Breadmakers

[Chris J W]

Thinking about getting one of those fancy breadmakers with a timer so that I can wake up to freshly made bread every so often.

 

But, big question .. .will I wake up to fresh bread with a side order of flat batteries?

 

Anyone got experience of using a breadmaker aboard?

[bottle]

Hi Chris

 

No experience of one on board but use one at home.

 

Basic loaf takes about four hours from start to finish. (not using power continually)

 

The loaf has to be removed and left to stand to cool, it is to hot to handle and to cut it is impossible.

 

This in my opinion does not make possible to have bread ready when you wake.

 

I have had two different models/makes and they are not the quietest of things when they are working (probably would not need an alarm clock)

 

Having said that we would not be without it.

[Chris J W]

Four Hours??

 

My sisters' takes an hour and a half, nice and quiet, and is ready to eat first thing after sitting all night on timer. Must remember to ask her what make it is.

[bottle]

Four Hours??

 

My sisters' takes an hour and a half, nice and quiet, and is ready to eat first thing after sitting all night on timer. Must remember to ask her what make it is.

 

She must use the 'Quick bake' cycle. Have never tried that one.

 

I to would be interested in the make.

[Christine]

OHHHHH...and miss all the fun of making your own! Do have a try making bread by hand before you buy one of those gizzmos. (It's a really good way of getting your nails clean after working on the engine )

 

Delia's bread recipe

 

The above link also includes Bread Maker recipe, if I can't convince you otherwise.

[Chris J W]

I do make my own now and then! I just like the idea of waking up to nice fresh bread now and then, and also having a gizmo getting it ready whilst I'm pottling along.

 

(Oh, and I'm a lazy bugger, too. That may well have something to do with my thinking!)

[Chris J W]

'twould seem my big sis has a Morhpy Richards one. Cost her about £90 in Argos last year.

[SoggyMoggies]

I've never found bread makers to be much good for making bread on the timer setting. As Keith says, you have to take the bread out straight away, otherwise it tends to go soggy.

 

I agree with Christine that using a bread maker takes a lot of the fun out of the process, although I use mine to mix the dough and then bake the bread in the oven. This produces a better crust, and it allows me to decide what kind of bread to make - loaves, rolls or pizzas all seem to turn out fine using pretty much the same recipe.

 

As regards power consumption, mine (cheapo Hinari) is rated at 600w but I think that's only for the time it's actually baking. While it's mixing and kneading, it hardly seems to use anything. This part takes around 90 mins, then I let the dough rise for about 30 mins before baking it for around 15-20 mins. That should allow you to do plenty of cruising while it's cooking.

[Chris J W]

I've never found bread makers to be much good for making bread on the timer setting. As Keith says, you have to take the bread out straight away, otherwise it tends to go soggy.

 

Never had that problem with my sisters.

 

I agree with Christine that using a bread maker takes a lot of the fun out of the process, although I use mine to mix the dough and then bake the bread in the oven. This produces a better crust, and it allows me to decide what kind of bread to make - loaves, rolls or pizzas all seem to turn out fine using pretty much the same recipe.

I know breadmaking can be fun, and I know what a breadmaker can do.

 

As regards power consumption, mine (cheapo Hinari) is rated at 600w but I think that's only for the time it's actually baking. While it's mixing and kneading, it hardly seems to use anything. This part takes around 90 mins, then I let the dough rise for about 30 mins before baking it for around 15-20 mins. That should allow you to do plenty of cruising while it's cooking.

 

Sis' has one of the fast bake ones that will do the jobbie in about an hour (less than I thought, actually) so lets assume it's 1kw. So I'm more concerned about having it on timer (I've experience the bread and it's great) and enjoying the lovely bread whilst wondering what to do about the flat batteries.

 

Editted to say sorry if that comes across as a bit 'harsh' - been a bad day as I'm trying to kill off a cold!

Edited May 19, 2007 by Chris J W

[bottle]

Hi Chris

 

We also get the damp/soggy bread if the loaf is not removed immediately or within 20minutes,

 

Would be interested as to how your sister avoids this.

[Chris J W]

Hi Chris

 

We also get the damp/soggy bread if the loaf is not removed immediately or within 20minutes,

 

Would be interested as to how your sister avoids this.

 

All I can say is that when I've stayed with her the machine is set to complete by 7am, about at about 8am when I normaly wake up the bread's fine and perfect for slicing and dropping into the toaster.

 

She's got a top-class Morphy-Richards one and, from my experience, it does a damn good job and even has a 'dropping paddle' thing that doesn't leave a hole in the middle.

[SoggyMoggies]

Sis' has one of the fast bake ones that will do the jobbie in about an hour (less than I thought, actually) so lets assume it's 1kw. So I'm more concerned about having it on timer (I've experience the bread and it's great) and enjoying the lovely bread whilst wondering what to do about the flat batteries.

On that basis, the bread maker will use around 1kwh while it's baking. At 12v, that's equivalent to 80-85Amp hours, which is a significant charge to be taking out of a typical set of batteries, but it should be ok, so long as they're well charged before and after. It depends how often you're going to be doing it, and what other big loads you've got.

 

ps. hope the cold gets better.

[Chris J W]

On that basis, the bread maker will use around 1kwh while it's baking. At 12v, that's equivalent to 80-85Amp hours, which is a significant charge to be taking out of a typical set of batteries, but it should be ok, so long as they're well charged before and after. It depends how often you're going to be doing it, and what other big loads you've got.

