Bread makers are not something I would normally review, but in this case I must make an exception. I like to be honest and only give a good review of something if it is truly worthy of it.
They are often the one piece of kitchen equipment you love or may long to own, or they can sometimes be seen as a machine that will never make a loaf of bread that is any where near as good as one made in the traditional way.
Well, I must admit that I fell into the second category at one time and I will tell you why.
I was a busy housewife with a full time job, working shifts and was always chasing my tail to get things done at home.
Does that feel about right?
And you still want to give your family the best food and keep the house nice and tidy and so on and so on.
So, as a real bread lover, I decided to invest in one of these machines and give my family delicious home made bread without all the additives they put in it these days.
This was about twenty years ago and I cannot remember the make of bread maker I purchased at the time but I can tell you that it was a complete let down and I never did fulfill my hopes for wonderful homemade bread.
In fact, I eventually took it to work and gave it to one of my colleagues.
She took it home but I never heard any more about it (I guess it didn't work out for her either!)
I did continue to make my own bread especially French bread on special occasions but from day to day did not have the time - or the energy.
Fast forward another ten years and I just happened to read an article about them and read that the Panasonic Bread Maker was a real gem.
It made perfect bread every time. Hmmm... Really?
So, having read the article and once in the right frame of mind, I went out and purchased one just to see if what I had read was in fact true.
What had I to lose?
Well, about
$150 actually, and it was a lot of money but I convinced myself that it would be
worth it.
uGuess what?
It was the best buy I have ever made.
It is still working today (2012), although a little discoloured here and there - as you can see in the pictures.
It is still used every day - AND it is still
making the most wonderful bread.
It sits on the counter in my utility room and nowadays it has another companion sitting alongside it - yes I finally purchased another Panasonic bread maker so that I can make more recipes when the other one is in use.
The Panasonic bread machines can make all varieties of bread including a French loaf and a brioche!
They make wonderful pizza dough and in fact you can make the dough for many types of bread and then finish it off in the traditional way in your oven.
You have many choices with them and they also make wonderful tea-breads and cakes! Thank you Panasonic!
But I have discovered a small appliance called the Deluxe Multi- Cooker by Pampered Chef!
It is truly a multi-purpose appliance and small enough to sit on your counter and not only makes excellent bread, but also is a, PRESSURE COOKER, SOUS VIDE COOKER, SLOW COOKER, YOGURT MAKER, AND STERILIZER!
There is also so so many different types of ways to use this amazing appliance!
If you have a Canadian address where you can pick it up, you can order from me here:
Judy's Crazy Cookin Gadgets With Pampered ChefAND, if you live in Canada I can help you get this beautiful appliance with a large discount!
Let me know here if I can help you!