Bread Maker's Friend

I couldn't be happier with this little bread-powerhouse. Making up to a 2lb loaf, you can have this unit knead, rise, and bake your imagination away. Following the provided recipes couldn't be any easier, and the plethora of recipes available on the internet are easily used in this maker (Up to 2lb, of course). When you want to handle the dough manually for shaping or additional kneading/rising, you can simply select the dough cycle and let it do the kneading and rising for you and then you can finalize things after (Without the unit baking the dough). It super easy to clean, and even if something goes awry (Like over-proofed dough), the inside is completely stick-free in addition to the bread pan itself and the paddle (Nothing sticks!). The cleaning would probably be a bit easier if you could remove the lid and turn the unit upside-down at times (You can still do this, but it's more cumbersome this way), but it's still easy enough to wipe with a damp cloth. All-in-all I give this a strong approval! If you want to either make dough and bake completely in this, or use it as a baker's helper, this is the unit to get for the price!

Got a defective unit

I was excited to be able to make nutritious non-preservative bread for my family with this bread maker. I had had one years ago and loved it but it stopped working and I did not replace it. This Cuisinart unit arrived quickly and well packaged. I had bought all new ingredients - yeast, bread flour, regular flour etc expecting to make a loaf as soon as it arrived. I put in the exact ingredients following the basic white bread recipe that came with the machine!! All seemed to go fine until it was baked and I took it out of the pan. It was a large hockey puck on steroids!!! Thought I mush have done something wring. I tried 4 more loaves! Same thing. I actually watched the last loaf rise through the window and as soon as it got to bake it fell!! Sadly I returned it. Cuisinart is a great brand and was highly rated so I guess I just got a defective unit. I also read in the directions to add flour or water, scrape down pan etc. but my old one you just put in the ingredients, turned it on and a beautiful soft loaf came out at the end. They say to “experiment” but the basic recipes should work perfectly from the start. It was easy to program and I liked the light in the unit. It was light in weight and did not take up a lot of space. A handsome unit. Too bad it didn’t work!

Bread Apocalypse in my kitchen!

I got this for my birthday and have been on a bread-baking spree ever since. I may have gone a bit overboard, as my kitchen has transformed into a carb factory. Let’s just say I’m really popular with the neighbors!!!

First time using a bread maker, and it is absolutely easy to use and clean. It is versatile with 12 programs to choose from, ranging from bread to cake and even jam. It takes about 3 hours and 20 minutes (for the machine) to make bread. All I have to do is throw all the ingredients in the correct order into the pan and then hit the buttons. No baking experience is needed, yet I just made my very first Brioche, which is dairy-free, preservative-free, and sugar-free (I used honey instead). Another function I like is the 13-hour delay start timer, as I can enjoy fresh bread in the mornings. Plus, it’s not too loud. Cons: The lid is not secured, so it easily closes while I try to take the pan out, which almost made my hand burn. Besides that, I would not trust the recipe book that comes with the machine. Overall, I have enjoyed this bread maker so far and can’t wait to explore more recipes using different programs.

This bread maker has exceeded my expectations! I've made 3 loaves of bread, so far, and used the dough feature to make hamburger buns. I'll never want store bought bread or buns again! Easy to clean. Dump ingredients in order The unit mixes everything for you ! Fresh bread is consistent.unit comes with simple recipes. Delay timer is great for overnight or when getting nome after long day. Doesn't take up as much room as the toaster and not loud either. Love the option sizes and crust darkness. The window on top is nice to view progress.

Very happy with my new bread machine.

This bread machine is smaller than my old one because it is vertical, and it is also lighter, which I really like. It does a terrific job of kneading the dough and turns out a nice, golden loaf. It only uses one key (instead of two) which is one less key to remove from the loaf after it is baked. The display is easy to read and the programming is simple and easy. The manual describes the process of bread-making using a machine - the do's and don'ts - which is handy. I do wish Cuisinart had included recipes in their manual. So far I have made a loaf of whole-wheat bread that turned out well and also used the machine to create French bread dough, which I then removed, let rise again, and baked in the oven. Quite nice.

