Product Review: Breville BBM800XL Custom Loaf Bread Maker

Company: Amazon

Price Range: $200 - $250

Feedback: Read Consumer Reviews on the Breville BBM800XL Custom Loaf Bread Maker

Who Would Buy This: Those shopping for a large capacity bread machine which has excellent customization functionality.

Pros:

• The Breville BBM800XL is designed and constructed to a high standard as per expected from a Breville product. Its brushed stainless steel finish looks beautiful and fits in nicely with contemporary kitchens.
• The excellent LCD controls are one of the best features of this machine. The large clear back-lit display gives you a good overview of the different settings and is operated using user-friendly controls. The smart push-dial allows you to scroll through the various settings with ease.
• With the 13 pre-programmed settings, you can make everything from gluten-free bread to sweet homemade jam without the hassle of manual programming. For those who want to get creative, 9 custom settings are available so you can alter cycle lengths such as the rise time to create your own recipes.
• The progress indicator keeps you notified of the time remaining and displays a handy progress bar so you know exactly when your bread will be ready.
• Four loaf sizes are available (1lb, 1.5lb, 2lb, 2.5lb) so you can bake a large 2.5 lb loaf for the whole family or a smaller loaf for less people. Three crust color choices are also provided so whether you prefer a light or dark crust, your preference is catered for.
• A collapsible paddle is included which automatically collapses into a flat position before the baking cycle so you don’t have an unsightly large hole at the bottom of your loaf.
• A fruit & nut dispenser is located in the lid, which automatically dispenses fruits & nuts into the dough at the appropriate stage.

Cons:

• Although this machine can bake a small 1lb loaf, Breville recommends it should be used to bake larger sized loaves due to the fact the wide shape of the bread pan will result in an oddly shaped small loaf.

Guarantee: 1-year limited warranty.

Value for money?

The Breville BBM800XL Custom Loaf Bread Maker is a terrific machine with a well thought out design. The quality is in line with its price. Great styling, top class user-interface, good customization and a large capacity are its main appeals. However, we only recommend this bread maker if you intend to bake loaves sized 1.5 lb or larger due to the shape of the bread pan. If you don’t need to make loaves as large as 2.5 lbs, then we recommend considering the Zojirushi Home Bakery Virtuoso Breadmaker, which is in a similar price range.