I paid $150 for mine and it hasn't made a decent loaf yet. My old one made great bread until I wore it out. I think my hubby threw out my recipe sheets with it. Do you have a recipe you'd be willing to share with me? Thanks

At what oven temp do you use and for how long? Thanks

tenngal, have you gone to your bread machine's web site and printed out the manual? I have had to do that for several things we own. I think the important thing is that temp that the machine bakes at. You may have to call and ask to find out. If you think your's is not baking high enough or long enough it may need to go in for a repair. You need to compare a loaf baked in your machine with the same loaf baked in your oven. The results should be identical. Both should be excellent.

I rarely use mine. The yeast is expensive and the consistency of the bread is all the same. I much prefer the frozen loaves you buy. I use the quick method to defrost them and let them rise. Doesn't take long. Comes out perfect every time and you can buy 3 or 5 in a pack. The brand I buy is Rhodes.

We shopped for a long time for another bread machine, after a few years of going without. Back to baking bread now that I am home full time and can just throw the ingredients in and walk away for almost 2 1/2 hours. We bought a Cuisinart and I love it! It makes a beautiful 2 lb loaf of bread. The top is rounded and the loaf does not feel heavy at all. With much experimenting, the best loaf i this machine is made with nonfat dry milk (stuff is not cheap!) and Bread flour. I have tried several flours, using 1 % milk (and less water than recipe called for), and even melted the butter like my mom used to do with her delicious beautiful loaves of bread. I went back to the nonfat dry milk, keeping the unsalted butter solid, and using only Bread flour that I have sifted. Perfect loaves every time.

Bread machine
 

We have a bread machine, our daughter was given two machines and she shared one with us. I really like it, I do not use it all the time. I also find it useful to use for mixing and riseing and kneeding. So I can use it for rolls and French bread sticks. If you check around you maybe able to find one that someone has used only a few times. If you decide to get one how you like it.

Judy in Phx, AZ

I have had a Hitachi bread machine for about 17 years. I had returned 2 other brands before I actually found the one that lived up to the hype. This Hitachi has been used a lot with home recipes, and pkged bread mixes. It's also gone through 3 moves. It consistently gives me a nice raised loaf, and what more can I ask for? I do MAKE SURE I have fresh yeast and IF I do purchase a pkg mix I make sure it's fresh and not way out dated.

In the chilly months nothing is more fun then setting the crock-pot and the bread machine to be done at the same time. It's like having an invisible cook in the kitchen while you're gone to work...or cutting wood.. or off snow mobiling... or skiing.. you name it. Walking back in the door to alllllllllllllll the deeeeeeeeeelish smells is just magic...lol

Good luck... I think you can have faulty machines in any brand so I'm a huge believer in consumer rights. If you get a machine that is not doing what you had hoped... take it back. My first "Black and Decker" bread machine produced DOOR STOPS. After my 4th failed loaf I returned it. There's that old joke about NEVER buying a car that was built on a Monday OR Friday. The monday crew is hung over and grouchy....and the Friday group is thinking about nothing but the weekend....LOL

Anyhow.. I love my bread machine... it's a gem.
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PS~

If you reeeeally want to make yourself crazy GOOGLE bread machine recipes. You'll gain 5# JUST reading...hehe

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