Breadmakers

Background
We got an LG machine in the mid/late '90s. These machines invariably come with their own recipe book, and this one was particularly rubbish. It put us off using the machine as much as we should have for the first few years as the bread was too sweet and too salty. In 2004 we got a bread machine recipe book and which changed our views and usage of the machine overnight. We have bought very few loaves since. In 2008 a brick was baked and I deduced that the machine hadn't mixed the bread properly because the pan had been put in the sink again, which ruins the bearings. Anyway, due to the age of the machine I took the opportunity to replace it with a Panasonic SD-255, as this seemed to be universally aclaimed as the best machine available.

Comparison

  LG Panasonic
Pan Tall and narrow. The loaf is turned on it's side to be sliced. A wider pan, though still not wide enough. Not as solid as the LG. Replacements very expensive.
Pan size Small or medium loaf size Small, medium or large loaf size, though Panny call them M/L/XL.
Kneeding blade One. Mine became stuck to the pan and the non-stich came off after a few years, so it tore a large hole in the bottom of the loaf. Kneeding blade and a dough blade. Only time will tell how well they hold up.
Viewing window Yes. Can't believe this doesn't have one.
Fruit/seed dispenser No. Regularly made Malted loaf with sultanas and it always came out perfectly just throwing everything in at the start. Wasn't bothered about this and see it as a gimmick, but ended up being only a few quid more than the SD-254.
Cycle duration 3:20 for a standard loaf
1:03 for pizza dough		 4:00 for a standard loaf
0:45 for pizza dough
Timer Up to 13 hours. Up to 13 hours.
Crust Top was very light and very nice, bottom too heavy and not good. Sides were perfect. Too hard. I will have to play with light crust setting. Malted Loaf crust was like steel.
Bread texture Very slightly heavy and much too heavy at the bottom. Excellent
Slicing No problems The tall loaf and the hard crust mean it is very difficult to slice with a bread knife.
Looks OK. Slightly dated, but considering it's age it is good. Well it's new. Looks fine. Silver buttons are a bit tacky.
Operation Very straight forward. More complicated than it needs to be.
Power cut Living very rurally we often have a short power cut. This would end the cycle and ruin the bread. Has a mechanism to cope with a short power cut. Don't know how long for though.
Slice size Good. Even the meduim loaf is way too tall for a standard toaster. This also makes it very difficult to slice.
Machine size   Quite a bit taller than the LG, partly due to the fruit/seed dispenser.


The first thing I found strange about the Panny was that after 10 years of putting in liquid, flour, then yeast and other, it takes the approach of yeast, flour, other, then liquid. Both seem to work fine in the machine.

Using my standard old Wholewheat recipe, the Panny made a larger, lighter loaf, with a harder crust. It was too tall for the toaster, though tasted great.