Where have all the Panasonic bread makers gone?!

[theusualwednesday]

Been saving up / waiting to have enough money for this for years! Finally have enough through vouchers etc, want to buy the newest model as it has features I like, they’re sold out everywhere!!

Does anyone know why?!

Where have all bread makers gone!!!

@theusualwednesday

IME if you can't find something like that (appliances, products as opposed to food things) anywhere at all it usually means it's been discontinued. It's happened to me a few times and in every case it's a discontinued line.

If it's a product you specifically want, I would contact Panasonic and ask them.

You will get better information than on here.

There's real problems getting them, and other electrical items shipped from the middle east at the moment. They are having to go the long way round rather than via Suez and many shipping companies are not prepared to do this due to the cost.

Sorry. Far east that should say.

I wonder if the combination of issues with delivery routes and all the promotion of UPF Foods including shop bought bread, meaning more people have bought bread makers, have combined to cause the issue.

They have them in stock at Argos,

They are not available in any of stores when you are checking availability.

Could anyone recommend an alternative?

It's really easy to make bread without a breadmaker and the cost saved would keep you in flour for years, are you sure you need one, have you tried by hand? I make it regularly and never even knead that much as arms get tired and have low boredom threshold (probably 2 minutes) but still works every time.

If it's just the latest Panasonic model that's out of stock then I'd recommend just getting an earlier model.
They're really the best make of bread maker and my last one lasted 15 years!

I've had a Panasonic for years but it's now sitting in a cupboard unused.

Its so simple to make a huge range of wonderful breads by hand I wish it done it long ago.

Would you consider a nearly new one? There tend to be a lot for sale second hand as people mostly either use them all the time or never. If you have a charity shop near you that sells electricals they often get them.

https://www.google.co.uk/shopping/product/11645350582663047006

https://www.argos.co.uk/browse/appliances/small-cooking-appliances/breadmakers/c:29569/brands:panasonic/

🙂

My Panasonic is ancient - I bought it at a village sale at least 7 years ago, & it had definitely been well used by a couple who were gleefully retiring overseas & selling all their gizmos.

I use it a few times a month & it's great. Has certainly repaid the £5 it cost...they seem fairly indestructible.

Definitely recommend ebay/BHF (who always seem to have them in) before you spend £££ on a new one.

We just don't eat enough bread (bought or homemade) to justify the expense, but it's fab to do the occasional fresh loaf to go with soup without feeling that the damn thing cost £££ so MUST be used.

Are there any at Argos? They always have the stuff on their website if they have any or not.

I was going to say they've all gone to the dump with the ice cream makers. Ours did

I use mine every other day.

Sorry for being flippant. For us it was one of those appliances that never took hold. At least it isn't in the cellar with the deep fat fryer

John Lewis have a few in stock if you can get to Oxford Street, Liverpool, Brent Cross or Norwich.

They’re ace! We have used ours almost daily for nearly 15 years now and still going strong. For people saying ‘make it by hand’ there’s a lot to be said for the convenience of setting the timer and having it run overnight or while you’re out.

I got one last month. I messaged Panasonic to ask if they’d stopped making them. They said they were due back the following week. I nagged a bit and then they said I could order one and gave me a 10% off code. I think they’re available but not at the usual quantity so you have to be on it and nag them! Makes great bread, and means you don’t have to be home and available for all the proving stages and cooking!

I am laughing at the people going ‘have you considered MAKING IT BY HAND’ good Lord how groundbreaking it never occurred to me!

Just off to tell the people looking at new washing machines to just ‘POP IT ALL IN THE BATH TUB and rinse, wring and mangle by hand, women did it like that for thousands of years you know!’ It’s not like there’s a wide range of competent machines that will do that effectively for you.

As it happens I am quite a good baker but, I also am coeliac meaning submerging myself in gluteny flour multiple times a week is not ideal, have a full time job, a part time job, a volunteer role, a very large unkempt garden, a house being renovated, multiple gannet like kids, have no cleaner or any domestic help, am single parenting during the week, kids have multiple activities as they do, am trying to cook everything from scratch and I just want a well known, well regarded appliance to take some of the load off me. There is a raft of tech out there to help us, it is totally fine to want to use it.

I feel like there is less and less help for people (no breakfast or wraparound care at my kids school), I am running to try and stand still, I just don’t have time to stand kneading bread while listening thoughtfully to an improving programme on r4, much as that might be delightful!

Oh gosh that felt good to get off my chest.

THANK YOU to the helpful recommendations I will act on them this week! Especially emailing Panasonic themselves and looking at good secondhand ones, great calls, thank you!

Off to see if my robot hoover has finished its work (you can just get a simple bunch of twigs and sweep it yourself you know!)

I was in a similar position, couldn't get hold of a Panasonic after mine died, so took a punt on a Tower.

Can't fault it, and it was much cheaper!

I use it a lot. In fact it is on right now.

I saw on another thread that it was also due to increased demand by people trying to avoid UPFs (even though when I looked into it, it was nearly impossible to buy non UPF yeast )

I'm currently debating whether to start using our breadmaker again or reclaim some cupboard space by flogging it on ebay like I did with the stand mixer I'd used twice in 10 years at the start of the pandemic when the entire country had gone baking mad. I got more for I paid for it. With breadmakers, even the really old ones are going for £40+, not bad for something that cost about £90 15 to 20 years ago.

Actually it seems they're more popular than ever if you read the thread.