Bread Makers

Fishman :

I love this breadmaker. However, because of the shape - check the corners for flour residue. Just scrape with a spatula in the beginning.
It does make great bread with the crust you want.

Horn :

This machine was so great while it lasted. I almost always used the dough setting and shaped and baked the loaves myself. I was baking about 2 lbs of bread every 3 weeks or so. It was delicious and so simple. The numbers are hard to read, but that was a small price to pay.

However, after about 9 months of use, I find my machine no longer mixes the dough properly. In my last 3-4 batches, the dough did not mix well and bubbled over the sides. I still use the machine to start off the process but have to pull it out mid-cycle and knead it by hand. What a mess. Only slightly more convenient than doing it myself. I say, spend the extra money and get a bread machine that will last you. Now I have to figure out if its worth it for me to invest in a new one.

Nolan :

I am so pleased with this product! This is my first Bread Machine,so I did quite a bit of researching but I became so overwhelmed with all the reviews from various sites, however I finally settled for this machine, as the price was right and I wouldn’t feel at such a lost if the product didn’t live up to my expectations or didn’t work as some reviewers had experienced. It arrived just in time for Easter and I made my own Hot Cross Buns, which all of my family liked, the first barch didn’t even get the iced cross. I now use this approx. 3 times a week and I’m very happy with it, even the recipes that came with the machine came out perfect. My only issue is the display panel can be a little difficult to read depending on light conditions - hence the 4 stars. Great machine!

Hendrix :

I absolutely love this breadmaker. I make bread at least twice a week. It is so simple to use. Some reviewers say the lcd readout is hard to see, but I did not find this to be the case. It truly takes less than 3 minutes to get your ingredients into the machine and start it. Cleanup couldnt be easier. I cannot say enough good about this machine!

I personally use it more to make rolls than to make loaf bread. From start to finish, it only takes about an hour to have hot fresh rolls. I put my ingredients into the machine, set it to “8″– the dough setting–and after it stops kneeding, it only takes about 15 minutes for the dough to rise in the machine, then i remove it onto my oiled baking/cookie sheet, punch the dough down, form the rolls, cover with a cloth, let rise for about 15 more minutes, then bake for about 12 minutes and they are done!

My recipe is:
Put 1 1/4 cups warm water, 2T olive oil, 2T honey into breakmaking pan.
Add 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour, 1/4 + 1/3 cups old fashioned oatmeal, 1 1/4t salt, 4t wheat gluten, 2T dried milk, 2 1/4t quick yeast (or 1 pk quick yeast).
Bake 12 minutes at 375.

This recipe is just perfect. After the rolls come out of the oven, remove them immediately from the pan. Let sit about 10 minutes, then you can put them into a freezer bag and freeze them. I use them as needed. You can let them thaw at room temp, or pop them in the microwave for about 30 sec to defrost them. Always taste freshly baked.

Liberto :

I had been baking bread from scratch prior to this purchase, but didn’t want to spend over $200 for a bread machine. So after having bought a bread machine at a local thriftstore that had to be returned because it didn’t work once home, I decided to try the Sunbeam. The reviews seemed pretty good, and it’s affordable. But now that I’ve tried it, I have to agree with the person who wrote the second review and am also amazed that we both seem to be the exception. I have tried every combination I could possibly think of, including making loaves with both active dry yeast and quick yeast; breadmachine flour and regular flour; adding even gluten flour and baking soda. Still, every single loaf has fallen at least 3″. Also, the manual states that if one wants to turn off the default instant bread warmer feature, to hold in the start/stop button until it beeps. This feature doesn’t work on my machine.

On the positive side, the loaves are tasty and the texture is nice. But we probably won’t keep it. I guess it’s true; you get what you pay for.