never too hot to bake

When we prepared for our sailing trip we had a shopping list of essential things to buy for the boat. Useful stuff to make life easier and safer while under way. And I'm not speaking of all the technical additions like solar panels or water maker. Want some examples?
Ditch bag (or abandon ship bag), of course tools and spares of all kinds, self assembled first-aid kit, satphone, printer, epilator (No, not vibrator!) and kitchen stuff. Marco kept asking if I wanted a bread machine as many cruiser's recommended it. I wasn't sure... When we then stumbled upon the shiny, elegant and reasonable "Breadman" that just seemed to be waiting for me on its shelve I gave it a try.

And hardly used it... Why is that? The Breadman needs a hell of power. Before we arrived in Grenada we spent most time at anchor. You don't wanna waste precious power on a silly baking machine!
I have to admit that I could have baked a lot under way while bashing against the trade winds as many times we had to use the motor. It's easy: motoring=enough power. But most of the time I forgot to prepare the ingredients and I didn't feel like doing it under way in a shaky galley!

Now we're docked, connected to shore power and nothing is shaking. But it is hot, very hot right now! That's why I started to remember one of the benefits Marco once mentioned to "sell" to me the bread machine: it's not heating up the cabin like an oven!

So I started using it - and love it! You might ask why is she baking her own bread as there is fresh bread available on vitually every street corner? It's so simple: my homemade bread lasts longer without getting moldy, nothing is better than the smell of baked bread, to taste a bread when it is still hot AND I can bake what ever bread we feel like eating at that moment - White, Wholemeal, Pumpernickel, French or Banana, you just name it and I bake it!

What are my Pros and Cons for having a bread machine on board?
PRO:
- with just a few basic ingredients you're able to bake a variety of tasty breads
- a freshly baked bread is a nice present when you're invited on someone's boat
- your husband LOVES you even a bit more when the boat smells of freshly baked bread
- it's not heating up the cabin

CON:
- a bread machine uses a lot of power
- you need to have the space to store it
- you have to think of prepare the ingredients BEFORE your husband is starving
- the bread has always the same shape

From paradise with love
Rahel