Today's Kool Idea: Breadman TR520 Programmable Bread Maker

Has anyone ever taken a look at the ingredients in a typical bag of bread sold in your local supermarket? Yikes! We shudder just thinking about all of the emulsifiers and preservatives on the nutrition label. Granted, it keeps the price down to a reasonable level and allows us to keep our store-bought bread in the fridge for a lengthy stay without getting moldy. But when it comes down to it, The Daily Kool is a big believer of feeding our family foods with simple ingredients that aren't a struggle to read. Unfortunately, buying healthy (yet expensive) artisan-type bread at the bakery every day is a pipe dream for most of us, especially in today's economy. What's a parent to do?

There is nothing (and we mean nothing) as amazing as the smell of home-baked bread in the morning...and afternoon...and evening. Who are we kidding? We love homemade bread, regardless of when it's made. Okay, so our obsession will clearly never place us on the cover of one of those low-carb diet books. But, we like to think that we get enough fresh fruits and vegetables in our diet to indulge in what we believe to be one of life's most delectable culinary pleasures. We have to admit though, that as adventurous as we are in the kitchen, homemade bread has always been an intimidating process for us. It can take a long time to create a perfect loaf of bread, between mixing the ingredients, kneading the dough, letting it rise (once or twice), punching and kneading again (and again), then finally putting it in the oven to bake. Whew...we could probably use a bread maker.

We have always heard great things about bread makers, but have always resisted the impulse to purchase one for ourselves. We're not quite sure why...well, maybe we do. Have you ever considered what a stress reliever punching and kneading dough is? Think about it. Let's face it though, either our schedules are fuller or we're just getting lazier with age, but we just don't have the time anymore. A bread machine would definitely simplify our lives, especially one that is as reasonably priced as the Breadman TR520 programmable bread maker.

We saw a demo for the Breadman TR520 programmable bread maker on QVC yesterday and were really impressed with how easy it seems. They made a big deal about the cost, but with shipping, it winds up only being a couple of dollars less expensive than the one featured on Amazon. Regardless, for the typical family, this an absolute bargain at under $60, especially compared with others on the market. If eight functions with 39 programmable options weren't enough, the Breadman TR520 has a host of other features that we love. The digital display with viewing window also includes a crust color control, one-hour warm cycle and (our favorite) a 13-hour delay timer. Imagine putting the ingredients in your bread machine before you go to sleep and waking up to a luscious aroma in the morning...not that we are ever able to get 13 hours of sleep in one night (don't we wish), but that's just us being fickle about it. Add a fruit and nut add-in beep, a recipe booklet and a viewing window to keep tabs on our creations (yes, we're anal), and we've got everything we need to bake a perfect loaf of homemade bread.

The biggest complaint that we have come across with the Breadman TR520 is that the digital display is kind of hard to read. What the company's executives were thinking when they put white lettering on a yellowish beige panel is anyone's guess. Maybe there was something in the yeast that day, but it was really a pretty dopey move on their part. Also, watch out for the kneading paddle...it is likely to come out of the machine with your bread. Oh, and make sure to put your Breadman TR520 far enough back on the counter so it doesn't "walk" off and smash itself to bits. Overall, the issues seem pretty minor for what you're getting with this great machine. The Breadman TR520 programmable bread maker is clearly a convenient and practical way to create yummy loaves that are affordable and healthy for the entire family. How "kool" is that?

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