The Bread Machine came to the United States in 1987, from Japan. Americans embraced the convenience and ability to more easily make a fresh loaf of bread with nutritional ingredients and without the chemical additives. The best bread baking machines are able to turn out a loaf of bread that competes with, and even, surpasses any one would find in a grocery store.
How to do your own kitchen appliance reviews. Select the best bread machine with our bread machine reviews. Kitchen appliance reviews tend to only focus on one type or model. This buying guide shows you exactly what checkpoints to watch so you end up buying the best toasters consumer reports for your needs
Best Bread Machine Reviews
Ergonomics & Design
The ideal shape for a bread machine is a rectangular box with rounded edges reminiscent of old-fashioned bread boxes. Therefore, it probably should be as compact and enclosed as possible. All rubber seals and gaskets should be captive and permanently attached.
Capacity/Size
The most common loaf size choices are 1, 1-1/2 and 2 pound loaves and the machine should allow you to have at least two choices. Make sure the pan size is correct for you Another point to be aware of is how the lid opens, you may need to consider the clearance if you have cabinets or shelves above it, otherwise you will be constantly pulling the bread machine out to use it.
Cycles
If you plan to bake breads other than white, you will want to make sure you get a bread machine that has extra cycle options. Most of the bread machines come with more than one cycle and they provide just the right combination of mixing, kneading, resting, and rising times.
Cleaning
Because bread machines cannot be immersed in water, the components need to be cleanable. As such, the exterior needs to be able to be wiped clean and the interior parts need to either be removable (for separate washing) or easily accessible. Most bread baking machines have a non-stick pan coating making for ease of releasing the loaf and clean-up. Being dishwasher safe is a plus.
Time and Warming
Some bread machine makers have a setting for a faster cooking time, sometimes to the detriment of the loaf, most will cook for around 2-3 hours. The unit should have a keep warm feature that will warm your bread for 60 min if you do not take it out of the unit right away.
Controls and Display
Not many buttons are needed, but you will want to make sure the necessary buttons are there for cycle, crust color, delay start, and power on. A good bread machine will give you a control panel that is easy to read, easy to clean, and conveniently located on the machine.. Settings should make it simple and user friendly.
Viewing Window
Many bread machines have a glass viewing window so that you can see the progress of the bread as it is made. This is a great feature if this is your first machine as the temptation to lift the lid to see how a loaf is doing can cause disaster!
Recipes and Instruction Manual
You will need at least a few recipes to get started. Currently, users often have to buy a wholly separate recipe book which may or may not be appropriate for the particular bread baking machine model. A new bread maker has to be easy to use and come with clear and easy to read instructions, preferably with diagrams.
Safety
The feet of the bread machine should be non-slip. Also, any surfaces which have the potential of getting hot should be clearly marked – or better yet insulated, so getting burned is not an issue. Also, a fuse reset button on the bottom of the bread machine is handy if the bread machine should accidentally get wet.
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