This Black & Decker breadmaker would be perfect, if it were not for a major flaw - which I will get to later.

It is a 2 lb vertical breadmaker. Compared to other breadmakers, I find it to be very attractive. It includes a window on the top which makes it easy to view the breadmaking process. The controls and indicator panel is located on top of the unit as well, The controls are of the "membrane" type, which makes them easy to wipe clean.

The unit itself is very large, so make sure that you have room to store it before you buy.

The bread pan is very well designed. I have never had any problem sliding out the completed bread from the pan after baking. The non-stick surface can be easily wiped clean. The bread pan has a convenient handle, so the inside of the unit itself stays very clean. I simply use my dustbuster to vacuum of the few crumbs that are formed on the bottom and it's completely clean.

The machine has normal and rapid rise cycles. It also includes a button which delays the onset of baking. You can visually check the bread, and add extra rising time if you need it. The machine has two settings for light or dark crust. I have found that the light setting works fine for me.

So far, I've only made a few recipes, white bread, an Italian herb bread, whole wheat and corn bread. All have turned out well, although I highly recommend using powdered milk instead of real milk. (The recipe book, which is included recommends powdered milk.)

I have also tried making pizza dough which is great, except that for my family of 4 two batches of dough are necessary. (1 batch will make a pizza the size of a large cookie sheet). Since you need a couple of hours to let the dough rise, it turns into an all day exercise to make two batches. You have to really plan your day around a pizza dinner. Of course, this is not a problem with the bread machine, maybe just a sign that we eat too much!

The recipes in the book are very simple and if you can follow directions, baking is very easy. With practice you can dump in the ingredients in about 5 minutes, push the start button and enjoy fresh bread.

The actual kneading process is quieter than I expected.

My only complaint, and it's a big one, is the loud beeping noise that the unit makes when various stages in the baking cycle are complete. The machine makes the sound to allow you to add extra ingredients at certain times. However, one of the features of the units is a clock/timer. When I purchased the machine, I had visions of setting the timer to bake bread overnight and awakening to freshly baked bread. However, the beeping sound is so loud that even in my two story house, I don't think that I could sleep through a bread making cycle. - What a shame! The owner's manual does not indicate that the sound can be turned off or turned down.

The other minor annoyance is the tendency for the mixing paddle to be baked into the loaf. Digging it out of the loaf is not a big problem, but is a pain. I have given loafs away to other people, and it's not esthetically pleasing to have a big hole on the bottom of the loaf where I have dug out the paddle. On the other hand, the paddle is easily removed for cleaning.

I wish that the included manual had more recipes in it. However, I guess that I can always look for a bread machine cook-book for more recipes.

All in all, I would highly recommend this machine, as long as you are not planning on baking bread overnight.



Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 30