Bake a Bone looks like a George Foreman that makes dog biscuits. It says it can make healthier dog treats for your dog, but how well do these treats really turn out, and is it that easy?
Overview
Many of the treats available on the market today are not made with the best ingredients for your dog. There are organic dog treats, and those that contain vitamins and minerals that are important for dogs, but there are also plenty that use preservatives and are made with filler ingredients like grains and vegetables.
The Claim
The makers of Bake a Bone say that you will be able to quickly and easily make homemade dog treats in 3 inch bone form. They also say the free recipe guide that comes with it allows you to make a myriad of different treat recipes so your dog won’t get bored with the same old bland treats day after day.
The Hype
The major hype here is that you will be able to make an assortment of different dog treats, in all sorts of flavors, and that it’s catering to dog owners that want to give their dogs finer treats than what they can buy at the store. It’s a well-known fact that these owners want to spoil their dogs in many instances, and they are trying to capture that market with this product.
The Cost
You can get a Bake a Bone system for $38. You can choose to pay all at once or have them break it up for you into two payments of $15, plus the $8 shipping fee so it would be $23 for your first payment. This seems like a reasonable price, especially when you factor in all of the dog treats that you’re not having to buy from the pet store or wherever you currently buy them from. This not only makes financial sense in the short run, but over time you’re saving a bunch.
The Commitment
You will need to learn how to use this, and of course it’s not going to be as easy as simply buying dog biscuits from the store and giving them to your dog. There’s also a time commitment and some babysitting that needs to be done in order for these to turn out right. You’ll also need to shop for the ingredients these use. But if you don’t mind putting in the time, all signs point to this working and helping to save money while providing better quality treats.
Evaluation
The Bake a Bone concept is a solid one because when you have the ability to bake your own dog biscuits you would no longer need to rely on what’s available at the pet store or the supermarket. When you have quality control over your dog’s treats, you can cater to what you know they like, and you can also experiment and find out what their favorite things are.
It’s no secret that the big dog food manufacturers are only looking at the bottom line and trying to figure out how to make dog food and dog treats at the barest expense, for the most profits. This is not a good philosophy for how to make the healthiest treats for dogs, so it’s nice to be able to take matters into your own hands and make them good treats they’ll enjoy.
Final Bake a Bone Review
The Bake a Bone dog biscuit maker is getting our Solid Try review, as it gets good feedback from those that have tried it, and the only complaints seem to be that it doesn’t make them fast enough, and it is a pain to clean it up since it isn’t able to be put in the dishwasher. Even those buyers with complaints point out that their dogs enjoy the treats and that the machine does in fact live up to the promise of making edible treats for dogs.
Our Recommendation
If you want to be able to make your own dog treats, and potentially save money doing so, this is something that is worth trying. If you compare the cost to the gourmet style dog treats you can spoil your dog with, these are a fraction of the price with similar or even better quality.
Have six Rescues that were getting really expensive (because I spoil them rotten! They LOVE these bones!
I was disappointed by the recipe book’s suggestions (Pinterest has the whole book available). It suggests regular flour usage which is a no-no.
I like the concept here because the stuff they sell at supermarkets and even pet stores can be loaded with stuff that is not too good for your dog. Having said that, you can buy cookie presses shaped like bones for much cheaper. It also only makes four at a time, whereas if you cut your own out, you could make at least twice that much, if not more. But the good news is that they are starting to come up with more options for pets.
I am a dog owner and I would go to great lengths to make sure that I give my pet the best possible food. This product looks like the way to do it, but in the description they forgot to mention one very important aspect: the time you’d need to cook. Or maybe they left it out on purpose because it takes too long.
Either way, I still think it’s an extremely useful product and the price shoudn’t be an issue. After all, for example, a good waffle maker costs over $50.
I recently checked their website and saw that they sell instant mixes as well. As much as I like the Bake a Bone I would be afraid to try their mixes. Instead I would just stick to buying natural ingredients and use their free recipe book as a guide.
OK, right off the bat I can tell you that Bake-a-Bone is too expensive. How on God’s green earth can a cooking utensil for your dog cost nearly $40? That’s prohibitive. This product should not be more than $25, and I would suggest defraying the cost by refurbishing some George Foreman grills, which they were clearly inspired by.
That said, dog food is expensive and most of the stuff they sell in the supermarket is full of junk. If you can take greater control of your dog’s diet and bake-a-bone at home, you will probably save money on food in the long run. And feeding your dog a healthier diet may result in a longer happier life for your pooch and perhaps even lower vet costs along the way. Plus (and how could they miss this), think of all the bone-shaped foods you can cook for yourself! Be sure to wash thoroughly.