Thinking of making my own bread. Seems to be a wide range of choice, so would anyone have a recommendation for a bread maker ?

We’ve a Panasonic, had it about ten years now so the model number probably isn’t relevant. Panasonic do seem to be the ones that get recommended most often.

Like most consumer goods these days it has a vast array of options and we’ll use two or three. It does mean that I know the quantities of ingredients for our usual loaf so it takes all of two minutes to add them to the bowl and set the timer, that includes going to the fridge to get the butter and then putting that back afterwards.

Your oven?

We have a breadmaker (Aldi) which works fine if you are in a real rush but the nicest bread comes from the oven.

buy secondhand would be my suggestion – every **** (me included) has one lying unused at home

We’re on our second Panasonic. They work very well. Sure, you could probably get better results doing everything by hand, but I tip the ingredients in and set the timer before going to bed, and wake up to the smell of lovely fresh bread. I’ve also had good results using it to make dough for naans, pizza and focaccia.

I had a kenwood, it was fine but it was totally designed to be used a couple of times then put on a shelf. I do bread most days (I’ve got coeliac disease so it’s a good way to get gluten free bread) and it just couldn’t cope with much usage. Replaced in with a Panasonic, like everyone else does, which has been great.

I had a kenwood, it was fine but it was totally designed to be used a couple of times then put on a shelf.

Yes the kenwoods aren’t the most reliable – either in terms of longevity or in terms of reliably making a good loaf. They’re also pretty noisy.

The Panasonics are more reliable in both senses – reliably making a successful loaf in particular because theres a pause at the beginning of the programme to bring the ingredients to  temperature before mixing –  meaning the temperature of the room or the water you put in doesn’t adversely effect the dough. Very quiet too.

Panasonic here after recommendations on here & Amazon…3 years+ and works a treat. Probably not as good as bread from oven but then it only takes 5 mins to measure ingredients & turn on. Can’t recall having ever had a ‘failed’ loaf.

Panasonic, get one with an automatic nut and seed dispenser as it gives more variety. Won’t satisfy the artisan bread maker but does produce very good and very more-ish bread very easily. Also great for producing dough for focaccia etc. which can be oven baked.

Cheers, all – will check the Panasonic ones out.

Whoa – some of them are nrarjy the same cost of an oven !

Think I’ll try the oven first -:)

I’ve never got round to getting a bread maker (although am now checking out Panasonics), but make my own. It’s not too tough – 30 minutes for initial measuring, mixing and kneading, then 5 minutes an hour or two later, then in the oven for an hour.

I think this is the current version of what we have – PANASONIC SD-ZB2502BXC Fruit & Nut Breadmaker. I think I paid £75 for ours but given it was over ten years ago it’s about right in price. For most of those ten years we’ve made three loaves a week so that’s approaching 1500 loaves which comes out at about 5p per loaf.

I have had a couple of failures but this was user error – I’d take the paddle out to clean it then forget to put it back in – doh!!!!

Whoa – some of them are nrarjy the same cost of an oven !

Ours was from eBay. As someone said upthread, plenty of people selling barely used wedding presents…

I’ve just got a cheap own brand Argos one. It works well, but I mainly use it for just making the dough for either homemade pizza or small bread buns, which I then cook in the oven for ~ 20 min. I do use it to make banana bread though. Normal bread loaves made in my breadmaker are a bit of a wierd shape (square and tall) though this is less of an issue for banana bread as it doesn’t rise as much and is more cakey*

*Technical term

Had a Panasonic SD255 for years and up until recently was using it 3-4 times a week. The pan and paddle need to be replaced having lost the Teflon type coating which is almost as expensive as buying a new machine. The paddle can be an issue with it tearing a hole in the bottom of the loaf if and when it gets stuck which is a pain. I’ve started making bread by hand rather than replacing the bits.

We have a Kenwood one and despite the first mixer unit seizing up (I now pour a little oil into the spinny bit in the middle occasionally) it has been fine – gets used pretty regularly but not daily and had it for coming up 10 years I think. Never had a Panasonic to compare it to, but it makes bread/pizza dough very well and never had any complaints about the quality of them.

@jonny63

If you are baking a loaf in the oven, put it in a casserole dish with the lid on for the first 20 minutes, it keeps the steam in and helps keep the loaf moist. Then take off and let it bake for the rest of the time. It works well for me.

We have one and it is brilliant. Set the timer and wake up to fresh bread on a weekend morning.

It is a little too brilliant though as I seem to be chunking up a bit more than I would like so have had to pack it away for a few months.

would anyone have a recommendation for a bread maker ?

Food mixer and an oven gives much, much more uses and is about same level of fuss really if you don’t want to do it by hand. If you get into bread making, the best breads don’t even really require kneeding, some can’t as they are too wet, just requires time to sit and ferment. In these cases an enameled cast iron casserole/dutch oven and/or a baking stone will be ideal.

Ebay is your friend.
We picked up a used Panasonic recently for about £25.
It’s been used loads over the last 3 months and knocks out some fantastic bread – don’t underestimate the flour though. Don’t just expect any old flour to make a decent loaf.

Pretty much as above though, load the pan, set the timer, wait for the bread.
Zero faff and just the pan to clean at the end. Takes a couple of minutes to add the ingredients and set going.

any chance of your recipe @whitestone?

I tend to be lazy and use the pre-mixed packets. I like to set it going before a ride then come home and demolish a fresh loaf with a tin of soup.

