Bread Maker Recommendations

Hodors Appletart

hiya i'm looking for recommendations for a good breadmaker if anyone knows one

budget is not huge but i have 60 oneforall voucher to put toward it so amazon isn't an option to buy from for this

it would get pretty regular use

thanks in advance

Alun

Panasonic all the way. SD-2501 with the nut and seed dispenser.

glen123

Panasonic as well. I have had mine for 10 years now. Love it.

Treppen

Panasonic SD thing + nuts dispenser as well.

Follow the recipe exactly though.

Strong white flour and yeast was often sold out so stock up when you get a chance.

Toasted fresh bread with real butter means 3/4 the loaf will be gone straight away. Goes a bit hard day 2. So I usually time to have it done by 12pm then take out and cover with clean dishcloth.

Graces7

Looking at this also but simplest. Would not use eg seeds and nuts.

eeepaulo

+1 for panasonic, argos have some cheaper makes (cant speak for how good they are)

The sd 2500 doesnt have the seed tray, 2501 and 2511 do, i have the 2511, (its more than 60 though)

Make sure to get one with a delay timer on it. Prep it the night before, fresh bread when you get up.

Sorry, all but one out of stock at argos,

samo

Would agree on the Panasonic- well worth the investment we have one going good as ever and 12 years Young. Also does great pizza dough.

tangy

Yeah, another vote for Panasonic. We don't have the raisin dispenser, and don't miss it. The few times we've needed to add things in the middle, the machine's beeped*, we've chucked the stuff in, and pressed Go. No problem.

If you get one, check out the Sandwich and French bread recipes, rather than the basic loaf.

*beeped: the Panasonic has the quietest beep I've ever known. Now, if you could average the Panasonic's beeps with the Tower electric pressure cooker's, you'd be perfect

Alun

Yes, should have added that they're in very short supply everywhere, so good luck actually finding one! One of those things that became very popular during lockdown I think, and supplies haven't recovered yet.

Alun

On the seed dispenser, I make a lot of seeded breads so it's very useful, especially as as someone pointed out the beep is barely audible.

Dizzyblonde

Another vote for the Panasonic here. Mine is years old, and at the moment is living with one of my daughters "on loan" . She uses it a few times a week, while I now make my bread the traditional way.

Alun

Treppen wrote: »

Strong white flour and yeast was often sold out so stock up when you get a chance.

I found plenty of Odlums white and wholemeal strong bread flour in Dunnes Stores (in Cornelscourt, S. Dublin) yesterday.

Hodors Appletart

Picked up a Panasonic SD2511 today so thanks for all the recommendations.

Will need to start making bread now

anyone ever do sourdough in it? I've a starter in the fridge

Gloomtastic!

Hodors Appletart wrote: »

Picked up a Panasonic SD2511 today so thanks for all the recommendations.

Will need to start making bread now

anyone ever do sourdough in it? I've a starter in the fridge

Here’s a recipe here https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/bread-machine-sourdough-bread-recipe

It says 3 1/2 hours total cooking time which seems a bit short to me for a loaf. You could try sticking it, covered in cling film, in the fridge overnight.

Dizzyblonde

I never made sourdough in mine, but the French loaf is truly amazing. It's crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside, the texture of vienna rolls that bakeries used to make

Alun

Hodors Appletart wrote: »

Picked up a Panasonic SD2511 today so thanks for all the recommendations.

Will need to start making bread now

anyone ever do sourdough in it? I've a starter in the fridge

Never done it but there's an article here from Panasonic ...

https://www.panasonic.com/uk/consumer/home-appliances-learn/home-appliances/sourdough-and-gluten-free-getting-the-most-from-your-breadmaker.html

Hodors Appletart

Thanks guys, did the first loaf this morning, just a basic white loaf to get a feel for things, and it turned out pretty well.

Alun

Good to hear! The recipes are pretty foolproof. I saw a program on the TV recently where they did a piece on the development of the very first bread machine by Panasonic. They spent ages perfecting the recipes making thousands of loaves, tweaking them here and there until they got the perfect result.

Any time I've ever deviated from them, eg if I follow a recipe on a flour package, or an internet recipe supposedly designed for bread machines, it never works as well.

Hodors Appletart

so don't go off on hairbrained ideas and stick to the recipes in the book

good advice