Sunbeam 5891 Programmable Breadmaker

Relevant Features

• Programmable breadmaker
• Vertical breadmaker
• Makes 1-1/2- or 2-pound loaves of bread
• 12 cooking functions
• ExpressBake Breadmaker Cycle Bakes in under 1 hour
• 3 shade/crust selections
• 13-hour delay bake
• LED display
• Easy-Clean Touch Control Panel
• Non-Stick, Removable Baking Pan
• Instruction Book With Bread Recipes
• Dimensions (W x D x H): Measures approximately 14 x 13-1/2 x 19 inches
• Weight: 19.2 pounds
• Electric Rating: 120 volts / 600 watts
• 1-year limited warranty
• Price: Under $60

The Sunbeam 5891 outperforms its low price. It’s so easy to use, compact, has a jam cycle and a crust-color selector, along with bake-only and dough-only settings -all the needed basic functions. Some owners complain about durability and the recipes book that comes with it. But still, you’ll love this machine.

Overall, the Sunbeam 5891 bread machine receives very good ratings. Among the relevant owner’s reviews, I specially liked the following one by Frau Schott because he expresses faithfully my feelings about this excelent machine, together with some useful hints.

Customer Opinion

Great Machine, Great Price
By Frau Schott (USA) 

Not having owned a Bread Machine before, I did my online research and decided to try a reasonably priced "good-enough tester" machine… Well, I’m very glad that I decided to purchase this "more-than-good-enough" model!

This particular model is fairly quiet while in operation, beeps after the 1st rest to indicate that it’s time to add the nuts/raisins, etc., and beeps after the baking cycle is completed (if the bread is not removed from the machine as soon as it’s done, it might lose moisture during the autokeep-warm cycle). I’ve twice made the recipe with pine nuts and twice made raisin-pistachio bread (from "the Big Book of Bread Machine Recipes")… delicious.

The best part about this machine baking process is that it’s not at all difficult in any way.Here is the typical baking process:

Warm the liquid in a glass measuring cup in a microwave, stir in the salt/honey/sugar/butter in the warm liquid, pour the mixture into the baking pan, place the pan on the scale, adjust the scale to zero, add the required flour (1 flour cup = 4 to 4.5 oz), level the flour, add the yeast, twist to lock the pan into the breadmaker, plug in the breadmaker, select the crust color (best to try the "Light" color first), select the baking setting, after about 5 min. check the dough and add water/flour if necessary (very important step), remove the bread to a cooling rack as soon as it’s done, then wipe the baking pan when it’s cool enough. (It’s helpful to have a portable timer on you to remind you to remove the bread, wherever you might be.)

The clean up is so minimal that the bread tastes just that much better! And, whenever we want oven-baked loaves, I’d simply use the breadmaker’s dough cycle to lessen the clean up and do the rest as usual.

However, there are some negative aspects related to this bread machine:

1. The user manual is very uninformative for a new user, so don’t even bother. Instead, buy " The Big Book of Bread Machine Recipes" by  Donna Rathmell German  or other bread machine cookbooks and rest assured that the resulting loaves will be enjoyable and varied.

2. On my machine, I had to make sure to select the "light" color, else the loaf gets too brown/too thick crusted.

3. So far, all loaves have slightly caved/sunken/deflated as soon as the baking cycle kicked in. Although the loaves are just slightly sunken, and the appearance and taste were not affected in any way, I will try using less liquid than normal (for a firmer dough) to prevent the suken look next time.

Useful tips for new bread machine user:

1. Get a dependable scale, instant-read thermometer, and a liquid measuring cup (approximations might not work well when you’re new at using bread machines.)

2. For the basic cycle, if baking the bread right away, you can just place all the ingredients right into the baking pan regardless of the liquid-first order stated on the manual.

3. If adding additional flour/liquid to the baking pan, add carefully. Any spilled gunk on the bread machine’s bottom or heating element might take some scrubbing if baked in.

4. If additional kneading time is desired, just stop and restart the machine for additional gluten development/knead time.

5. For the initial confidence-building 2-pound loaf, try this tested recipe (might have to set your Sunbeam to "Light" color): 1 1/3 cups milk and/or water, 2 tb honey/sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 2 tablespoons butter, 4 cups bread flour (I used Gold Medal unbleached all-purpose), 1 1/2 teaspoons active yeast, 1/4 – 1/3 cup of pine nuts/other chopped nuts (optional). Remember to check the dough consistency after about 5 minutes and add liquids/flour if too wet or too dry.

