"Sheldon" wrote in message
oups.com...

Dee Randall wrote:
"Sheldon" wrote in message
ups.com...

Evan wrote:
I am looking for a bread making machine to make home-made bread.
I
want a machine that can provide more variation, like raisin
dispenser,
dough-preparation (so that I can bake in my oven for danish, bagel
etc). Any recommendation for a machine less than $300? Where can
I
order via Internet?

Buy the least expensive ABM you can find, especially if it's your
first.

Go he http://tinyurl.com/a7wye

Sheldon

I'll second Sheldon's advice. You can buy an Oster at Costco for
less than
$40. I'd buy one again.
Dee

Especially if it's your first... why invest hundreds into something
that will occupy a serious amount of counter space and when there's a
50/50 chance it'll get used after the first few loaves... about half
the ABMs end up in the garage awaiting the next tag sale. I have mine
about 8 years now and admit I don't use it nearly as often as I did the
first year, in fact it's use has declined steadily each year. Here it
is already April and so far this year I used it twice.

Sheldon


I think I have a regal. I can't remember the last time I used it. It makes
my bread too dark, even on the light crust setting. So, it needs to be
babysat, at the end, since you can't let if finish the cycle.

I have a KitchenAid mixer that keads bread dough just fine and I like having
control over the baking part. So, yeah, I should get rid of the bread
machine. I guess I'm not a bread machine person.

I also like smelling my bread being created, as I add ingredients and mix it
together. I missed that with the bread machine!

Dawn

Thanks again for your comment.

For those "Zo" user, I have a question - some comment/review from
Internet have mentioned that the machine cannot bake well, and they
need to finish it in their oven. Is it true? Or is it just a misuse
issue?

(Evan) wrote:

Thanks again for your comment.

For those "Zo" user, I have a question - some comment/review from
Internet have mentioned that the machine cannot bake well, and they
need to finish it in their oven. Is it true? Or is it just a misuse
issue?

Probably a preference issue. If the ABM doesn't bake the bread to
your preference, then it doesn't "bake well". If you like crusty
bread, an ABM is probably not for you. If you like bread with a
really soft crust, an ABM is probably not for you.

Personally, I have a Panasonic, and I use it at least once a week.
There are people who don't like the bread from their Panasonics either
because it's too dark or too light (I've heard both).

If you are really picky about your bread, get a KA and make your own.
Me, I just want sandwich bread that my kids will eat and that doesn't
cost $1.50/loaf on sale. I can make bread by hand, but I have chosen
not to.
--
Jenn Ridley :

(Evan) wrote:

Thanks again for your comment.

For those "Zo" user, I have a question - some comment/review from
Internet have mentioned that the machine cannot bake well, and they
need to finish it in their oven. Is it true? Or is it just a misuse
issue?

Probably a preference issue. If the ABM doesn't bake the bread to
your preference, then it doesn't "bake well". If you like crusty
bread, an ABM is probably not for you. If you like bread with a
really soft crust, an ABM is probably not for you.

Personally, I have a Panasonic, and I use it at least once a week.
There are people who don't like the bread from their Panasonics either
because it's too dark or too light (I've heard both).

If you are really picky about your bread, get a KA and make your own.
Me, I just want sandwich bread that my kids will eat and that doesn't
cost $1.50/loaf on sale. I can make bread by hand, but I have chosen
not to.
--
Jenn Ridley :

It's not a "misuse", it's a matter of personal preference...

The machine bakes very well, it's basic bread cycle seems to bake about 10
minutes too long for my taste.. but that can be controlled by taking the
bread out sooner, baking on the sandwich cycle, creating a custom program
with a shorter bake time or using the dough cycle and baking in your own
oven.

Most "fussy" users opt for the dough cycle and oven baking, because it's
quicker and you end up with a loaf without the two tiny holes from the
paddles/posts... and it frees up the machine to start more dough for
something else!

Rina


"Evan" wrote in message
m...
Thanks again for your comment.

For those "Zo" user, I have a question - some comment/review from
Internet have mentioned that the machine cannot bake well, and they
need to finish it in their oven. Is it true? Or is it just a misuse
issue?

