensive one.  Serrated knives don’t cut the bread; they tear into it.  I have also used a standard Chef’s knife.  If it is sharp enough, it will slice bread. 

Remember, that homemade bread has no preservatives or other agents to keep it looking fresh.  If you don’t consume it in a couple of days, freeze it.  You can purchase inexpensive bread bags on Amazon, as well as other types of containers, to store unused bread. If we have any left after a meal, we usually use a large Ziploc-style bag, as we have those on hand.

Homemade bread machine bread is delicious and almost effortless to make. Having a homemade slice of bread with dinner elevates the experience, and a lunch sandwich made with homemade bread is superior to any packaged product.  If you see a machine at a thrift store, give it a try.  If you want to buy new, there are many machines available in the sub-$100 range.  Happy bread making!

Mike

Images are my own or screenshots used only for educational purposes.

frugal living, saving on food, Uncategorized

Inflation, Shrinkflation, And Trump’s Tariff Taxes. Why? And Options To Survive These Difficult Times.

 My wife came home from Costco.  Lately, when I go to Costco I wind up spending $300-$400. “What was the bill?” I asked  “I only spent $100,” she said. “Awesome!” I replied.  However it turns out that it was $100 for only 5 items.

I’m finding that I feel anxious when thinking about buying food, and I have noticed that I’m not only changing how we currently eat, but I’m also contemplating how I can further adapt our eating habits.

I have long given up regular trips to restaurants, and I have dramatically cut back on what I order when I go through a drive-through.  Cuts of beef, from a steak to a pot roast, have become luxury items for special celebrations.  Now, even ground beef is starting to feel out of reach. I just came back from the grocery store.  I passed on ground beef and bought ground turkey instead.

My friend sent me this photo from Costco. imported beef at almost $350!

Inflation accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic.  We were informed that prices would need to increase due to supply chain issues and factory slowdowns resulting from worker illnesses.  However, that is only part of the story.  A 2023 report from the Fed noted that overall corporate profits were 11.3% in 2020, 19.2% in 2021, and 15.1% in 2022.  In other words, corporations generated significantly more profit during the COVID-19 pandemic.  They passed on any extra costs to the consumer and also saw an opportunity to add a “little more,” as consumers were conditioned to expect higher prices. 

Corporations realize that if they create the right narrative or gradually increase prices, the populace will accept higher prices to a certain extent. A fundamental principle of economics is that when prices become too high, people stop buying. When this happens, a company will likely lower the cost of the item to encourage buying. When consumers are comfortable with the new, lower but still elevated price, the company will resume the increase. In this push/pull system, the overall price of the items continues to increase over time.

A few years back, I would buy a dozen eggs at Walmart for eighty-eight cents.  They were an economical source of protein. Then the prices began to rise steadily.  At one point, a dozen eggs were selling for almost $7.  They were no longer a bargain, and I, along with others, curtailed my egg purchases. I went so far as to use an egg substitute when baking. When prices dropped to $4, I thought happy times had returned, yet I was still paying over four and a half times more than my original price.  That is a 450% increase in a basic commodity.  

We were told that eggs were more expensive due to the bird flu. Was that true?  No, it wasn’t.  The largest corporation in the egg business is Cal-Maine. They control 25% of the market pie.  Their profits have soared during the bird flu, and guess what, their egg production was only slightly impacted.  The bird flu was used as an excuse to raise prices. Did you notice that there was a shortage of eggs, but not a shortage of chicken?  If bird flu were so damaging, we would have seen a shortage of chicken, too. I’m not saying that bird flu wasn’t real.  However, I am saying that it was used, just like COVID, to raise prices well beyond where they needed to go. 

Have you noticed that Hershey bars are more expensive?  This is due to the increased prices of ingredients such as cocoa and sugar, correct?  During a corporate call to shareholders, the CEO of Hershey informed stockholders that the increased prices not only covered inflation but also significantly increased profits.  That is the same story as the eggs. Take a real situation and use it to create a plausible narrative that encourages consumers to spend more money.