6. If the bread dough is over-rising at the top of the bake pan, either:

a. Simply scoop some dough carefully off the top, put the extra dough in a greased baking vessel of suitable size. Let dough rise a bit in the oven with the pilot light on, take dough out, preheat the oven at 350F-375F, spray some water in the oven to encourage crust formation, and then bake until the top is golden brown (internal temp. of about 180F to 200F); bake the other portion in the bread machine as usual; or…

b. Remove dough from the machine completely (separate the dough into two greased baking vessels of suitable size). Let dough rise a bit in the oven with the pilot light on, take dough out, preheat the oven at 350F-375F, spray some water in the oven to encourage crust formation, and then bake until the top is golden brown (internal temp. of about 180F to 200F).

7. Store bread in the freezer for fresh-tasting bread any time: divide the bread into serving portions, place in Ziplock bag(s) and store in the freezer; defrost (in the bag) in room temperature (or wrap the bread in a moist paper towel and microwave for a few seconds) before devouring. Make life even easier -bake extra loaves and freeze them.

Conclusion: If you like the taste of "just-baked" breads, but don’t like the messy cleanups and the typical baking-related efforts… well, this one is worth the try, and it is worth the price. Just remember to get a big bread machine recipe book and enjoy all the possibilities. Great machine(and great book)!

First Bread with the Sunbeam 5891 Breadmaker

Recipes From Sunbeam

• Caraway-Rye Bread
• Cranberry-Wheat Bread
• Garlic-Herb Bread
• Orange Marmalade
• South of the Border
• Strawberry Jam
• White Sandwich Loaf

Addtional Information

•  Sunbeam 5891 Product Page
•  Sunbeam 5891 User Manual With Recipes

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Panasonic SD-YD250 Automatic Bread Maker

Relevant Features

• 3 Loaf sizes: medium, large and extra-large (up to 2-1/2 pounds)
• Settings for white, whole wheat, multigrain, French & quick breads/cakes
• Bread crust control: Light, medium & dark
• 13-hour delay timer
• Automatic shutoff
• Rapid bake cycle
• Add-ingredient alert
• Bake Modes: Bake Only, Sandwich, Raisin, Dough and Pizza
• Yeast Dispenser
• Recipes booklet for 40 breads and doughs, plus baking tips
• Included Accessories: Measuring cup & measuring spoon
• Dimensions (W x D x H): 13.5 x 9 x 14 inches
• Weight: 15.4 pounds
• Electric Rating: 120 volts / 550 watts
• 1-year limited warranty
• Price: Under $130

With this automatic, easy to use, Bread Baker you have the ability to bake delicious bread, freshly prepared and baked at home. Just place the ingredients in the non-stick pan, set your desired setting options, and it does everything else.

Its instruction booklet is very easy to understand and includes 40 bread and doughs recipes along with useful baking basics and illustrated tips for making pastries.

Customer Opinion

Has lots of options, and makes very good bread
By Henry Perkins (Santa Clara, CA)

The Panasonic SD-YD250 is pretty much the state of the art in bread machine technology in mid 2000s. It’s one of the larger units around with a 2.5 lb. loaf capacity. This size will also eat up your counter or cupboard space: you need just under 14" of width and height, and 10" of depth, so keep that in mind when you order.

The bread consistency is excellent. It’s even pretty good in the "rapid" mode, though the results are a bit better in the standard bake mode so that’s what I generally use. Also, the "rapid" mode for whole wheat or multigrain bread is 3 hours (vs. 5 hours standard), so it’s not like you can start the machine at the beginning of a meal and expect completed bread before you leave the table. The fastest full cycle -(rapid" bake mode for white bread) is 1hr 55min.

The SD-YD250 is quieter than most earlier bread makers; however, you’ll still hear the clicking and whirring as it mixes and kneads the dough. It’s a neat idea to wake up to the smell of freshly-baked bread but the machine isn’t quiet enough to run in the bedroom unless you’re a very sound sleeper.

The options for this machine include the following:

• Basic/rapid bake
• Immediate start/timer delay
• White/ whole wheat / multigrain
• Sandwich (soft crust)
• Crust color light/medium/dark
• Raisin (pause and beep to add fruit or nuts)
• Dough knead without bake
• Bake without dough knead

Note that not all of these options can be combined. For instance: you only get crust color selection for white bread, and sandwich mode for white and whole wheat; multigrain bread always has a dark, tough crust (although the bread inside the crust is moist and well-textured).

