Can a Bread Machine Save Money on Homemade Bread? (2024)

FAQs

Can a Bread Machine Save Money on Homemade Bread? ›

Making bread from a machine is marginally cheaper than buying it, as long as you eat bread frequently enough to offset the cost of the appliance.

Considering you can pick up a loaf of bread for as little as $2 from some supermarkets and bakeries (although artisan loaves and good-quality bread can cost much more), and that a breadmaker can cost between $60 and $300 upfront, using your breadmaker to bake just one loaf a week may not be worth the investment.

Not only is making homemade bread cheaper, but it's also healthier. It's a great way to beat inflation and save money on groceries. Making your own bread at home, though, can be a time-consuming process.

Cost over time: While there's an upfront cost to think about, over time you could save money with a breadmaker (versus buying bread from a shop or supermarket) if you use your appliance frequently enough.

In a nutshell, if you're buying basic, cheap sandwich bread, it's probably cheaper than you can make it at home. But if you compare two loaves similar to what you could make at home — one made with high-quality ingredients as opposed to one made with lesser quality ingredients — home baking becomes much cheaper.

Bread Machine Drawbacks

Harder to create different shaped breads (i.e. long baguettes). Upfront cost of a bread machine. Homemade bread usually goes stale faster than store packaged brands (because store breads often contain chemical preservatives). Inability to make very large bread sizes.

Some are trying to beat the rise by using breadmakers. Most cost only around 6p an hour to run and ingredients are less than 40p – with a standard loaf at over £1. Paul Murphy, of Currys, said: “Many have turned to breadmakers to save money.”

Bread nourishes the spirit, the body, and the senses.

But I don't love paying the price for the fancy loaves I prefer. So I bought a bread machine to save money (you can read about that here). The breadmaker has paid for itself already. But I realized there were other benefits to making my own bread.

Unless you have a medical condition such as celiac disease, wheat allergy, or non-celiac gluten sensitivity, there is no need for you to avoid bread! In fact, bread can be included as part of a healthy, balanced diet every day – yes that is correct, every day!

Johanna Hartzheim, co-founder and head of product at Wildgrain, a bread and pasta delivery service, recommends eating homemade bread within three days but says it will last up to a week. "The bread will start to dry up and become a bit harder over time, but it takes much longer until it becomes moldy," she says.

Why are breadmakers no longer popular? ›

In a 2017 article for TASTE, Tatiana Bautista argued that a widespread fear of carbs during the late '90s and early '00s led to the bread machine's demise. The gluten-free movement probably didn't help either.

Most bread machine manuals and cookbooks call for bread flour rather than all-purpose flour. King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour, because it's higher in gluten than national brands of all-purpose flour, works perfectly in the bread machine.

If you bake 2 loaves per week, you would save $250–500+ per year. For a family of 4 eating homemade bread daily, savings could well exceed $500 annually. Within 1 year, costs saved would likely offset the bread maker purchase.

Making your own bread works out considerably cheaper than buying a loaf, meaning you can get a much better-quality loaf of bread for less.

You can bake everything from quick breads like Carrot Bread, muffins like Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins, yeast doughs like Homemade Sub Rolls, or even sourdough like Sourdough Rye Bread. Whatever you choose, you're bound to save money when you make bread at home.

Another benefit is that homemade bread doesn't contain any chemicals or artificial additives. It's also generally lower in calories than store-bought bread. Plus, making your own bread is a great way to save money. You can buy quality ingredients for a fraction of the price of store-bought bread.

Energy use/cost

When compared to baking in a domestic oven, a bread machine is also a great way to save energy, and therefore reduce carbon emissions.

It'll save time and give reliable consistent results every time - perfect if you're not much of a baker. But if you enjoy the process of making dough and creating rustic artisan loaves, you'll be better off baking them in your oven. A bread machine will feel too restrictive for you and won't be worth the counter space.