Bread Maker Review – Oster 5838 Expressbake

The Oster 5838 ExpressBake Breadmaker is the newest member of our kitchen appliance family. To be honest, my wife picked it up in at a thrift store for about a third of what it goes for online, or I might not have tried it out. We've had both good and bad results so far.

The Oster 5838 makes horizontal loaves between one and one half or two pounds. Recipes for both sizes are included in the manual. Horizontal loaves are valued by most bread maker owners as being closer to a “regular” bread shape than the vertical loaves of many other bread machines. It uses a single central paddle which works well enough most of the time, but does not provide the superior mixing and kneading of a two paddle system. The large window makes checking on the bread very easy, and the controls are quite clear and easy to use.

This bread maker has an array of cycles including two ExpressBake cycles, one of which is reported to make bread in less than one hour. In order to make this cycle work you must use fast rising yeast and hot (but not too hot) water. The ExpressBake cycles make bread that has a thicker crust, and much denser crumb than the other cycles. There is also a Bake setting for making jams.

The Oster 5838 bread maker gets good overall reviews with an average rating of 3 1/ 2 stars at Amazon. Most of the complaints point to a lack of consistency in the loaves, bread either falling or not rising at all, or burning the loaves. Of those who did like it there were some complaints of having to modify the provided recipes to make them work. Some people (like myself) don't mind this, others do. One review mentioned there was no hard copy manual included. Mine didn't have one but I suspect that's because we got it used.

Even a few of those who were happy with the Oster ExpressBake bread maker, mentioned ways to check up on the machine, or modify the recipes to make them work better. This was my experience as well. I couldn't get a consistently good loaf of bread unless I add my “secret bread maker ingredients.” For this breadmaker one teaspoon each of vital wheat gluten and dough conditioner helped me get superior results, even better at times than from my old bread maker. I find I get much better results with the 1.5 pound recipes than the 2 pound ones, as well.

If you're willing to play around with the recipes, and don't want to spend a lot of money on a bread maker, you would do well to check out the Oster 5838 ExpressBake. Even with the problems of consistency, readily fixed with the “secret ingredients,” I'm going to recommend this one. It's replacing the Sunbeam 5891 as my pick for “Best Low-Priced Breadmaker.”

Bread Maker Review - Zojirushi BBCC-X20

The Zojirushi Home Bakery Supreme Breadmaker is the Rolls Royce of bread makers, and is considered by many to be the best overall bread maker machine on the market.

It makes horizontal loaves, between one and two pounds, valued by most bread machine owners as being the most pretty, and most like those oven-baked in a conventional bread loaf pan or available from bakeries. To handle the mixing challenges a horizontal loaf brings, the Zojirushi bread maker uses two mixing / kneading paddles. Experts agree that this is a serious advantage over the more usual single-paddle machines. More thorough kneading leads to a more consistent rise and crumb.

The Zojirushi has more useful cycles and options than any other bread maker I've come across, including a sourdough starter cycle. I've never seen that in any other bread maker. As a fan of sourdough breads, this is a real “plus” to me. Owners say that the Zojirushi bread machine is very flexible and can do more than just make bread. There are cycles for jam, cakes and even meatloaf. There are three custom-memory settings and a long, 13-hour delay timer.

The Zojirushi gets solid reviews from owners, with over 300 written reviews at Amazon.com and anthoer 200 or so at Cooking.com. I did find a small number of complaints about durability, but nothing that seemed any different from other high-end bread makers. Some others complained about how large and heavy the machine was, but I think that's to be expected with a bread maker of this quality and capability.

If you don't care about custom cycles, the Panasonic SD-YD250 may be a better option for you. It costs less still got great reviews. If you want nothing but the best in your kitchen, though, you'll want to pay the extra cash to get the amazing Zojirushi bread maker.

Bread Maker Review - Panasonic SD-YD250

According to reviewers, the Panasonic SD-YD250 Automatic Bread Maker is the best mid-range bread machine on the market. It's a sturdy, easy to use bread maker that makes regularly shaped horizontal loaves, which most people prefer over the more common, vertical ones. I did find it odd that this breadmaker lacks a viewing window, a pretty standard feature on other bread makers. Given how little you can see through the prots of other models, however, I doubt you'll miss it.

Owner's love how durable the Panasonic breadmaker is. Of the more than 350 owner reviewers have rated the Panasonic SD-YD250 breadmaker at Amazon.com, more than 70% give it a top, 5-start rating. It consistently makes good bread. The only “con” than reviewers at Epinions.com mention is that now they're eating more bread than ever before.

Many write that say they've used their machines for years. There are only a handful of complaints about breakage problems. While it's not the cheapest model of home bread maker, we often get what we pay for. I've had to replace more than one bread maker simply because I'd worn them out. In such cases, “inexpensive now” creates a false economy – meaning you pay more for it, later. Given the Panasonic's record of durability, however, I'd say it's great choice.

Bread Maker Review - Sunbeam 5891

Are you looking for a good bread maker at a budget price? Look no further. The Sunbeam 5891 2-Pound Programmable Breadmaker is a solid performer at a low price. Home cooks have praised it's ease of use and overall performance, as well as it's affordable price.

The Sunbeam 5891 is packed with all the basics you'd expect from a great bread maker: crust-color selector, regular baking and dough only cycles, you name it. Like most bread makers in it's price range, it makes a vertical loaf, rather than the horizontal one available in more expensive machines. It sports a good, no-frills approach with 12 preprogrammed cycles and, surprisingly, a jam cycle.

To be fair, we found a few complaints about its durability and many owners say the recipes in the manual could be better. (Not a problem for us. We just make our own!) A few reviewers have also complained about the LCD screen, saying it can be hard to read. In spite of these complaints, owners of the Sunbeam 5891, posting at Cooking.com and Amazon.com, awarded the Sunbeam bread maker a good over-all rating.

It is simply the best available bread machine in it's price range.

Don't pay expensive prices at the bakery for something you can make fresh and warm in your home, everyday. Get a Get the Sunbeam 5891 Breadmaker and start enjoying fresh home made bread, without all the fuss, today.