uh make that BREAD Maker... not break maker. :)

I have that same Bread Maker.... and have used it only twice. It is okay, but dollar for dollar, I prefer to use a Kitchen Aid to do my bread doughs. I take it off the dough hook and knead by hand for just a little while, simply because I love to..

My bread maker was a gift from a much loved neice, so I don't dare get rid of it... lol

Carolyn

I have a similar 'bread-in-a-bucket' breadmaker (different brand, but same general concept) and I haven't used it at all once I got a good stand mixer.

If you want a standalone breadmaker, consider the Zojirushi. Yes, it's more, but the big-time bread bakers on this forum like it for its flexibility and reliability.

See there? I knew not to buy it without checking here first.

I'd really like one to do my kneading for me, like Annie does. Wondering if this one would even do that?

It's not a bad machine. I considered it. I like the convection bake feature.

However, I went with a Panasonic 250. A brand new machine I got for $50.00 because it had some scratches.

I got the Panasonic because it has a separate automatic yeast dispenser. It mixes the yeast in proper timing depending on the recipes. Many other machines require you to put ingredients in exact sequence.

dcarch

Shaun, I have that machine. It works great, but takes up a lot of space. It will do just the dough cycle. I have used it both ways. The bread tastes great.

If I had it to do over again, I would go with the mini zo, just because of space. I could then also take it in the motor home with me. There is no way I could do that with the one I have.

Tami

Thanks everyone for your input on this.

Tami, a mini Zo? Really? Going to google that and check it out.

dcarch I just got a toaster oven with the convection setting, havent used it yet. Honestly I'm not even sure what that is.

"---dcarch I just got a toaster oven with the convection setting, havent used it yet. Honestly I'm not even sure what that is."

Convection oven is in fact a misnomer. All regular ovens cook by radiation and convection. A so-called convection oven actually cook by forced hot air conduction, not by convection.

Becuase a "convection oven" uses circulating hot air, the temperature inside the oven is more uniform and less hot and cold spots, baking and roasting is more uniform. Also, the force hot air allows better heat transfer, cooking time is shorter and cooking temperature can be lower.

dcarch

Thanks dcarch.

I have it and love it. I make my banana (pineapple) bread in it every other day. Very convenient. I also use the dough cycle to make yeast dough for Cinnamon buns and cheese buns.

punamytsike, will it just knead the dough and then you can bake it in the regular oven?

shaun, that model should knead the dough and then let you remove it and shape it then bake it in a regular oven.

It won't make as large a batch as the big Zojirushis do, but it'll do it.

I bought Makayla a breadmaker at Good Will for $7 or $8, she loves it and makes pizza dough in it regularly, it just kneads and rises and she takes it out and makes pizza.

Annie

I have actually made rice (Bake cycle) in my Panasonic.

dcarch

Thanks Annie!

dcarch, really? How long did it take?

"----dcarch, really? How long did it take?"

The "Bake cycle" on the Panasonic is set at 30 minutes.

I put rice in the loaf pan and I use boiling water for the rice. 30 minutes later, cooked rice.

dcarch

BTW, the Panasonic has a very small foot print for a 2 1/2 lb loaf, 14"x 9".

When I make the cheese buns or cinnamon buns, I put all the ingredients into the bread maker by instructions, push the start button and when it beeps, I get out of it raised dough, ready for shaping and baking. For 2 lb the total cycle is 1 hour and 40 minutes.

Yes it will do dough only. I did it for the dinner rolls I made for Thanksgiving. I am too lazy to make just the dough and them put it in another pan to wash and bake in the oven when the bread machine will do it all! The mini Zo can be found on the KA web site. I like the Cuisinart, but wish I had gotten the mini zo cause it takes up less room. When this one dies, I'll get the mini zo.

OH, and I think I paid $129 for this one at the Kitchen Collection store a couple of years ago. So this one at Costco is a good price.

Tami

Thanks so much for all the input!

tami ohio, what do you mean that the mini zo can be found on the KA web site? The only KA I can think of is kitchenaid and I don't see anything ZOJIRUSHI on it? Sorry if this is something I'm just not understanding...HA!

KA can refer to Kitchen Aid or King Arthur of King Arthur Flour fame. Confusing, huh?

Here is a link that might be useful: Zojirushi Mini at King Arthur Flour

OK thanks...for the life of me I couldn't come up with anything but kitchenaid but I knew that wasn't right. Thanks for the link too, I've been looking for a breadmachine myself!

Does anyone know if the mini zo will make rice too like dcarch said his panasonic will? Just wondering. I never knew a bread machine would make rice before this thread!

Went to the KAF site and read the reviews ont eh mini Zo.

"As the KAF instruction sheet indicates, this machine is a computer". That is, the cycles are pre-programmed. That's OK for people who just want to plug and play, but for those of us who want control over the baking, we just don't get it. It would have been great to have the option of pressing a "Knead" button or a "Bake" button to be able to control those functions, ideally coupled with the ability to set the timer for each."

Does this mean that I wouldnt be able to let it just knead my dough and then I can bake it in the regular oven?

shaun, if you go to their home page(Zojirushi) and find the mini Zojirushi you will see right next to it "manuals" and find the manual for that bread maker and it appears that there's a setting for just dough. On the pdf document on page 21 it tells you how to use it. This is all foreign to me too but that's what it looks like according to the manual on line. HTH

"-----Does anyone know if the mini zo will make rice too like dcarch said his panasonic will? Just wondering. I never knew a bread machine would make rice before this thread!"

See this:
http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf80659511.tip.html

"---Does this mean that I wouldnt be able to let it just knead my dough and then I can bake it in the regular oven? "

I don't know all the machines. I am sure you can. If not, just unplug the machine and take the dough out after kneading.

---
If you wait a few years, you can get one of this:
http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2010-12/01/rice-to-bread-cooker

dcarch