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Original poster

Who can recommend a breadmaker?

51 replies

mummalish · 20/06/2010 19:26

Looking for a breadmaker that has a timer delay, so that I can wake up in the morning to fresh bread.

If anyone can recommend theirs, I would be very grateful.

Thanks

OP posts:
clemettethedropout · 21/06/2010 14:34

Can sometone please tell me why it is better? I have a Morphy Richards and the bread always comes out a bit heavy and dense. Is this the machine or me??

ivykaty44 · 21/06/2010 14:41

I have a panasonice and it is fab - this is my second bread machine - the last one lasted ten years but was not wonderful, when it broke I got a panasonic and paid the extra to have a nut dispenser - it is worth every penny.

I havn't eaten shp bread in around 4-5 years.

I mix the flour and make a snadwhich loaf for school pack ups.

i love the sun dried tomato and parmesan bread and olive bread.

the french bread is also good and we always use it for pizzza dough

The fruit loaf is great also

nannynick · 21/06/2010 15:37

Can sometone please tell me why it is better?

I'd say it's due to it's consistent performance. You check the ingredients in, in the order stated in the recipe, turn it on and 2 hours later you have nice bread (rapid white loaf), not heavy dense bread.

I have a Morphy Richards and the bread always comes out a bit heavy and dense. Is this the machine or me??

No idea, could be the machine... I do wonder how the machines actually differ, though for copyright reasons I guess they can't use exactly the same timings. So a slight change in the timings may well be making a difference.

Original poster
mummalish · 21/06/2010 15:37

So have just bought the Panasonic sd255, just went ahead and bought the one with the raisin/nut dispenser, whether I use it or not, who knows.

Cant wait to try it out, will come back with full details.

It is my aim to not buy any bread from the shops whatsoever, so lets see if I can stick to it.

There were some going on ebay, but got so impatient, that I just bought a new one. Still quite a bargain though, at just under £90.

Very super excited.

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SpeedyGonzalez · 21/06/2010 15:39

Panasonic, Panasonic, Panasonic. I bought the same one as you; use it ALL the time. It's expensive but well worthwhile.

Just wanted to reassure you that you've made the right choice!

beanlet · 21/06/2010 15:40

Panasonic; the version without the nut/fruit dispenser (which is totally unnecessary). My first one was still going strong having made bread every day for 7 years when I left my X (he kept it!) Current one been running for four years now with zilch problems. If you only make your own bread you make back the money within about 6 months. Totally worth it.

nannynick · 21/06/2010 16:01

mummalish - Do the Rapid White Large Loaf... it's simple (as even I can do it) and gets a good result every time. Plus only takes 2 hours.

FiveGoMadInDorset · 21/06/2010 16:02

Cheese and bacon bread with scrambled eggs is delicious.

TheBoyWithaSORNedMX5 · 21/06/2010 16:34

Clem I have a Morphy Richards and it's fine. Have you tried using the French setting? I much prefer that to the Basic setting.

Re: waking up to fresh bread - I had high hopes of doing this but the knead stage of the cycle is so noisy it would wake the whole house! Considering that it can take the best part of four hours to make a loaf (3:40 I think for the French setting), that means an almighty rumbling from the kitchen at some unholy hour. Also it beeps to tell you to when it's time to add nuts or whatever, and I don't think you can disable this particular feature (not good at 5am).

Perhaps Panasonics are quieter, though.

FWIW I love my breadmaker all the same. I think it's this one but I paid less than £60 for it, I'm sure.

DangerousDorothy · 23/06/2010 10:59

Is the panasonic much better than the Morphy Richards?

I bought the morphy richards about 4 years ago and every time I use it the bread comes out really dense and horrible. I have tried changing the recipe I use, making sure my yeast is fresh etc but it still comes out really cakey and bleurgh.

I have been looking at the panasonic breadmaker but I don't want to replace the one that I've already got if it is just going to be the same horrible bread.

Has anyone had a morphy and then bought the panasonic and found it much better?

funnysinthegarden · 23/06/2010 11:02

My panasonic is brill, makes lovely bread and is very easy to use. It was about £90 but totally worth it.

DangerousDorothy · 23/06/2010 12:40

Thanks...just been looking at some prices online for the panasonic. Really tempted to get one but I will be gutted if it is a disaster.

