The Best Panasonic Bread Machine Review

The best Panasonic bread machine would depend on your needs. If you have a large family, the Panasonic SD-YD250 automatic bread maker with yeast dispenser should be good enough for you.

But if you have a small family, or you’re living on your own, the SD-YD250 is certainly one you wouldn’t need as it is unlikely you can consume that much loaf.  Instead, a smaller unit like the Panasonic SD-BMS105-SW and the Panasonic SD-BMT1000-T both of which can make one pound of bread should suffice.

This bread maker can make rectangular vertical 1.5, 2, and 2.5-pound loaf. Bread is baked in as short as two hours.

The YD250 has been getting rave reviews. Here are the things you will love about this particular bread machine:

• It’s highly versatile as it can make loaves of bread in three sizes—small, medium, and large which actually pertain to 1.5, 2, and 2.5-pound loaves. With its versatility, the YD250 can let you make loaves for yourself and your spouse, or for the entire family if needed.
• There are three settings for crust color (light, medium, dark). You can also choose from six dough options—basic, whole wheat, multi-grain, French, pizza, and cake). Try the French bread option if you want a bread that has a crispy crust and a tender crumb inside.
• It’s user-friendly, with a beeper telling you when to put in fruits and nuts. The unit also has a soft touch and a push-button control panel that makes it easy to program. The LCD digital display would let you know how much time is left before the cycle ends.
• It has an automatic yeast dispenser, so you can be assured that your loaf will have the right texture and aroma. Simply put in the right amount of yeast, and the machine will take care of the rest.
• The delay timer function lets you choose the appropriate time of the day when you need the bread fresh and served. You can even set the machine to stop baking after 13 hours, which means you can go home and be served with fresh bread after a hard day at work. But if you are in a hurry, the machine can bake bread in as little as two hours.
• It’s a smart machine. The YD250 features power interruption protection that lets the baking process to continue even after a power outage, as long as the power cut-off is around 10 minutes or less.
• It’s relatively cheap. Japanese appliances are known for being expensive but this one from Panasonic is an exception. It’s up to $100 cheaper than other bread machines with yeast dispenser.

However, it’s not perfect. This machine has some drawbacks including:

• Lack of a viewing window. Unlike other bread makers, the YD250 doesn’t have a viewing window. This means that you can’t see what is happening inside the bread machine.

However, Panasonic claims that there are advantages of the lack of a viewing window. It argues that without a viewing window, good color, rising, and crust can be achieved. That may be true, but you may not also like this unit if you consider yourself a hands-on baker.

• It’s a fairly big appliance by any standard, with dimensions of 14 x 13.5 x 9 inches. Compared to other bread makers in the market, the YD250 is tall so you have to check first if you have enough room in your kitchen to fit this machine.

• There are also reports that the YD250 isn’t durable as advertised. One online review indicated that the user’s unit broke down within nine months.

Budding bakers and homemakers who love to make simple bread and add ingredients like fruits and nuts will also find this appliance a good investment.

The RD250 is a good kitchen appliance to have given the following advantages:

• The programmable delay timer lets you choose a time for the bread maker to complete its cycle. You can even set the cycle to stop after 13 hours, which would mean you can wake up in the morning with freshly baked bread to eat.
• The sleek, white exterior of the appliance makes the RD250 a good addition to the kitchen as it can enhance the look of that part of the house. Moreover, the exterior is easy to wipe clean.
• If you covet bread with raisins or chopped pecans, then you should get this bread maker. It has an automatic fruit and nut dispenser where you can preload those add in including dried herbs, shredded cheese, and cured meat. The dispenser can hold up to five ounces of add-ins, which should be enough to give a wonderful flavor to your bread.
• It’s user-friendly. Going back to the fruit and nut dispenser, you don’t have to linger in the kitchen just to put those add-ons at the right time. The unit will be the one to add those extra ingredients. There’s not even an alert to tell you when to put the additional ingredients.
• You can also choose from the various modes or settings to choose from —basic, French, pasta, pizza dough, and bake mode.
• You don’t even need to be an expert baker to be able to use this machine. Even a complete novice would be able to create excellent baked goods with this Panasonic unit. Simply follow the instructions for measuring ingredients, select the cycle, and the bread maker will do its magic. There are buttons that you can push to make selections quickly. The display is also well-lit and well-placed; it is unlikely you will be confused.

The RD250 isn’t fool-proof. It has its drawbacks as well, like:

• It doesn’t have a gluten-free setting, which is a bit disappointing given that gluten-free is a growing food trend to the point that other bread makers have incorporated a setting for this type of food.
• Like its cousin the YD250, it doesn’t have a viewing window.
• It can only bake wheat bread with maximum 30 percent wheat flour. Curiously, its competitors can make 100 percent whole wheat, aside from gluten free bread.

Panasonic bread makers usually have a one year warranty on parts and labors. Panasonic will either repair your product with new or refurbished parts; or replace it with a new unit, or refund your purchase price once it determines that the product doesn’t work due to a defect in materials or workmanship.

Panasonic bread makers are also available in most department stores and appliance centers in Canada, Singapore, and Malaysia.  In Malaysia, you can look for Panasonic stores where these items are surely sold. Many appliance centers in Singapore are also accredited Panasonic distributors.

But if you can’t find a Panasonic bread machine in any brick-and-mortar store, there are many online stores catering to buyers in these countries.  The best would be Amazon.com.

Panasonic is a very respected brand, and its range of bread makers should tell you how good it is in producing high quality but reasonably priced appliances. The price is comparable to Cuisinart bread maker.

The three bread machines here may have their shortcomings – most notably the lack of a viewing window – yet no one can argue that these particular products are highly recommended for those who want to prepare bread recipes for themselves and their loved ones.