The first thing you should know about me is that I love making bread, and this machine makes the process ten times easier. It is very easy to use and there are detailed instructions on the side of the box to show you how to use it. I also feel like my bread turns out better when i use this machine versus other brands. The only con of this machine is that sometimes it can be quite noisy, so you may not want to use it when your children are taking a nap. I recommend this bread maker to all of my friends that love cooking and they all agree that it is one of the best bread makers on the market right now. I have also bought the machine as gifts for others several times, and they always seem to enjoy it.

aprilk2000

Houston

Some of the bread makers I have owned over the years have been great but none of them have been perfect. One of the most difficult things about using a bread maker is getting the loaf out of it so if you have trouble the first couple of times chances (and have followed the machine's directions) chances are that same pattern of frustration is going to continue. When I bought the West Bend Hi-Rise Bread Maker it was on sale but that wasn't the only reason that I bought it; it had a claim on the box that it allows bread to raise higher than others in the proofing process and yields a lighter loaf. I wasn't sure how that was going to work with zucchini bread but if it worked even half as well as it claimed it would be the perfect way to make Italian bread minus the hard crust. The first couple of loaves of Italian bread I made were indeed lighter and fluffier than ones that I made in other machines; I wanted the crust to have a crunch to it but there was no way to do that in a machine so when I made a third batch I turned on the oven when the timer went off on the bread maker and when it cooled enough to handle it I put it on the wire rack inside the oven for six minutes then turned the heat off but left the loaf in the oven. When I removed it there was a nice albeit not dark crust on it but the true test would be cutting it to see if the bread had dried out with the second baking. It was just as light as the other loaves and I found the perfect way to make homemade Italian bread without having to do all of the mixing and proofing. I have tried other bread recipes in this as well as dessert type breads; some of them turn out great and some don't so it is a process of elimination as to what is going to turn out edible and what is going to be hard. The removable basket is a perk and the machine cleans up easily; it does take up some counter space so if you have a cramped kitchen to start with you are going to have to move things around in order to be able to have this out and at the ready. I like the design of it because it matches my other appliances that I have in my kitchen and the programming is simple. This makes for a great wedding present if someone has a general "bread maker" on their list and even though it takes up some precious counter space I do make a lot more homemade bread having it out and on the counter rather than if I had it in a box and had to unpack it to use it each time.

AlexFortune

Undisclosed

While it was a nightmare to get this bread machine here (it went missing in the mail for two months), it was so worth the wait. I love homemade bread but when I try to make it without a bread machine it is a glorious fail. I haven't had very good luck with other bread machines I've tried either. I purchased this one after seeing good reviews and hoped it would live up to what I read about it, and it does. All my breads come out perfectly now. This bread machine is so easy to use, there's a setting for every type of bread that you can use or you can set automatic times if you're following a more specific recipe. I love that the pan has two mixers in the bottom so there's never that bit of unmixed flour in the corner when you pull the bread out. The beep that lets you know to take out the mixers before it starts baking is so convenient so you don't end up with gashes in the bottom of your bread. I've never had my bread burn with this machine. It's the best bread machine I've used and I can't recommend it enough.

red5

USA

I am so disgusted I could cry. I bought this machine in April and have not had a chance to use it due to having a lack of time. I finally was going to make some homemade bread early October 2013. I carefully followed all the directions for making sandwich bread. Turned on the machine and after about five minutes heard this awful banging and clunking noise. I tried to re set the bread pan at least a thousand time and had no luck at all. I had to manually make the bread. Not what I wanted to do. Again I called customer service to complain and they told me to take a picure of the bottom of the bread machine and e-mail it to them. Here I sit. Out the money, time and still no machine. Stability While in Use Never got to use it. Bread pan will not stay seated. Performance Never got to use it. Bread pan will not stay seated. Ease of Use Never got to use it. Bread pan will not stay seated. Durability Never got to use it. Bread pan will not stay seated.

JanetPierce

USA

Overall, this is a great breadmaker. I recently started using it to exclusively make our sandwich bread in an effort to save money. I've only had a couple of issues so far with this machine. The bread can be extremely difficult to get out once the loaf is made, and it requires a lot of banging on the counter to shake it loose. Also, sometimes the paddles don't turn in sync, causing the bread to fall and have to be redone. All in all, however, I've been very satisfied with this maker. Performance While this product makes remarkable bread, it is not always the most reliable. There are times when the paddles don't knead correctly, and the bread falls and turns into a flat mass instead of a loaf. This happens about 1/10th of the time I use it. However, the rest of the time, the machine makes a perfect loaf. Ease of Use This machine is incredibly easy to use. It comes with an instruction manual that shows how to program it to make a specific loaf. Durability I have used this bread maker three times a week for several months, and it shows no signs of wear and tear.

JohnnaD

USA

It is my first bread machine purchase and I really like it. My 2 oldest children have figured it out and use it also. Its easy to clean and I leave it out on my kitchen counter. I have used a wide variety of recipes and while some turned out gross (just because i didn't like the taste), I haven't had any problems with it. I have had for over a year, use it frequently and zero problems to date.

mommynae13

USA

I bought this after my 15 year old West Bend Bakers Choice Plus bread machine wore out. I miss having a light to turn on to check progress of the bread. The front, instead of top opening was much easier to insert and release the pan. I never had a loaf burn and rarely had the paddles stick in the bread as I do with the Hi Rise model. (The older model has higher paddle posts). I think they went backwards from their original horizontal loaf machine when they created the Hi Rise. I use it, but expected it to be at least as good as the old Bakers Choice Plus machine. It isn't and I am somewhat dissapointed about that. Performance Finished loaf varies, even using the same recipe. Ease of Use It's easy enough to figure out. I don't like the top loading and removal. It is sometimes hard to get the hot loaf out and doesn't release easily. I liked the front load older model (Bakers Choice Plus) better because it had a release button that made insertion and removal much easier.

Northjudi

USA

I have owned 4 bread machines and in early December thought I needed to get a new one so I could make breads for the holidays.  I make a Rosemary Bread that is requested by many. One of the best features of this bread machine is the dual paddles in the machine itself that turns the dough so efficiently.  One of the things I always had to watch when previously making bread was to stir the dough on the sides of the container to get all the dough in one place and make sure it was stirred properly.  I mostly use the bread machine to make dough but find that the temperature when baking is so much better than others I have owned.  Most baked too fast on the outside and less on the inside.  I would definitely buy this making again in the future.

psardo

Tolland, CT

I received this bread machine for Chirstmas - I reviewed several and decided that this would best suit my needs. Overall, VERY happy with it! I solved the thick crust (most of the time) by allowing the loaf to sit in the machine for a few hours after cooking. However, I know this won't be practical for everyone.

mommajade

Sierraville, CA

I replaced my ancient bread machine with this one from Westbend.  What a great machine.  It is so easy to you, simply add your wet ingredients, then your dry ones and the machine does the work for you.  It has a reminder (beeps) when it's time to add nuts or fruit to your bread.  It has a number of setting for types of bread you wish to make and you can choose not only the loaf size but the color of the crust (light, medium, dark).  The machine is quiet and doesn't walk across the counter so it can be left unattended without risk of finding it on the floor.  The delay timer allows you set it up to have fresh bread in the morning, after work or whenever you'd like.  The smell of fresh baking bread even makes the dogs happy and gives their noses a good work out.  The horizontal loaves come easily out of the pan and are ready to go.  The only down side is that I have to make dinner to go with the bread.  This is a great machine that gives you lots of choices and is easy to use.   

camismom

Albany, WI