And would you have slept with my boyfriend to obtain it?

Just want to be sure I'm getting my money's ... er, never mind.

-- Anonymous, January 31, 2000

Answers

I have a breadmaker. And I didn't have to sleep with anyone to get it. It's a good thing, too, because I haven't gotten a decent loaf of bread out of it yet.

I'm sure it's possible, but I have yet to figure out this whole high-altitude, low-humidity cooking thing. I follow the recipe, the bread comes out bad. I make all the necessary recipe adjustments, the bread comes out bad. I tweak the adjustments based on what's wrong, it still comes out bad. I gave up.

-- Anonymous, January 31, 2000

I HAD one and it went kaphlooey one day and that was that. I miss that thing terribly. However, I do have a new one and he is doing just fine so far. He made homemade yeast cinnamon rolls this weekend and they were divine. Home made bread is next.

-- Anonymous, January 31, 2000

My boyfriend of the day gave me a breadmaker for my birthday, which I love. I use it all the time. You have to understand, I'm not a baking sort of person, normally - and I've only made bread by hand once (and that was a *very* special occasion). But I make bread almost every day. I love putting the ingredients in at night (no perishables!) and waking up to steaming hot bread. I love adding odd things to the recipes. And, bread is so good for you - if you don't slather it with butter or Nutella (my personal downfall) or some other intensely yummy fat product. You can make any recipe into a sweet bread by adding a capful of vanilla and an extra tablespoon of sugar (this would, I suppose, taste really odd with a savoury recipe, but you get the idea). Also, bread machines shred the bejeezus out of any ingredient that has any size - so no more chopping up your cranberries or nuts before adding them. The machine will do it for you. Or you can make really yummy savoury for with Italian dishes by making a basic white bread, substituting some grated cheese (low fat Parmesan is nice) for an equal amount of fat, then removing the dough while it rises and braiding it with a little spinach. The only real problem with bread machines is that the little paddle will get stuck in the loaf every time, and it's a pain to get out - I use a spatula, usually, but you have to be careful not to burn yourself.

-- Anonymous, January 31, 2000

I have a bread machine (welbilt abm4000) and I absolutely love it.

I know it's a luxury that many people mock as being redundant (why us a bread machine when you can use the oven?), but it's one of my favourite things in the kitchen.

We make raisin bread for breakfast, sourdough bread for soup & salads, and italian herb for spaghetti.

If I were to rely entirely on the oven and my own domestication, I wouldn't ever bake bread at all. And in the summer, a bread machine is a much cooler option, anyway.

I'd definitely sleep with somebody for it. If the smell of baking bread didn't distract me too much.

tes

-- Anonymous, January 31, 2000

I got a breadmaker for christmas a couple of years ago and I love it. I don't use it much because of my low carb diet, but it's the greatest invention.

Get one that does at least a 2 lb loaf of bread, and one that has a timer. The difference between the cheap ones and the more expensive ones are noise (cheap ones are quite noisy and this is something to consider if the kitchen is anywhere near your bedroom and you are goign to use the timer) and features. The features are the different kinds of bread you can make.

Dave bought mine at Williams Sonoma and probably paid close to $200 for it. He bought it from there because he knows they sell the best of everything and he knew it would be a good machine. If you don't want to spend that much (few people do!) check out what Consumer Reports had to say about them. I bought my sister one the next year and I followed what Consumer Reports said and she's happy with it. I spent less than $100 and it's a good machine.

As for making good bread, everyone asks me why mine is so perfect and theres is so crappy. I don't think it has to do with owning the $200 Williams Sonoma machine, but it could be true. I just follow the recipes EXACTLY. I'm extremely careful about the measurements and I put them in the machine the way the instructions for the machine ask for. It's really that simple.

And there's a good bread machine cookbook too. Hold on while I check amazon....Damn, I don't see it there. I have it at home and I'll give you the name tomorrow. It's got a great honey-wheat bread recipe that everyone loves and they have a butter spread too and it's heavenly.

You'll love the bread machine, and I'd have sex with my man to get it. In fact, I did :) And for the Henkels Knives too.

-- Anonymous, January 31, 2000

Any bread I have consumed made in a breadmaker has tasted disticntly like hay...not even as good as alfalfa. The texture of machined bread just does not cut it. I say knead and knead some more and if you "knead" help kneading, bribe your other half with sexualy favours for some kneading assistance. No really, I believe it to be an art to make bread. And most bread makers I have met are now deep in the back of the closet collecting dust.

-- Anonymous, January 31, 2000

I love my breadmaker. When we lived in a house with no oven, I baked bread in it at least once a week; pair it with a crockpot and you're all set.

Funny you should mention it, Beth; I was just thinking about sleeping with your boyfriend this morning. It's the whole pamie/xeney/stee thing; someone mentioned that in the aftermath there'd be either Jeremy or Eric left over, and I do happen to like the both of them. Eric's cute and convenient, living right here in Austin and all, and I like some of the same strummy-strummy-la-la music (though fortunately I do N OT own any Hootie CDs). On the other hand, I've always felt sympatico with Jeremy since we're both married to obsessive gardening lawyers. And that long hair... I'm thinking it could be a turn-on.

