Seems like a lot of fuss over crust color. Home bread should taste good, not just look fancy. Probably not worth the extra hassle.

Totally get that! Had a brutal spot last year where laminate met vinyl planks with a big height difference. Grabbed a piece of spare flooring and a jigsaw to custom shape a reducer. It took some time, but that thing slid right into place like a puzzle piece. You just can't beat a transition that's made for the exact gap you've got. The pre-bent ones from the store would have left ugly spaces for sure.