Cheapest Bread Maker

Wasn't sure I could warrant spending some of my limited cash on a breadmaker but at £14.50 delivered I can't lose. I ordered my Fastbake on Friday evening and delivery is shown for Monday so here's hoping. :j

Decided to go onto Morphy Richards website and download the manual / recipe booklet. Looks like a comprehensive machine . Is it really as easy as it looks?

I've already been shooping for ingredients for a basic loaf and once it's delivered I'll be ready and waiting for my first fresh loaf of bread.

Thanks to everyone - I may actually save money as a result of this purchase. :A

I would chuck the mixing bowl and paddle into a dishwasher, if you have one, and use a damp cloth on the casing (unplug it first!)

Don't wash the stuff in a DW regularly as it takes the plating off, but a one off blitz should be OK.

Hinari is usually OK quality cheap stuff (it will be made by someone else and just rebadged).

Wendym, if you go over to the other thread in post 15 Chipps is talking about having had Hinari BM before. She'd probably have lots of tips for you!

Hinari - for Wendym

Hi Wendy - I had 2 Hinari machines - one was brilliant, the other was awful, but they were both basically the same machine, although one was newer than the other one.

The first one had quite a heavy quality bucket & made really nice loaves. I used it almost daily, on the timer overnight so that there was fresh bread in the morning. Then I would leave the bucket to soak for a while to get any baked on bits off. I don't know whether it was the constant overnight use, or the soaking, or just the fact that it had reached its version of old age (I bought it 2nd hand), but after a while the seal in the bottom of the bucket round the thing that turns the paddle, leaked. That meant I couldn't use it overnight anymore, and in time it was so bad I couldn't use the machine at all.

Then MIL gave me her almost identical Hinari machine, that she couldn't get on with. I thought it must be her!!! But no, it was the machine! The bucket was much flimsier metal, and even on the lightest setting there was always a very thick, crunchy crust. It was dreadful. I tried loads of different recipes, settings etc., but no luck. I ended up just using it to make dough for rolls or pizza bases.

So I can't really help with tips for yours - it seems that with Hinari it's the luck of the draw! If yours is one of the good ones, you'll really enjoy using it, but if not.... well, fresh rolls & pizzas are very nice!

As far as cleaning it goes, I would be a bit wary of putting any of it in the dishwasher. The seal in my good one was what went wrong, and also the non stick coating was beginning to go by then as well. I would suggest as little as possible regarding putting any chemicals on it. Wash it thoroughly with washing up liquid in water the first time, but after that, rinse it with warm water as soon as possible after removing the bread then dry it straight away. I am being very careful with my "new" (ebayed) MR FB, cos having once again found a good bread machine I am not taking any chances!!!!

Have fun, experiment with recipes!