Thread: Bread maker - What is best.

Dear Dave,

We had one once but we gave it away. Can't remember the brand, but one thing I can tell you though, is that a friend of ours who does warranty service for several brands of all things electrical swears by the Panasonic bread-maker. Best in Breed, he reckons - End Of Story. Only thing is, last time we were talking about them (only about 3 weeks ago), I think he might have said that Panasonic were deleting them here in Australia...

Having said all that, I saw some down at Aldi this week for either $59 or $69 (they were one of the weekly featured items about 3 weeks ago).

Good Luck,
Batpig.

P.S.1: Just thought of it - if Panasonic are deleting them, try flashing some cash at any retailer who's got some. You might be surprised...
P.S.2: They weren't Panasonic's down at Aldi's for the $59 or $69 by the way. Sorry if it sounded like that...

Hello Dave,
I have a Breville 'Ultimate' -which is one of the largest machines I think. Does big loaves anyway! In fact, just come in for my lunch break and guess what's waiting for me!! Anyway, had it for probably 5 - 7 years and it's never missed a beat. It has a fruit and nut compartment, but I like to pack the bread with waaaaay more seeds, fruit, nuts, cheese, herbs etc than any recipe in print, so don't use it because it wouldn't be big enough. I just wait for the final kneading and load the dough up instead.

I hope that's helpful. It's the only bread machine I've owned, so have nothing to compare it to, but it's been great. I don't know if all machines have timers on them, but if not I'd make this a priority because there's nothing like waking up to a house full of that freshly baked bread smell, or coming in from the workshop at lunch to be met with the same!! Enjoy
Clare.

I am the bread baker in the house and use a Remington Big Loaf, it makes a horizontal rather than a vertical loaf. If it breaks down I will get a Panasonic after having used one whilst house sitting my sons' in-laws place in Adelaide. A friend also has a Panasonic and swears by it.
One of the drawbacks of the Aldi breadmaker is that it has 2 paddles rather than one, and you finish up with a bigger hole in the bread.
BTW the Panasonic was also top in Choice magazine some time ago.

Almost as important as the bread machine is the bread mix, if you decide to use that instead of separate ingredients. Have tried several brands and Laucke is by far the best brand, not the cheapest.

I use both bread mix and separate ingredients. When I make specialty breads such as Foccacia I use separate ingredients. I also make Fruit bread with cinnamon and either mixed fruit or just sultanas.

Whenever we have to buy factory bread now, we don't like it very much, particularly the white fairy floss stuff.

I load up the machine before we go to bed and set the timer so the bread is ready about 8:30 am, nicely ready for lunch after cooling down.

We ound that ours didn't work nearly as well on the timer as cooking it fresh. The loaf just didn't rise as much. One thing that really helps is to put the ingredients into the pan in a different order to what the recipes suggest. You need to keep the yeast away from the water and sugar so it doesn't activate too soon. I have seen one breadmaker that has a separate compartment for the yeast and adds it only when it starts cooking. That seems to work really well. If you are making the bread straight away then use warm water.

Also, you will rarely buy pizza again

Peter

Dear Dave,

I just edited in a second P.S. to my original reply, but I thought I'd better make a new post of it, just in case you miss my edit and scramble off down to Aldi looking for a Panasonic bread-maker for $69...

The Aldi ones weren't Panasonic! They were one of Aldi's pretend-brands...

Sorry if it sounded the first way...

Best Wishes,
Batpig.

Thanks for the info.
Will look around for a panasonic.

I won't say I can't be wrong, but believe Panasonic ones are no longer in the market. Probably the closest you'll get to the Panasonics is the Sunbeam larger model (about $300), has many settings and is programmable, and has a horizontal baking 'pan'.

I'd go for either Sunbeam or Breville - some of the lower end Breville's (less than $100) have had good recommendations in Choice.

One thing to note is that unlike baking in an oven (where the exposed surface becomes crusty & dark), in breadmakers it is the opposite. The heating coil is below the pan, and the pan gets very hot and it's the surfaces which touch the pan which turn crusty & dark. This means you get more crust (which you may like or hate) in vertical pans than in horizontal pans.

Hope this helps.

Originally Posted by Ashwood

I won't say I can't be wrong, but believe Panasonic ones are no longer in the market. Probably the closest you'll get to the Panasonics is the Sunbeam larger model (about $300), has many settings and is programmable, and has a horizontal baking 'pan'.

I'd go for either Sunbeam or Breville - some of the lower end Breville's (less than $100) have had good recommendations in Choice.

One thing to note is that unlike baking in an oven (where the exposed surface becomes crusty & dark), in breadmakers it is the opposite. The heating coil is below the pan, and the pan gets very hot and it's the surfaces which touch the pan which turn crusty & dark. This means you get more crust (which you may like or hate) in vertical pans than in horizontal pans.

Hope this helps.

You may be right about the Panasonic, but they turn up quite frequently on Ebay and also in our local Cash Converters. Most secondhand ones I have seen are pristine. Most people buy a bread machine, use it a few times and stick it at the back of the cupboard.

I have a remington big loaf ..that has made a loaf a day since it was bought ..5yrs ago...I think it was around $110....anyway it still works well and I get a great loaf every morning ...you cant beat the smell of fresh bread in the morning ...

I/ve had three bread machines, used to make all our bread in them, and have done for some years. The panasonic is my favourite, so keep an eye out for one. I notice the choice of premix flours for bread in our local woolworths has gone from one whole bay to only one brand. I used to like the light grain mix from defiance the best, and after that the Laucke.

Donna

we have a panasonic 5 years old never missed a beat.

Another vote for Panasonic.

We almost never bake in ours, preferring to mix and proof the dough in it, then turn it into plaited loaves, breadrolls, pita brad, focaccia and all sorts of stuff in the oven.

Cheers,

P

I hve used my Panasonic breadmaker three times a week for eight years first time I had to replace a part was last Friday, they are the best machine by far sadly as said adove they no longer make them. (Panasonic invented the home bread maker0

Breville Baker's Own here . . over twelve years of great service. We also get our mix from a bake and brew supplier, which has never failed. The granddaughters demand the rolls, so the dough is pulled out and divided up and cooked until golden to meet their desired colour, just in time for their weekly visit from the countryside.