Sunbeam 5891 2-Pound Programmable Breadmaker, White
by Sunbeam
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List Price: Our Price: $51.54 You Save: $34.51 (40%) Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Buy Used: from $47.42 (click here) Category: Kitchen See more product details |
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Sunbeam 5891 2-Pound Programmable Breadmaker, White
Customer Review: Great Product So far
Summary: 5 Stars
I purchased this product a few weeks ago from Amazon and have been enjoying my bread baking experience since. I've baked about 6 or 7 loaves so far and have absolutely no complaint thus far.
First, Amazon always does such a good job with shipping. I had my machine within the week. I followed the recommendation of other reviewers and purchased The Bread Lovers Bread Machine Cookbook and it was a few days later arriving, but I have really enjoyed working my way through some of the recipies.
My very first loaf while I awaited the arrival of my cookbook was a Hodgson Mill Mix. I had planned to start with a mix anyway because I was a little nervous about baking from scratch and wanted my first experience to be really positive as I get disappointed kind of easily in the kitchen. It couldn't have been easier and after that first perfect loaf, I couldn't wait to start baking from scratch.
The machine is a little bulky and I have to pull it out from it's place on the counter to use it, but I don't find that to be a deterrent at all. The controls are easy to read and use. The pan is a nice rectangular shape that makes for an attractive slice of bread. It doesn't look exactly like a regular slice, but the shape comes out good.
It does have a reasonable memory lenth for the cycles. If your power dies in the middle of your bread making; it will restart right where it left off. I learned this at a point where it actually worked against me. I was using the cake setting to bake a cake in it (out of sheer fascination) and decided that my cake had mixed long enough. I couldn't get it to reset for me, so I pulled the plug. I had to unplug it several times before I realized that I needed to leave it off for 5 to 10 minutes before it would reset itself.
So, that's a handy thing in case you have a power blip, but I wouldn't count on it for much more than a quick outage.
Anyways, overall super machine...Even a nonbaker like me can manage to make lovely loaves from it.
Customer Review: Great Value! Great Machine!
Summary: 5 Stars
After years of good service, my Hitachi bread machine finally broke. Alas, no replacements available so I began to look for a replacement. My daughter-in-law decided to buy the full-size Zojirushi BBCCX20 Home Bakery Supreme Bread Machine. She loves it but I thought it wouldn't be great for a single-person family. I considered the Zajirushi Mini but I do occasionally entertain. Much dithering but after reading the reviews here I decided to take a chance. I figured if it was horrible I could always donate it and not be out a lot of money.
First, I was amazed by the Super Saver. I don't think it was more than three days before the machine showed up at my door! As others have mentioned, the instruction book that comes with the machine is useless. Get one or two good books and follow those recipes, not the ones in the book! It also doesn't mention the little hook device that's included so you can fetch the blade from inside the bread. Don't overlook it ... you'll need it! It also doesn't mention that you'll need to turn the pan to insert and remove it from the machine. The bail is not sturdy. You're better off taking a hot pad and turning the pan to unlock it.
When you use the machine, be sure to put a little cooking oil inside the blade. That will ensure you can remove the bread from the pan easily.
I've made two loaves so far: one whole wheat and one while bread with sunflower seeds. Both came out perfectly! As with any bread machine, you need to look inside during the first knead and add water if it looks dry or a bit of flour if it looks wet. That's something that needs to be learned by experience. It's not the fault of the bread machine ... it's your individual weather/home conditions at the time you bake the bread.
Someone commented that the loaves looked weird. For me, the 1 1/2 pound loaf is just perfect and it looks great.
I highly recommend this product. Once you've made homemade bread you'll never go back to buy store bread!
Customer Review: Good bread depends on a careful baker :)
Summary: 5 Stars
I am quite happy with my Sunbeam bread machine. Even though I needed another mixing blade (one didn't come with the machine) I got one quick from Sunbeam, and bought 2 extras for $5 plus postage. Sunbeam is a really pleasant company to deal with for parts. They are incredibly cheap (!).
The quality of bread I have baked with this machine is exceptional. After reading the reviews about the bread machine booklet recipes, I decided to depend on some good recipes I have of my own, and some from the baker's catalog. I use King Arthur flour and recipes and they have all turned out great. I don't eliminate salt or sugar, because that will royally skrew up your bread. Bread needs both to rise properly. But that doesn't mean you can't use more natural ingredients like organic sugar. That has worked fine for me.
