GUIDE TO BREAD MACHINES

Breadman TR520 Programmable Bread Maker for 1-, 1-1/2-, and 2-Pound Loaves

Manufacturer : Black & Decker
In Stock : 7

List Price:	$99.99
Price:	$54.00
You Save:	$45.99 (46%)

Features

Programmable breadmaker bakes 1-, 1-1/2-, and 2-pound loaves
User-friendly push-button control panel with easy-to-read digital display
3 crust shades; 8 functions for breads and doughs; 13-hour delay timer
Fruit-and-nut add-in signal bell; viewing window; nonstick baking pan; removable lid
Measures approximately 13-1/2 by 12-1/5 by 13-1/2 inches; 1-year limited warranty

Product Description

Bring Home the Bakery! Fall in love with your favorite breads and baked goods all over again! Featuring 16 unique baking functions in 3 loaf sizes – 1, 1.5 & 2 lb. – plus light, medium and dark crust control, you can make all your favorite breads, dough and even jams with ease – including low carb and gluten free! Our patented automatic fruit & nut dispenser means no more waiting around, while convection technology ensures even cooking and professional results.Please Note: When delivered, kneading paddle may be attached to the power cord of the bread maker.

Customer Reviews

Average Rating of 3.50 out of 28 reviews

Rating :
Another satisfied customer - K. McKay, Nov 17, 2009

Add me to the list of happy Breadman users. My boyfriend got this machine about 2 years ago, and he's been making delicious loaves of bread ever since. This machine is great! With the FastBake option, you're eating bread in an hour. (Other machines, I researched have taken 2 + hours.) The recipe book is really good - I highly recommend the onion cheese bread! My boyfriend made a super fantastic banana bread just last night. We have only had one bad loaf, and that was completely user error. You really have to keep measurements precise when baking bread - the ratio of wet-to-dry ingredients is critical.

Cons: This thing is kind of loud. Also, depending on if you add enough liquids it "clanks" through the kneading cycle. Additionally, as another reviewer commented, the dough does travel all around the bread pan during the knead cycle. Depending on how much noise the thing is making, and how much the dough is moving, I will often times scrape the sides of the bread pan and add a little extra water while it's kneading. This will fix both problems (but is an extra step). Also, the bread pan can be a little difficult to get out of the machine - especially because it's hot!

But honestly, to me the cons are extremely minor and well worth the loaves of bread this machine turns out. It's cheap, fast and works great.

Rating :
No Bread, Man... - Fredrick S. Adam, Nov 10, 2009

Lightweight, noisy, cheaply made piece of junk. Jumps all over the place when kneading the dough. Can't read programming panel due to poor selection of colors for letters and background- they're almost the same color! Controls became unresponsive after making one loaf of bread. One time I plugged it in, the paddle started spinning wildly and instead of a beep I got a steady shrieking sound that wouldn't stop until I unplugged the damn thing. Must be possessed...

Rating :
Satisfactory for the money - G. Brewer, Nov 10, 2009

We have two of these as well as two older Breadmans and a Sunbeam. I make bread for us and another family on an average of four loaves or more per week. I use my own recipe - a type of oatmeal/honey bread - on cycle 1L.

Pros:

Makes a well shaped loaf with a nice top or dome. I have had no problems with falling after rising.
The bread has a nice moist texture with a light crust (see cons).

Cons:

Labeling hard to read. Letters should be a dark color.
We all like a light brown crust that isn't tough. In order to get this even on the light setting, I have to stop the baking cycle 15 to 20 minutes before it is finished. This requires that I monitor the time thus destroying the automatic feature. If I finish the cycle, the crust is dark and hard. This may not matter to everyone so, if you can but it for $60.00 or less, I'd recommend it.

I'm still looking for a machine that has an adjustable bake cycle.

Rating :
Good Machine - A. Terry, Sep 27, 2009

For the price, it's a pretty good bread machine. One thing I would add is this... If you are not using the brand of yeast recommended by Breadman, your results may not be good. Their recipes were tested using Red Star Yeast Active Dry Yeast. Not all yeasts will yield the same result. Know how the yeast you're using will perform.

I use an organic yeast, and when I used the amount recommended in the first white bread recipe, (1 Tbsp for a 2 lb loaf), the bread rose and fell. The taste was okay, but I knew when the loaf didn't dome, that the problem was too much yeast.

I used (1 3/4 tsp of organic yeast for a 1 1/2 lb loaf) for whole wheat bread, and it came out absolutely perfect. The bread was just as good as the whole wheat bread I used to purchase at the grocery store for $3.50 a loaf. Now that I know that I have to adjust the amount of yeast since I'm not using the one tested for their recipes, I am very happy with my machine. I would not use a bread machine for quick breads because I prefer to do them by hand. I will only use my machine for yeast breads.

I have experience using bread machines and I know how my yeast performs thru trial and error. A novice would not have known that there are differences in brands of Active Dry Yeast. Also, through experience, I know that the relative humidity will affect the outcome of your bread. Check your bread while it's kneading on a humid day to see if a little flour needs to be added, only adding a Tbsp at a time.

Rating :
Not bad at all--considering the price - M. Maltbie, Sep 10, 2009

I am not a novice bread baker, whether using a bread machine or using a heavy-duty mixer to get the job done. I bought this machine to give to my daughter who is a college sophomore and living in a dorm. Size, weight, price and ease-of-use were all important considerations. We have not been disappointed. A horizontal loaf, rather than a vertical loaf was also a very important feature.

While trying to help my daughter adjust the recipes to our hot and humid atmosphere and the medium-size farm eggs that we use, I baked about 15 loaves in the week before she carted it off to school. I was impressed with how well the different programs worked to bake specialty breads (other than white). I was especially pleased with the results for rye and dark wheat breads.

She is currently making one or two loaves a week to share with her friends. She is happy with the machine and very happy with the flavors and textures of some of the breads she baked using the recipes from the enclosed recipe pamphlet. The weird yellow color and small print of the programming panel doesn't bother her. The buttons are easily memorized so that you don't really have to read them to know what they say.

My own bread machine is over 15 years old, cost much more than the Breadman TR520 and is way more durable. Because it's so old, it doesn't have all the special programs that the Breadman TR520 has, but its construction is much better. Only time will tell whether the shortcuts in construction will shorten the life of the Breadman. But I must say that I envy my daughter, because I really like the special programs. Even the quick cycle--making a loaf in one hour (really!) produces a decent loaf. Forget the program that produces quick breads (without yeast) and boxed cake mixes, though. The machine beats the batter too long and the resulting cakes are rubbery and way too inferior to serve to guests.

My purchase was not without some problems: I had to return the first machine. The display window did not always work properly, sometimes displaying "gibberish". With the replaced machine, the plastic caps covering the screws on the underside of the lid kept popping out. Also, the recipe pamphlet was crinkled and folded incorrectly. I have to say that Amazon's return policy was very fair and the immediate response they showed in replacing the defective machine was excellent.

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