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

tonyg_2

I bought the Morphy Richards 48220 about 3 or 4 years ago and it is totally superb ! I love bread and go in phases - sometimes I love white cheapo supermarket bread, at other times wholemeal from the supermarket at other times my own amazing Morphy concoctions! There is nothing more wonderful than returning home in the winter to the gorgeous smell of warm freshly baked bread ...ahhhhhh!! Or first thing in the moning. Or, damnit ...anytime!!
The quality of the bread is great. I usually stick in the seeds at the start and it's fine!! There's even 2 recipe books that I bought from Sainsbury's - and best of all - they were specifically written for this machine so you "cant" go wrong!
Out of 100's of loaves, about 2 of them have gone wrong. Both times because I accidentally unplugged it whilst it was on and it "lost" its place in the cycle.
After heavy use for a number of years it is starting to squeak a tiny bit when the twirler is ...twirling...(!) so I am guessing it will have to replaced within the next year or so. That will be a disaster, as I have come to know this machine well and wonder whether any other one would be so good. ..but it's great to know that Morphy Richards are still making bread machines.
If you love bread, don't hesitate, buy one!!!
Tony

rchddap1

Never made bread before....but took the plunge on Saturday and its lovely. The first job was making tea....a freshly made pizza. OH was raving about it. Second job was a wholemeal loaf...again it was lovely. Problem is, I suspect that I have just turned my OH into a Baker. We'll never buy bread (or pizzas for that matter) again. In our freezer we now have little topping packs for pizza. For the price of a couple of pizzas we will be able to make about 7.

The Morphy Richards 48280 (or something like that) is a good machine. Didn't rock very much on the worksurface and happily churned and cooked away. Thanks for all the advice and at the moment I am glad that I bought it.

Depending on how well it goes further down the line I may end up getting a better model. Thanks folks.

apple_mint

rchddap1 wrote:

Problem is, I suspect that I have just turned my OH into a Baker. We'll never buy bread (or pizzas for that matter) again. I

Same here;) I haven't even touched our new breadmaker. Other half is reading recipes, checking out ingredients and was even rolling out the pizza dough last night (told daughter's he hadn't touched a rolling pin since he was a lad).

Has anyone else noticed that since making everything from scratch, experimenting with ingredients etc., the kitchen has become a livelier place? The whole family seems to be involved in meal making now ... instead of arriving as the food is being dished up. We are all having a bit of giggle and a laugh together ....

moggins

apple_mint wrote:

Has anyone else noticed that since making everything from scratch, experimenting with ingredients etc., the kitchen has become a livelier place? The whole family seems to be involved in meal making now ... instead of arriving as the food is being dished up. We are all having a bit of giggle and a laugh together ....

I'm the opposite, I get more peace now My kitchen isn't big enough to swing a cat in so I can shut the door, put my music on and get cooking, it's lovely!

Although whenever I do a mince dish dh always wants to come out and stir, he's very strange that way.

Daisy

You've all convinced me and I'm going to get a breadmaker. However they all look like they bake really tall and squat loaves which is what curry queen mentioned on a previous post. I will have to go into Comet I suppose and have a look. Found this one though which makes a longer type loaf. It's a Morphy Richards 48265. Does anyone have one?

http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B00008WFDS.02.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

sleepy

Ok, at the risk of sounding daft, I don't understand the problem with the shape of the loaves. Just turn it on it's side - then its a normal shape!

Sorry, I think I'm missing something.

Daisy

Because you get more slices out of a longer loaf I currently buy tiger loaves from Tesco (think bloomer if you don't know what I mean) and would like to make the same sort of thing.

chrisico

In the Panasonic the slices in the 'small' loaf (called medium size by Panasonic) made with 400 grams of flour are normal size and shape.The next size up has taller slices but instead of sending hubby to work with 3 slices he now only has 2,no problem there then.
As far as granary bread goes no trouble with this breadmaker but it is important to get good flour. I buy mine direct from
https://www.wessexmill.co.uk
who sell loads of different flours that they mill themselves.Delivery is only £3 if you buy up to 30kgs which lasts for ages and its's great not to run out. The Wessex cobber malted is especially nice and the plain white is brilliant and makes a really big loaf.

Curry_Queen

chrisico wrote:

As far as granary bread goes no trouble with this breadmaker but it is important to get good flour. I buy mine direct from
www.wessexmill.co.uk
who sell loads of different flours that they mill themselves.Delivery is only £3 if you buy up to 30kgs which lasts for ages and its's great not to run out. The Wessex cobber malted is especially nice and the plain white is brilliant and makes a really big loaf.

That's really good to hear about the granary, thankyou :T

I used Hovis granary flour when I tried it last week, with disastrous results, but I think it might be more to do with my current BM than the flour itself so I'm willing to give it another try. I emailed Hovis about it and they very kindly sent me vouchers for a couple of free bags of any bread flour I choose, plus a £5 voucher off any McDougalls products

rchddap1

Now that gives me an idea. I think there's a mill only 15 mins down the road from where I live. Could be a cheap way to get some flour for my lovely new breadmaker. Thanks for the though...if my plan doesn't work that is.