I must be honest and completely admit that Breadman bread machines are not the first that come to my mind when it comes to the best bread machines on the market but I still want to write this Breadman bread maker review.
I thought it was high time that I did a more in-depth review of what Breadman bread machines have to offer.
Are there any worth paying attention to? Or are we just better off spending our money on other bread makers? Since this a good question that needs to be answered, towards the end of this post, I will also shortly review some alternatives from other manufacturers.
It’s always better to have alternatives, especially if those alternatives can offer good quality for maybe lower prices.
Or maybe it’s worth spending a bit more to get a very capable bread maker. I’ll let you reach that conclusion by yourself.
Contents
Breadman Bread Maker Review: Breadman BK1050S
The title says Breadman bread machines but the truth is that just one model is available at the moment, from what I could tell so, I’m just going to review that one. The 2 lb Breadman BK1050S.
It’s not a newly released bread maker but that’s to be expected in this niche, manufacturers release new models very rarely.
There’s also the 2.5 lb Breadman bread machine but that’s a bit too expensive, in my opinion.
Price
The Breadman BK1050S is not that cheap either, it definitely doesn’t belong to the cheap bread machines category.
It’s a medium-priced bread maker, around the same price bracket as the Cuisinart CBK-100 or the Cuisinart CBK-200.
One the other hand, Zojirushi bread makers are twice or even almost three times as expensive as this Breadman bread machine. The Zojirushi BB-HAC10 is almost twice as expensive and that’s the cheapest Zojirushi bread maker.
Design
I will be direct and tell you that I’m not impressed by the design for the Breadman BK1050S but that’s to be expected. These kitchen appliances are not exactly the prettiest. If we compare them to another dough kneading machine, stand mixers look much better.
This one looks like a rectangular silver box.
However, the thing is that if you place it on a counter and you’re a short person, seeing the control panel and what the buttons stand for might not be so easy. The Cuisinart CBK-200 might present the same problem.
I just like those bread makers that have the control panel with the display in front not on the lid parallel to the viewing window.
It does have a viewing window, just like most of them do.
Accessories
The accessories sound pretty nice actually:
- nonstick pan
- measuring cup & measuring spoon
- kneading paddle – it’s a collapsible kneading paddle which is intended to collapse once the mixing and kneading is done, it’s meant to prevent the kneading paddle from remaining into the dough during the rising and baking, which means that there won’t be a hole left behind by the paddle once you remove it, as it happens with almost all bread makers
- display and control panel – very basic buttons, intuitive and easy to use
- automatic fruit and nut dispenser – it can be helpful if you like baking breads with nuts, seeds, fruits, chocolate chips, the bread maker will release them automatically when it’s time for them to be incorporated into the dough (in a machine without an automatic fruit & nut dispenser, you have to add them manually when the machine beeps)
- 15-hour delay timer – you can program to have a loaf ready in up to 15 hours
- 1 hour keep warm function
- 2 year warranty
- instruction manual, which you should definitely read, and a few recipes to get you started
It also features a 10-minute power-failure back-up. It’s a pretty short time frame, the bread maker will start from where it left off if the power is restored within 10 minutes.
Loaf Characteristics
It will bake a vertical loaf. Some people don’t like the shape since we’re accustomed to rectangular or round-shaped loaves.
Zojirushi with its Virtuoso bread machine is one of the few exceptions. It bakes a horizontal loaf instead of the vertical one that most bread makers do.
There are 3 loaf size: 1 pound, 1.5 pounds, and 2 pounds. The default size is 2 lb and the rapid loaf is preset to 2 lb and the crust is preset to medium.
But for the rest of the cycles you can choose between the 3 sizes.
And there are 3 crusts to choose from: light, medium, dark.
All these are pretty standard, common for most bread makers.
Cycles
This is where things get interesting, where bread makers differ from one manufacturer to another.
There are 12 cycles that come with this Breadman bread machine:
- white
- whole wheat
- French
- rapid – for white, whole wheat, and French, it decreases the time for these 3 cycles to 1 hour but the quality is not the same, due tot that these types of cycles are never used by me
- sweet
- quick bread – recipes with baking powder/soda instead of yeast
- low carb – an unusual one but as the name suggests, recipes lower in carbohydrates
- gluten-free – I expected to find the gluten-free cycle to be among them because this is a medium-price bread maker
- dough
- artisan dough – definitely another unusual cycle, artisan breads are not something bread makers are famous for, the difference between the artisan dough and the rest is that the rising time is incredibly long and done at lower temperatures, for this Breadman bread machine the artisan dough cycle lasts 5:15 minutes and then you will have to bake it in a conventional oven, it would be best if you were to use a Dutch oven or a baking stone to obtain the best crust that you’ll ever taste
- jam
- bake only – it can be used to bake pre-made dough or if the crust on your already baked bread is too light or it’s not done completely
Breadman Bread Machine Review: Cons
This is the part of our review where we pay attention to what other users have to complain about. It’s not a pretty part but sometimes beneficial.
As I already mentioned above, for some it is difficult to see the display.
There’s also the probability that the kneading paddle scratches the non-stick layer of the pan. It seems to be a common complaint and I think it’s the biggest con for this Breadman bread machine. That’s a serious problem because once the pan is even slightly scratch, that non-stick quality is gone and the loaf will be harder to remove.
Other users have complained about oil leaking into the dough. I simply can’t understand how that would happen since it’s my first time hearing something like that.
Built-in quality is said not to be the best.
Failure to rise is another complaint.
Breadman Bread Maker Review: Alternatives
Since Breadman bread machines are not exactly my favorite although they’re not bad at all, I thought it would be nice to talk a bit about what other options are on the market when it comes to choosing fantastic bread makers.
1. Cuisinart CBK-200
Since this is the one that has the closest price, let’s start with it.
They are indeed very similar. Even is size and the design, although prettier for the CBK-200, is not that different.
The CBK-200 doesn’t have an automatic fruit & nut dispenser. It also doesn’t have a collapsible kneading paddle.
Even their cycles are almost identical. This Cuisinart bread machine also includes the low carb, gluten free, and artisan dough cycles.
The Cuisinart includes a 3-year warranty.
So, why would you choose the Cuisinart CBK-200 or the Cuisinart CBK-100? Simply because they’re more popular and we trust products that a larger number of people have found them to be of high quality.
2. Hamilton Beach Bread Maker 29885 – the Cheaper Alternative
Now, if you want pretty much the same things that the Breadman bread machine offers but for a much lower price then the Hamilton Beach Bread Maker 29885 is what you’re looking for.
And if we consider the Cuisinart bread makers to be popular, they actually pale in comparison to the Hamilton Beach bread makers.
This manufacturer just has a knack for making very good and pretty affordable kitchen appliances that can hold their own in a battle with their much more expensive counterparts.
The same goes for the Hamilton Beach Bread Maker 29885, which also has the gluten free and artisan cycles, among many others.
Another advantage is that this one is also a smaller bread maker that only weighs 10 pounds. And the control panel is better situated, the buttons and the display are easier to see.
And if you don’t care about that artisan cycle but you actually care about finding a cheap bread machine with a gluten-free cycle then check out the Hamilton Beach Bread Maker 29882.
Moreover,
If you’re willing to spend more than any of these bread makers cost but you want a bread machine from a famous manufacturer then the Zojirushi BB-HAC10 Home Bakery 1-Pound-Loaf Programmable Mini Breadmaker might be the one for you.
I know I started off with a Breadman bread maker review and I ended up reviewing a few other models but it’s always better to analyze other options, too.
