Breadmaker - Budget option

BWZN93

Hello and good afternoon all!

Ive decided that since I got paid last week, and Ive been working hard, so i deserve a treat.

Ive decided to get a breadmaker but wanted a bit of advice. I will only let myself buy a cheap version, and have seen a cookworks one for £25 in argos. Does anyone have that one? Is it worth it, or should I wait till I have more money and go with a more expensive one?? Ive previously bought a cookworks steamer, and it seemed to work fine, I just think its design and name that we pay more for - the others that are more expensive look really good, but im sure just do the same job.

Or does anyone know of anywhere else that does a cheap one, but a better one?? I just dont want to spend £25 on a breadmaker that wont make perfectly adequate bread - and I dont expect to do things like jam or whatever, i just want fresh baked loaves etc when I want them!

Any advice gratefully recieved!

Jo xx

mink35

If you've got a Morrisons near to you check there as well. The Morphy Richards one was half price there (£20) a couple of months ago.

mah_jong

Hi there

My first breadmaker was a cheapie one that was given to me.....I bought a panansonic earlier this year and I can tell you that the bread is 100 times better!!! However my first was not a cookworks so cannot compare the two.

I would hold out for a panasonic!!!! Whats the diifference.... the cycle, the size of pan, the paddle.... everything!

BWZN93

I did just go and try some general reviews about all different breadmakers, and it did seem that the loaves were better in relation to how much was spent on the actual breadmaker! I do want to get fantastic loaves, otherwise there is no point and may as well buy a shop loaf.....

Pin money saving challenge for me I think! Save for the breadmaker. Right, I think ill go and email some more companies in the hope of extracting some more vouchers (by compliments of course, not false complaints - so please dont hang me for saying that!)!

Jo xx

apple_mint

Hi JW1090 - I spent quite a lot of time researching my breadmaker. You see so many on car boot sales that obviously haven't done the job or they wouldn't be there.

I went with the Panasonic, and I don't regret it. It's well made and delivers perfect wonderful loaves every time. I spent longer saving up for it, and I think it will work out cheaper in the long run ... it won't end up in a cupboard or end up on a car boot sale! We have not bought a single shop made loaf in since.

I looked at the recommendations on here, Amazon and googled for reviews of breadmakers - it helped me.

Ticklemouse

I have a cookworks one. It does make bread - if you like your white loaves uneven! For some reason the white loaves don't rise at one end but the wholemeal ones are OK. I'm sure the white ones were better when it was new, but they very quickly went lopsided. I haven't used mine for ages. I occasionally have made 'flavoured' loaves that are pulled to bits and eaten with soup, but if I wanted to make decent everyday bread, then I 'd invest in a decent one.

My friend has a Panasonic one (I think) and it makes lovely bread.

JAMIEDODGER

i took the plunge and bought a panasonic and i havent regretted it. it bakes wonderful loaves, white, wholemeal, flavoured and fruit loaves, i have baked cakes in it and made pizza dough too (kids wouldnt eat a shop bought pizza again!).

if you can wait and save for it...i would def recommend a panasonic (i have a SD253)

foreverskint

I recently bought a morphy richards stainless steel breadmaker from a graded good seller on ebay, for £17.00plus a tenner postage.

It makes the most wonderful bread and doughs and we can't eat shop bread now. Even wondering if we should take it camping with us:rotfl: .
I haven't regretted buying from ebay on this item, and you do get the panasonic ones on there, but obviously they go for a lot more.
HTH

Pooky

We had the cheapie Hinari one until friday night!!!! We'd had it 4 years and used it regularly, we only got a cheapie at first too see if we'd actually use it, which we did and it's serviced us really well. It decided to go "phutt phutt bang" and send out plumes of smoke on Friday night (glad we were in at the time to unplug it!!)

We rushed out on Saturday and got ourselves a new one as I'd find it hard to be without one now, I can't mix the dough by hand as I suffer with Carpol Tunnel in both wrists. We ended up going for the morphy richards fastbake one, paid around £40 for it ( I know it's cheaper elsewhere but finding it in stock and instantly available was something else). We made our first loaf with it last night and it was fantastic, the hinari worked ok, but this one is just great - the cooking time is down by around 35 mins and the pan is twice the size......I rather like my new breakmaker I really do think you get what you pay for with these things - I did look at the panasonic buy really couldn't pay out the £100 for it this month.

If you're unsure as to how much use you'd get out of a breadmaker then a cheapie will do you for a while, I think it's unwise to spend more than you can afford just to have something languishing in the cupboard for the next 2 years.

squeaky

Yeah, my hinari has served me well for two years. It's a bit iffy on whole wheat, the model I have, but I've found the way round it and get lovely bread every time now.

But I have to say, when it dies... I'll be hoping I have a bit of spare cash for an upgrade; though I'm sure as heck not going to give up on the one I've got now because it's paid for itself nore than twice over - and I only make one loaf a week.

MATH

IMO You see so many at carboots not cos they can't do the job but because the owners bought them with all good intentions and then got fed up with them.

We bought a Mellerware one for £40 back in the day when most breadmakers were £100+ and it makes great bread and dough and jam. I would buy a cheapie if you are unsure of whether you will use it long term or as I am increasingly doing. Find someone to lend you one for a month so you can try before you buy. I recenlty did this with a juicer and after half an hours washing up I needed a brandy not an apple juice. I'm sooo glad I didn't go out and BUY one.