I would like to start my Oster bread machine review by telling you that this is one of the cheapest bread machines.
It’s also one of the lightest and smallest bread machines.
And, overall, it’s pretty amazing.
I literally don’t think that you can find something better than this model at the same price.
It’s the first thing that you notice when checking out the Oster 2-Pound Expressbake Bread Machine CKSTBRTW20.
Contents
Price & Quality
I believe that there’s no other machine cheaper than the Oster bread machine. There’s the Sunbeam 5891 that has almost an identical price tag, if you want a second option.
People have the tendency to firstly judge products by their price. I do the same thing each and every single time.
The eternal question is: does cheap automatically mean poor quality?
If we take this unit reviewed in this post as an example, the answer is a categorical NO.
I’m not going to keep you in suspense, I’m going to tell right from the beginning that this is one of the best bread machines.
What is the Expressbake?
Firstly, you get a machine that bakes up to a 2-pound horizontal loaf in under 1 hour.
How is that possible you might ask?
That’s where the Expressbake function comes into discussion. There are actually two Expressbake 1.5 and Expressbake 2.0 cycles. Both take 58 minutes until completion.
And when you lift up the lid, freshly baked steaming hot bread will assault your senses. And it’s going to be a really good loaf.
Don’t be mistaken in believing that if it’s ready in only 58 minutes it’s not really tasty.
That sounds a little fantastic because it takes my machine 4 hours to bake the same loaf size.
The basic setting actually lasts 3:25 hours, from the time you press Start till the machine beeps that it’s done.
In the case of the Expressbake setting, you should only use hot water that has the temperature between 115 and 125 degrees Fahrenheit. For getting the temperature right, users are advised to use a cooking thermometer.
Thus, if you’re looking to buy a great machine without spending too much money, this might be it.
This Oster bread machine Expressbake Breadmaker CKSTBRTW20 might be it!
Accessories
- double-ended measuring spoon
- measuring cup
- kneading blade
- kneading blade removal tool
- nonstick bread pan
- nicely sized window
- control panel that it’s very simple, intuitive, and easy to use
- user manual that also contains plenty of recipes
- and 1 year warranty
These are all common accessories.
The Oster CKSTBRTW20 doesn’t have any extraordinary feature, like a nut & fruit dispenser, but as long as it bakes delicious loaves, I don’t think you will have any objections.
Loaf Size
There are 3 loaf sizes:
- 1 pound
- 1.5 pounds
- and 2 pounds
It’s perfect for big families as well as for one individual.
If you live all alone but would like something better than store-bought bread at a really affordable price, you should check this fantastic bread machine first.
Also, the Crust Color button lets you to choose from 4 crust options: light/medium/dark/rapid.
The 10 Preprogrammed Settings
- basic for white bread
- French
- whole wheat
- sweet
- Expressbake 1.5 and Expressbake 2.0
- quick for loaves with no yeast
- European
- dough/pasta
- bagel dough
- and jam
The basic cycle lasts 3:25 minutes. The time is really acceptable. The Oster CKSTBRTW20 is one of the fastest machines on the market.
The rapid setting, which reduces the total time by an hour, can only function for 3 settings: basic, French, and whole wheat.
That’s not a distinct characteristic. It’s a common one, whether we are talking about affordable or expensive machines.
The Expressbake only takes 58 minutes for both sizes. If you’re worried about using this cycle fearing that the loaf is not going to be really delicious then stop all those worries now. It’s unbelievable but you can have amazing bread in less than one hour.
The dough cycle takes 1h 30 min.
And the quick 2 pounds setting takes the total time of 1 hr 43min.
The European menu is for recipes like sourdough, focaccia, and raisin pumpernickel.
Another thing to notice when talking about the cycles is the fact that you can make pasta dough. That’s pretty amazing from my point of view because this is a cheap machine.
The last thing to mention here is that if you’ve already baked a loaf and you want a second one, you will have to wait 20 minutes until this Oster bread maker cools down.
The User Manual Recipes
Under the basic, European, French, and sweet menus you will find the following breads recipes: country white, potato bread, oatmeal, light rye, Italian herb bread, springtime favorite, cottage cheese and chive, special winter, and apple walnut.
Under the Expressbake, you can do the following: white, cheese & rye, and onion soup bread.
Under the whole wheat setting you can do: honey grain, honey wheat, summer wheat, and buttermilk bread.
Even the dough menu includes some suggestions: swirls, dinner rolls, butterhorns, pretzel, butter rolls, coffee cake, and pizza crust.
The jam setting, too, has more than one recipe: strawberry jam, orange marmalade, and frozen berry jam.
It’s more than enough for those who want the basic recipes and if you need more, there are cookbooks with hundreds of recipes made only for machines and they work for all brands.
Cons
The biggest con against this Oster bread maker is that it doesn’t have a gluten-free setting. But that’s to be expected from a cheap unit.
Even so,
You can still find a gluten-free recipe for bread machines and make it work on this Oster bread machine, too.
It also doesn’t have the cake setting.
The alternatives:
If you want a cheap bread machine that also has the gluten-free cycle, check out the Hamilton Beach Programmable Bread Machine.
The Cuisinart CBK-100 should be your next choice for an affordable machine that, besides the usual cycles, also includes the gluten-free one.
All in all,
The Oster 2-Pound Expressbake Bread Machine CKSTBRTW20 is a bread machine that attracts people due to its low price and high quality, it’s nothing fancy, a very basic bread maker that makes delicious loaves, dough, jam, and so much more.
