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The fun in making bread is not in the kneading. Kneading is brainless work. Bread enthousiast forums are rife with talk about bread machines - both kneading mac

by roel_v 8y ago

The fun in making bread is not in the kneading. Kneading is brainless work. Bread enthousiast forums are rife with talk about bread machines - both kneading machines and full bread making machines. I understand the picture you're trying to paint, but like so many cute analogies, when the fundamental premises don't even hold, what's the point?

mauvehaus 8y ago
Your point is fair; I don't actually make my own bread. I was just going off of the large number of people I know who have bought a bread machine, made a single-digit number of loaves of bread, lost interest, and never used it again. The point here being that if you aren't engaging with the hobby enough to really learn it, there's not really enough in it to hold your interest long term. I think the difference between "normal people" and bread enthusiasts is how they approach the bread machine. Bread enthusiasts, I assume, come at it from the angle of having engaged with the hobby and are looking to reduce some of the drudgery. "Normal people" come at from the angle of "sweet, I can make bread!", realize that if all you want is a loaf of bread, you're better off just buying one, and lose interest. If you're a bread enthusiast, can you shed some light on this?
- roel_v 8y ago
  Not sure - some tools can make you do things you couldn't before, or do them better. There is no way to simulate high temp/steam/low temp cycles without a programmable steam oven, and some types of joints are near impossible without elaborate jigs or tools. I don't think being a pro or hobbyist is the difference here. The OP seems like a cool thing to build, but it seems like a solution looking for a problem too. Plenty of bread enthousiasts just like the smell and taste of fresh bread, which they can't get from the store, and the easiest way to get that, will do. Just like some people might like nicely dovetailed cabinets with tight glueless joints, and will use anything to get that, as you can't buy that sort of thing. Not sure what my point is or where I'm going with this. Many things are highly inefficient to do yourself. People still do them. Does that mean you always have to use the most low tech methods? People have different desires and goals and objectives. I wouldn't spend my money betting on the OP being a great market success, but then again, there are quite a number of 3d printer companies, who also build niche tools, that seem to survive...

by roel_v 8y ago

mauvehaus 8y ago

Your point is fair; I don't actually make my own bread. I was just going off of the large number of people I know who have bought a bread machine, made a single-digit number of loaves of bread, lost interest, and never used it again. The point here being that if you aren't engaging with the hobby enough to really learn it, there's not really enough in it to hold your interest long term. I think the difference between "normal people" and bread enthusiasts is how they approach the bread machine. Bread enthusiasts, I assume, come at it from the angle of having engaged with the hobby and are looking to reduce some of the drudgery. "Normal people" come at from the angle of "sweet, I can make bread!", realize that if all you want is a loaf of bread, you're better off just buying one, and lose interest. If you're a bread enthusiast, can you shed some light on this?

roel_v 8y ago
Not sure - some tools can make you do things you couldn't before, or do them better. There is no way to simulate high temp/steam/low temp cycles without a programmable steam oven, and some types of joints are near impossible without elaborate jigs or tools. I don't think being a pro or hobbyist is the difference here. The OP seems like a cool thing to build, but it seems like a solution looking for a problem too. Plenty of bread enthousiasts just like the smell and taste of fresh bread, which they can't get from the store, and the easiest way to get that, will do. Just like some people might like nicely dovetailed cabinets with tight glueless joints, and will use anything to get that, as you can't buy that sort of thing. Not sure what my point is or where I'm going with this. Many things are highly inefficient to do yourself. People still do them. Does that mean you always have to use the most low tech methods? People have different desires and goals and objectives. I wouldn't spend my money betting on the OP being a great market success, but then again, there are quite a number of 3d printer companies, who also build niche tools, that seem to survive...