I've been using this machine weekly for about a year to make quick breads and yeast breads. It does a great job, except that I have to babysit the unit through the first cycle. This is because the mixing paddle is too short for the pan and dry ingredients get left in the corners. This occurs with both large and small loaves, and regardless of the amount of liquid.

My experience with Williams-Sonoma customer service has been disappointing. I had hoped to speak to someone who had used the machine to determine if I was doing something wrong, but I could find no one at either two local stores or the 800-number who had actually used the machine to make a yeast bread.

The result has been an almost knee-jerk response from sales clerks and customer service that I should simply replace the machine (which I did, once). I was told by an associate at the Skokie, Illinois store to contact the downtown Chicago store, because they do demonstrations. Unfortunately, the manager with whom I spoke in Chicago indicated that demonstrations were for staff-only, and suggested that the problem might stem from using wheat flour or (implied) a lack of intelligence (cannot follow a recipe).

That said, once the machine gets past the initial mix, it is fine to leave alone and makes wonderful bread.

Recommended: No

Amount Paid (US$): 150