Cuisinart CBK-200 2-Pound Convection Automatic Bread Maker Review

I am an experienced bread baker (with and without machines) and this is my third bread machine. It kneads better than others I have had BY FAR. This machine makes excellent bread, but there is one big problem. You cannot cancel mid-cycle to start a different process if you like. As an experienced baker, I like to tweak my loaves by using various different risings, etc., but I can't do that with this machine because once you start a cycle you are committed.Even if you turn the blasted thing off, it does not reset. Other machines allow more flexibility for experienced bakers.This machine does come with an excellent cookbook, and seems easy to operate. I can't explain the negative reviews, except to say perhaps they got a defective machine. This one does not budge on the counter like other machines I've had, either. I have used the dough cycle and have baked in the machine - each time with excellent results.I do recommend that those who are having trouble make sure they are using the proper flour and yeast - see King Arthur Flour company web site for lots of info!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Cuisinart CBK-200 2-Pound Convection Automatic Bread Maker

Product Description:
Fresh Bread doesn't get any fresher - or easier - than this!Cuisinart offers expert engneering in smooth brushed stainless to deliver a sensational-looking Convection Bread Maker that automatically adjusts speed and timing, and circulates air while baking.Exclusive Low Carb, Cluten-Free, and Artisan Dough settings are just 3 of 16 preset menu options available with the touch of a button.Cuisinart adds 3 crust colors and 3 loaf sizes, to give bread lovers a choice of over 100 bread, dough, cake - and even jam - combinations!

Buy cheap Cuisinart CBK-200 2-Pound Convection Automatic Bread Maker now Get 54% OFF

Oster 5838 ExpressBake Breadmaker, White Review

I have owned and used this breadmaker for 5 years now and there is no reason to get another one. The best part is it comes out with a loaf of bread that looks like a loaf of bread, not some tube of baked stuff.

This one is reliable.

As for making a good loaf of bread, one of the best hints I have found to follow is to measure your flour not by volume but by weight - a cup is 5 oz. This is what bakers do because all kinds of things can affect the volume of the flour you're measuring; moisture, settling, etc.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Oster 5838 ExpressBake Breadmaker, White

Product Description:
The Oster 5838 Breadmaker serves up hot, fresh bread, makes delicious jams, and creates gourmet doughs that add wholesome goodness to every meal.The easy to use manual comes with over 50 recipes, and making great bread is a snap with the Oster Breadmaker's three-step programming.

Buy cheap Oster 5838 ExpressBake Breadmaker, White now Get 26% OFF

Breadman TR875 2-Pound Breadmaker, Stainless Steel Review

I bought this bread machine from Amazon because it was on sale for $69 about two weeks ago.That seemed like a good price for what looked like a decent machine, so I ordered it. I'm so glad that I did!I have made six loaves so far, all of which have come out perfectly.I tried two other machines before this model, both of which burnt or did other crazy things to the loaves and so required tons of monitoringand adjustments.With this machine, though, it really IS as easy as throwing a few ingredients in the machine and pressing a button! So far I have made french bread, whole wheat bread, brown rice flour bread, irish potato brown bread, and more.The recipes that came with the machine work well, but I also picked up a few bread machine cookbooks for more variety.

In addition to making great bread, I love how quiet the machine is (like another reviewer, I kept checking to see whether it was working the first time).I also likethat it's a little smaller than equivalent 2 lb. machines and so easily fits under kitchen cabinets, and I love the way it looks in my kitchen (it's not a huge, hideous white box!). There's a helpful fruit/nut add-in beep, the shape of the loaf is nicer than the other 2 machines I've used, and the finished bread easily slides out of the pan.

Overall, I am extremely happy with my purchase.5 stars!

Added 10/25/2007:
I am still so happy with this bread machine, so I had to come back and add to my review.Since I bought this more 6 months ago I have been using it often (at least 1 loaf a week) and I have never had a failure yet.In addition to loaves made with bread flour, I have made many loaves with 100% whole wheat flour (the majority of my loaves are 100% whole wheat) or other flours like spelt, rice, and oat, and all loves came out beautifully.This machine produces perfect, perfect bread!I now bring fresh bread to every dinner party I attend, and people are always so grateful.

In addition to homemade bread being delicious, I think it's much healthier, too: I love that I now know exactly what went into every loaf of bread I eat (i.e. no weird chemicals or additives, I can decrease the sugar or replace it with a natural sweetener like maple syrup, etc.).I would give this machine 10 stars if I could, I love it that much.

