Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I'm writing this review from the perspective of one who has never before owned a breadmaker, but as all else, does extensive research before purchasing any appliance. I was looking for the best bread maker on the market that would satisfy my small family's needs. I needed something that required no attention to operate (wife) and could make sweet breads like banana wallnut (son), yet was not limited to size and types of breads that it could make (self). With this in mind I narrowed it down to three bread makers - the Breville BBM800XL, the Zojirushi BB-PAC20, and the new Panasonic SD-YR2500. All three of these machines are amazing bread makers worth anyone's consideration. The following is why I chose the Breville and why I am keeping it. Sizes: Of the three machines I've mentioned, the Breville is the only one that gives the user an option to make 4 sizes of bread loafs. The sizes are 1, 1.5, 2, and 2.5 pound loafs. In practice I've found that for my small family the 1 pound loaf is the perfect size for us. Two pounds is just entirely too much bread for us to manage, half of it ends up going to waste as stale bread because we simply can't eat that much no matter how good it is. The Zojirushi has a limitation of only making 1.5 or 2 pound loafs. The Panasonic had more size options, but does not as small as 1 pound. Dispensers: My wife wanted a machine she could "set and forget" (an old Ron Popeil reference). In other words she did not want a machine that she would need to tend over to add things like nuts or raisins when a little beep prompted her to. In this case too the Zojirushi does not fit the bill as it is the only one of the three that does not have an automatic dispenser of any sort. The Breville has a fruit and nut dispenser, but the Panasonic SD-YR2500 has both a fruit and nut dispenser as well as an automatic yeast dispenser. Because of this the Panasonic is as "set and forget" as you can get with an automatic bread maker. Baking options: Where the Panasonic really fails is its limitations with baking options. Of the three machines mentioned, the Panasonic is the only machine that does not include a "Whole Wheat" selection, as well as being the only machine that lacks customization options. This lack of customization coupled with limited options (for example there is no jam option either) renders the Panasonic the least useful of the high end bread makers. Conversely this is where the Breville shines. The Breville sports the best user interface of the three. The selection wheel is very intuitive and easy to use, plus the baking options are well described on the large LCD display. Each baking option is listed in plain English (as opposed to a numerical code you have to look up as with the other two) as well as plainly obvious icons for loaf size and crust darkness. The Breville also allows for full customization of any of the preset baking options in addition to the ability to program up to nine custom baking options. So that's why I chose the Breville, now to what I have learned with experience...... Collapsible paddle: Lots of reviews mention this one part as something to love or loathe. I, like on most subjects, fall somewhere in the middle. The collapsible paddle requires more attention than I would like, but it is not terribly difficult to manage. The first thing you want to do after removing the baked bread from the bread pan and allowing the pan to cool, is to fill the bread pan with hot water up to just past the collapsible paddle and allow it to soak for a while. This will soften any dough that is stuck within the hub and arm of the paddle and allow for easier extraction and cleaning. To clean the paddle I've found that running it under hot water while cleaning it with a soapy dishcloth does the trick. The bread pan itself is a snap to clean. Just be careful not to scratch the Teflon lining of the pan while cleaning it out (take off any jewelry). Delay timer: I'm good at math, but I don't want to do it when using an appliance that has the capacity of handling it for me. The only thing that I envy about the Zojirushi is the ability to simply set the hour and minute you want your bread to be done rather than calculating the start delay. It's not as bad as I make it sound. All you have to do is push the "delayed start" button then set how many hours/minutes it is before the time you want your bread to be done. For example, if it is 7:30pm now, and you want your bread to be done at 7:00am, then set 11 hours and 30 minutes (11:30) at the "ready in" prompt. Still, the Zojirushi timer is better, set what time you want it done and forget about it (unless of course you want to add raisins or something). Noise: Not loud, not a problem at all. Walking: My machine is sitting atop a clean granite counter top. The weight of the machine on its rubber feet keep the machine stuck fast - the thing wont move even when I want to move it. Not sure why some others have indicated that this is a problem. In conclusion I am very happy with this purchase. This machine above all others gives me all the baking options I need for my small family and turns out absolutely spectacular bread.