We just bought the Cuisinart, and the color button does not work. I googled the issue and discovered that this has been a known problem for several years. It drives me nuts when manufacturers refuse to address known problems. We will return the cuisinart and try a different brand. One thing I did like about the cuisinart is that you have the option to remove the mixing paddle after the kneading and rising is complete, and it tells you when to do this depending on the type of bread. If you do not remove the mixing paddle, then 1-2" of your loaf is disfigured by the paddle, which is baked into the bread. I did not hear any mention of this feature in this video.
I was thinking of purchasing a bread maker and was overwhelmed with all the choices available……. Then this video came along ….. just in time……. Thank you so much. Great video AND TIMING!
A CAUTION WITH BREAD MAKERS: I don't know if the very expensive ones are any better, but I find a common problem among the machines: The bread pan's paddle-spindle and/or its bearings are in a humid, hot environmtne during use. If not made from steel that is highly resistant to rust, they gradually rust together, I you bake bread once a week, you may find after a couple of years, they lock up. This is especially true if one removes the paddle from the spindle before the last rise in order to avoid the paddle recess in the bottom of the loaf. My solution to the rust problem is not to bake in the machine. Before the last rise, transfer the dough to a baking loaf-pan. Let it rise in the oven away from cold drafts for about an hour, then bake it for about 40-45 minutes at 350-375F. Never bake in the bread machine. Use it only for mixing and kneading. A new pan will cost you $40-$50.
A bread-maker is not a fusion-reactor. It is a simple combination of a kneader and oven controlled by a computer program. My first was the best: a Black & Decker, back when B&D was a company located in the USA. It worked well for 20 years, which demonstrated two facts: it is a simple machine; it was made from good materials. Today's bread-makers are just as simple, but their materials diminish in quality from the outside-in. Innermost is the spindle and spindle-bearings. In their humid, hot environment, they increasingly rust until they eventually lock-up. If you make bread once-a-week, you may find that after two years, you must replace the baking pan: about $50. I suggest not baking in the bread-maker. Use it to handle the dough, but remove the dough before the last rise before baking. Transfer to an external loaf-pan; let it rise in the close oven (even an oven/broiler!), bake after one hour at 350-375F for 40-45min. I don't think the expensive bread-makers, today, are as reliable as my $60 B&D, years ago. It's still worth buying a cheap bread-maker for the kneading and the computer. Just don't bake in it !
