Bread Machines: Easy-to-Use, Affordable, Flexible

What's New, Nov/Dec 2001

Baking bread has never been so inviting. Family & Consumer Sciences teachers are always searching for new ways to teach their students valuable life skills while allowing them to have fun. Quick, easy to use, affordable and convenient, bread machines do just that. Today's new generation of bread machines give any cook a variety of choices in terms of shape, size, ingredients and even the type of products they can make. Features include:

* Dual kneading blades

* Interior lights

* Crust color control

* Automatic timers and switches

* Yeast and waste dispensers

* LCD control screens

* Safety switches

* Bread warmers and multiple sizes

Before buying a new bread machine for your Family & Consumer Sciences classes, investigate your options. Talk to people who own bread machines, go online, and visit a store to touchtest products. Features to keep in mind include design, power, bread pans, timer, and cycles. All bread machines have a manual or dough cycle. Additional cycles allow you to create jams and quick breads and can be set up to cook specialty breads. What's New Magazine has compiled some of the components and features of the latest bread machines to help you make the right choice for your classes.

The Breadman TR2200C Ultimate Professional 1, 1-1/2 or 2 Ib. loaf machine bakes cakes, batter breads and jams. Also makes pizza, bagel and pasta dough. Features include an 18-hour delay bake timer, rapid bake, extra-large see-through window and custom-control recipe program. Another plus for bakers is that the machine includes a 18-minute, fully random pause feature to allow adding mix-ins. The machine also has an Instant Recall and 60-minute power failure backup. Its dimensions are 12.5'' high × 9'' wide × 16'' deep.

Cost: $229.99.

Most Unique Feature: The patented fruit and nut dispenser and the fully random pause. BREADMAN, 800/272-5629. www.breadman.com

Panasonic's SD-YD250 Bread Machine enables students to have control of many types of bread or dough, the size of the loaf, and the crispiness of the crust. Cooks can choose to make a variety of breads in 1 Ib., 1 1/2 Ib. and 2 1/2 Ib. sizes. A variety of program modes allow users to make dough especially for French bread, soft breads for sandwiches, multi-grain breads, croissants, and more. Electronically controlled modes produce the correct density, texture and moistness for types of breads and pastries. Its dimensions are 14'' high × 13-1/2'' wide × 9'' deep.

Cost: $149.95.

Most Unique Feature: An automatic yeast dispenser.

PANASONIC, 800/211-7262. www.panasonic.com/electronics

Oster's 58-Minute ExpressBake Bread Maker 5833 features over 100 recipes and 18 bread settings. A 3-step programming system allows users to quickly make a 2 Ib. loaf. Baking cycles include: white, wheat, 58-minute ExpressBake, French, sweet, dough, pasta, quick breads, jams/jelly and cake. A special beep lets you know when to add fruit and nuts for mix-in breads. Includes a 60-minute Keep-Warm feature and a large viewing window. Its dimensions are 12'' high × 15'' wide × 24'' deep. Cost: $89.99.

Most Unique Feature: The ExpressBake cycle lets you bake bread in less than an hour.

OSTER, 800/597-5978. www.oster.com

Toastmaster's Bread Box Plus Bread Maker 1148X has a unique Fast Bake Cycle. It can make a loaf of bread from start to finish in less than an hour. This model has a horizontal bread pan with a single kneading blade, crust color control and bakes 1-2 Ib. loaves. Easy to use, the 1148X features eight primary cycles. Once you start the machine, the mixing and kneading begins. It also has an easy-to-read control panel. Its dimensions are 14-1/4'' high × 12 3/8'' wide × 10.5'' deep.

Cost: $105.

Most Unique Feature: Its programming does not require pre-heating.

TOASTMASTER INC., 800/947-3744. www.salton-maxim.com

Welbit's ABM1L2P - Dual Loaf Bread Maker simultaneously makes two 1 Ib. loaves of bread in multiple settings of basic white, whole wheat, French, and sweet breads. The Express Setting makes bread in 45 minutes. It includes two large viewing windows. The dough cycle allows users to make pasta, pizza and bagels. Specialty settings include jams, quick breads, cakes and additional bake settings. It also has crust color control and a programmable timer. Its dimensions are 11.6'' high × 17.4'' wide × 10.4'' deep.

Cost: $129.

Most Unique Feature: The ability to make two simultaneous loaves of bread.

WELBILT, 800/872-1656. www.salton-maxim.com

West Bend's 41077- just for Dinner Bread Maker makes an oval-shaped, dinner-sized loaf in 45 minutes. This compact machine has settings for basic, specialty and wheat breads and includes a recipe book for other style breads. This model features a 1-hour Keep Warm cycle and an audible alert for crust treatment. It has a non-stick horizontal bread pan and a simple two-button operation control. The bread can be viewed baking through the window. Its dimensions are 9'' high × 10'' wide × 11.5'' deep.

Cost: $62.99.

Most Unique Feature: The automatic Keep-Warm cycle keeps bread oven-fresh without overcooking.