Bread machines?

[ffutures]

I'm vaguely thinking of getting a bread machine - I get the impression that very little real skill is needed to use them, which suits me very well, and I do like really fresh bread in the morning occasionally.

But I don't know much about them, and there seem to be a lot of models with different features. So what I'm wondering is which are essential, and which are just feeping creaturism?

This page shows the models sold by Argos, about the most ubiquitous store in the UK. Since I want to try this without spending a fortune I'm tempted to go for the cheaper Morphy-Richards model - they have a long history of making reasonably good domestic appliances such as electric blankets and hairdriers. but I don't know it if has all the features I need.

All comments gratefully received.

Comments

[gonzo21.livejournal.com]

My mum got a cheap one from Argos, cookworks is the brand, can't rememebr the precise machine. But she figured the fewer fancy options the better. And it's made one loaf a day for about the last 3 years. Fantastic machine. Easy to clean, doddle to make a loaf, it does most everything itself, you just measure ingrediants, pop them in, and an hour or so later, a fresh loaf.

I think she has more or less only really ever used the basic options. Never needed to do any of the fancy things.

[gonzo21.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'd recommend making sure you don't get one that only makes the really exceptionally tiny loafs, because once you've started enjoying fresh baked bread without the supermarket chemicals...