The one exception I took to Bittman’s article was the bread machine. After 3 years of trying various ways to get good, whole grain bread to our table, my husband and I decided a bread machine was a worthwhile addition to our kitchen. I tried making our own bread for a while and ended up in tears far too many times after an entire batch failed. Buying good whole grain bread was ridiculously expensive at an average of $3 for a relatively small loaf. With Christmas gift money, we got a good bread machine and we’re so glad we did! I can simplify our grocery list down to basics like flour, eggs, milk, and oil, but we’re enjoying things like whole grain pizza dough, pumpernickel bagels, whole wheat soft pretzels, and a hearty, whole grain, unbleached white bread. For us, simplifying meant getting 1 workhorse piece of equipment that does a lot of different things. It also meant less driving to the store at the last minute for bread.