Bread maker: Panasonic worth the price?

[CoffeeAndWhisky]

We're thinking about getting DH's parents a breadmaker for Christmas. They have a new oven and are really keen to try bread in it (and I'm sure the occasional early morning machine-baked loaf will be appreciated, too!)

We own a Panasonic that was new but bought as "used" on Gumtree. Very happy with it but PIL have a tendency to get excited about an idea and to then just throw out anything they can no longer use (not donate or put into the cupboard - it goes straight in the bin). Thus, I don't want to spend an awful lot of money only to see the breadmaker gone in a year.

My thoughts:
Morphy Richards Fastbake + nice enamelled cast iron pot that goes with their new kitchen (around £120 total)
or
Panasonic breadmaker (around £170)

So I guess the question is, would the Panasonic really make enough of a difference?

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MNHQ

I have no experience of Morphy Richards but have had a Panasonic for probably about 7 years and it's fab.

I have been considering buying one and have also looked at Lakeland. They are cheaper.

My first 3 bread makers were Morphy Richards Fastbake - think the first one was about £35, so this is going back a bit! They were great, but gave up the ghost after 2-3 years of daily use. I have a Panasonic one now which is about 13 years old and still going strong. I would say definitely worth the extra money.

Have had a Panasonic for nearly 20 years. We’ve bought a new tin and a new paddle for it and it works a treat. We do more bread in the oven these days but it’s still very handy for the odd quick/overnight loaf. Worth the money. I think this a definite case of buy cheap, buy twice.

My Panasonic is about 20 years old too.

I've also had a new tin and paddle (and need to fix the catch for the seed dispenser) but it's been fabulous. We use it a lot.

I think a panasonic is generally a much better bread maker and more likely to get used. Worth waiting for black friday sales though as they quite often get reduced.

I'm not sure a breadmaker is right for your in laws though.

My dad made need in the oven and I bought his some full sized loaf tins from a catering supplier (Nisbetts) which were used. Maybe loaf tins and a bread making book instead?

And a mixer with a dough hook.

Longevity isn't really a factor in this case. We wouldn't mind buying them an upgrade if they do end up using it regularly, my worry is more that we spend a lot of money on a breadmaker that they won't use and then just throw out. If they donated it or sold it on, I would be less reluctant but that is not what PIL tend to do.

@JulesJules did you notice a difference in bread quality? That is really my main concern.

leaflets.aldi.co.uk/view/797075/32/

I’d be tempted to get this one on sale from Aldi for £50 if it’s likely to be a short lived fad...and then replace with an upgraded model if they do turn into regular bread makers

My dad didn't like the bread from the breadmaker (it's how I ended up with it!)

Their main plan is to use "something - hint at Christmas" to knead the bread and then use their oven to bake it. When I mentioned that we really like to use the Dutch oven to bake bread in the oven, they seemed really keen, too.

The thing is, they have no appreciation for things that may last you a lifetime and will chuck it out if the mood takes them. Hence, if cheaper breadmakers generally produce decent/similar bread, we would get them one + a Dutch oven (FIL loves cooking, pretty sure they'd hang on to it). And upgrade it if they do fall into the habit of using it.

@mysteryfairy Thanks for the link, it looks good but apparently everything in the new kitchen needs to be white - which is fair enough, it is always fun to re-do a room and have it match for at least a few months.

@SoupDragon I don't know why but they are very anti kitchen machine in the sense of KitchenAid etc. There are some things like their soup maker that they use regularly but other stuff is the devil and "clutter." We've stopped trying to find a pattern in this madness a long time ago, their home, their pseudo-minimalist style

If you get them a Panasonic, and they don't use it at all after the first few months then there will always be a spare you can use if yours ever breaks 😜

If you think they won't use it and chuck it out, I'd either give them a bread machine with instruction to pass it on to you if they don't like it, or a lovely le Creuset instead. I think both the MR and the Panasonic make nice bread, it's a question of experimenting with flours etc. There's a recipe for French style bread with the Panasonic which is lovely

Their main plan is to use "something - hint at Christmas" to knead the bread and then use their oven to bake it.

Then I would say they don't need an expensive Panasonic.

They want a stand mixer if they just want something to knead the dough.

If they are only using the machine for kneading then it won't make that much difference. The dough settings on both the Panasonic and Murphy Richard's we used to have are pretty much identical.

The pan on thr Panasonic has lasted rather better too, we got through 3 on the old machine.

There is quite a difference if they want to bake the bread in the machine though we get a much better loaf from the Panasonic. It's standard cycle is quite a bit longer, and adds the yeast after soaking the flour for a bit.

A stand mixer is also a good option for mixing and kneading, but you are probably looking at a fairly expensive one in order to get something that will handle dough. Kenwood chef or the like, which while more flexible is not going to be a cheeper option.

I love my Panasonic, but then I bought it once I knew I liked having home-made bread. I think using a bread machine is as much about the personality of the user as it is the machine. I would get a cheaper machine for first-timers and then maybe upgrade in a few years. It's hardly complicated technology so cheap ones can last very well.