Testing a Bread Maker
test lab: bread makercanada
(Apr.11.11)
The inspiration: Baking bread has always intimidated me but this bread maker promised to put the ease in yeast. (Sorry, that's a little baker humour for you.)
The tester: Mia
The product: Hamilton Beach Bread Maker, $80. Available at Sears and Lowe's.
What I loved: This was so simple to use (after reading the helpful and detailed instructions). If you can measure and add ingredients, you can make bread. My favourite features were the crust setting (for those with a particular taste when it comes to crust) and the auto-set, which allowed me to mix and add the ingredients before bed and set it to start baking at 5am. By the time I woke up, my house smelled like fresh bread. The bread maker also has specific settings for gluten-free breads, doughs and even jams!
What I wasn't crazy about: It's a little awkward to remove the canister from the bread maker while wearing oven mitts, and once I did, it was even more awkward to flip upside down to shake the bread loose. Then I had to go digging inside the loaf for the spinner which comes off of the bread maker in the loaf (which is intentional).
My tips: Keep in mind that the loaf is shorter than the average store-bought variety, so if you're planning on baking a loaf to serve to guests (I made club sandwiches for a casual dinner party!) keep in mind that you only get about 8-10 slices per loaf. Follow the ingredients to a T, being careful to use the specific flour listed for the recipe.
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