[AlaninCarlisle]

Can anyone recommend a good rugged home bread-maker? Please don't suggest hand mixing as I have neither the time nor patience. That patience has finally snapped with Morphy Richards machines after my third one. I think the problem is that most people use them occasionally, I use mine three times a week and I can tell you that at that rate of usage, they last just a month or so longer than the two-year guarantee before the heating controls go wonky and deliver soggy loaves

[madcat]

Mine is used at least twice and usually 4 times a week (inc a dough batch or a cake).  I think I must be luckier than you with my Morphy Richards ......     it is about 3 and a bit yrs old now. I grant I dont use many of the programmes  - basic bread, cake and dough really.   What do you use?

Prior to that I had a Tesco's own brand which did about 3 years until the bottom seal gave with some style 

[lettice]

I use my Morphy Richards fastbake about five days a week and had it for over five years now and its its still in prime condition. I had a hinari for about five years before that, but wanted something bigger.
Make two half and half loaves in the machine each week.
Then using the dough menu, two lots of baguettes, then alternate each week with either a French country loaf (and its sourgough starter), cottage loaf or sesame oil and seed loaf.
Sometimes make an italian herb and sun dried tomato loaf in the machine.
Do make batches of naans and freeze them.
Occasionally and will be doing soon with the glut of tomatoes make focaccia and pizza bases.
For cakes, a few times a month, do make a spiced tea loaf with different teas or a malt loaf.
Once a year make hot cross buns.
Did used it to make bridge rolls, but prefer the ease of the baguette now.

[Mrs Bee]

I use my Panasonic every week several times a week for both bread and dough.

At one point I had 3. I let my son take one and I am still left with the other 2. One died recently after about 8 or nine years.

The one thing that does seem to go wrong after a while is the automatic drop function. But I still use the machine without using that function.

I replaced the dead one with one of the new ones but didn't go for the automatic drop function. It is cheaper and really good it tells you when to add the extra ingredients and has a bleep to let you know when it is ready and  waits until you have done it.

I won't be buying any more with the drop function.

I keep 2 machines because I make so much bread and like to have one baking the bread and another making the dough.

[ghost61]

I have the same one as Mrs Bee.  I avoided the model with the drop function, it was a lot extra to pay for something that I can do manually.  I had a cheap Argos one before which never produced a consistent loaf. 

[jaydig]

I've got a Panasonic too, and have been very happy with it.

[Comfreypatch]

I have a Panasonic to, it is my second one. The first lasted about ten years. It is used about three times a week. Don't have the drop function model as it is more expensive and I wouldn't use that. Saying that it does have a rye bread programme which my model doesn't.

[AlaninCarlisle]

Thanks to all, will check out Panasonics. Just maybe a dumb question, but what do you mean by the "drop function"?

[ghost61]

It adds things like raisins etc at the right time in the cycle.  Otherwise you have to hang around to do it manually.  With the drop function you put everything in at the start and then leave the machine to it!

[Steveharford]

We've got a Panasonic too. And apparently it has the drop function. Cool ! I wouldn't have known what it was either. How can you tell that it's not me who makes the bread in our house ? 😉

[grendel]

we have the Morphy Richards fastbake - with the drop function, a bit of a waste as we don't use that. I make bread at least 3 times a week and ours is over 2 years old now, to be honest if you are planning on using it that often then you need to spend a bit extra to get a decent one - but avoid the fancy frills like fold flat paddles, as there is more to go wrong. on our first MR we wore out the bread tin, the drive shaft eventually seized up.
with everyday use I wouldn't plan on it lasting a lot longer that a few years, I would be thinking of replacing it after about 2 1/2 to 3 years anyway.
Grendel

[snowdrops]

Do you all bake the loaves in the bread maker? I found I stopped baking in ours as I couldn't get it out of the tin, so just mixed & proved it then gave it a quick knead & in to a tin etc for a 2nd prove before baking in the oven, so in the end I got rid of it & as I wanted a new mixer bought a Kenwood chef.

[jaydig]

I usually bake mine in the bread maker unless I want something a bit different.  I find a quick, sharp shake always ejects the loaf perfectly, although I suppose that could vary depending on the type of dough you are baking.  Ordinary white, brown and wholemeal loaves are never a problem.

[Mrs Bee]

I usually bake mine in the bread maker unless I want something a bit different.  I find a quick, sharp shake always ejects the loaf perfectly, although I suppose that could vary depending on the type of dough you are baking.  Ordinary white, brown and wholemeal loaves are never a problem.

Ditto. Although If I am having difficulty with a little sticking I lightly oil the tin and paddle first.

I do the everyday loaves in the bread maker but like to use the dough function for making lots of special breads that I shape and put in the oven.

[Lardman]

Risking this getting boring but I also have the panasonic, it's been used 3-4 times a week since I bought it and hasn't skipped a beat.

I have no problems with the bread sticking to the bucket but I do get the paddle stuck if I'm careless with the measurements, I just hoick it out with a chopstick when the bread is still warm.  The nut dispenser doesn't see much action everything just gets stuffed in the bucket.