One helpful tip someone gave me was to buy The Bread Lover's Bread Machine Cookbook by Beth Hensperger.I use recipes from this book every time I bake bread, and they always come out beautifully.I'm sure there are lots of other good bread machine cookbooks, but this is by far the best one I've tried.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Breadman TR875 2-Pound Breadmaker, Stainless Steel

Product Description:
Wake up to the smell of freshly baked bread with this programmable bread machine. The unit bakes 1, 1-1/2, and 2-pound horizontal loaves with its super-rapid cycle, 100-percent whole-wheat cycle, and gluten-free cycle. The machine also offers pasta, jam, and pizza-dough cycles. A helpful "add in" beep indicates when it's time to add fruit, nuts, or other mix-ins, while a large see-through window allows for viewing. Other highlights include an easy-to-read LCD display, a pause function, and a detachable lid. Avoid the use of metal utensils with the removable baking pan, which should be washed by hand in order to protect its nonstick surface. Housed in durable stainless steel, the bread machine measures 18 by 11-1/5 by 14-4/5 inches and carries a one-year warranty.

Buy cheap Breadman TR875 2-Pound Breadmaker, Stainless Steel now Get 23% OFF

Breadman TR520 Programmable Bread Maker for 1-, 1-1/2-, and 2-Pound Loaves Review

We bake a loaf about every 5 days, usually basic white or honey wheat. We've also made herb breads, seed breads and pizza dough. This is our first and only bread machine so we've nothing to compare it to, but seems great to us. The loaves are beautiful and almost always perfect - we've only had one loaf that didn't turn out (don't know why). There's a timer that lets us set it up the night before and wake to the smell of fresh bread baking... mmmm......The paddle does tend to take a largish chunk of bread with it when the loaf comes out of the pan. The writing is hard to read as others have said, but we use the default setting 95% of the time so we don't have to read anything - just hit start. For an inexpensive breadmaker, it's really great. We've had ours 7 months.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Breadman TR520 Programmable Bread Maker for 1-, 1-1/2-, and 2-Pound Loaves

Product Description:
Enjoy the delicious aroma of freshly baked bread with this easy-to-use breadmaker. The machine bakes 1-, 1-1/2-, and 2-pound loaves in less than an hour and can handle any favorite recipe--from cinnamon raisin, honey wheat, rosemary, and cranberry oat to hearty rye, cheesy onion focaccia, and classic French bread, even cinnamon rolls for breakfast or dinner rolls for the evening meal. The machine features a user-friendly push-button control panel with a digital display for simple programming. Choose from three crust shades--light, medium, or dark, and from eight different functions for making a wide range of breads and doughs. The unit also provides a delay timer that can be set up to 13 hours--great for waking up to or coming home to a warm loaf ready to be sliced and lathered with butter. Other thoughtful design details include a fruit-and-nut add-in signal bell, a viewing window, a removable lid, and a nonstick baking pan for quick cleanup. The breadmaker measures approximately 13-1/2 by 12-1/5 by 13-1/2 inches and carries a one-year limited warranty.

Buy cheap Breadman TR520 Programmable Bread Maker for 1-, 1-1/2-, and 2-Pound Loaves now Get 50% OFF

Zojirushi BBCCX20 Home Bakery Supreme Bread Machine Review

This is my third bread machine.My first was the original Zojirushi, and the second was a Breadman.I still use both the Breadman and the Zojirushi BBCCX20.According to most baking sites I've seen, the Zo and the Breadman are the leading contenders in this category today, so here's my comparison:

- The Zo is more solidly built and has a stronger motor.It can handle stiffer doughs that literally stopped the motor on my Breadman.

- The Zo is much quieter than the Breadman.The pan in the Breadman clanks around in its clips and makes quite a racket during kneading.

- Unfortunately, the Zo has an annoying 15-second beep to signal the right time to add nuts or fruits.As far as I can tell, there is no way to turn off this feature.For me, this is a big deal, because I used to love to set up my bread machine to make bread during the night, giving me a wonderful hot loaf of bread for breakfast.With the 15-second beeper, which sounds a lot like an alarm clock, using the Zo BBCCX20 overnight simply isn't an option.I wish there were a way to turn it off.

- The double paddles on the Zo do a better job of mixing ingredients without the need for scraping down the sides of the pan.

- The Breadman is a much more flexible machine.It's "Pause" button let's you add 15 minutes at any point in the cycle.Without the ability to pause, the Zo sometimes starts baking before the loaf is fully proofed.With bread, where the length of the rise depends on so many factors, having the flexibility to pause during a cycle is very valuable.You can program custom cycles on the Zo, but that's only a solution if you know in advance that your loaf is going to take some extra proofing time.