JenaiMarrHePlaysGuitar · 23/06/2010 12:42

Dorothy I think the recipes that come with the breadmakers tell you to use far too much sugar - the result is something more akin to American loaves I think (although I can't say that that's down to the sugar, it's just a guess).

Try the French setting and don't bother with the milk powder. As I write, I'm muching on a sandwich made on the Basic setting with half Allinsons mixed grain flour, half '00' Italian (which wasn't deliberate - it was all I had in the cupboard) and it is rather nice, if I say so myself

JenaiMarrHePlaysGuitar · 23/06/2010 12:43

Should have explained I have a Morphy Richards (and I posted up thread as TheBoy..)

funnysinthegarden · 23/06/2010 12:51

Oooh yes, have just discovered pasta flour makes very good bread too!

You can't really go wrong with the ole panasonic. You just put in yeast, flour, water, butter, sugar and salt for a normal loaf. No milkpowder or any such thing!

Original poster
mummalish · 23/06/2010 12:59

My panasonic due to arrive today. Will probably miss it as am out, so wont get to play with it till friday. Cant wait to make my first loaf, will give honest opinions on its performance.

OP posts:
PigeonPie · 23/06/2010 14:47

Jenai, it's interesting what you say about too much sugar. My old Panasonic recipe called for a tablespoon of sugar whereas my new one (SD255) only says a teaspoon. The new one also doesn't need milk powder for a normal granary loaf, however, it does need more yeast (3/4 tsp rather than 1/2).

And the new recipe works in the old machine 'cos I did it the other day with my parents' machine (no surprises really!).

Original poster
mummalish · 24/06/2010 06:45

Ok, so I got it. I laid eyes on the beauty quite late last night so havent had time to play, but I read through the instructions and recipe book. Wow, is all I can say. I really never knew it could do so many things.

The irritating part is that I wont have time to bake till friday!!!!!!

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Original poster
mummalish · 25/06/2010 08:30

Ok, so my first loaf is baking. Not sure if I did it properly. I did not know if the butter should have been melted before I put it in, anyone know? I just put it in hard.

Also, when I set the programme, it gave me no indication as to whether it had started, so lets hope all goes well. The timer has started its countdown, so time will tell.

I am starting off with basic XL loaf, as just want to see the size of all the loaves.

I am going to bake my way round the entire recipe book!

Told dh, "Bread for dinner".

OP posts:
imkeepingmum · 25/06/2010 09:28

No the butter can go in hard, it doesn't need to be melted.

As long as you pressed the start button the programme will have started (and if the timer is counting down then you must have done this!)

Hope it turns out ok!

PigeonPie · 25/06/2010 13:40

I must say that I just do medium loaves as I've found that anything else is too big for us to eat.

The machine'll stand for about an hour before 'doing' anything - I think that's so it warms up and gets all the ingredients to the right temperature.

Re the butter, no you don't need to melt it. Although my sis and I aren't in agreement as to whether you need to chop it up or put it in as one lump - however both our loaves turn out ok, so it probably doesn't matter.

Just one word of warning, I've found that the Hovis granary flour doesn't need as much water as the recipe states at the moment. No idea why, but if you put the recommended amount in it makes a very odd loaf with 'wriggles' in the top.

An idea for storing your loaves in from Lakeland. It holds two medium size loaves perfectly.

Have fun with your machine

Original poster
mummalish · 25/06/2010 15:30

So my very first loaf was perfection! It looked gorgeous, and I cut in once it cooled (very easy to slice I may add, I used "the sharpest knife in the world", and cut a nice average sized slice.

I had it with some butter and golden syrup. It was light and soft and just heavenly.

So pleased. Reminded me of the bread my granny used to bake.

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funnysinthegarden · 25/06/2010 22:45

ahhhh, that sounds like a panasonic BM to me. Well done and may happy hours of making bread to you!

DanJARMouse · 25/06/2010 22:52

This is really interesting!

I have the morphy richards fastbake one, and the bread is like cake! I hate it. It is so heavy and just yuk!

Recipes ask for milk powder, yeast, flour, sugar, salt etc so if someone has one, and has found a way to get a "normal" loaf, I would appreciate a recipe and the settings used!!!!

Original poster
mummalish · 26/06/2010 06:50

My friend has a very old panasonic and some of her recipes call for milk powder. However my new panasonic has no milk powder in any of the recipes, anyone know why?

With the MR Fastbake, how long is the setting for an average loaf?

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