I have tried white and wheat breads and both have come out fine. Wheat can be a little tricky, as it needs longer to rise. Use the wheat setting if you're going to bake inside the machine. I prefer to bake mine in the oven, and just use the machine for the dough cycle. I sure love that dough cycle. It's great for things like breadsticks and pizza dough. I can also make a mean homemade pasta (with semolina flour) in the dough cycle.
The machine is quiet, and has performed just fine. I feel confident that if I ever need any parts for some reason...I can get them easily by picking up the phone and calling Sunbeam. I bake at least a loaf a week since purchasing my machine here at Amazon (a few months ago) as well as creating other fun things like pasta. I no longer buy bread at the store because it's just too good made fresh. I'm spoiled now, oh well.
"The Bread Lover's Bread Machine Cookbook" has been my best friend for great recipes and troubleshooting hints if something isn't quite right.
The price of this machine is unbeatable, and even if it only lasted a year I would feel like I got my money's worth. Fresh healthy food at a decent price...what more could I ask for?
Customer Review: Great machine - yummy bread!
Summary: 5 Stars
My husband bought this for me for my birthday - and I think he feared it would get a couple of uses, then end up taking up space collecting dust. Far from it! I use it 2-4 times a week and love it.
I followed the advice of other reviewers and did not use the recipes it came with - instead, I picked up a copy of Beth Hensperger's "The Bread Lover's Bread Machine Cookbook", which is the encyclopedia of bread machine baking, and have had much success with it. (See The Bread Lover's Bread Machine Cookbook)
The machine does not have all the fancy bells and whistles of some of the others, but I have not found myself wishing for those. The cycle options are adequate for my needs. I frequently use the delay timer (which you can't use for any recipes containing milk, eggs, or cheese) and add the ingredients in the morning and set it to be ready when I come home.
I also have been making my own whole wheat pizza crust (which I have not been able to find pre-made at the local grocery store) using this machine. It comes out wonderfully, and now, the quickie, pre-made crusts we have been buying just won't cut it!
The only difficulties I have had are with recipes that ask for the "French Bread" cycle - often I get a case of "crater bread" which I have not yet solved.
I have only used the 1.5 lb loaf setting - and most of those loaves come above the top of the pan - so I am not sure how it would work with the 2.0lb setting.
One oddity, also, is that the box proclaims that the pan and blade can be cleaned in the dishwasher, while the instruction manual warns you not to put them in the dishwasher. (I guess their marketing and product development people don't talk to each other!) To be safe, I've been handwashing it, which is quick and easy as the nonstick finish makes the bread slide right out.
Overall, I have been very happy with this product.
Customer Review: Sunbeam 5891
Summary: 5 Stars
Have made wheat,white,french bread, from recipes in the enclosed book. Cooks evenly, and menu controls are easy to use. Everything does what it is supposed to so far. BUT: I was not happy with the large square shape of the loaf. Bread should not be bigger than typical lunch meat. I also did not feel that the loaves rose evenly enough. The "paddle" problem of most bread makers is probably as "fixed" as it can be - given that something in there has to mix the dough. When the book says Room Temperature, it means exactly that. Cold water should be cool but not icy <85 degrees. I add an ice cube for a few minutes to cool it in hot weather. This is a 4 or 5 star appliance with a 2 star shape. The loaves come out like big cubes. Bread is tasty, has a bit of a rough texture - which is good, and is 5"x6"x7".... Won't fit in the toaster. This is 210 cubic inches of bread. but needs to be more like 4"x5"x10" if volume is important. My next idea is to use the "dough" setting, and put the product in a conventional bread pan for oven baking. This, if it works, should fix the "shape" issue, but then why do I need a bread maker in the first place???
January 22, 2011
After using it for a few months, we have settled on home-made bread. Once I tweaked my recipes, the rising thing became a non-issue. Cleanup is a snap and the bread paddle thing is really no big deal. Fixed the shape issue above by slicing each loaf vertically in half creating two loaves in one baking (so to speak). The bread is stored in freezer bags in a cool area with no spoilage problems. Also, storing bread yeast in the refrigerator is recommended. Have not found it necessary to go to the dough and oven thing. Standard recipe for us is a 2:1 mix of whole wheat flour to bread flour (adds ascorbic acid) and use the whole wheat recipe proportions and settings with powdered milk added (from white bread recipe)in the instruction book