Shall we start a new thread: who's sexier, Eric or Jeremy?

-- Anonymous, January 31, 2000

Well, that's why I asked the question -- to see if people actually use their breadmakers. I checked Epinions and found that most reviewers said they used their breadmakers all the time, which surprised me.

As for breadmaking being an art, I agree that it is. It's an art for which I do not have time. My choice is store bought or machine made.

-- Anonymous, January 31, 2000

Nope -- no breadmaker, though a friend who lived across the hall from my ex-sweetie had one and it was great to come over and have fresh bread pretty much every week.

She used it all the time and she was a college student writing a thesis.

Personally, I've gone back and forth on the breadmaker issue, mostly because none of the breads Esther ever made had enough crust to make me happy.

If I do make bread I also want the satisfaction of kneading and pounding the dough into submission. It's stress relief.

That and since I started shopping at Fresh Fields I can actually get delicious sandwich bread _all_ the time.

-- Anonymous, January 31, 2000

Well, I don't know that I'd sleep with Jeremy, but if you gave him an extra dose of hot Xeney-lovin', and got two...

This creates an ugly precedent, given that it's part of your plan to un-mess yourself to eventually remember to start having sex again. It seems unfair to Jeremy to make him feel that he has to give you kitchen appliances for doing something you were planning on doing anyway, but it does remind me of a joke:

Little Jenny comes up to her mom one day, and said that she saw part of a tv show where this man and woman got into bed and started rolling around under the covers. She wanted to know what that was, and her mom said, "Well, that's where babies come from. We'll explain more when you're older."

"Okay," said Jenny. "How about when I walked into your room one night, and you were kissing Daddy's private parts?"

"Well, honey, that's where jewelry comes from."

-- Anonymous, January 31, 2000

I have one and I love it too. I don't use it that much right now because I live alone, and I don't eat that much bread. But I have used it almost every day in the past. I've also used it to make dough that I braided into challa bread. It was great. I think I want to make some now!

-- Anonymous, January 31, 2000

I will absolutely guarentee I wouldn't sleep with your boyfriend for a breadmaker.

Al of NOVA NOTES

-- Anonymous, January 31, 2000

Oh my god what a hilarious entry!!!

You know what, thanks to all these hormones, I'm so damn horny I'd sleep with your boyfriend just for a slice of bread.

Ohh, yeah....

-- Anonymous, January 31, 2000

My mom has one and she uses it all the time. I've been quite unimpressed by the bread, though. It's like Taco Bell tacos - they're good, but they're not really tacos. Bread maker bread - at least hers - strikes me the same way. If you like it, that's good.

I asked her not to get me a breadmaker when she suggested it as a gift. So no, I wouldn't sleep with your boyfriend to get it. No reflection on him.

-- Anonymous, January 31, 2000

I have a breadmaker and I love it! My loaves don't look perfect when they come out but they never last long enough for anyone to care. Get one pronto! Well worth a few payments on the SFP. ;-)

-- Anonymous, January 31, 2000

i don't think i'd ever use a bread maker, i'm too thrilled by new and complex yeast breads to ever just stick ingredients in a big machine and let it go.
i love making bread, it's one of my favorite activities!

-- Anonymous, January 31, 2000

I think this is a trick question. Beth's trying to find out who's coveting her boyfriend, so she can kick their ass and get some extra exercise in, to boot.

http://www.bitchypoo.com/bitchypoo.html

-- Anonymous, January 31, 2000

I think I'd BREAK Jeremy, regardless of what we're having sex for.

Of course, I have no opinions on the breadmaker, except that I bought one for my best friend's mom a few years ago. She loved it and the bread that came out of it was very good. Of course, it was a FEW years ago (like 4 or 5) so I remember nothing of it. Make, model, price. I *think* I got it at Sears, but don't hold me to that. (=

I think the important question Jeremy needs to be asking here is: "How raunchy do you THINK he can go for 59.99?" (=

-- Anonymous, January 31, 2000

One of my all time favorite entries. Too cute.

I might consider doing Jeremy for a breadmaker if I had any time or energy left over from trying to please my husband in to a new house!

However, if he was offering a nice little compact microwave, I might be on the next flight to California.

-- Anonymous, January 31, 2000

Jesus. Forget Stee. I want Jeremy. He can fix things. He knows where I should shop for stereos. He has a cool name. He has rebel hair. He has a 25(?)-year-old ass.

And Stee? An actor who just gave up smoking and is going manically insane. I almost wish he'd start smoking again.

I don't think I'd sleep with Jeremy for a breadmaker, though. Maybe if he fixed my car, but only with a signed note from Beth so I don't get my ass kicked from here to China.

-- Anonymous, January 31, 2000

Please get Panasonic Bread Maker. Panasonic has Automatic Yeast Dinspenser. That means there is NO WAY you can ruin your bread unless youforget to add yeast all together! http://www.dynadirect.com/dynadirect/panautbreadm.html

-- Anonymous, January 31, 2000

Five years ago I wanted a breadmachine and when I saw that there was a monster sale, I called one of my husband's friends to have him drop a few hints to Brent. By the time Brent got to the store, they were out, but my Mom managed to get one for me, different store, and no raunchy required.

