*Note: This is a review of the Cuisinart CBK-200 Convection Automatic Breadmaker. If you would like to buy this bread machine then click here.

If you enjoy fresh bread for breakfast or any time of the day the best thing to do is make your own bread.  Bread-making is time-consuming but it’s not impossible to have oven-fresh bread whenever you like.

The Cuisinart CBK-200 2-Pound Convection Automatic Bread Maker lets you bake home made bread without the hassle of kneading, rising or baking the bread yourself.  Simply put all the ingredients in the bread maker, push a few buttons, and walk away.  The Cuisinart CBK-200 will have your delicious, fresh bread ready after a few hours.

With more and more people making their own bread at home these days, bread machines are becoming more popular and easier to use.  They also offer more options for bread-making.  The Cuisinart CBK-200 convection bread maker is pre-programmed to make different types of bread including white bread, whole wheat, French or Italian bread, low-carb, gluten-free, and sweet breads.  You can also use this bread machine to prepare dough, pizza dough and artisan dough.

The Cuisinart CBK-200 has a special feature you won’t find in many bread machines.  It has a convection fan which circulates the hot air while baking.  This ensures equal heat distribution and makes the crust of your French or Italian bread extra-crunchy.

Cuisinart CBK-200 Features

• Programmable bread machine with 16 preset menu options for White Bread, Low Carb, Gluten-free, Whole Wheat and Artisan Dough settings
• Equipped with convection fan; automatically adjusts speed and timing for consistently good results
• Selection of 3 crust colors
• Makes 3 sizes of bread loaves: 1 lb, 1-1/2 lbs, and 2 lbs
• Audible tone tells you when to add mix-ins such as raisins, nuts, seeds, etc.
• 12-hour delay start timer
• Power failure backup; bread-making resumes when power is restored.  This function is only good for up to 15 minutes of power outage.
• Product measures 18” x 12.2” x 15.2”
• 3-year limited warranty

Cuisinart CBK-200 Description

The Cuisinart CBK-200 Convection Automatic Bread Maker is constructed of brushed stainless steel.  Its key feature is a built-in convection fan that circulates air inside the machine to distribute heat evenly and improve the crust and bread texture.

Buttons on the control panel allow you to choose from a selection of 16 pre-programmed baking options.  The Cuisinart CBK-200 can be set to bake white bread, whole wheat, gluten-free, low carb, sweet bread and many more.

Quick cooking options are also available.  Following the pre-programmed options, the bread machine does the kneading and baking, automatically setting the proper temperatures and baking time so you can have fresh bread without doing any of the tedious work.  The only thing you have to do is add the ingredients, close the lid, and press the right buttons.  Even people who have never baked bread before will be able to enjoy tasty homemade bread with this machine.

The Cuisinart CBK-200 has 16 cycles or options which include White, Whole Wheat, French/Italian, Quick Bread or Cake, Low Carb, Gluten Free, Pizza Dough, Jam, etc.  There is also an option for Bake Only.  The menu button on the control panel is used to select the option or cycle number.  The control panel also has buttons to set the crust color, loaf size, and delay timer.  A button for the mix-ins option causes the bread machine to sound an alert beep at the stage of the cycle when you are supposed to add your nuts, raisins, etc.  The bread machine also has Start and Stop/Pause buttons.

This bread machine has a power failure backup feature.  If power is disrupted the machine will “remember” the stage where it stopped and resume once the power comes back on.  However, this is only good for power outages lasting no more than 15 minutes.

Pros

• Convection oven improves baking performance and produces the desired crust
• Has plenty of baking options
• Makes good bread
• Operates well and works quietly
• Can make gluten-free bread and low carb bread
• Makes artisan dough
• Easy to clean
• Reasonable price

Cons

• Construction quality and  materials used could be better
• Baking pan is made of thin, lightweight material
• Difficult to remove baked bread from pan
• Pan can pop out while kneading
• Machine has a tendency to burn the bread

What Customers Say

The Cuisinart CBK-200 2-Pound Convection Automatic Bread Maker has a mix of positive and negative reviews.  A lot of customers say they are happy with the performance of this bread machine.  In particular they like the numerous options or cycles, especially the ones for gluten-free and low carb bread. Customers also like being able to remove the kneading paddle before letting the dough rise for the final time, so the bread doesn’t end up with a hole at the bottom. Customers who left positive reviews say the machine makes very good bread.

However, not everyone is happy with the Cuisinart CBK-200.  The bread pan gets a lot of criticisms.  It is too thin and the quality of the nonstick coating is poor.  The nonstick coating peels off easily while the thin pan causes the bottom of the loaf to burn.  Also, the pan is so flimsy that it tends to pop up during the kneading stage.  The convection oven feature, which should have been a big plus, works well only on the light setting.  Other settings tend to burn the bread.

The Cuisinart CBK-200 Convection Bread Maker has more positive than negative reviews but there may be some concern over the general quality of the machine, especially the baking pan.  It does have a lot of great features and many customers find it satisfactory.  You may like some of its features enough to overlook the shortcomings.

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.