Add tricks like shrinkflation and skimpflation, and the consumer gets even less for their cash.

Food companies can use these tactics because we no longer have a competitive market.  A relatively small number of companies control our food supply.  They no longer have to compete by offering value.  Instead, when one company raises its prices, the others tend to follow. 

My newish refrigerator has a water filter that has to be changed every 6 months.  The filter is specific to the brand, and I’m unaware of 3rd party options.  That filter contains activated charcoal to improve the water’s taste and possibly also includes a sediment filter. These filters should not be costly to manufacture, and objectively have not improved the quality of my city water.  How much is this proprietary filter?  Forty-nine dollars!  That is $100 a year that I have to spend on something that I don’t need or want.

My buying habits are changing.  I no longer want the fanciest fridge; A future one will be as basic as I can get. I want my 2014 car to last as long as possible. For me, there is no excitement in buying a new car for $60,000 to $80,000. Especially, since many new cars are plagued by factory recalls. By the way, some cars now require a monthly subscription to keep certain functions.  You buy a brand new car, but you have to pay more money just to use its features.

Add to this corporate greed the new Trump tariff taxes that have been imposed on us.  Please listen,  tariffs are a tax imposed on consumers. In this case, they are no different than a state sales tax that you pay, except that this sales tax goes to the federal government. Tariffs are a means of increasing federal revenue through taxation of citizens. This is not my fantasy or opinion; this is a fact.

Let’s say I buy a pound of coffee for $10.  In my area, a 1.75% state sales tax is applied to grocery purchases, so the total cost of a pound of coffee is $10.18.  However, there is now a 50% tariff tax on products from Brazil, which is a major coffee producer.  That increase will be passed on to the consumer, as corporations must generate profits for their shareholders.  Now, my coffee will cost me $10 plus a 51.75% tax, or $15.18. Don’t believe me?  Take a look at the increase in coffee prices at your local store.  Guess what?  The costs are likely to increase even further.   Naturally, some companies will try to add a few bucks past that amount to make “a little extra.” 

My primary concerns center on the items I use and consume on a daily basis, including food and other products.  I’m changing my habits here too.

In 1999, I was treating several prominent scientists, as I live in a technology and research corridor.  They warned me about the potential catastrophe that could happen as we entered the year 2000.  Honestly, it spooked me, and, being a planner, I overreacted.  I bought everything from long-term storage foods to diapers (my kids were young at the time). The 2000 collapse never occurred, and my wife was not very happy with my purchasing decisions, many of which had to be discarded in the end. Lesson learned.  However, I’m still a preparer, and I do think it is rational to make behavioral changes now and to do some limited stockpiling.  The latter won’t eliminate inflationary problems, but they may soften the blow a bit, at least for a while. 

Sadly, some cash on hand is needed to do many of these things, and cash has become increasingly scarce for some as prices have gone up.  However, if you select and implement some of these options, you may see benefits in the suggestions.

Major appliances

Virtually all major appliances source their parts from international manufacturers.  This is true for companies that build appliances in the US. After all, we have had a global economy for the last 70 years. If you believe an appliance is nearing the end of its life, this may be the ideal time to purchase while old stock is still available. Additionally,  check the reliability of a particular brand. New appliances don’t last as long as older models, but some are better than others. 

Clothing

I’m fortunate to be retired, as my wardrobe is not only casual but also repetitive.  If it is clean, I wear it.  However, if you need clothing, you may want to explore options from sales to resale.  I believe in a capsule wardrobe where a few pieces can be utilized in multiple ways. Use what you have, buy only what you need (not want).  Opt for quality over designer brands or fast fashion. Basic colors and classic styles are the best approach.  The goal is to look neat, but to NOT have people remember what you wore a week earlier. Basic, neat clothes will do just that.

