Panasonic SD252 Breadmaker Review

Overall Rating

Makes great tasting 'real' bread
Easy to use
Easy to clean

None

Before the Panasonic SD252 I had previously owned a Prima breadmaker, which made rock hard loaves with huge holes in the centre! Like the previous reviewer, a friend bought a new breadmaker (this exact model) and let me try it out. The same day I went on Amazon and ordered my new Panasonic SD252. It was extremely quick to set up and the instructions are clear and easy to follow. The recipe book includes over 70 recipes which range from simple to more adventurous so you're able to choose the most suitable. You're able to choose between three sizes of loaf and also how dark you want the crust! It's simply a case of pouring in the ingredients (measuring equipment provided), pressing the buttons - which are are clearly labelled - and then sit back and wait. There's a quick bake option (1 hour 55mins). If you haven't much time, or there's a 13 hour timer so you can set it to bake in time for your tea - or even your breakfast. Most breadmakers I've seen make bread that smells wonderful, but very few make really tasty, fresh bread that is just like a 'real' loaf.
There's more though. It's able to make gluten-free bread and cater for low-salt and high-fibre diets. It can make pizza dough and french bread. It has a sandwich bread option (which makes softer bread with a thinner crust) and it's also able to make rolls, buns and croissants. There's a bake-only option for making cakes and teabreads, and the breadmaker beeps when making fruit-loaves to let you know when to add extra ingredients (the more expensive version adds the extra ingredients for you).
I would urge anyone buying a breadmaker to seriously consider this one. The possibilities are endless: banana bread, rye bread, bread with sunflower seeds, herb bread, 100%, 70% or 50% wholemeal, Ciabatta, Foccacia, Chelsea buns and so on. I've not tried every recipe yet (I have made up some of my own though), but I can honestly say that everything I've made has been delicious. I'm not a very good cook, so it must be down to the breadmaker!

Members' Comments onjayneallsop's Review

• nikkinomad on 26th Nov 2008

  A very helpful reivew, she gave lots of information relating to the in's and outs of breadmaking which was really helpful in terms of weighing up the pro's and cons.