Toastmaster TBR15 1-1/2-Pound Breadmaker

Cheap and it works, yes. BUT first, you better plan for an extension cord (minor but a problem, anyway--the cord is not even a foot long) and then, better also plan to add 1/4 cup of water to their recipes, unless you want your loaves surrounded by a serious layer of flour when they are done baking (and the loaves don't slide out easily from the pan, that may be why they recommend too much flour-a problem unique to this one, too). And, from my ample experience with baking and breadmakers, I would suggest that the shape of the pan is the problem to begin with (taller to have the loaves more easily kneaded would have helped-closer to round, as any ball of dough should be): recommending as the manufacturer that you should open the maker and scrape the sides is proof enough of a flawed design (the only breadmaker I have ever used that has to recommend this) (helpful hint: use the water you will need to add to clear the sides, slowly, a few drops at a time, in the corners (ALL the corners) of the pan.Positive: pretty good French bread recipe, and cheap price. It does work, the recipes are fine, but it takes dutiful monitoring by the baker/supervisor.

I received my breadmaker in good condition from Macy's thru Amazon. Setup and break-in was a snap. I experienced no problems with odors or the plastic smell some others have mentioned. My first loaf was just OK. A little too heavy and I followed the directions carefully. I have done a lot of lab work so measuring and weighing are my stock in trade. One thing I realized was that no mention was made of sifting the flour. With the small amount of ingredients used in this breadmaker I think this could make a difference in the consistency of results. Sifted flour would be more consistent in volume than unsifted flour, and thus you would get a more consistent measurement. Another point is the browning problem. I quickly realized that the big window on the top of the breadmaker was pouring heat into the room. The rest of the breadmaker is fairly well insulated but the clear plastic window lets a lot of heat pass thru. This is the reason the sides of the bread are too brown when the top is too lite. I think the solution is to put a oven mitt or other insulating material such as a kitchen towel over the window when you are not looking in (ie 99% of the time). This will raise the temperature in the top of the breadmaker so at least the browning should be more consistent. I think then if you set it on the lite setting it should be much better. Obviously the window flaw is something that the maker should address (smaller window or better insulation). Overall the machine seems to work well and do the job in a rather utilitarian way. It's not a Mercedes but it is not sold at a Mercedes price so I gave it 4 stars. If you are a perfectionist or really like cool gizmos this is not for you. It is small, simple, cheap, and just the right size for two or three people (dogs, etc).

I am very impressed with this machine. I wasn't expecting too much because of the low price, but there are so many things I like about it much better than my mom's model. First of all, my family doesn't need a huge amount of bread at a time, so the loaf size is perfect (comparable to the amount of bread in a loaf from the grocery store, a little more, maybe). Also, the size of the unit is great. It doesn't take up too much of my valuable counter space. Another great feature is that the viewing window is much bigger than on other models, and you can lift the top at any time to check on the bread.I read in another review that the electric cord was too short, only a foot long. Well, I measured it and it's over 32 inches long. I had absolutely no problem with it. Perfect, in fact.The buttons and functions are easy to read and use, and the process isn't complicated at all. It was so easy to make my first loaf... I kept checking the instructions to make sure I wasn't missing something. All I did was dump the ingredients in and press the "start" button. Of course, I did set it to "light," at the recommendation of other reviewers. I suggest this, too. On the light setting, my bread came out as I wanted it. If you like very light/soft crust, I would even take the bread out with about 10 to 20 minutes left on the timer.All you have to clean when you're done is the bread pan, which easily comes out and is super easy to clean! No crevices or hard-to-get-to spots. I am so happy I can now make bread without having to wash a mixing bowl, utensils and loaf pan! The machine does all of the mixing and kneading for you. The bread also comes out in a nice shape comparable to a normal loaf. Some other bread machines make the strangest shapes!The instructions recommend a certian brand of yeast that they don't carry at my local supermarket. I bought Fleischmann's RapidRise yeast, and that worked out great. I read that normal Fleischmann's won't work, but probably anything that says "rapid" or "quick" rise will be what you're looking for.This bread machine is as good as any other I've tried. The bread is delicious and it makes my kitchen smell so great while the bread is baking. The only suggestions I have are to follow the instructions and during the initial burn-off, keep the lid open. I didn't add any water or anything like some people did, I just kept the lid open and let it go through the cycle and after that I haven't had any strange smells at all. I highly recommend this unit.

I have had this breadmaker for about a year and have yet to get a good loaf from it. They either don't raise, or are dried out. The dough cycle works fine, however. This machine also needs a lot of attention. You just can't start it and leave the area. The beeps are not very loud and when you do hear them, you have to be there to scrape the pan and tend to the dough. My previous bread maker was a Panasonic and I have, upon occasion, gotten it out to make bread instead of using this new one. The old one still works fine, even though it is at least 10 years old. (The only reason I bought a new one was because I didn't like the shape of the loaf from the old one.) I should have bought another Panasonic!!