Energy

All energy costs are high, and many are going up.  Practice reducing your energy needs.  Turn up the AC temperature and turn down the furnace temperature.  Use LED lights and turn them off when you are not in a room.  Plan errands so you can accomplish several in one trip instead of multiple trips.  Consider unplugging devices, like a rarely used TV, as many of them consume almost as much power when they are “off” as when they are “on.”  Cook using energy-efficient appliances like a slow cooker, Instant Pot, or toaster oven, as they are more energy-efficient than a traditional stove. If you use your oven try to make multiple dishes in it at the same time.  

Small appliances can not only save you energy costs, they tenderize tough meats and make your cooking tasks easier.

Batteries

Batteries are expensive, and almost all of them are made overseas, so they will become even more costly.  Consider buying items that can be recharged.  Also consider purchasing rechargeable batteries.  Most of my flashlights are USB rechargeable, and I also have AA and AAA batteries that I can recharge hundreds of times before they need to be replaced.  Batteries will increase in price due to the Trump tariff taxes. 

Food and Consumables

I suggest buying extras if you can afford to do so.  A little extra here and there will temporarily save you money in the long run.

Cleaning solutions.

When COVID-19 hit, I found it very difficult to find many typical soaps and cleaning products, so I started concocting my own.  I fill a 32-oz spray bottle with warm water and add a scant teaspoon of dishwashing soap or one ounce of all-purpose cleaner (such as Lysol or Mr. Clean) for an effective and gentle surface cleaner.  I use a squirt of dish detergent to clean my toilets, and cheap powdered Comet to clean my sinks. 

American-made cleaning solutions are often made from chemicals purchased abroad, so their prices are likely to increase.  P&G is already implementing price changes that are likely to continue to rise.  You may want to have extras of all cleaning products that you use, from dish soap to dishwasher and laundry detergent. We usually use dishwasher pods, but I bought a few boxes of dishwasher powder as it is relatively inexpensive and can be stretched if necessary. Additionally, I purchased extra laundry detergent. If you live a sedentary, dirt-free life like me, you may not need the most expensive laundry detergent.  You can get by with a cheap detergent and a spray bottle of stain remover for those occasional spills and splashes. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, I couldn’t even find liquid hand soap, so I made do by using a foaming dispenser.  Fill the foam dispenser with 20% liquid hand soap and 80% water to save money. You will get foam soap that works great and doesn’t drip all over your sink.

Paper Products

I love my paper products, but I’m making a conscious effort to reduce their use.  A significant portion of paper pulp originates from Canada, and the Trump tariff taxes are particularly high on Canadian products.  A few months back, I purchased extra dish towels, which I’m trying to use instead of paper towels. Old rags are also helpful.  If you have old T-shirts, cut them up and give them a new cleaning life. I still use paper towels when the situation calls for it, but I use them more sparingly.  I’m also reducing the number of paper plates that I use. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, I struggled to find toilet paper, so I installed a bidet.  The fancy ones are pricey, but you can buy a basic one for under $50. This may sound crazy, but you can be much “cleaner” just using a bidet.  Naturally, we still have TP, but we are using less of it. A bidet was something that I never thought about, and now that I have one, I can’t imagine not having one. They are that good.

Plastic Products

We appreciate the convenience of Ziploc-type bags and use them for everything from lunches to storing leftovers; however, we are trying to use them less frequently.  They will be going up in price as their raw materials increase in cost.  There are specific Rubbermaid-like containers for sandwiches, food storage, and just about everything else. If you are especially frugal, you will find that many lunchmeat packages can be reused as a sandwich container.  Pro tip: Wash all containers by hand to prevent dishwasher lid shrinkage.

Food Products

All foods are increasing in price, but those strongly impacted by the Trump tariff taxes will be hit the hardest. It may be a good idea to stockpile non-perishable foods. I’m buying a few extras of the following types of foods:

-Beans, rice, lentils, etc. 

All of these items have very long shelf lives if stored in a cool, dry place.  We are trying to incorporate more of these products into our regular diet.

