What Appliance Makes Best Bread Crumbs?

[maximoo]

I've been saving scraps of bread in the freezer so I could make bread crumbs. So now that I have a fair amount I am ready to make them. However when I went to the store to buy either a food processor or blender or even a combo I got confused. I've never owned either one. I don't need/want anything fancy or expensive.

Can anybody recommend what to buy? and what setting do I use to make fine bread crumbs?

[kareng]

On a TV cooking demo, they were using a little electric coffee grinder. There are also small food processors you can get for not much money. If all you want is to make bread crumbs, you wouldn't want a big expensive food processor.

[ciamarie]

I use my 5cup kitchen aid food processor for that most of the time, however I've also used one of those 'magic bullet' things for bread crumbs and it does the job well, also. It just does a smaller quantity. (Maybe 1 slice at a time vs 1/2 a slice). However, I also use the food processor to make mayo, and otherwise use it more often than the magic bullet.

[sa1937]

I just use an inexpensive blender and it works fine. Unless you have some real ambitions for using it a lot, I think a food processor would be overkill.

[Adalaide]

I have the GE brand blender that is just like the magic bullet only a whole lot cheaper. It came with 5 or 6 tall cups (just the right size for smoothies) and one smaller cup. It has one blender blade and one food processor blade and makes bread crumbs quite nicely. I do try to dry out the bread just a bit before I do it, either by just leaving it out for half a day or by popping it in a warm oven for a hour or so. My only qualm was the one time I didn't screw on the blade attatchment quite tight enough I had to unplug it to turn it off and wiggle it out. It was totally user error though. Other than the cups it doesn't take up much space and if you won't use many of them you can probably leave most in the box and just store them away. It takes up like zero counter space.

Open Original Shared Link

My grandmother uses a super old hand held grater something like this:

Open Original Shared Link

Hers was hinged the same but instead of an enclosed cylindrical blade it has a large flat round blade that is exposed and the likes of which will likely never be manufactured again. The crank is on the top, making for epic knuckle bashing and scraping. If I could ever get my hands on one I'd love and cherish it forever above all other methods of making crumbs. It could make perfect crumbs out of fresh baked bread, although I have yet to try on one of these more modern contraptions.

[Ginsou]

I also save up my bread pieces and use a $12 coffee grinder to grind mine if I have only a small amount to do. For a large amount.....usually a failed loaf of bread.....I use my blender. I don't use any particular speed on the blender, I just keep pushing buttons until the crumbs are fine enough. Blenders run about $24. Have you checked the price on ready made gluten free bread crumbs lately? I was feeling like a spendthrift one day and purchased some gluten-free Panko style bread crumbs....they turned out to be no different or better than the crumbs I made myself.I love fried scallops,onion rings, fish, and shake and bake style chicken. Definitely worth it to grind your own.

[Skylark]

I've had an Oskar mini food processor for ages. I don't know whether Sunbeam is still making them but I think Black & Decker and Cuisinart have similar appliances. It's just the right size to make a small batch of breadcrumbs, mince an onion, shred a couple carrots with the shredder blade, or dice an apple.

[maximoo]

thx to all who replied. I'll just get a cheap blender for $20 or so & see how it goes. I do know that the bread needs to be dried out in oven.