I do two types of bread: what I call "stupid-simple" recipes that I
just dump into the Oster (the el-cheapo $50 unit) and let it go for the
gusto, kneading and fermenting with added temperature, and then I pop
that dough out and let it proof in a regular bread pan for an oven
bake. For more rustic and high-effort stuff I like to use the
Electrolux Assistent (sic) mixer, which took some getting used to but
now, I'd never be without it. It just does a fabulous job on any dough
you want from stiff stuff to "dough" that resembles batter.

But, as you sound like you want it ready and baked in the machine, I'd
just go for the least expensive model out there, like I say the Oster
we have had for a long time does a decent job and produces edible bread
with little fuss.

Oh, so how is your Panasonic one? Which model do you recommend?

I have short-listed to Panasonic, Zo and Breadman. So, I would like to hear
comment on these models.

"Jenn Ridley" wrote in message
...
(Evan) wrote:
Probably a preference issue. If the ABM doesn't bake the bread to
your preference, then it doesn't "bake well". If you like crusty
bread, an ABM is probably not for you. If you like bread with a
really soft crust, an ABM is probably not for you.

Personally, I have a Panasonic, and I use it at least once a week.
There are people who don't like the bread from their Panasonics either
because it's too dark or too light (I've heard both).

If you are really picky about your bread, get a KA and make your own.
Me, I just want sandwich bread that my kids will eat and that doesn't
cost $1.50/loaf on sale. I can make bread by hand, but I have chosen
not to.
--
Jenn Ridley :

"Evan Wong" wrote:

"Jenn Ridley" wrote in message
.. .


Personally, I have a Panasonic, and I use it at least once a week.
There are people who don't like the bread from their Panasonics either
because it's too dark or too light (I've heard both).

Oh, so how is your Panasonic one? Which model do you recommend?

I have short-listed to Panasonic, Zo and Breadman. So, I would like to hear
comment on these models.

Can't complain. I have a YD150. I don't even know if they make that
size anymore. I put the ingredients in, bread comes out. It's been
in heavy use for almost eight years now (1-2 loaves of bread a week,
minimum). The only failures I've had have been either user error or
due to badly timed power outages.

We replaced the beater after five years (DH pulled it out of a loaf of
bread with a knife, and scratched the non-stick coating, and
eventually the non-stick coating got enough scratches in it that it
stuck to the bread more often than it stay in the pan). That was a
particularly grabby loaf of bread - usually the beater blade stays in
the pan when I drop the bread out.

Last summer, I had to replace the connecting shaft that goes from the
motor to the beater blade - after seven years of hard use, the gasket
had stopped being flexible and waterproof, and water was leaking out
of the pan. It's an easily replaceable part, though.

Didn't have a problem getting the parts - I ordered them from
Panasonic and they showed up a week later.
--
Jenn Ridley :

"Evan Wong" wrote:

"Jenn Ridley" wrote in message
.. .


Personally, I have a Panasonic, and I use it at least once a week.
There are people who don't like the bread from their Panasonics either
because it's too dark or too light (I've heard both).

Oh, so how is your Panasonic one? Which model do you recommend?

I have short-listed to Panasonic, Zo and Breadman. So, I would like to hear
comment on these models.

Can't complain. I have a YD150. I don't even know if they make that
size anymore. I put the ingredients in, bread comes out. It's been
in heavy use for almost eight years now (1-2 loaves of bread a week,
minimum). The only failures I've had have been either user error or
due to badly timed power outages.

We replaced the beater after five years (DH pulled it out of a loaf of
bread with a knife, and scratched the non-stick coating, and
eventually the non-stick coating got enough scratches in it that it
stuck to the bread more often than it stay in the pan). That was a
particularly grabby loaf of bread - usually the beater blade stays in
the pan when I drop the bread out.

Last summer, I had to replace the connecting shaft that goes from the
motor to the beater blade - after seven years of hard use, the gasket
had stopped being flexible and waterproof, and water was leaking out
of the pan. It's an easily replaceable part, though.

Didn't have a problem getting the parts - I ordered them from
Panasonic and they showed up a week later.
--
Jenn Ridley :