-Canned goods

We have switched to house brands and are purchasing more of the products we regularly use, such as canned tomatoes.  Canned vegetables can be good bargains, but, like everything else, their price will increase over time. Canned food doesn’t require refrigeration, and stores best in a cool, dry place.  Many canned foods, including meats, will stay usable for years in a sealed/undamaged can.

-Sugar

Today I bought a spare 4-pound bag of sugar, as we do a lot of baking from scratch. Sugar prices are on the rise and are expected to continue increasing. Sugar can last indefinitely if stored in a cool, dry place.

-Basic ingredients

I’m also buying extras of spices that I commonly use, as their prices are expected to increase. The same can be said of everyday items, such as cooking oil and olive oil. Since we cook a lot from scratch, I bought an extra tub of baking powder and cornstarch to have on hand.

Walmart, Aldi, and dollar stores often sell spices significantly lower than a typical grocery store. If you use a spice often you can buy it in larger quantities at warehouse clubs, like Costco.

-Meats

The price of beef is outrageous, so I’m finding that we are not only having meatless and low-meat meals, but we are also shifting our meat preferences away from beef, including hamburger. I’m just back from the grocery store, where I bought ground turkey, which was on sale instead of hamburger. I’m also experimenting with TVP, or textured vegetable protein, as a nutritious, high-protein additive to stretch meat.

Here I’m using soy chunks (TVP) instead of beef. The final product was pretty good!

-Do Price Checks

It used to be that if you bought a larger size of something, the overall price was cheaper. That is no longer the case.  Check the price per ounce or price per item in the box to ensure that you are getting the best value. With that said, meat and other items can be substantially cheaper when purchased in family packs or larger bulk packages.

-Clip Coupons

I’m adding this as some people can save quite a bit with coupons.  However, I really hate using coupons.  Our standard grocery store offers values, coupons, digital coupons, sale prices, two-for-one deals, buy one and get 50% off the second item, and other promotions.  I feel like I need a PhD in groceries to choose the right option. More than once, I found out that I did the wrong thing at checkout and had to pay full price. I would rather shop at a store that consistently offers lower prices.

-Shop discount stores

Consider shopping at discount grocery stores, like Aldi.  These stores are smaller, making them easier to navigate. They have fewer options, so no decision fatigue, and their overall prices are lower.  In my area, prices are significantly lower than those at a standard grocery store.

I love my local Aldi.

-Cook from scratch

Cooking from scratch is easy, less expensive, and yields superior results.  I use appliances like a slow cooker and Instant Pot to make my cooking even simpler.  You can find simple recipes using a basic cookbook (like Betty Crocker) or online.  

I have a relative who exclusively uses convenience foods, including frozen dinners.  She spends hundreds of dollars every week on her food, which is her right.  However, I mostly buy from Aldi and purchase basic ingredients.  I often cook for five, and I spend less per week on groceries than she does for one. The more prepared a food is, the more expensive it is.

The more you cook from scratch, the easier it become. Also, the food tastes better!

-Cook and buy intentionally

I prepare balanced meals, but they often consist of combination foods, such as soups, stews, and casseroles.  These foods are meat stretchers.  I also try to make enough food without having a lot of waste.  I know that my son will eagerly eat leftovers for lunch, but only once or twice. If I’m making something like a pot of soup, I proportion it accordingly.  If I have extra food beyond what I can use as leftovers, I’ll freeze it for future use. 

-Substitute when needed

Some recipes require a lot of exotic spices or ingredients.  If the recipe is too elaborate, I’ll move on.  However, I have also learned the art of substitution. If I can approximate a spice blend that I’ll rarely use, I’ll mix my own. If a recipe calls for tomato paste and I only have a can of tomatoes, I’ll use that and adjust the liquid accordingly. If the recipe calls for buttermilk, I’ll add a little vinegar to milk and make my own. I do this often, and with a little trial and error, I usually produce a good product using reasonable substitutions.

