Steam Maker Bread Baker Co. Any reviews?

[Jambalaya]

I know the technique to getting professional quality baguettes re the crust etc. is to inject as well as properly vent steam during the baking process. That is very difficult if not impossible with a standard home method. I have tried several and they work to a degree, but nothing close to what I'm looking for. In my search for something I happened on the site mentioned in the title of this post and they sell a system which is pretty pricey. I'm sure I can get one for a lower price on E-bay but before I purchase I'm wondering if anyone out there has tried this device and what are your impressions.

Thanks

[cohoel]

I just used my steamer from this company and it is GREAT!!! I failed to slit the bread right before putting it in and it still rose to a glorious height, had great crumb, and a stunning, stunning crust. I will try to add photos here of the next batch! I have no association with this company other than having bought this product. It is just so much better than having a hot cast iron skillet into which you pour boiling water.

[mtpaper]

I already have the steamer, and the baking stone. I'd like to pick up a stainless lid (or disposable foil rectangle) - for when I make baguette-shaped breads (ie, I use stainless bowls, or Cast Iron Dutch Ovens for round or oval loaves).

I don't understand how you are using the steamer....

are you spraying the loaf before you cover it with the stainless lid?

Do you lift the lid again, in the middle of the baking, to spray again? Or, is their a 'squirt' hole in the stainless lid?

Thank you for explaining -

[Zeldog]

You might look into buying a Baparoma on eBay (seems they are no longer manufactured). It's basically a bottom pan that holds a small amount of water, a middle tray to hold the proofed loaf, and a cover.

It's about 16 inches long, so you can't bake a true baguette (more like a batard), but it does make a better loaf compared to baking on a stone and spraying water into the oven. I have two, and it's a shame they don't make them anymore.

http://www.megaheart.com/pdf/baparoma...

And that steam injector looks really stupid. You'll get the same or better effect with a $2 spray bottle.

[Jimmy Buffet]

Will a pressure cooker work? I see bread recipes for them although I have never cooked bread in one and can't imagine doing it...

[Jambalaya]

I suspect you just might want to try it. I have gotten info from CI indicating you can approximate the steam effect by baking in a preheated cast iron pot with the lid on. So I take it the pressure cooker will hold in the moisture from the bread probably better than the cast iron pot.

From what I have read re steam however two things are important. You need to expose the bread to what I believe is called superheated steam. That is steam above 212 deg. F. Also at some point during the baking process you need to be able to vent the steam and let the bread bake in the open oven. I suspect the pressure cooker will meet the first criteria but not the second unless of course you pull the top off at some point. However since you have one I guess its probably worth a try. Let us know what happened and good luck.

[alan]

Although it's probably not practical for a baguette, don't forget Jim Lahey's amazing no-knead bread recipe published in an article by Mark Bittman in the New York Times in November 2006 and discussed at very great length on this board thereafter. If you search this site for Bittman or Lahey you'll find the many posts. Here is one string: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/342144

[anniemax]

I've seen it on-line too, but the price seems high for a small steamer & a catering pan cover with a hole drilled in it to me, especially considering I already have the little steamer & a much larger one too- allergies to most cleaning chemicals, I'd be lost without steam cleaners. I also have a very heavy weight stainless steel domed cake cover I picked up at Salvation Army for $1.50 that didn't work for the project I bought it for. Its over 12" in diameter & 5-6" tall, not counting the handle- its a perfect match for the $3 Pampered Chief pizza stone I picked up last week. All I need to do is replace the plastic handle on the cake cover with a metal one I have on hand & drill a hole in it.

I did find some reviews over here at The Fresh Loaf board: http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/1838/steam-maker-bread-baker-company & here is a positive review from someones blog: http://breadbasketcase.blogspot.com/2... The picture the smaller Steam Maker Bread Baker makes me sad I didn't buy the square shaped metal cake dome when I bought the round one, but I needed the round shape for the other project.

[Jambalaya]

Thanks for the reply and the helpful info. It so happens after posting my original message I stumbled onto the Fresh Loaf thread myself. In fact there is quite a bit of detail re making one yourself. They even gave me a link to where I can buy the steamer. Since I am retired and have plenty of time I'm going this route instead of paying full price for the set. I only have one other question. The Overstock.com site they linked me to for the steamer contains lots of comments re the steamer and there really doesn't seem to be anything out there that is very reliable. I was wondering what experience you have with the steamer you use and if you would mind giving me details on where I can obtain it if you find it a durable product.

Thanks

[anniemax]

Your post did prompt me to give my homemade version a try last night with my sourdough bread and it turned out with a nice crust and a good rise. I also tried out my homemade proof box- a re-purposed electric Brisker- http://www.fantes.com/brisker.htm -it keeps a perfect 90+ degree temp & with the addition of some hot water, makes a pretty good approximation of a bakery proof box. And for $2.50 price tag, a much nicer looking one then a lot of the other homemade ones I've seen.

I used my larger steamer unit, as I've lent the smaller one out to a friend. The small one looks a lot like the one on the Steam Bread Maker site, except its bright yellow. We bought it back when steam cleaners first became popular 8-9 years ago, and even a small one was closer to $100 then $50. It was okay, but its frustrating for cleaning, as it doesn't hold a lot of water & you have to wait for it to cool down before you can refill it....which leads to a lot of starts & stops. Our larger one is made by EuroPro, and can be filled when hot. It is also much larger, so it it sits on the floor with casters. This is about the closest to it, though ours doesn't have the iron attachment: http://www.allbrands.com/products/abp... We've had it for 5-6 years and never have had any problems with it. I will say I occasionally add a cap-full of vinegar when I'm cleaning the ceramic tiled floors to help with any hard water build up in the steamer- they say not to add any anything, but I also know we have very hard water...and it can't be any worse then inhaling vinegar when I cook with it-lol.

Either steamer works great for cleaning burnt off stuff in the oven and for cleaning & sanitize the fridge, with no chemicals. Personally, if you think you might use the steamer for cleaning, in addition to making bread, I would recommend going with one of the bigger steamers on Overstock.

I am going to keep my eyes out for a larger dome to bake my bread under, along with finding some unglazed tiles. The sad thing is we had a bunch of catering equipment from my brothers restaurant, but we donated it to our church since we didn't have any use for it.

[Jambalaya]

If you're going for those unglazed tiles you might have a problem. I haven't been able to find them in my area and hit all the likely places. I received a reply to my post asking for help on that issue and I was instructed to ask for quarry tile, not unglazed. Apparently that's the stuff they put on commercial kitchen floors and is the way to go. Also make sure you get something no less than 1/2" thick.
Good luck on the tiles.

[mikobr]

I am giving a home made version to my wife for Christmas (cost about $100 and less if you have access to a restaurant supply store), and in the process I realized something interesting -- the covers seem to be just ordinary stainless steel steam table pans available from any restaurant supply store. Just turn the pan over. All of them seem to have a width of 12 2/3 inches, and their length is then full, two-thirds (what I purchased), half or quarter. And their height (pan depth) is either 4" or 6". All you need is a handle (requiring two holes) and a hole in the side. The stone and the steam guns are easy to find on Amazon or elsewhere. Hope it works.