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Should You Get the Brød & Taylor Folding Proofer?

The Brød & Taylor Folding Proofer promises to make it easier to proof bread dough, even in a cold kitchen. Is it worth adding to your baking toolkit?

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Published Feb. 2, 2024.

Should You Get the Brød & Taylor Folding Proofer?
See Everything We Tested

What You Need To Know

What You Need to Know

If you’ve ever tried to make bread in winter, you know that the colder temperatures can make dough rise at a snail’s pace. To proof bread dough during cold weather, we often create a makeshift proofer by placing a pan of boiling water in a turned-off oven. This method works well for short proofs, but it requires repeatedly heating the water to keep the oven temperature warm for recipes that proof for more than two or three hours. 

A folding proofer (also known as a proofing box) makes it easier to proof dough in a colder environment. It uses an electric hot plate to warm the contents inside, and you can control the heat output to proof dough at specific temperatures. This ensures consistency in your results from day to day, regardless of changes in the ambient temperature of your kitchen. Many recipe developers specify ideal proofing temperatures or desired dough temperature (DDT) to help you more closely align with the timelines in their instructions.

The Brød & Taylor Folding Proofer & Slow Cooker has long been a go-to tool of serious home bakers and cooks who dabble in other fermented foods, such as yogurt. It’s even advertised as a slow cooker, reaching temperatures of 195 degrees Fahrenheit. We wanted to see if it makes a significant difference in the ease and quality of proofing dough, and we were curious about its additional functions. So we put it to the test. 

What We Liked

  • Easy Set Up and Storage: The proofing box was very simple to set up. There are only a few parts to put together: the base, the walls, the lid, an optional rack that you place your food container on so it isn’t in direct contact with the hot plate, and an optional water tray for adding humidity to the box. The walls are foldable so they pack up flat to store. 
  • Simple Operation: The control panel on the proofer has just a few buttons, which are clearly labeled and easy to use. You use the power button to turn the machine on and off and another button to toggle between proofing and slow-cooking modes. The other buttons let you increase or decrease the temperature as needed. 
  • Makes Proofing Easy and Consistent: The proofing box is designed to control the temperature of the food being fermented or cooked, not the ambient temperature. It can operate in a range from 70 to 195 degrees Fahrenheit and for hours on end, which is necessary for long-running projects, such as proofing sourdough, fermenting kombucha or yogurt, and slow cooking. For the most part, the proofer did a good job of maintaining steady temperatures, with small fluctuations. This helped ensure perfectly proofed loaves every time and guarant...

Everything We Tested

Good : 3 stars out of 3.Fair : 2 stars out of 3.Poor : 1 stars out of 3.
*All products reviewed by America’s Test Kitchen are independently chosen, researched, and reviewed by our editors. We buy products for testing at retail locations and do not accept unsolicited samples for testing. We list suggested sources for recommended products as a convenience to our readers but do not endorse specific retailers. When you choose to purchase our editorial recommendations from the links we provide, we may earn an affiliate commission. Prices are subject to change.
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Reviews you can trust

Reviews you can trust

The mission of America’s Test Kitchen Reviews is to find the best equipment and ingredients for the home cook through rigorous, hands-on testing. We stand behind our winners so much that we even put our seal of approval on them.

Sarah Sandler

Sarah Sandler

Sarah is an assistant editor for ATK Reviews who is deeply passionate about anchovies and sourdough bread.

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