*Note: This is a review of the West Bend 2 Lb. Breadmaker. If you would like to buy this bread machine then click here.

Homemade bread is always healthier and tastier than store-bought bread, but it takes so much time and effort to bake bread the traditional way.  It’s a good thing we now have automatic bread machines, making it easy to have freshly baked bread early in the morning or for dinner.  The West Bend 2 Lb. Breadmaker is a versatile bread machine that allows you to bake all sorts of bread recipes including whole wheat, raisin bread, low carb bread, gluten-free bread, low salt bread and much more.  You can also make bagel or pizza dough with the West Bend 2-lb breadmaker.

Product Features: West Bend 2 Lb. Breadmaker

• Bread maker pan can accommodate 3 loaf sizes: 1 lb., 1.5 lbs, 2 lbs
• Features 12 digital pre-programmed settings (Basic, French, Whole Wheat, Quick, Sweet, Super Rapid 1-lb, Super Rapid 2-lb, Dough, Jam, Cake, Sandwich, and Bake)
• 3 levels of crust control: Light, Medium and Dark
• Delayed start cycle programmable for up to 13 hours
• 1 hour automatic “keep warm” setting
• Easy to follow instruction manual
• Includes recipes for whole wheat bread, basic white bread, garlic bread, low carb and gluten-free, etc.
• Bread machine comes with knead blade, non-stick coated 2 lb loaf pan, measuring cup and spoon, knead blade removal tool
• 600 watts

Versatile Bread Machine

The West Bend 2 Lb. Breadmaker doesn’t stop at baking bread.  It also bakes cake and makes pizza dough and bagel dough.  This versatile machine can even make homemade jam.  A “Sandwich” option in the menu allows you to make light textured bread with a thin crust ideal for sandwiches.

With the West Bend 2-pound Bread Maker it’s possible to bake virtually any kind of bread recipe.  The 13-hour bake delay timer lets you wake up to the delicious smell of freshly baked bread in the morning.  It’s programmable to fit your schedule, so you don’t have to stay in the kitchen for hours.

Loaf Size

This bread machine comes with a non-stick baking pan to make a 1-lb, 1.5-lb, or 2-lb loaf of bread.

Pre-Programmed Settings

The West Bend 2 Lb Bread Maker features 12 different baking modes, allowing you to bake many different types of bread with the push of a button.  In addition to basic bread recipes, you can bake crusty French bread and soft-crust sandwich bread.

Keep Warm Function

After baking your bread, the West Bend bread machine automatically keeps the bread hot for up to one hour.

Crust Color

The West Bend 2-pound Bread Maker offers three levels of crust control.  You can choose a light, medium or dark loaf.

Bread Recipes Included

A recipe booklet comes with the West Bend bread machine so you can start baking your first loaf of bread right away.  You’ll find recipes for wheat bread, low carb bread, bagel dough, gluten-free bread and many more.  Of course, you can also use your favorite bread recipes.

Why You Want a West Bend Bread Maker

Freshly baked bread is absolutely delicious and the aroma of baking bread wafting from the kitchen is heavenly.  But let’s face it, very few people have the time to make homemade bread by hand.

Enter the bread machine.  With the West Bend 2 Lb. bread machine the whole bread-making process is done for you: mixing, kneading, rising and baking.  The breadmaker can bake your bread in any of three loaf sizes including 1 lb, 1-1/2 lb, and 2 lbs.

You can make many different bread types by selecting from the menu options.  The bread machine has settings for basic bread, whole wheat bread, French, sweet, and many more.  Settings for sweet breads and even cakes are available.  You can also select the desired crust shade, from light to medium to dark.  A user-friendly digital display makes it easy to program the bread machine and select the desired settings.

If you want fresh, piping hot bread for breakfast, there’s no need to get up in the middle of the night to get the bread ready.  The West Bend 2-pound Bread Maker features a delayed start cycle that you can program for up to 13 hours.  Put all the ingredients in the bread machine and set it at night to have freshly baked bread in the morning.

You can also set it in the morning before leaving for work and come home to hot bread in the evening.  An automatic keep-warm function maintains the freshly-baked flavor for up to one hour.

The 600-watt West Bend 2-Lb. Breadmaker is durable, safe, and energy efficient.

Pros

• Easy to use; quiet operation
• Affordable price
• Makes very good bread
• Manual is well written; comes with recipe booklet
• Easy to clean
• Plenty of options for different types of bread

Cons

• Large size; takes up a lot of counter space
• Bread pan is made of lightweight material and may not last long

What Customers Say

Reviews of the West Bend 2 Lb. Breadmaker are generally positive and customers give it an excellent 4.8-star rating.  The machine works well and makes very good bread.  Retailing for about $60, the West Bend bread machine is inexpensive yet high quality.

The biggest drawback, for some people, is that this model is quite large and takes up lots of counter space.  In general, however, customers say the 2-pound West Bend bread maker is a very good product and they would recommend it to anyone.

Happy Baking,

- Ryan, The Bread Maker

P.S. I find that Amazon consistently has the best price on bread machines so I would recommend trying them first. CLICK HERE to view it.

*Note: This is a review of the Cuisinart CBK-100 Programmable Breadmaker. If you would like to buy this bread machine then click here.

