Birth of the Breadmaker: From Japan to Your Kitchen

Published on 30th July 2013

Freshly baked bread is definitely one of life's little pleasures. Thanks to breadmakers, the time consuming kneading and pummelling has been done away with. So, busy people can bake bread at home and indulge in the texture, flavour and aroma of this comforting food.

We don't often think of bread being a favourite in the Far East, but you might be surprised to learn that the invention of the bread machine was driven by Japanese consumer demand.

japanese city life

Japanese city life (image source: Flickr)

Breadmaker Invented Thanks to Japanese Love of the Loaf

Japan has a worldwide reputation for its culture of inventiveness and innovation. When bread was introduced to the country, people absolutely loved it! Before long, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co (now Panasonic) developed a device that could take the hard graft out of bread making. So by 1986, Japanese families could enjoy a fresh loaf every day of the week. It was a huge success; with people all over the nation eager to get their hands on one of these new gadgets.

A Flop in The US at First

In 1987, bread machines were introduced to America. Initially, the US didn't warm to them and the sales figures were a total flop. The year after its introduction, just 15,000 were sold throughout the whole of the States. The breadmaker was even criticised as being another yuppie fad. Nevertheless, by the mid 90's Americans had embraced the bread machine, with the Brits following close behind.

Early Models

In all fairness, the bread makers of yesteryear weren't as efficient and easy to use as modern ones. There were still some glitches and bumps to iron out! They were cumbersome and not as flexible as the ones we see today. They were the kind of gadget that would end up stuck in a cupboard, never to see the light of day again - until the next car boot sale!

Today's Models: Efficient and Versatile

Today's breadmakers are far more user-friendly. They really do turn baking bread into a simple process and they can do much more than that. If you look online, you'll find that people have been busily experimenting and have found some very creative uses for their bread machines. People even make jam in them! Although the jury is out as to whether this is a good idea, bread machines are undeniably versatile. They aren't just for making plain bog-standard loaves of bread. They can be used to bake doughnuts, bagels and a range of cakes.