Bread Machines : Any recomendations

[jac34]

I'm thinking of buying DH a bread machine, I've looked at a few but can't decide.Which are the most important features??
I was sure there had already been a thread on this but could not find it.

This was my thread here

Still an excellent machine.

HTH

Thanks Bagpuss,
Thats the one I'd been looking at as well. Didn't want to spend a fortune in case he just didn't end up useing it that much.He has got really into bread lately though, as he always makes his own pizza bases and started experimenting.

That's why we bought it too. DH says that Amazon are doing it cheaper than John Lewis now too. TBH the functions on the Panasonic are great but mine does the same except you have to add fruit and nuts to the loaf instead of the machine doing it (it beeps to tell you when!). Also I leave mine on the worktop and it's shape is a better fit than some others.

Mine is a Russell Hobbs, which I bought for £50 at Robert Dyas a couple of years ago and I still love it! I saw a nearly identical one at Selfridges the other day for about the same price.

Even the cheap models have most of the basic functions,such as allowing you to programme ahead, a timer for nuts and raisins and a dough mode.

I personally think it is important to have a machine that turns out a loaf that looks like a loaf. Some of them are taller than they are wide or rather square-ish. You should probably also be aware of the size of the loaf. Mine makes 3 sizes. I prefer to make small or med size loaves more often.

It is lovely to have the fresh bread when you wake up or when you come home from work, and it's lots of fun to experiment with different flours.

MIL has the Panasonic (after seeing our cheapo one and getting interested in something that would work better) and she no longer buys bread at all.

Thanks for the posts, we love fresh bread and DH is really into his cooking. I also fancy experimenting with putting different things in it.
When I was a child my Dad used to bake his own bread, he offten used to put herbs in it, which was lovely warm and buttered.