This brand is THE brand to have when it comes to breadmakers: I have friends with other brands, but their bread just does not taste like mine. I have had my machine for seven years now, and I can vouch for it's reliability: I make a 4-5 loaves a week, and it consistently produces delicious, fragrant, yummy bread. If anything were to happen to my most used kitchen gadget, I would DEFINITELY replace it with another Panasonic, though maybe a newer model, one with the raisin dispenser perhaps. Any negatives? Well, the size of the bread pan means that although I make the smallest loaf possible, it still fills the pan, so I don't know where the rest would go if you make a large loaf. And my toast is still too big for my toaster! The other disadvantage is that my family are spoilt now, and don't like bread from elsewhere. I love this machine, and my kitchen smells delicious.