Not as good as Hamilton Beach

Very disappointed with both the bread maker and the Customer Service. This is the second bread machine I've owned (the 1st was Hamilton Beach & I loved it but could not get a replacement bread pan).

Easier than i thought. Will grow onto the lid though.

It was much easier to use than i thought it would be! The receipe book i really like too so that you can get a feel for for how the machine works before you make your own in it. I did see one person ask if the bread touches the preview window on the lid of the device. Ive only cooked three loaves. All at the 1.5 pound setting (so not the most you can even do) and all of them the bread has grown to and gotton stuck onto the preview window and lid of the device. Which is fine for me personally but if you care about that just know it probably will. (Especially when doing the full 2 lb loaves)

Too small!

Described as “small footprint” but in fact the internal bucket is smaller than other machines I have used. E.g. cannot make 2 medium sized challah breads using the “dough” cycle — it overflows at the end of the cycle, meaning I have to cut back dramatically on the size of the finished breads. Very disappointing. For comparison, when I buy a regular loaf of white bread from the supermarket, 1 lb 4 oz, it is fully twice the height of this bucket!! If you live in a small apartment where a few inches of shelf space mean everything, go for it, but otherwise, get a regular machine.

Excellent Dough setting

I learned that a bread maker machine is excellent at mixing dough. It however does not have a brain. While bread dough goes into an already heated oven, with a machine, the dough is inside the maker while it heats up. I made the whole wheat bread recipe that came with the machine booklet. It was edible, better as toast because the outer crust was hard as a rock, which i read is common for bread machines. Using the same recipe on the dough setting, then a brief prepping before going into a pre heated oven, the bread came out fantastic. Still worth it! Lots of bread machine dough mixing recipes out there on the internet.

Nice bread maker!

I received this product as a Christmas gift from my daughter & SIL. I have had the same bread maker since 1991, and I made the comment about how long it takes to make dough or a loaf of bread (2.5 hrs & 4 hrs, respectively) and I was gifted this machine. This machine is compact, stores easily & looks great in the stainless steel. I like that I can make different sizes of bread. It takes almost an hour off of the dough or bread making cycle compared to my old bread maker, and thats a great advantage for me! It's easy to use and I like that the different bread cycles are listed on the machine itself. So far, the only con I have found is that it is much noisier than my other machine. I am still experimenting with different types of bread, sizes, and cycles, but so far, I am happy with the machine.

Very disappointed

I haves used this bread maker, two times a week for the last five weeks. I have followed the instructions, explicitly, and use the recipes in the that came with the bread maker. Comes out, dry, and dense. When I make a 1 1/2 pound loaf, the top center sinks in after the last rise. I even went and bought all new ingredients to ensure freshness, but this did not make a difference.

There is a learning curve if you are a novice

Not sure i am happy yet with this yet. I bought it to make gluten free bread. I followed the recipe in the book and didn't like the taste. I also tried the sour dough recipe and it was a failure. It was a sticky mess that went in the garbage plus I had to clean the heating element and inside the unit as well as the pan after it rose over the top. My first loaf was wheat bread which also failed after I learned I didn't have the kneading tool seated correctly in the pan. I wasted a lot of expensive ingredients. I'm going to try the wheat loaf again and that will be the final judge of whether i am keeping or returning it.

Initial use

New to breadmaking so no comparison is possible. Placing sticks of butter and eggs in warm water helps to get them to room temperature. 30 seconds in microwave will bring dairy to room temperature. Using the gluten free setting, which has less rising time, for breads as spouse likes dense breads. Only using the lightly toasted setting as others give an overly crusted bread for our taste. For nutty whole wheat bread recipe using only red mill 10 grain flour with additional tbs of hemp seed and flax . Banana bread recipe worked well.