I probabbly wouldn't sleep with Jeremy (no offense, Jeremy) for a breadmachine, but I've slept with Brent for less. I remember one Valentine's Day . . .

Anyway, here's a tidbit of advice: tell him you'd do the RAUNCHIEST thing if he throws in a Pasta Maker. (Oh, it's definitely worth it.)

-- Anonymous, January 31, 2000

My mom has a breadmaker. She likes it, everybody else likes the bread.

I don't like it. It smells funny (caustic) the whole time it's cooking, and when it's done the bread tastes odd, too. And the crust is always too thick. Fortunately it isn't being used very much. I think it would be okay if you used it to knead & rise the dough, and then baked it in a real oven. But I haven't tried that.

And I'll just pretend I didn't read that second question, if it's okay with you.

-- Anonymous, January 31, 2000

Jeremy has really enjoyed this forum topic today, but I suspect he'll be relieved to see that his sister didn't answer the question about sleeping with him.

-- Anonymous, January 31, 2000

I have a breadmaker, and I love it. I don't use it as often as I might, though.

I use it to knead and rise, and then use the oven to cook. I didn't like the shape of the bread and the little hole in the bottom where the paddle gets cooked into the bread.

Since I started baking the bread in the oven, I haven't made a loaf I didn't like.

The best thing, IMO, is money bread, with cinnamon and sugar.

-- Anonymous, February 01, 2000

I have the inexpensive Costco bread machine and an quite happy with it. No one else has mentioned the counter space factor. I wouldn't use the machine nearly as much if I had to dig it out of the back of a cabinet and find a place to set it up each time. I have sort of a pantry area off my the kitchen in my house where the machine can live but I wouldn't have gotten any use out of it at all in any of my previous apartment kitchens.

Costco also sells a box of Krusteaz assorted bread machine mixes. Yes, it is embarrassing to admit that not only do you only make bread in a machine, but that you use a mix to do it. But, there it is.

-- Anonymous, February 01, 2000

Money bread, Laura?

I gotta get me a loaf of that!

-- Anonymous, February 01, 2000

I've been meaning to get this post up...

Interesting. I'll get to Jeremy in a minute but D (my, um, ex - with a nudge nudge) recently offered to let me borrow his breadmaker, as he hardly ever uses it. Currently, he is borrowing my microwave, and in the past he's borrowed my Brita water filter - both because my roommates have these items already.

As for trading sex for anything with D, well, that's a sure way to NOT get laid. He gets all high and mighty on me and, even if he was planning on having sex with me before I offered a trade of any sort, he'll close up and give me a speech about how "it just doesn't feel right" to be trading anything for sex. It doesn't matter that it was a joke, that whatever was going to be traded was going to be traded whether sex was involved or not - mentioning sex as a possible item for trade ends all trade negotiations. Period.

No, that's not a lot of fun. That's one of the reasons you shouldn't sleep with your ex (well, at least my ex) - his sense of humor goes ptooey and there all these arbitrary RULES. Sigh...

Oh...Jeremy? Well, I think I've already established that I have no trouble trading sex for kitchen appliances; indeed, it would be a relief to have someone willing to "engage" in such trade. And, well, from what I can see, Jeremy is certainly doable. However, I have to agree with whomever said that it'd be wise to get a signed (and notarized) note from Beth saying it was OK. Oh, and Beth? What does Jeremy consider "raunchy"? My guess is that I could outraunch him easily, but I could be wrong. If I impressed him enough with my willing raunchiness, do you think he'd upgrade my computer for me? I hear he's good at that sort of thing....

Mmmmm....computer upgrades....mmmrrrooaw! It's enough to

-- Anonymous, February 02, 2000

It's enough to get a girl all excited...

(mumble mumble greenspan truncating me again! mutter mutter

-- Anonymous, February 02, 2000

i've been living in ann arbor for the past year and a half, so i've gotten COMPLETELY spoiled by REAL fucking bread from zingerman's. mmmm. crust that breaks all your fillings and leaves you crying for more!

breadmakers are cute, and you can throw in lots of interesting ingredients, but i really don't like the texture of the resulting bread.

-- Anonymous, February 03, 2000

Egads. It's monkey bread, not money bread.

Big fun, though. Lots of little bread balls baked in a single loaf. You pull it apart. You can make it sweet or savory, depending on your mood and the ingredients at hand.

-- Anonymous, February 03, 2000

Well, my husband and I put a breadmaker on our gift registry when we got married, and we ended up with two (identical). We really enjoyed the breadmaker, but it was packed up (along with the ice cream maker) when we moved last January, and hasn't been brought out since. We just don't have room in our apartment kitchen. :(

We ended up moving the second breadmaker too, and gave it to Dale's aunt and uncle over the summer. They love it, and use it often.

For what it's worth, our breadmaker is a Breadman that can do up to 2lb loaves, and sold for about $80 in 1998.

Fresh bread rocks.

-- Anonymous, February 03, 2000