Bread Maker Recommendations (merged with "Thoughts on...")

Becles

I'm not so keen on shop bought bread anymore, and I can't stand the value bread. I make all my own bread, and I love doing it. I worked it out at around 40p a loaf, which is still cheaper than a decent loaf like Warburtons or Kingsmill, and it tastes much nicer.

I was given a Morphy Richards 48268 last year for Christmas. It's dead easy to use and once you learn the basic bread mix, you can measure everything out in a few minutes. Then you walk away and leave it.

It does beep after 30 mins or so, so you can add fruit/nuts/seeds if you want. It also has a timer, so you can put the ingredients in the night before and wake up to freshly baked bread. Make sure the liquid is in the bottom and yeast on the top as if it gets wet before mixing, you'll ruin the bread!

Don't bother with the fastbake setting. I used it once when I was in a hurry and the bread wasn't nice. It didn't rise properly and tasty heavy.

Mine has been well used, so it's recommended from me!

Curry_Queen

I also make Banana Tea-bread, Honey & Oat Loaf, Fruit loaves, Apple & Cinnamon Bread, Foccaccia as well as most of what megasaver listed, and probably a few more too!

I also used to think bread makers "just made bread" until I bought mine, but you can make all manner of stuff including cakes

medical

i hae had that the panasonic is very good though expensive

mah_jong

medical wrote:

i hae had that the panasonic is very good though expensive

Its the king of breadmakers and lasts for years!! (So I have heard!!!)

I have a prima model that was gathering dust in my mothers shed!!!!! It was about to go to the charity shop, I asked if I might get it, and if I didnt get use out of it I would give it to the charity shop!

I have not bought a loaf of bread this year!!!! Not a roll, nothing!! Its all made by machine. It takes minutes to throw it all in and you do nothing else ! Faster than buying it!!!!

So my adice to the op is ask around you pals/relatives and maybe someone has one that you can use!!!!
Ma

Mine is basic model if i had to buy would go for the panasonic, simply coz I DO use it all the time. I would use the different sizes, nut dispenser etc. but this is just fine meantime.

apprentice_tycoon

I have never used a breadmaker so I've been interested in this thread, do I assume that Panasonic is the ultimate machine?

Daisy

I've never considered a bread maker before but I really do love banana bread and fruit loaves. Can you make carrot cake in it and what about my absolute fave 'cut and come again cake'? Is there any difference in doing those sorts of things in the bread maker as opposed to the oven?

apple_mint

Last month I got the MR 6.5lt slow cooker from my PMS savings, based on the recommendations of this site. I was so pleased with it that I after reading everyone's comments about home-made bread I decided to save for a bread maker this month.

I got the Panasonic on Sunday (after haggling down the £98 cost in Comet to their online price) for just over £89. Some online prices were as low as £85 but I wanted it straight away. Hubbie has taken over as chief baker now we have a machine to do it . He has made both the full wholemeal and the 50/50 wholemeal/white flour loaves and they were both perfect as they came out of the machine and tasted delicious.

This weekend we are going to be more experimental with the type of loaves and are also going to try the pizza dough mix.

I can see us using our breadmaker all the time. Hubbie simply threw all the ingredients in the machine at breakfast time yesterday and set the delayed timer. We had a fresh loaf at 6pm which even our very fussy 17 year old was queuing up for.:D

An added bonus is that the Allisons Wholemeal Bread Flour is BOGOF in Tescos at the moment.

Curry_Queen

Does the Panasonic do the traditional shaped loaves rather than the squatty upright ones in the compact breadmakers?

When I first looked into getting one everyone raved about the Panasonic but the price put me off at first, as I wasn't sure it wouldn't just end up as another dust collector on the shelf, and settled for a Breville Compact which I got quite cheap on Ebay. But I find I do use it regularly and rarely buy bread now, so no doubt it would pay for itself fairly quickly.

I've a feeling mine isn't operating properly so looks like I'm going to have to start thinking about replacing it

rchddap1

I think I've finally made a decision. I'm going to say sod it and get the Morphy Richards for £40 at Argos. What swung it really was that I still have my £5 bonusbond voucher, and I realised that I can use it on that. Or that's my excuse anyway. Shopping should be cheap for the next couple of weeks and besides, I haven't treated myself for ages.

At the beginning of April I promised myself that if I was good then I could treat myself this weekend....and I have been.

chrisico

I have a Panasonic Pal and absolutely LOVE it! I use it every day and it is the only gadget I would truely miss.
It wasn't cheap (about £75) but has been worth every penny. The pan is thick and the nonstick is just that. It takes a good long time for the dough to mature so you need about 1/2 tsp for a 400g flour loaf,although there is a quick setting if you want.
A really good product.