1:13PM BST 20 Jul 2014
This post is on Healthwise
| Baking bliss: breadmakers can take the stress out of making your own loaves |
Breadmakers are a controversial kitchen unit – many chefs declare that despite all the modes and settings, the loaves produced are not a patch on self-kneaded bread. However, they do cut down a lot of the time and effort required to fill a house with gorgeously edible bread smells, and make loaves that are generally cheaper than those bought from the supermarket.
In deciding which model to purchase, key features to consider should be the price and size of the machine, the size of loaf it creates, and the number and type of programmes offered. Do you want an all-singing model that makes pizza dough and cakes as well as bread, or a small one to fit in the back of a cupboard and make the occasional loaf? We have considered user reviews, consulted chefs and analysed model specifications to bring you the best breadmakers available now, arranged in price order.
£149.99, 38.9 x 26.6 x 38.2cm (h x w x d)
Panasonic were the first company to start making bread machines. David Cameron has one, as we now know, and Telegraph food writer Xanthe Clay says they are "easily the best". This stainless steel wonder-machine with its diamond fluoro-coated pan and kneading blade – scratchproof and easier for cleaning – is Panasonic's most expensive machine and is currently the priciest on the market, too. It has 11 settings: basic (rapid and raisin), French, whole wheat, Italian, sandwich, 100 per cent rye, pizza, gluten-free, speciality (for different grain and flour types), jam and compote; it can also make three sizes of loaf and has a 13-hour delay timer. This machine also has one up on its closest Panasonic colleague (the white SD-2501WXC, £119.99) and most other breadmaking machines by featuring a yeast dispenser.
£149.95, 32 x 37 x 28cm
Going one better than the Panasonic, the Cuisinart has 12 preprogrammed modes and is slightly shorter and thinner. It also weighs 2.7 kilograms less, at 4.8kg. Three key features are the machine's inbuilt air circulation system (creating crisper crusts), its removable paddle (meaning the loaf doesn't come out with a hole in the base) and the internal oven light that lets you watch the bread rise through the viewing window. You can make cakes in this machine too, using a special cake setting.
Morphy Richards Premium Plus 48324 Breadmaker
£129.99 33 x 37.5 x 29cm
This is the machine for fussy crust eaters. Morphy Richards's second most expensive model has five crust settings (very light, light, medium, dark, very dark) as well as three loaf sizes, 19 programmes and a cool touch exterior making it safe for young bakers, although users have disputed how cool the machine actually is when in use. The only noticeable difference to the brand's £149.99 model (which only has 17 programmes) is the exterior design. Cooks report that the machine is generally easy to use, its only fault being that the 'collapsible' paddle occasionally sticks in the loaf.
£59.99, 31 x 21.5 x 25cm
For something that may only be used occasionally, breadmakers can take up an awful lot of surface space in a kitchen. Lakeland's gleaming white machine is a much more squat model than those listed above. It still boasts 11 settings and a non-stick pan, but only makes a 1lb loaf.
£59.99, 30 x 33 x 29cm
Home cooks say this model is one of the best at the lower-priced end of the market. It makes three sizes of loaf (1lb, 1.6lb and 2.2lb), and its 12 settings include an automatic one-hour 'keep warm' function in case you can't get to the bread as soon as it finishes. It can also do a 55-minute simple loaf bake.
£99.99, 38.5 x 23.5 x 31.5cm
Kenwood currently has three bread machines for sale, of which the BM450 is the only one in aluminium, rather than plastic. It is also significantly larger and heavier that the others (at 9.5kgs), and, uniquely, lets you create your own programmes as well as choosing from the 15 preset options. It will do rapid bake and has a one-hour keep-warm function, a 15-hour delay timer, an automatic ingredients dispenser and a removable lid for easy cleaning.
£59.99, 31 x 26 x 35cm
This rather long but sleek-looking model (shown here in snazzy red, also available in blue or chrome) is described as "more than an ordinary bread making machine". Compared to the others listed above, though, the only outstanding feature beyond the usual range includes its ability to make homemade jams as well as breads, doughs and cakes. Users also note that it turns out a well-shaped loaf, compared to the very tall ones some breadmakers create.
Currently £38.99, was £59.99, 22 x 22 x 28cm
The lowest-priced bread maker in our round-up, this is a small model with gratifyingly simple features. It has five programmes and makes a 1lb size loaf – ideal for one or two people to finish in a couple of days. Reviewers' reports are generally positive, with a few complaints about the machine's lack of delay timer, meaning you cannot set bread to bake overnight.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/10320345/Eight-of-the-best-breadmakers.html
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