I have a Zo bread machine that I love, but all of the preset programs
have a preheat cycle of about 20 minutes that seems pointless to me
(and, for what it's worth, to the folks at King Arthur). I know that
I could do a custom program to eliminate this, but hey --
theoretically, I can program the VCR too. I have discovered, however,
that I can start the program without the pan in the machine. Thus,
when I get ready to bake bread, I take out the pan, close the lid, and
push "start." While I am digging out the recipe, measuring
ingredients, etc., the machine is running through its preheat cycle
all by itself. When I put the pan back in the machine, it just
continues the cycle. The result? I have saved about 5-10 minutes off
the breadbaking process without effort. Not earthshattering, but life
is made up of little victories!