The container inside really is nonstick (based on my not-so-lengthy use since I bought it) and the kneading blade does very little damage to the finished loaf. Ease of use and cleanup are both excellent.

Bread results are quite sensitive to variations in the ingredients in either weight, consistency, or age. Always use fresh bread flour and fresh yeast (bread machine yeast recommended) and the right amount of salt, sugar, and flour. The recipes in the included book specify flour weight in units like 16 3/4 oz., so it’s highly recommended that you get a digital kitchen scale for good results. Note that this will require still more counter space.

Summary: a very good machine, but you’ll need a fair amount of counter space and attention to details to get the best results from it.

 Using the Panasonic SD-SY250

Panasonic SD-SY250 Resources

• Product Homepage
• Operating Instructions & Recipes
• Warranty & Care Plans

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Zojirushi BBCC-X20 Home Bakery Supreme Bread Machine

Relevant Features

• Automatic settings and customizable controls
• 2 Twin kneading paddles
• Rectangular 2-pound loaf pan
• 3 Level crust control
• 13-Hour programmable timer
• 10 Baking cycles
• Cake and jam settings
• 3 Recipe memory function
• 2-Hour quick-baking cycle
• Sourdough starter
• Dimensions (W x D x H): 17 x 10 x 12 inches
• Weight: 21 pounds
• Electric Rating: 120 volts / 700 watts
• Owner’s Manual
• Recipe booklet
• How-to video
• 1-year limited warranty
• Price: Under $195

For Beginners and Experts

The Zojirushi Home Bakery Supreme is a state-of-the-art Bread Machine that combines a range of automatic controls with easily tailored options. It´s an excellent breadmaker for beginning bakers, not only for expert ones.

Structuraly, the Home Bakery Supreme has important plusses, a durable plastic body including twin kneading paddles, a broad viewing window, and an angled control panel.

What Are The Bakers Raving About

Two Kneading Blades. Instead of one makes sure that all ingredients are thoroughly kneaded. Additionally, the two blades knead yeast dough better than any other method. Not only does thorough kneading make the bread taste better, but it also prevents unsightly flour on the side of the bread.

The Recipes Book. Not only does this bread machine comes with an instruction video, it also comes with lots of recipes. The recipes range from basic white bread to raisin bread, whole wheat and fat-free bread, pizza, pretzels, cinnamon-raisin rolls, strawberry jam, chocolate cake, sourdough bread, and Zojirushi’s original Meatloaf Miracle. And more recipes are available at Zojirushi’s Web site.

Customer Opinions

I Never Knew
By T. M. Figueiredo

This is my first bread maker. I love it and it makes great bread! I do have minor complaints. You have to clean the paddle posts really well, otherwise you have leftovers of the last loaf baked. And, when you take the paddles out of the pan, ensure you clean inside the paddles. Not a complaint, but I can’t imagine using any other crust color than light. It makes the crust a golden brown and a little thick on the ends. Otherwise, this is the best thing since "sliced bread". The cookbook that comes with it is adequate. Look to investing in more breadmaker cookbooks if you purchase this.

Zojirushi BBCCX20 Home Bakery Supreme Bread Machine
By Charlotte J. Pilcic

My bread machine is prefect. I use it nearly every day. Some days I make 3 loaves of bread. The booklet states the machine will not work as good with home milled wheat. This is not so. I milled wheat kennels and make my bread from scratch. I have several friends who also mill their wheat and use this machine with success. My recipe is from the "Bread Becker’s" site , not from the Zojirushi booklet included; so you see, you are able to use your own recipes. You might need to make some adjustments with the timing which is easy because this Zojirushi has three homemade cycles that can be set up. When I make my recipe, I just schedule the machine to bake homemade #3.

My husband and children brag about the bread. It rises quite large and the loaf looks better than if I would have prepared it in the standard oven. I have made peach jam and it also turned out nice. I had another bread machine before this one and there are no comparsions with the results. I got the best price on Amazon after a lot of research. The Zojirushi cost is more than any other bread machine that I know of, but I am thrilled with this purchase.

It takes me 15 minutes to prepare the bread beginning with milling three cups of wheat. The machine has the bread ready in 2 hours and 34 minutes. The bread I make has 3 cups of whole wheat flour, 1/2 cup of ground flax seed,sunflower seeds, and honey which I consider healthy. I am particular about my purchases and I cannot find anything I dislike about this machine. My children thanked my husband for buying the machine for me.

Zejirushi BBCC-X20 Features Video

Zejirushi BBCC-X20 Bread Machine Resources

• Zojirushi Product Website
• Bread Machine Recipes
• Owner’s Manual

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America’s Best Bread Machine Baking Recipes
by Donna Washburn & Heather Butt

Average Reader’s Score:

Paperback Edition:

Review

There is nothing like the aroma of fresh-baked bread. Now authors Washburn and Butt, home economists and publishers of The Bread Basket, a newsletter for bread machine owners, offer cooks over 125 different recipes that should keep their bread machines busy. From English Muffins and Focaccia to Orange Pecan Loaf and Prairie Bread, the recipes clearly illustrate that cooks have a wide range of choices beyond the basic recipes featured in most bread machine manuals. One of the best things about this practical cookbook is the simple, easy-to-understand layout of each recipe. Both U.S. and metric ingredient measurements are provided, and each recipe has its own tips and variation ideas. A good choice for most public libraries. – A John Charles, Scottsdale P.L., AZ. Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. (Library Journal)

More of America’s Best Bread Machine Baking Recipes
by Donna Washburn & Heather Butt

Average Reader’s Score:
Paperback Edition:

Review

Bread machines are more popular than ever, ranking as one of the top three kitchen appliances purchased during the Christmas season. In "More of America’s Best Bread Machine Baking Recipes," you will find a wide range of mouth watering recipes that have been adapted to meet the requirements of today’s bread machines, including 2 lb versions and advanced baking techniques. Just as with Donna Washburn’s and Heather Butt’s previous book, "America’s Best Bread Machine Baking Recipes," these are recipes that have been tested to work every time.

There are millions of bread machine owners who are eager and excited to bake yet another new delicious recipe. "More of America’s Best Bread Machine Baking Recipes" will make every bread making endeavor a great one! – Amazon

Canada’s Best Bread Machine Baking Recipes
by Donna Washburn & Heather Butt

Average Reader’s Score:
Paperback Edition:

Description

For anyone who enjoys the flavor and aroma of freshly baked bread, nothing beats the convenience of a bread machine. So it’s not surprising that you’ll find this exceptionally useful appliance in kitchens throughout Canada today.

Ask bread machine owners what they want most and chances are they’ll tell you -plenty of really good recipes! Now with Canada’s Best Bread Machine Baking Recipes, that wish has just come true. – Amazon

The All New Ultimate Bread Machine Cookbook: 101 Brand New Irresistible Foolproof Recipes For Family And Friends
by Tom Lacalamita

Average Reader’s Score:
Paperback Edition:

Description

Tom Lacalamita’s The Ultimate Bread Machine Cookbook showed how easy it was to have freshly baked, delicious, and nutritious bread anytime. Now comes The All-New Ultimate Bread Machine Cookbook: 101 Brand-New, Irresistible, Foolproof Recipes for Family and Friends, which presents recipes suitable for making 1 1/2- and 2-pound loaves, using the new ingredients now readily available.

This is the new ultimate bread machine cookbook for the new ultimate bread machine cook! – Amazon

The Best Bread Machine Cookbook Ever
by Madge Rosenberg

Average Reader’s Score:
Spiral-Bound Edition:

Description

A loaf of bread, a bread machine, and you.

Whether you have just purchased a new bread machine or have been using onefor some time, you’re in for a treat. Because The Best Bread Machine CookbookEver offers 150 foolproof recipes for the best-tasting breads ever. All the easy-to-follow recipes were developed specifically for electric bread machines by professional baker Madge Rosenberg, who loves the ease and surefire success the machines give to every home baker. These loaves are guaranteed to taste asgood as they look. Ideas cover the entire culinary world of bread baking, fromSimple Sourdough and Granola Raisin Bread to Swedish Limpa and Salt-freeTuscan Bread. Tips for all current machine models are included, along withhelpful information on ingredients, easy how-to, problem-solving advice, and the, best recipes ever for all the basics plus creative ideas such as Rosemary-Whole Wheat Bread, Orange Cinnamon Oatmeal Bread, Walnut and Apricot White Bread, and Provencal Olive and Thyme Bread. – Amazon

The Best Low-Fat, No-Sugar Bread Machine Cookbook Ever
by Madge Rosenberg & Warren Chang

Average Reader’s Score:
Hardcover Edition:

Description

Now you can enjoy all the bread you want without any worry about fat. Over 150 irresistible recipes in this volume transform your bread machine from an efficient home bakery into an invaluable aid to nutrition. Most of these aromatic loaves contain 5 percent or less of fat. on top of that, these fresh-baked doughs contain absolutely no sugar or artificial sweeteners. All that is added are natural fresh and dried fruits, vegetables, and grains forextra flavor and vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

You won’t believe the no-sugar sweets-Tart Tatin, Chocolate Tea Bread, and Biscotti with Dried Cherries are just a sampling -that make up the "Dessert Breads" chapter. These taste luxuriously rich but are low in fat. And so that there’s no waste, ideas included in "Bread Again" offer tasty low-fat, no-sugar ways to use leftover loaves. – The Lean Machine

The Best Bread Machine Cookbook Ever: Ethnic Breads
by Madge Rosenberg

Average Reader’s Score:
Hardcover Edition:

Description

For the growing number of cooks who want to make the most of their bread machines, this next book in the bread machine book series contains 200 recipes for delicious and different breads from all over the world. Featuring the same creative packaging as our 365 Ways series. – Harpercollins, Publisher

The Breadmaker Bible
by Karen Saunders

Average Reader’s Score: n/a
Hardcover Edition:

Description

You’re looking for something more to make with that breadmaker in the kitchen. From crostini to croutons, sourdough to stollen, The Breadmaker Bible rises to the occasion with inspirational ideas, fantastic techniques and innovative recipes. – Amazon

You’ve installed your breadmaker in your kitchen, bought a couple of books and made delicious breads with rye flour, with seeds on top or even with chocolate and hazelnuts. But now you’re looking for something more; something to wake you up in the morning with a rush of excitement. From crostini to croutons, sourdough to stolen, The Breadmaker Bible will show you inspirational new ideas, fantastic techniques and innovative recipes for your breadmaker. This book shows you how to make the perfect loaf, from a classic loaf to a French stick–Moves onto recipes to suit your life, including breads for your barbeque, Turkish flatbreads for your lunch or Saffron Brioche Bread & Butter Pudding to curl up with in the evening–Reveals recipes to suit your needs, whether it’s dairy-free, wheat & gluten-free or to help alleviate eczema, for example, or insomnia – Ebury Publishing

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The following features are worth considering:

• Loaf Weight. This is determined by the number of people that you will normally serve. A one-pound loaf yields about eight slices; a 2.5-pound loaf yields about 20 slices and a 3-pound yields about 24 slices.
• Horizontal or Vertical Loaf. If you want a loaf that looks like store-bought, choose a machine that bakes horizontally. Otherwise, vertical loaves taste just as good and take less space in your kitchen.
• Delay Timer. This is the most basic feature. Many bread machines have a 13-hour timer that allows you to wake up with the smell of a fresh-baked bread.
• Crust Type. With this function you can choose a crust type for your bread (typically dark, medium or light). Some models include a sandwich bake option for an extra thin crust.
• Bread Types. Whether you like plain white bread, whole wheat or multi-grain, breadmakers can usually bake a range of bread types.
• Programs. Most breadmakers will have at least 10 baking and/or kneading programs that will cover a range of baking options suitable for a variety of breads.
• Pasta, Cake and Jam functions. This function allows you to make pasta, cakes or jam, and most bread machines include it.
• Keep warm function. Keeps your bread warm after baking, so it can be served fresh at any time.
• Viewing window. For keeping track of the loaf’s baking progress.
• Baking Speed. For busy households, a small machine allows you to bake a bread loaf in under an hour. Larger machine set to quick-bake cycle can turn out dense bread. Small machines can bake a small, soft loaf in 45 minutes or an hour. So, maybe you’ll end up with two different machines to cover your necessities. But always remember the golden rule of baking: "Good baking takes time."
• Recipe booklet. Most breadmaker models include a free recipe booklet, for a range of great bread making ideas to help you get the most from it.

Important Points To Consider

New bread baking machines need to be operated empty once or twice to burn off manufacturing oils. If it isn’t noted in your manual, call the customer service department to find out if it’s necessary.

Breadmakers are also ideal for anyone allergic to gluten, as you can use them to make gluten-free bread.

If you decide to buy a pricey breadmaker, it’s worth considering paying for an extended warranty. This ensures that your breadmaker will be covered for any repairs needed and the costs of a replacement if necessary, usually for at least a year from the date of purchase.

Set a limit on the amount of money you are willing to spend on a breadmaker. Take out features that you don’t need and buy the one that fits your budget. That’s why I’m giving you the three best options (from budget to full-featured breadmekers) to choose from.

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