-Consider “Meatless Monday”

Consider a meatless dinner once or twice a week.  The options are endless and delicious.

Meatless meals can be satisfying and delicious!

-Use up stuff.

Americans waste 30-40% of the food that they purchase. That is money that you throw away. Consider checking out your perishables and creating new meals based on them, rather than just following your taste. Be creative and repurpose leftovers.  Add leftover rice to a can of soup for lunch, or use last night’s leftover vegetables in today’s casserole. You get the idea. 

-Limit Options

Instead of having endless choices, limit what you use and eat. I rotate between a couple of basic breakfasts every day, and most of them don’t involve meat.  I eat a lot of peanut butter, often adding it to something like oatmeal, an apple, or toast for breakfast.  

Some families have a roster of 10-20 dinners that they rotate.  This makes grocery shopping and meal preparation simple and routine. 

I’m a peanut butter fan and will often have it on an apple, banana, toast, or mix it into some oatmeal for breakfast.

-Use prepared foods sparingly

I do use some prepared foods, but I’m careful about what I use, not only because of the cost but also because of the additives.  However, sometimes a can of condensed soup can make it easier for me when I’m throwing together a casserole, or I’ll use a cake mix for an impromptu dessert.  

-Give yourself a break

Long ago, we started to have carry-out pizza every Friday for dinner.  However, we have now switched to frozen pizza, and we buy our pizzas on sale.  Is it the healthiest food? No, of course not.  But it serves its purpose as an easy meal after a long week. Sometimes life is about compromises.

-Learn to bake

A lot of baking is elementary, and nothing tastes better than homemade baked goods.  We do scratch baking, but also use mixes, which are inexpensive and yield a good result.  This Sunday, I’m going to make lentil soup, and I’ll also make a homemade loaf of bread.  I have an old breadmaker, and all I have to do is add some ingredients and press a button. You can often find used breadmakers at second-hand stores for next to nothing.  Just make sure it has its baking pan and dough paddle, and that it powers up. Real, delicious warm bread for less than the cost of the store-bought stuff. Perfect to go with some soup.

Baking is fun and easy. Here I made some muffins from scratch, but I used a cake mix for an Angle Food Cake.

-Consider a freezer

OK, this may sound crazy, but a freezer can save you money.  They are not very expensive, and you can often find used ones at very low prices. The chest style ones are the least convenient but the cheapest to buy and operate.  A freezer uses very little electricity per year. I have had a 12-cubic-foot, non-defrosting freezer for at least 25 years.  It is great to have when I find a good sale or buy in bulk. I am certain that my freezer has saved me a significant amount of money over its 25-year lifespan. 

My little freezer has saved me a lot of money over the years. Freezers use very little electricity.

-Consider a vacuum sealer

You’ve seen me say this in post after post. No, I don’t have stock in a vacuum sealer company!

You can buy an off-brand for under $50, and bags/rolls can be purchased cheaply if you buy generic in bulk.  I have used a vacuum sealer since the early 1990s and a chamber-type vacuum sealer since 2022.  Vacuum sealing meats will keep them free from freezer burn, and meats can last for years in a freezer. I vacuum seal a lot of other stuff too, but that’s for another post. 

Chamber sealers are more expensive, but they use dirt cheap bags and handle liquids well.  As a vacuum sealer enthusiast, I purchased one.  However, if you are getting started, consider buying a traditional external vacuum sealer (similar to a FoodSaver) on Amazon for $50-$100, as well as some bags or rolls.  Using a vacuum sealer can save you money over time.

I use a chamber vacuum sealer, but they may be too much for a beginner. Consider a traditional external vacuum sealer.

I am not saying you have to do everything on this list; I’m just trying to motivate you to think about ways to stretch your dollar in these challenging times of inflation and enormous taxes. Use your critical thinking to generate your ideas.  Ponder, “Do I need to buy this?  How can I use something that I already have? And so on. We are in this together!

Peace

Mike