 

ps. hope the cold gets better.

 

ah-hem! Sorry about the cold effecting me yesterday

 

Sounds like it could be a go-er, then. Overnight there shouldn't be that much else drawing power (fridge, perhaps?) so, in theory, should be OK to supply breakfast before setting off again and, thus, recharge the batteries.

 

How often? Expect that most of the baking will be done on the move, but would be nice at the weekends to have it ready first thing.

Edited May 20, 2007 by Chris J W

[Carrie]

Electric breadmakers must be environmentally damaging as they are appliances left on all night.

I once mentioned breadmakers to a guy and he said "I have two excellent breadmakers here", holding up his left and right hand!

[DHutch]

Electric breadmakers must be environmentally damaging as they are appliances left on all night.

Well yes and no. You only leave them on timer when you have to, and they wont use any more than a inverter/microwave/tv on standby and proberbly a lot less than a freeview box!!

- 99% of the electricity it uses will be when its running, as they are affectivly a small electric oven, with a mixer inside them.

- How much juice they use i dont know, but the best way to find out would be to get one of the maplin power meter things. find someone whos got one, and set it record how much electric it uses to do the cycal.

 

 

Daniel

[Oliver]

We have a Panasonic breadmaker which produces very good bread. A number of people we know had other bread makers which didn't produce bread of the same quality and they have all now bought Panasonics.

 

We take ours on board but tend to set it going when we are cruising - so I don't know what the battery drain will be if it is left overnight. At home we use it on the timer and set it so that we wake up to the smell of bread baking. Our machine has a maximum 13 hour delay and the baking smell comes through in about the last 20 minutes. The bread can be taken out as soon as it is finished provided that you use a pair of oven gloves. Don't know how the bread comes out if you leave it in because we haven't done it. I can't see that it will draw much power when it is not actually doing anything except ticking down the timer.

 

Happy Baking

[SoggyMoggies]

I made some rough measurements a while ago, and it appeared that my bread maker was running at just over 80W while actively mixing the dough. Assuming this power throughout the cycle (dough only, 95 mins) gives 130 watt hours or 11 amp hours. This would probably be an overestimate as it isn't actively thrashing around for the whole of the time.

 

I didn't do any measurements for the timer setting as I make dough using boiling water, although it's got to be less than when it's actually working. I certainly can't see it adding significantly to the overall load.

 

Chris - any baking you're doing on the move should take power straight from the alternator so making the odd batch overnight should be fine.

[DHutch]

The bit i would be worryed about if/when you cook in the machine.

- The mixing wont be negligable, but as soggy has calculated, its not great.

- However if wind up a kilowatt heating element for half an hour its going to come from somewhere.

 

That said, it would still proberbly be all right, assuming your inverters upto it, and your batterys arnt being caned running anything else. But if you wherent crusing daily it wouldnt work for very long without a shoreline!

 

 

Daniel

[Denis R]

I binned my suitcase sized breadmaker when I moved aboard and am thinking of (finally) replacing it with a basic Kenwood BM150. From the power consumption perspective, when it's on the timer delay, don't forget that nothing happens dramatically power-wise until it gets to the pre-determined timing point (say timer setting minus 3 hours or so depending on loaf type). The only problem I had with the last one was the sudden dream-shattering noise at about 4 o'clock in the morning when it kicked off and started kneading the dough....

[RichardH]

Need to check the wattage vs the inverter on the boat if you are not hooked up to the National Grid.

 

Even then if it takes a few hours which I think they do the drain could be detimental. I had the bright idea of using a mere 50w slow cooker but ended up with flat batteries !

[steve&wendy]

You should have no problem use our every time we are afloat a 1.6k inverter handles ours no problem.

and thats on a hire boat..

 

Good smells wafting around the locks grest for the appetite.

[Chris J W]

You should have no problem use our every time we are afloat a 1.6k inverter handles ours no problem.

and thats on a hire boat..

 

Good smells wafting around the locks grest for the appetite.

 

Like the sound (and smell!) of that.

 

But is that whilst running, or direct from the batteries without the engine/genny running. If the latter - what's the state of the batteries afterwards?

[steve&wendy]

Like the sound (and smell!) of that.

 

But is that whilst running, or direct from the batteries without the engine/genny running. If the latter - what's the state of the batteries afterwards?

 

 

Most of the time we run ours with the engine but have used it whilst moored with no engine last week with no problem,

the bread got cooked and the hairdryer still worked too..

 

batteries seemed fine and bread was excellent

[Chris J W]

Most of the time we run ours with the engine but have used it whilst moored with no engine last week with no problem,

the bread got cooked and the hairdryer still worked too..

 

batteries seemed fine and bread was excellent

 

Even better! Especially as I never use a hair dryer.

 

Seriously, though, it would now seem that running directly off batteries via the inverter now and then is a Ok.. but need to remember that the aforementioned batteries do need a charge too.

 

Many, many, thanks to all that have answered.

[SoggyMoggies]

One more point. Although it seems it will be ok to use a breadmaker overnight, nobody has mentioned the capacity of their battery bank so far. I've assumed that 400-440AH is a typical size, but I've just seen a post on another thread that suggests that 330AH is more usual.

 

It should still be possible to do it with only 330AH but it would be even more important to make sure that the batteries are charged fully before and after, and that there isn't anything else (except perhaps a fridge) drawing much power at the same time.