- Crust control is better on the Breadman.Even set on "light" crust, the Zo tends to produce a dark crust with breads that have a lot of sugar.

- The Breadman has a small bin that automatically dispenses "add ins" (fruits, nuts, etc.) at the right point in the cycle.You just load it up at the beginning of the cycle and the "trap door" releases the goodies at the right time near the end of the kneading cycle.

In a nutshell:The Zo is a better built, more powerful, quieter bread machine.It's solid, reliable, and great for doughs that would stop a lesser machine.The Breadman, on the other hand, provides much greater flexibility to make changes to the cycle once you've started and to get the crust you like.It also has an automatic fruit/nut dispenser and no long, annoying beep.If Zojirushi and Breadman would combine the Zo's motor and mechanics with Breadman's control panel and programming, they'd have the perfect bread machine.As it is, you have to choose based on what's most important to you.

UPDATE 02-JAN-2010

I found a new bread machine that has replaced both the Zo BBCCX20 and the Breadman as my favorite machine.It's the Zojirushi "Mini" (BB-HAC10).It takes up half the counter space of the Zo BBCCX20 and makes a perfect size loaf for a small family.It still doesn't have the flexibility of the Breadman, but at least they shortened the "add ingredients" beep (which goes on for so long on the full-size Zo that I can't use it for overnight bread making).Other than the beep, the Zo Mini is the quietest bread machine I've found.I really like it.You can find a more complete review on the Zo Mini product page.Happy Baking!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Zojirushi BBCCX20 Home Bakery Supreme Bread Machine

Product Description:
Zojirushi is the leader in bread makers, and it is proven with this newest version.This is the best on the market!The BBCCX20 has a beefier "engine," more automatic settings, easier-to-follow controls and instructions, more customized programming, and a more industrial, sleek look.

Buy cheap Zojirushi BBCCX20 Home Bakery Supreme Bread Machine now Get 25% OFF

Panasonic SD-YD250 Automatic Bread Maker Review

[Between 4 and 4.5 stars]
The Panasonic SD-YD250 is pretty much the state of the art in bread machine technology in mid-2003.It's one of the larger units around with a 2.5 lb. loaf capacity.This size will also eat up your counter or cupboard space: you need just under 14" of width and height, and 10" of depth, so keep that in mind when you order.
The bread consistency is excellent.It's even pretty good in the "rapid" mode, though the results are a bit better in the standard bake mode so that's what I generally use.Also, the "rapid" mode for whole wheat or multigrain bread is 3 hours (vs. 5 hours standard), so it's not like you can start the machine at the beginning of a meal and expect completed bread before you leave the table.The fastest full cycle -- "rapid" bake mode for white bread -- is 1hr 55min.
The SD-YD250 is quieter than most earlier bread makers; however, you'll still hear the clicking and whirring as it mixes and kneads the dough.It's a neat idea to wake up to the smell of freshly-baked bread but the machine isn't quiet enough to run in the bedroom unless you're a VERY sound sleeper.
The options for this machine include the following:
obasic/rapid bake
oimmediate start/timer delay
owhite/whole wheat/multigrain
osandwich (soft crust)
ocrust color light/medium/dark
oraisin (pause and beep to add fruit or nuts)
odough knead without bake
obake without dough knead
Note that not all of these options can be combined.For instance: you only get crust color selection for white bread, and sandwich mode for white and whole wheat; multigrain bread always has a dark, tough crust (although the bread inside the crust is moist and well-textured).
The container inside really is nonstick (based on my not-so-lengthy use since I bought it) and the kneading blade does very little damage to the finished loaf.Ease of use and cleanup are both excellent.
Bread results are quite sensitive to variations in the ingredients in either weight, consistency, or age.Always use fresh BREAD flour and fresh yeast (bread machine yeast recommended) and the right amount of salt, sugar, and flour.The recipes in the included book specify flour weight in units like 16 3/4 oz., so it's HIGHLY RECOMMENDED that you get a digital kitchen scale for good results.Note that this will require still more counter space.
Summary: a very good machine, but you'll need a fair amount of counter space and attention to details to get the best results from it.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Panasonic SD-YD250 Automatic Bread Maker

Product Description:
Panasonic SD-YD250 Automatic Bread Bakery with 4 Baking Modes

Buy cheap Panasonic SD-YD250 Automatic Bread Maker now Get 26% OFF