We got one from Lidl or Aldi, can’t remember which, and its been used 2-3 times a week for the last few years without any issues. It makes really nice bread too.

Have had Panasonics since the year dot — 1994 or some such. Cant recall model number we’re on now, they’ve been very good. When children have been home its in use as above 2/3 times a week, plus forays into speciality breads, and pizza dough as well.

Recommended.

It’s not too tough – 30 minutes for initial measuring, mixing and kneading, then 5 minutes an hour or two later, then in the oven for an hour.

..unlike a breadmaker which is around 5 mins to measure the ingredients then set the timer so bread can be made overnight and wake up to a house smelling of freshly baked bread
Panasonic (again), had for around 5 years using 2-3 times a week. Had 2 fails in that time but now have 1 recipe I use pretty much all the time. Teflon wearing out hasn’t been an issue

@whitestone – as d’oh as forgetting to put water in? I’ve had 2 failures, that was one

No, forgetting to put the blade/paddle back in!

@coppice – just the basic wholemeal recipe – for a large loaf: teaspoon of yeast; 18oz flour; tablespoon of sugar; pinch of salt; 1oz butter; 350ml of water (in that order)

Bread machines are fine if you’re not interested in bread but please don’t say that you ”make your own bread” when all you do is put the ingredients into a machine and press a button.
Occasionally get your hands in there, make a loaf completely by hand and see what it’s like.
I started 100% hand made but now use a mixer to do the kneading for 5 mins then the rest myself.

Steam does not keep the loaf moist but it does give a lighter crust.
If you want this then simply put a tray in the bottom of the oven with some boiling water in it.
Personally I prefer a crunchy crust.

Good mixer (I use a Hobart N1 which can deal with pretty much anything) and an oven FTW in my opinion. This way you can have a go at making pretty much anything you want.

The dr seems to think I may be gluten sensitive (although, looking at the nhs website, it may well be just a wheat sensitivity – been on a exclusion diet with seemingly dramatic results!). Can you use breadmakers to make gluten free bread? What do you use instead of flour?

Getting quite annoyed that pretty much everything has gluten in it! It’s in rice crispies ffs.

I was given a used once Panasonic 25zzzxzxxx one a year ago, yesterday I bought strong flour really tough stuff and made my first loaf basic white . So tasty with butter but need to make something else now, it was too easy just measure and tip in the box, yeast in another hopper . Must get some Rachel on you tube

Bread machines are fine if you’re not interested in bread but please don’t say that you ”make your own bread” when all you do is put the ingredients into a machine and press a button.

Don’t be silly – of course it is making it yourself – it’s just using different tools than making a loaf entirely by hand.

Ewan, Doves do a GF flour but TBH Genius Multiseeded GF loaf is fine for sandwiches etc.

On the cereal front I have chocolates stars from Doves and Choco Chimps from Tesco’s.  Waitrose do a good GF porridge with coca nibs.

So far the GF bread in our Panasonic SD2500 either turns out like Madeira cake in consistency if using Doves or the bread mix I’ve found online only seems to half rise.

Can’t remember what make the d one was but it was hopeless, parent’s Panasonic was great, we changed ours to a Panasonic too, much better!

Panasonic here too. Only had it a month or so but so nice and simple..
Fresh bread for toast and sarnies on the weekend.
Just need to try a few of the other breads it can do.

Panasonic (SD-2501) here too – used 4 or 5 times a week for > 5 years. Can’t fault it. It was a little more expensive than some of the others but worth every penny.

We’ve got a Morphy Richards from ages ago – it was the Which Best Buy at the time – it broke after ten years or so and I bought an identical one, a strange relic that was brand new on eBay for not very much. Changed the disintegrating drive-belt and it’s been fine.

I’m not fussed about going elbow deep in dough or owt or wondering around boasting about making my own bread, just like the convenience and knowing what you’re eating. There’s a small paperback book which someone recommended on here ages ago called Fresh Bread in the Morning, which has a whole load of recipes all of which work better than the rubbish ones which tend to come with the machines.

Delighted to see that, being STW, there’s some bread snobbery going on.

In answer to your question OP – another shout for panasonic. 5 years of 2-3 times a week and it’s still going strong.

Ewan

Member

The dr seems to think I may be gluten sensitive (although, looking at the nhs website, it may well be just a wheat sensitivity – been on a exclusion diet with seemingly dramatic results!). Can you use breadmakers to make gluten free bread? What do you use instead of flour?

Getting quite annoyed that pretty much everything has gluten in it! It’s in rice crispies ffs.

Aye, **** you, barley malt extract!

I get Glutafin Select multipurpose mix on prescription, but I’d probably still get it if I had to pay- it’s better than the others I’ve tried. Only catch is, it’s not 100% wheat free- it’s codex-compliant so it is officially gluten free, but it does contain just a little. I’m fine with that with my coeliac disease, apparently some folk aren’t.

It makes slightly odd, foamy bread, it doesn’t feel right but it tastes good, keeps reasonably well, and makes the best fried bread I have ever tasted- on account of, it is basically sponge, and it sucks up all the fat.

Most breadmakers will have a suitable setting- it’s a big market. Also, most gf flour makers will have a recipe for the Panasonic SD2500 because it’s more or less the one everyone gets in the end.

That Panasonic SD2500 might bake bread well but by god it’s fugly – it looks like it needs sending back to the 70s.

We have this one:

Bread machines are fine if you’re not interested in bread but please don’t say that you ”make your own bread” when all you do is put the ingredients into a machine and press a button.

Here we go with STW bingo.