Breadmakers: testing is done by koloboks

The process of baking is fun, simple and enjoyable, but that’s only if you are lucky enough to have a helper – a baker. How to choose it so that it is ideal for you? To thoroughly answer such a difficult question, we decided to conduct home tests of the best, in our opinion, bakeries on the market.

There were nine bakeries in our test. In each of them, we baked three kinds of bread: white, kulich, as well as bread according to an interesting recipe from the manufacturer. All in all, our mini bakery did a great job,

although there were a few mishaps.

Before you start

During the test, we were interested to see the features and assess the functionality of bread baking machines, to confirm or deny the merits of specific functions of each device.

In addition, we wanted to understand what kind of support can count on a beginner baker, because most of us have never baked bread and have a vague idea of what this process is.

That’s why we paid so much attention to instructions and recipe books: they should help you get used to the new field very quickly. In our test bakers participated Panasonic, Moulinex, Binatone, LG, Bork, Kenwood, Redmond, Daewoo, De’Longhi, Philips, Tefal, Electrolux.

What’s there to test?? The bread maker is..

Breadmaker – automatic device that takes over the entire cycle of baking classic bread.

It kneads the dough into a block, creates a comfortable climate for the action of the yeast or sourdough starter, lets the dough stand and mature, kneads it in time to release the carbon dioxide, and then bakes it, calculating the duration of this stage on the basis of the size of the loaf and the degree of browning required. All of this is controlled by automatic, or rather a set of algorithms that take into account the peculiarities of programs. The program is created strictly according to the type of bread.

Review after the test: what baking machines can do

Must-run programs

The basic mode, which is available in all baking machines, including our participants – white bread baking.

It often becomes a favorite, as in it you can cook according to the most diverse recipes, taking wheat flour as the basis, adding to it a little rye flour no more than half , corn, oat, buckwheat, including in the recipe cheese, olives, yogurt, herbs, nuts and seeds.

The program can be used for rye bread this is the most difficult and demanding with special baking additives with gluten e.g. Panifarin .

The second must-have is French white bread with a tender crumb and a particularly crispy crust.

The third program is a reduced program for white bread, designed for emergency situations, and the bread in it turns out not so puffy and delicious. On average, it lasts about two to two and a half hours at Kenwood – 2 h 40 min. .

The Vitesse and Electrolux have the shortest cycles – they last just under an hour.

We have not tested this program, as well as a good “quick” bread is difficult to make, you need to experiment a lot to find the best recipe.

The fourth program is designed for bread made with special wheat flour: wholemeal, wholemeal or rye flour. Kenwood, Electrolux and Panasonic have abbreviated programs for such bread. Often the coarse flour mode is mastered by housewives to bake rye bread. Moulinex, Panasonic and LG have programs that are specialized to this type of bread.

The program “Sweet Bread” is designed for muffins. Using this program, it is possible to bake a traditional cake although hostesses often choose the first program for this purpose . Names can be slightly different: “Muffin Baking”, “Sweet Bread”, “Muffin Bun”… Among our participants, only LG and Panasonic do not have such a special mode, sweet bread is always cooked in the main mode.

Special programs

These are modes that help people with dietary restrictions cook bread. For example, Moulinex has a mode of cooking bread without salt, which can be useful for people with high blood pressure, prone to edema, pregnant women.

Gluten-free bread based on a special mixture can be baked in Kenwood, Electrolux and Panasonic machines.

Unusual programs

The Moulinex breadmaker offers several additional modes for baking small items, especially baguettes, bread sticks, rolls, and lavash. The programs provide for the dough kneading and proofing stages, as well as a baking stage which is turned on by the user after a pause. During this pause it is necessary to take the dough out of the bucket, shape it, put it into special forms from the kit and put it back into the oven. Then comes the automation system.

Cupcake. The devices can bake yeast-free bread as well. It can be used for cupcakes, muffins, biscuits, homemade cakes, sponge cakes, etc. On average, the program lasts 1.5 hours. In addition to the basic products, the recipes include leavening agents and baking soda.

The Bork, Moulinex, Vitesse, VR have “Cupcake” program, Electrolux – “Sweet cake”, Kenwood – “Brownie”. Panasonic and Zelmer have no such mode. Dough can be made manually and baked in the “Baking” program. LG has a program “Cupcake”, but you have to mix the ingredients yourself.

Baking. This is another important program, it is necessary when you need to prepare something according to your own recipe, for example to bake bread on an old sourdough the algorithm is not suitable for the bread maker, because it takes about a day to prepare the dough . It is also used if the bread has not had time to bake in the main cycle. Convenient when you can flexibly select the baking time. Like, for example, up to 70 min. Moulinex up to 60 min. At VR up to 90 min. Electrolux, Kenwood, Panasonic, in 10 minute increments. Zelmer and Vitesse breadmakers have an hour-long cycle, the user just has to turn the device off when the dish is ready. In the LG model, there is no mode with this name, but the program “Cupcake” includes only baking, so the user can use it the duration is 60 minutes. .

Auxiliary programs

Loaf weight, g

Pail size, mm W×H×V

Extra Mould

Bork BM 500

750/900

175×140×155

Round Pan for Kuliches

Moulinex OW6002 Baquette and Co

750/1000/1500

223×126×150

2 shapes for baguettes, 2 shapes for buns

Vitesse VS 425

750/900

173×139×155

–

Electrolux EBM 8000

500/750/1000

182×140×136

muffin tin

Panasonic SD 257

600/800/1000

189×142×148

–

LG HB 3001 BYT

500/700/1000

145×135×170

–

Kenwood BM450

500/750/1000

185×140×145

Round for kulich purchase to order

Zelmer 43Z011

500/750/1000

183×137×130

–

VR BM-4013V

700/1000

175×135×157

–

Controls

Buttons

In our test, we encountered three types of control buttons:

– Sensors – showed the simplicity of assigning tasks, easy care Panasonic, LG, Zelmer

– Sensors on glass – slower response, do not respond to dusty hands, also you can not make adjustments in the kitchen gloves Kenwood and Bork

– pseudo-sensor buttons – adequate response to touch, easiest for an elderly person to get used to Moulinex, Electrolux, Vitesse, VR .

Display

Comfortable display and easy operation have Moulinex, Kenwood, VR and Electrolux. Panasonic display requires mastering a few English-language terms. The Vitesse panel, in our opinion, is not very well located: you have to bend down to it. Worst looking Zelmer display.

Timer

Used in the appliance to delay the beginning of the cycle to get bread by a certain time. The timer of the baking oven is calculated by the moment of completion of the cycle. The shortest time interval was with Electrolux 12 hours , the longest – with Moulinex and Kenwood 15 hours .

One more thing – memory on shutdown. We tested the functionality of this function and no machine failed. The shortest time interval after which the memory content was reset was with the Zelmer 5 min . , the longest is with Vitesse 15 min . .

Technical features

First of all it is the presence of dispenser – a device that automatically loads raisins, nuts in the baking process. It is necessary to pour into it all the necessary things in the proper amount at the same time with the installation of the bucket in the oven. Particularly convenient when using the timer. Dispenser is available in Panasonic, LG, Kenwood.

The second feature is convection. This function is provided by a small fan, which contributes to intensive air movement through the oven during the baking process. Convection makes the crust of the bread crispier and provides a more even browning, including on top. The Electrolux and Kenwood have convection.

The third feature – the backlight, which simplifies control of the processes taking place in the chamber: turn on the light and look through the viewing window. Particularly important for those who will have the appliance in a poorly lit place. Among the participants of our test the light is used in Bork, Electrolux, Kenwood and VR.

Easy to turn on

All machines need to be unplugged after completion of work, which is not always convenient, especially if the outlet is located in an inaccessible place. The Kenwood breadmaker is the only one that has a power button, you do not need to unplug it from the socket.

Baking ovens, unlike microwave ovens, do not have their own cooling system. That is why some models need time to cool down after a baking cycle high-temperature heating . Until then it is simply impossible to set the next job e.g. the display will give an error . Under normal conditions, 15-25 minutes is enough to cool down., After that, the bakery can be used again in any mode.

A place of its own in the kitchen

Most hostesses define a permanent place for their baking oven. And, accordingly, the model is chosen based on its size and features. The bakers presented in our test have three kinds of “figures”: in the form of a chest with a width much greater than the length and depth, in the form of a box with a height greater than the width/depth, and a rounded complex shape.

Bread bakers – these are Kenwood, Bork, Electrolux and VR. They can be placed on a narrow console or pedestal, and it is good if it is slightly lower than a traditional countertop, as the control panels of these baking ovens are horizontal this way they will be more visible . If you put the appliances on a regular table, you need to provide for the possibility of temporarily pulling them forward, as at the wall of a standard tabletop 60 cm deep it will be inconvenient to make settings you can not see the display . The socket must be nearby, for Electrolux and Bork it is better to the right.

LG and Panasonic high box appliances are smaller and more compact. But they require more free space in height, that is, the absence of sockets, rails and shelves in the chosen place is welcome. The control panels of both devices are slightly inclined, so that if the bakers stand on a standard tabletop height of 85 cm, it is very convenient to make adjustments. Panasonic has the power cord out the back and LG on the right.

Moulinex, Vitesse and Zelmer baking ovens have a bionic shape that resembles a sprawling ball of ripening dough. The control panels are mounted on the front, on a slanting wall, which is very convenient. These appliances should be placed across the table top and not across it, so you can choose a place for them on the edge of the table, on the wall. If the outlet will be on the right, Moulinex and Zelmer are more suitable, if on the left – Vitesse.

If you don’t have an outlet near you, Zelmer has the longest cord, at 1.6 m, and might be the right choice for you.

the weight

The lightest baker we had was Zelmer 5,4 kg by the way, it has recesses for easy carrying , and the heaviest – Kenwood 8,5 kg .

Design

It is clear that we all strive for a certain harmony in the kitchen and that is why we choose appliances that fit in well with the interior. Kenwood, Bork, Electrolux, VR and Moulinex ovens go well with black glass ceramic hobs and ovens and stainless steel appliances. Most of all they will be impressed with modern interiors, the kitchen in the high-tech style.

Other models – LG, Panasonic, Vitesse and Zelmer – are white and more universal. They will look well in modern, country and classic style kitchens.

Silent

One more point to pay attention to is the noise at work. The first or second stage of the baking program is an intensive kneading of dough. This is the time when you can distinctly hear what’s going on in the oven without even going near it.

The noise can sometimes be very uncomfortable: if you have a room in your kitchen, for example, it makes it uncomfortable and you don’t want to put the overnight clock on every time you bake bread for breakfast.

Kenwood and Electrolux breadmakers are recognized as the loudest ones. If silence is important for you, then LG and Panasonic models will suit you best.

Easy to maintain

Most of all devices Kenwood and Electrolux with glass panels and doors will require attention. Every speck of dust is visible on them, and flour dust is simply inevitable when working with dough and sifting flour. It has to be constantly shaken off, although thanks to the flat surface it is done literally in one movement. A Bork breadmaker has a glass insert on the lid and it covers the control unit. Dust also piles up here, but it’s harder to clean because it collects in the corners and clings to the surface.

All white appliances LG, Panasonic, Vitesse, Zelmer require minimal outside maintenance.

All the participants of the test remained practically clean inside, a few crumbs are collected with a wet wipe in a few minutes. But the Panasonic machine turned out to be able to “dust” with flour a lot. The thing is that in the process of kneading we decided that for a good loaf we need to add flour apparently, its humidity was lower than standard . This flour, before it had time to soak, was dispersed, settling on all the inner surfaces of the stove, that was not observed in other models. Then this flour, of course, burned later we began to take this feature into account, and the machine began to behave more accurately . A Bork baker also dusted with flour when adding it, but to a much lesser extent.

Economy and price

The Moulinex baker consumes the most energy 1.65 kW , and the most economical is the Panasonic 550 watts .

The cost of the device is often a decisive factor in our choice. The most affordable models were Vitesse, VR and Zelmer 3800 rub. 3,500 Dollars each. , and the most expensive ones were Bork and Kenwood 9000 roubles each . . I was pleasantly surprised by the price of the Electrolux 5500 rub. , because its functionality and design are very similar to Kenwood’s excluding programming .

Model	Consumption power, W	Guarantee, years	Price, Dollars.
Bork BM 500	615	1	9000
Moulinex OW6002 Baquette and Co	1650	2	7000
Vitesse VS 425	600	1	3800
Electrolux EBM 8000	680	1	5500
Panasonic SD 257	550		8000
LG HB 3001 BYT	650	1	4700
Kenwood BM450	780	1	8990
Zelmer 43Z011	715	1	3500
VR BM-4013V	615	2	3 500

How to repeat our test at home?

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