Very easy to use! Came with (clear) instruction booklet and many recipes. I've made 2 different types of bread so far and looking forward to working my way through all of them. No more store bought bread in this house! Never thought I'd be able to say, "I'm a bread maker!", but here I am killin' it! If you have doubts, don't hesitate to purchase the Cuisinart Compact Automatic Bread Maker! Note: I read a few reviews saying you can't make the full 2lb loaf; that it's too "much" for the bread maker. I've found that not to be true & have only made the largest 2lb loaves, & with no problem! I will say the loaves are smaller than I thought they'd be, but with 2 in our household it is perfect! A larger family may need at least 2 loaves a week, depending on how thick you slice the bread.

Cuisinart Bread Maker

Easy to use with a simple receipe booklet. I like to make the dough in the machine but I am not a fan of it baked in the machine. I have baked several loafs in the machine and they are heavy. I started using the machine for kneading and baking in my oven for better results. I also used different receipes with mixed results. I'm new to bread making so I'm still learning. Experiment with small loafs to see what works before making the 2 lb. loaves. Measuring everything exact also has a lot to do with your results. I like my purchase, just need to use it more and continue to try different receipes.

Pleasantly surprised customer

This machine exceeded my expectations. We replaced a 20 year old machine that was really a workhorse for us and I was prepared to be disappointed. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of this new Cuisinart unit. It is quiet, well designed with enough bells-and-whistles, but not too many. Love being able to remove the paddle mid-stream. We've only made dough and 2 loaves of bread - but all were very good. The recipe selections are very interesting and I'm looking forward to using this machine often.

Disappointing Experience.

The only negative downside to this is the recipe book for bread. I've been making bread for decades and use only the finest ingredients. That said, the recipes are disastrous compared to any conventional bread recipes, and are downright awful. The pan is too large creating about 5 1/4" square loaves so you end up with a short, fat loaf that must be sliced super thin to make any kind of sandwich, assuming the bread turns out at all. My kitchen is loaded with Cuisinart products from electric appliances to cookware sets. I've always loved the quality. I'm disappointed in the breadmaker for the pan size and the recipe book. Makes dough well if you use a tried and true recipe and bake in the oven.

Used to like Cuisenart products.

This is the 4th breadmaker I've used in the last 40 years. I've worn them all out. It works quite well. Two main problems encountered. The bread pan is too large. If you like 5 1/4 " wide slices of bread that you have to cut super thin, then don't buy this unit. Second issue, ditch the recipe book that it comes with. It is basically worthless. Compare it with ANY bread or breadmaker recipe book, and it does not make any sense at all if you've ever made bread. I tried some recipes and wasted my ingredients even though I use nothing buy premium products. Every one failed, badly. I now use this unit to make dough from tried and true recipes and bake them in bread pans in the oven. Seriously, I can't believe anyone likes an oversize loaf that is 4 or 5 inches tall that is dense and dry because they can't come up with a decent baking pan or recipe book.

Delicious bread, easy to use, learn the tips

Makes really good bread. I live at a high altitude so I don’t let the refrigerated ingredients get to room temperature and I only make one pound loaves now to insure a good rise. The first loaf I made was way too dense but with those adjustments the others have been perfect and delicious. I also bought a bread making machine cookbook and learned that when you measure the flour, do not scoop it and level it off like you would in a traditional baking recipe. Instead use a spoon to put the flour into the measuring cup and don’t tamp it down. I’m certain this is why my first loaf was so dense. And when the yeast goes in last, make a small well in the center with your finger and add it there. If I hadn’t learned these tips and continued with the first result, then I would have returned it. I’m very happy with the results now and it is very small and easy to store when not in use. Also it is very intuitive and easy to operate. When in use it tends to walk a bit on the counter when it’s in the kneading mode, so I put a rubber 9x11 hot pad mat underneath for added stability. All in all I would purchase this again. And freshly made bread makes the house smell like home to me. I have several Cuisnart products and I enjoy them all. I’ve never had to return or replace any. And that’s something rare today.