Bread Makers

Siller :

I received my West Bend 41200 Bread Machine several weeks ago and have not been disappointed! I have produced 5 loaves from it so far - about 1 a week. All have come out perfect despite my imprecise measurements and in one case, my outright mistake for one ingredient’s quantity. I bought it because I wanted standard, horizontal loaves instead of the odd-size vertical loaves my old Welbilt produced.

First, the shortcomings:
1. Skimpy manual does not have many recipes and is missing 1 pound loaf recipe (I have shared mine below).
2. Although pan stays in place well, it does not have a “positive lock” feel. Time will tell if this will become a problem.

Some things to note:
1. Alarm to add nuts or other ingredients is very loud and cannot be bypassed.
2. Done alarm is very quiet. You may need to set your own reminder alarm if you are not close by.
3. The 1 pound loaf setting produces loaves that are the closest to purchased bread size. The 1 1/2 pound loaf setting produces a taller bread slice that is fine for toast or spreads but your hotdog or burger might get a bit lost in it. I can’t imagine making a 2 pound loaf.
4. Manual mentions that it has the ability to make it through short-term power interruptions (less than 5 minutes). I have not tested this myself.
5. Takes up about a 12 x 14 inch footprint on your counter.

What I like the best:
1. Perfect light, airy loaves without needing precise measurement techniques. My old Welbilt bread machine was *very* picky about the ingredient measurement and even then, would still produce poor loaves on occasion. With this one, I just scoop the flour with the measuring cup and use reasonable care with the other ingredients.
2. Much quieter than my old machine. You can actually be in the same room with it and not need to turn up the volume on the television or your voice.
3. Crust control works well. Light crust is actually very light.
4. Large viewing window - much larger than any bread machine I have ever seen. It is oval and about 6.5 x 5.5 inches.
5. Stable on the counter with absolutely no tendency to “walk” around during kneeding. Note that I have not tried the 2 pound loaf setting.

I have only tried a few of the settings that this machine possesses. I have only made 1 1/2 and 1 pound loaves on the basic bread setting. I use white flour mixed with whole wheat flour. I have tried the light and medium crust settings (both worked exactly as I expected) but not the dark setting. I have not tried the timed setting yet.

I live near Denver (mile high city) so the high altitude can cause bread to crater. I have been adding in a couple of teaspoons of vital wheat gluten to the general purpose flour I have been using and have had no trouble with cratering.

The manual has 1 1/2 pound and 2 pound recipes but no 1 pound recipe. I borrowed the recipe from my old bread machine manual and it worked perfectly. Here is is:

1 Pound Basic Bread Loaf Recipe
Water: 3/4 cup
Oil: 4 tsp
Sugar: 4 tsp
Salt: 1 tsp
Flour: 2 1/4 cup
Yeast: 1 1/2 tsp

On my second 1 pound loaf, I dumped the whole yeast package in, forgetting to measure out just 1 1/2 teaspoon. The loaf still came out perfect.

In conclusion, I’m very happy with my machine although I have only been making basic bread and have not used the timer yet. Long-term durability still has to be determined.

O'Connor :

Just got it… Looks really nice. Made 1 loaf of bread so far following the recipe book and game out good. Has delay functions so you can have fresh bread when you get home, run it overnight, etc. So far would recommend.

Glombardi :

We had been hesitant to purchase a bread machine as reviews for all products range from wonderful to horrid. We finally decided on the West Bend 41200 because of the low price, the flexibility of multiple size loaves and the additional dough and jam features.In the month since purchase, we have used the bread machine 10 times, making 4 different types of breads ranging from traditional white to beer/jalapeno/cheese, sweet breads, pizza dough and jam. We have no complaints. Using the bread machine is actually easier than you are led to believe. All recipes say you must measure exactly, only use the ingredients listed and follow step by step. This is not true. We have modified recipes slightly by adding/reducing liquid if the dough or the proportions do not seem proper, we have substituted ingredients; using all-purpose flour, not bread flour; substituting an equal amount of skim milk in place of the water and dry milk; etc. We find no appreciable difference in the quality of the product. Focus Electrics, owner of the West Bend name, has a wonderful recipe book on their website: [...]We are so pleased with the West Bend 41200 we will be purchasing many more for wedding and holiday gifts.