Use your loaf and buy one of these machines. (Panasonic SD255)

Member Name: Whizz11

Product:	Panasonic SD255
Date:	19/08/08 (493 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Quick, easy, tasty

Disadvantages: None

Ahh, nothing is better than the smell of fresh bread in the morning, well at any time really, and if you can make it in your own home then even better.

I received a Panasonic Breadmaker for one of my wedding gifts last year and now make bread all the time so if you are thinking about getting one but thinking you might not use it I definitely recommend getting one as you will find you really will use it.

I have the Panasonic SD-255/SD254. It was bought from John Lewis and I think it's about £80 to buy which ok is a pricey outlay but you definitely get your moneys worth. It is an upright machine (meaning you load the ingredients in the top), it's white in colour and measures H37 x W28 x D33cm. It's fairly big but small enough to fit in a standard cupboard as I think it is quite slim.

The thing I like about it is that it's very easy to use. Basically you out the yeast into the metal bread pan inside the machine, cover it with the rest of the dry ingredients and then add water, set the timer, the bread bakes and then you remove it once it is done. It is really as simple as that. The metal bread pan lifts away easily from the machine as it has a handle on the top and this allows you to then get the bread out easily. This also allows the cleaning to be really easy as you can wash the section that the bread was baked in and then just wipe down the actual machine if that gets dirty in the process.

The great thing with this machine is that it has a timer so if you want to bake bread overnight and have it ready for when you get up you can use the 13 hour time delay option. There is also a quick bake option too so if you have left it late you can still get a fresh loaf quickly. When the loaf comes out obviously it is very hot so I suggest having a wire rack next to the breadmaker on which you can leave the bread when it comes out. Then I would leave it about an hour or two before cutting unless you like it really warm. The bread to me tastes nice, it is different to that which you can buy in a shop but a nice different taste. I would describe it as a bit chewy and quite light and thin. The crusts are the best part. These are lovely and crunchy andvery tasty. Obvioulsy as there are no preservatives in it you have to eat the bread almost straight away as it will go off so you can't keep it for as long as store bought bread, but believe me a freshly baked loaf will go very quickly if your household likes bread!

There is a button display on the top of the machine which easily lets you select the size of your loaf (small, medium, large), crust (light, medium or dark) and the start/stop button.

Of course if you want to get a bit more adventurous with your baking then there are lots of different bread types or loaves that you can make such as wholemeal, multi grain, pizza bread etc. There is also a feature which allows you to bake gluten free bread.

The machine comes with a great recipe book that firstly gives you instructions on how to use it and actually how to make a loaf. Then it includes lots of different bread recipes and how to make them and also lots of cakes and fruit bread recipes. I haven't made any of these yet but they do look quite easy and quite yummy. Also included are a measuring cup and measuring spoon so you have all the tools to start making your loaves.

A great machine that every kitchen should have.

Summary: A Panasonic Breadmaker

Processing/Quality:
Reliability:
Ease of use:
Features: