Goodbye, Commercial Brands! - A Review of the Panasonic Automatic Bread Maker
Written: Apr 23 '02 (Updated May 14 '02)
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Pros: Healthy, cheap, fast and fun with no artificial additives.
Cons: Easy to get carried away - remember beef jerky bread is NOT tasty!!!
The Bottom Line: If you want additive-free food, the Panasonic Automatic Bread Maker is ideal. Follow the instructions and you wake up to delicious freshly-baked bread.
freelancer1's Full Review: Panasonic SD-YD250 Bread Machine
I bought this bread maker from my local store because baking bread in the oven was just taking too long. And I'm very glad I did...
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Hypochondriacs Relax...The Panasonic Automatic Bread Maker is Here!
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If you're a hypochondriac like me, you'll love the Panasonic Automatic Bread Maker . You see, "brown" bread doesn't necessarily mean "wholemeal" or "good for you" and almost all commercial breads have unhealthy additives to make them look better, taste nicer or last longer. But why bother? Fresh, homemade bread looks mouthwateringly good and tastes great. And with my kids wielding bread knives at each other over who gets a slice, it lasts about half an hour.
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Making Bread with the Panasonic Automatic Bread Maker
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Most of the recipes for the Panasonic Automatic Bread Maker (it comes with a list of them, and some helpful tips too)need yeast,flour, salt, sugar, butter/margarine, skimmed milk powder/fresh milk and water. It comes with tablespoon and teaspoon measures and a measuring cup, but you'll need kitchen scales to weigh out the flour. It takes less than five minutes to put all this in once you get the hang of it and most loaves take about five hours(yes, there is a "Rapid" setting which takes three hours, but the bread is normally quite poor on this setting). You can set the timer so that the bread is just finished when you wake in the morning - you'll learn to love this feature!
You'll soon find yourself growing in confidence and experiment with different breads. Banana bread is delicious, but I tend to avoid rolls and pizza bases (using the "dough" setting) because you need to shape them and put them in the oven yourself, and they rarely come out well. The "raisin beep" function is handy for fruit breads - it alerts you when it's time to add the fruit. The only problem is that you need to be near the machine to hear it, and if you are not fast enough, your bread won't turn out right.
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The Panasonic Automatic Bread Maker is SO Easy to Clean!
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The removable bowl means you can whip it out, give it a scrub and stick it back in no time. The rest of the outside of the Panasonic Automatic Bread Maker is smooth plastic and won't need any more than a wipe over. The inside gets a bit blackened by the heat and might need a scrub out every six months or so.
The New Bread Machine Book by Marjie Lambert (Apple publishing) seems to work well with the Panasonic Automatic Bread Maker. The sweet potato bread can come out a bit heavy, though.
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Why Buy the Panasonic Automatic Bread Maker over Other Machines?
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The Panasonic Automatic Bread Maker is a good all rounder that will do just fine for most families. Good features include:
*Crust settings - light, medium and thick.
*Power Cut Protection - If the power to the appliance is stopped for a short period, the program will restart where it left off when the power comes back on. If the power is off for more than an hour and a half though, you won't be able to salvage your loaf even if you start again from the beginning.
There are two major disadvantages though:
*No viewing window - In more expensive machines, if the bread doesn't look right, you can probably rescue it. Not so with the Panasonic Automatic Bread Maker. And it's also just interesting to watch your bread rise.
*No auto turn off - On some other machines, when you open the lid, the power is cut. The Panasonic Automatic Bread Maker doesn't possess that feature and might not be advisable if you have young children.
If these disadvantages are a problem, have a look at the other reviews. The Zojirushi gives you a viewing window, but it is very small and I have been told that this machine isn't all that reliable.
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Specifications of the Panasonic Automatic Bread Maker
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*Size - 14 x 10 inches, 13 inches high. I'd say it's quite compact, really.
*Warranty - I got a six month warranty buying the Panasonic Automatic Bread Maker in the UK, but this may be different in other countries. I haven't had any problems with it breaking down.
*Doesn't come in pink - It's white, white or white, I'm afraid. Sorry.
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Finally, Buy Some Oven Gloves
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The Panasonic Automatic Bread Maker gets HOT! If you don't remove the bread fast enough after baking, it can sometimes stick to the bowl. This means you have to remove the bowl about ten minutes after baking, and it is very easily to get burned. Some oven gloves should do nicely. And while we're talking extras, you'll also need a cooling rack to put the bread on after baking. Very hot air also rises out of the top of the machine when in operation - something to bear in mind if you have children (or, in my case, cats). Anyone using the Panasonic Automatic Bread Maker would also be well-advised to use Allinson flour or some other type specifically made for bread-makers. Quick-bake yeast also makes better loaves because the particles are smaller and so it reacts quicker.
If you do like the idea of healthier foods made at home, check out my yogurt maker review and find out how simple it is to make your own yogurt - even without the yogurt maker! Just paste the following URL in your browser:
http://www.epinions.com/content_62034054788
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