Everyone loves homemade bread but sadly not too many people have the time to bake their own bread these days.  The Cuisinart CBK-100 Programmable Breadmaker now makes it possible for you to enjoy freshly baked loaves of bread everyday.

The Cuisinart CBK-100 costs about $85 but it is considered one of the best bread machines in the market.  With this versatile breadmaker, you can make different kinds of bread and different sizes of loaves.

Whether you want to make your own bread for health reasons or just to savor the simple joy of eating homemade bread, you can count on this programmable bread maker to bake a perfect loaf every time.

Cuisinart CBK-100 Features

• Programmable bread machine with 12 pre-programmed menu options and 3 crust settings
• 13-hour delay-start timer
• Bakes 10, 1-1/2- and 2-pound loaves
• Features a viewing window
• Lid, nonstick pan and kneading paddle can be removed for easy cleanup
• Sturdy handles stay cool
• Power outage backup for up to 15 minutes
• Comes with measuring cup, measuring spoon, and recipe book with bread recipes, gluten-free bread recipes, and recipes for jams and sauces
• Made from durable stainless steel materials
• Measures 18” x 12.2” x 15”; weighs about 20 lbs.

Product Description

The affordable Cuisinart CBK-100 lets you enjoy homemade bread with the least effort.  Simply add all the ingredients for your bread recipe in the bread maker.  The machine has 12 program options for the bread-making process.  Choose one and the machine will do the rest.  The Cuisinart bread maker mixes the ingredients, kneads the dough, and lets it rise.  After a few hours you will have a loaf of the most delicious homemade bread.  You can also choose crust shades from light, medium to dark.

The CBK-100 features a 13-hour start time delay.  This allows you to enjoy freshly baked bread in the morning or when you get home from work.  You’ll have hot bread waiting for you whenever you want.

Before the final rise, the machine will beep to warn you to remove the kneading paddle.  This will ensure that your bread bakes without a hole at the bottom.

Easy-to-Use Control Panel

The touch pad control for Loaf Size allows you to select the loaf size (1 lb, 1-1/2 lb, or 2 lbs.).  The control panel also has a Crust Color Button where you can choose light, medium or dark crust.  An LCD display shows important information such as loaf size, crust color, and the current function.  You can also view the menu selection and delay start timer on the LCD.

Menu Button

The Menu Button lets you select the program for baking your bread.  The Cuisinart CBK-100 has 12 pre-programmed options:

• Basic/White Bread: For breads using primarily white flour.
• French/Italian: This menu option bakes bread at the right temperatures to get the characteristic thick, crispy, browned crust of French or Italian bread.
• Whole Wheat: This option is for bread recipes using a significant amount of whole wheat flour (at least 50%).
• Sweet Bread: This program is for bread containing high amounts of sugar, fat and protein.  Sweet bread tends to brown more quickly.
• Gluten Free: This program ensures that gluten-free dough is kneaded to the right consistency and baked long enough to cook the dough completely.
• Packaged Mix: The Cuisinart CBK-100 also works with pre-packaged yeast bread mixes using this menu option.
• Cake/Quick Bread: Quick breads are cake-like in texture.  They use baking soda or baking powder as leavening agent instead of yeast.
• Dough: You can prepare the dough in the bread maker and finish baking it in a conventional oven.  You may also want to prepare pizza or bagel dough.
• Pasta Dough: The program for pasta dough mixes and kneads the ingredients.  You can roll the dough by hand or use a pasta roller.
• Jams: The Cuisinart CBK-100 also has a program to make jam and chutney.
• Bake Only:  With this program, you can set the breadmaker for baking only.  Baking time is set at 10 minute intervals up to a maximum of 90 minutes.  This program is also useful for baking store-bought dough.
• Rapid Bake: Select this program for recipes using rapid rise yeast.

Other Useful Features

One of the most useful features in the Cuisinart CBK-100 is the delay-start timer.  You can set the delay up to 13 hours.  With this feature, you can program the breadmaker to start the process in time to have fresh bread when you wake up in the morning.

The Cuisinart CBK-100 also has a Start/Stop button.  This allows you to pause the bread-making process while you check the condition of the dough, add more flour or water, scrape down the sides of the pan, etc.

Pros

• Works well and makes good bread
• Easy to clean
• Has gluten-free mode
• Manual is well-written
• Paddle is removable, making it possible to have baked bread without a hole at the bottom

Cons

• Loud beeping may annoy some people
• The display is at the top and difficult to read
• Poor customer service

What Customers Say

The Cuisinart CBK-100 has plenty of positive reviews from satisfied customers who gave it a rating or 4 or 5 stars.  They find this programmable bread maker easy to use and easy to clean.  Most important, it makes excellent bread.

However, there are also a few negative reviews from customers who reported that their breadmaker broke down or the paddle broke off.  In some cases the bread would not rise or bake properly.  It’s possible that some people received defective units.  Attempts to return the units or ask for replacement parts were met with frustration due to poor customer service.

In general, however, most customers are perfectly happy with the Cuisinart CBK-100.  It is reasonably priced and many people find the gluten-free program a big plus.

Happy Baking,

- Ryan, The Bread Maker

P.S. I find that Amazon consistently has the best price on bread machines so I would recommend trying them first. CLICK HERE to view it.