I love my bread machine.  But I wondered if it was worth the price, so I did a cost analysis.  I'll post it here in case anyone finds it useful!

The biggest expense, generally, is the yeast.  This is where Costco comes in handy.  Buying yeast at a normal grocery store costs about $2.69 for 9 tsp, making the yeast in a basic 2 pound loaf cost $0.75!  At Costco, you can buy a 72 tsp. package for $3.29, lowering the cost of yeast in a loaf to $0.11. 

This is for a 2 pound loaf:

 

Bread Cost Analysis
Ingredient	Amt. In pkg		Pkg. Cost	Amt. In Bread		Cost in Bread
SS flour	18.75		1.59	4		$0.34
Oil	96	tbsp	3.39	2	tbsp	$0.07
Salt	122.75	tsp	0.85	1.5	tsp	$0.01
Costco Yeast	72	tsp	3.29	2.5	tsp	$0.11
						$0.53	Total

I use the basic white bread recipe that came with my bread machine.  All ingredients are listed above, with the exception of 1 1/2 cups of warm water.

The bakery in my local grocery store charges $2.00 for a 1-lb loaf, which is a huge percentage savings!

The only problem is, bread machines are expensive!  If you get yours as a gift or at a large discount, it will start paying for itself quickly.  However, if you pay retail even for the "cheaper" versions at $70.00, it will take  YEARS of consistent breadmaking (2 loaves a week) to make up the difference!

If you have a breakmaker, how much do you use your breadmaker?  Was it worth the investment?
 

Liz 

 I have had a bread machine for a long time...I dont use it at all anymore. I have gone back to making and baking from scratch in the oven. I like to make more than one loaf at a time. I like large loaves and my machine made a very small one. I do buy yeast at BJ's wholesale so get a good price for that.  Babs

 Welcome to the Community, Liz. Please join in the conversations wherever you find something of interest.

I never broke it down before but that is a great savings. I buy my yeast in a jar so I will have to check the price difference. I rarely use my bread maker anymore. I will be using it a lot more now though. I am a sucker for Poulsbo bread but it is so expensive. I will have to try a cost comparison on it. As for the price of my machine... I haven't bought a kitchen appliance in years. I am fortunate enough to have a crazy sister with way too much money and little ambition. I have aquired a bread machine, kitchenaid mixer, oster blender, juiceman juicer, foreman grill and the list continues. The only thing she won't give me is her electric potato peeler. :-( 

I had a hand me down bread machine ages ago, but never got into the habit of using it. I enjoy the process of making bread from scratch ,  and like to make a loaf and dinner rolls with each batch.

The food co op has yeast for $3.99 a pound. I don't know how that works out in cost per  teaspoon, but it comes in various sized bags around a half pound each.

bread machine---free due to my franks job (upgrades equil points, points equil merchandise)

10 pound bag of flour--free gifted to me from my neighbor (i can get 5 pounds of flour for 99 cents)

yeast--bought in bulk @2.79? a pound

salt---free gifted to me from my neighbor (if i buy salt its sea salt and sea salt is 5.59 for a 26 ounce package)

butter--1 pound this week is 1.67....margarine works to at 59 cents a pound

sugar--5 pounds is 1.99

i use my bread machine at least 3 days a week(since i got it a few weeks before xmas) and make chocolate bread, apple cinamon bread, italian bread and cinachip bread most often (these are the favorites in my house)

Ooh, those bread varieties sound awesome!  Do you have recipes?

I made a whole wheat bread today that was really good:

1 c. lukewarm water
1/8 c. honey
3/8 c. olive oil
1 egg
1 tsp. salt
3 c. whole wheat flour
1 tbsp. yeast
 

the one thats on the side of my bread machine?

basic bread

3/4 cup water (doesnt say warm or hot or cold)

2 cups flour

1.5 tablespoons of sugar(i always use 2)

1.5 tablespoons of instant dry milk (thats what i forgot to list! i get non fat dry milk in bulk and its 3.29 a pound i think) and i always use 2 tablespoons

1 tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon yeast

1/2 teaspoon salt

thats the recipie that is on the side of my bread machine, at the add beep for chocolate, i add 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips

for apple cinamon, i use 1/3 to 1/2 cup dryed apples diced (i buy the rings in bulk for 1.99 a pound?) and 1 tablespoon cinamon OR hersheys cinnachips about 1/3 cup

for italian, at the add beep, i add 1-2 teaspoons garlic powder and 1-2 teaspoons italian seasonings

for cinnachip, at the add beep i add 1/2 cup hersheys cinnachips, and sometimes 1/4 cup walnuts

 

 

Dear All, I make a loaf of "Country White" bread about every 10 days in my machine.  I bought SUCH a large container of yeast years back (at LEAST 8 years ago, as I've lived here 7 years, & had it for quite a while in my prior apt), that I still have a good deal of it (bought at Smart & Final warehouse store).  I keep it refrigerated on the bottom shelf, in a Tupperware canister.  (The bottom shelf is the least cold area of the fridge.)

I had been using the machine because my disability interfered with my ability to knead.  Since the Good L-rd has healed me, I am certain that I could make dough from scratch now.  However, I a m also lazy AND VERY BUSY THESE DAYS, so will probably continue to use he machine ...

Yours i Him, Deb

 

deb i wouldnt make bread AT ALL if i didnt have a bread machine! lazy prolably, but i also havent bought bread (other then 1 loaf of sour dough every other week because i dont have a start yet) so my time and my money/food stamps go farther with the bread machine