That $40 proofing box turned my bread game around, then nearly burned my counter

I finally caved and bought a cheap proofing box off Amazon because my kitchen sits at 62 degrees in winter. First loaf came out perfect, airy crumb, great rise, I felt like a pro. Then yesterday I left it on overnight by accident and woke up to the bottom of the box warping and a weird burnt plastic smell. Cost me $40 and a mini panic attack, but honestly it still beats babysitting dough on top of my fridge. Anyone else had a gadget that worked great until you forgot it was on? I'm thinking of getting a timer plug next, any recommendations that won't break the bank?

2 comments

2 Comments

ruby_jones1mo ago

Got a smart plug for like $15 and set it to auto shut off after 8 hours. Total lifesaver since I do the same thing with my dehydrator all the time. That burnt plastic smell is something else though, took me a week to get it out of my kitchen.

rowan9691mo ago

Whoa, that smart plug idea is solid, but here's the thing nobody mentions: those cheap proofing boxes often have a thermostat that keeps kicking on even when the dough is done. So the real danger isnt forgetting to turn it off, its forgetting that it cycles ALL night to hold temp, which is what actually warped your plastic. I would recommend just putting it on a mechanical outlet timer, the old school rotary kind with the little pins, theyre like $8 and way more foolproof than any app. Also, maybe set it on a ceramic tile or a cutting board next time, that gives you a buffer zone so the heat has somewhere to go instead of straight into your countertop. That burnt plastic smell though, I feel for you, I had to air out my whole apartment for two days after I did the same thing with a heating pad.