Archive for November, 2010
Providing myriad options, this automatic bread maker embodies the marvels of 21st century electronic convenience and choice. Yes, it mixes, kneads, rises, and bakes bread in three loaf sizes up to 2-1/2 pounds. But its digital controls go much further, offering settings for white, whole wheat, multigrain, and French (crisp crust, open texture) breads, each made according to what’s best for that particular style. Other settings permit rapid baking and baking sandwich bread with a soft crust. For raisin (or other dried-fruit) bread, a beeper signals when to add the fruit so it’s not crushed during kneading. Crust color–dark or light–can be selected as well.
The machine automatically adds yeast at the proper time from a dispenser on the unit’s lid. It also bakes non-yeast, quick breads– like banana and gingerbread–and sweet cakes. And it mixes, kneads, and rises doughs for pizza, focaccia, croissants, and other pastries without baking them. A timer permits the machine to be programmed up to 13 hours in advance so fresh bread or cake is available for breakfast or dinner. For cleanup convenience, the baking pan is nonstick. Clad in metal and packing 550 watts of power, the machine measures 14 inches wide, 13.5 inches high, and 9 inches deep. Its instruction booklet is exceptionally easy to understand and includes recipes for 40 breads and doughs along with an insightful guide to baking basics and illustrated tips for making pastries. –Fred Brack
From the Manufacturer
There’s nothing quite like the warm aroma of freshly baked homemade bread from the oven. With the help of this user-friendly bread machine, even those with a busy, on-the-go schedule can enjoy this simple pleasure–without the time-consuming hard work normally associated with baking bread. Just add ingredients, press a few buttons, and it takes care of the rest.
Easily Bake Bread or Create Dough
Bake loaves of white or whole wheat bread for slicing and slathering with butter and jam or for making sandwiches. Create croissant or pizza dough for shaping by hand and baking in the oven. Make the classic fruitcake to serve during the holidays. From basic recipes to custom creations, the bread machine produces delicious results–and without the additives and preservatives found in store-bought brands. A recipe book with over 50 original bread and dough recipes comes included.
Customizable Settings
The unit’s top-access, soft-touch, push-button control panel with an LCD digital display helps ensure easy programming. Choose from three different loaf sizes (medium, large, or extra large) and the crust color (light, medium, or dark). It also offers up to six different types of bread or dough options–Basic, Whole Wheat, Multi-Grain, French, Pizza, and Cake. Baking modes include Bake Only (great for fruitcakes, gingerbread, and teacakes); Rapid Bake (reduces the baking time of basic and whole-wheat breads); Raisin (offers an audible beep to signal when to add raisins, dried fruits, or nuts into the dough); and Sandwich (produces bread with a soft crust). Dough modes include Pizza, Rolls, and Raisin Dough. Best of all, the appliance comes equipped with a digital timer, which can be set up to 13 hours in advance–great for waking up to the smell of freshly baked bread. Or set the timer before leaving for work in the morning so that a warm loaf will be ready and waiting after a long day at the office. Simply slice it up and serve with dinner.
Healthy and Nutritious
Baking bread at home allows for ultimate control over the finished product. By using only the freshest ingredients and making choices between a variety of options, homemade bread can be an important part of a well-balanced diet–for both young and older family members alike. High in fiber and low in fat, bread contains a wealth of beneficial components. It provides complex carbohydrates needed for energy, protein for strong muscles, and vitamins and minerals, including calcium and iron for healthy bones and teeth. Add nutrient-rich eggs to the recipe or choose whole-grain flour for an extra boost of fiber, iron, vitamins, and minerals. Mixing in nuts and dried fruits not only add to the pleasing consistency and taste of the finished product, but they’re also another way to add to the overall health factor.
Ultimate Convenience
Thoughtfully designed, the bread machine also supplies a YeastPro automatic yeast dispenser. Just add a measured amount of yeast into the holder on the unit’s lid, and the machine will automatically dispense the yeast in with the other ingredients at the perfect time for optimal results. Even more, the unit’s inner bake pan comes fitted with a wire handle (use an oven mitt when hot) for easily removing it from the appliance when the bread has finished baking. The pan’s nonstick coating allows baked bread to slide easily out of the pan onto a cutting board or a wire rack to fully cool for easier slicing.
Unique Design for Professional Results
Unlike other bread machines, the unit does not offer a viewing window. The absence of a viewing window allows a more even reflection of heat inside the unit, which offers the following three advantages: excellent crust, good rising, and even color. The machine also benefits from a unique temperature-control program that automatically optimizes the temperatures and times for each stage of the process. Its comprehensive microprocessor program makes slight adjustments as needed to ensure perfectly baked bread regardless of conditions like climate and room temperature.
Panasonic SD-YD250 user review
I purchased this machine as a replacement for a Philips bread machine I’ve had for a couple of years. It’s the third bread machine I’ve purchased for myself, and had bought its predecessor (the SD-250) for my Parents some time ago. My Philips packed up (the bread tin broke away from its base), and they don’t make spares, so I have to throw the whole machine in the bin – definitely won’t buy another Philips anything. My parents have been most impressed with the Panasonic, and it’s been personally recommended to me by other people, so after reading all the reviews on Amazon.com I decided to buy one.
So, to the point, I’m thoroughly impressed with this machine. It is solid and quiet. I took the first loaf I made with it and sliced it to find an absolutely even loaf (even from the 1:55 rapid mode). All the other machines I’ve had have had some level of streaking or unevenness in the bread.
As for all the other criticism of the recipe book for its use of weight rather than volume measurements for flour, it is a far more accurate way of measuring flour for any baking. Also the manual has since been updated (no doubt as a result of these criticisms), and now shows the approximate volume equivalents in all the recipes.
Panasonic SD-YD250 video review
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The Hotpoint WML 540P is designed to take loads from 1 – 6kg.
It has spin speeds of 400 to1400 rpm and you can wash at temperatures from cold to 90 degrees.
Size of appliance (approx): Width 59.5 cms, Height 85 cms, Depth 60cms.
This washing machine has 3 circular controls. The largest one is for choosing the wash cycle (16 options in total) and the 2 smaller ones are for temperature and spin speed.
There are a series of lights which indicate how far the wash has progressed through the cycle.
There are 3 main categories of wash cycle: Essential, Special and Eco. Also there is the ability to just get the machine to Rinse or Spin or Pump out the water.
The Essential Cycles and Special Cycles are mainly chosen according to the type/colour of the fabric to be washed . Each cycle has a maximum temperature and spin speed associated with it. I like this aspect as it minimises mistakes with temperature as the user can select temperatures and spin-speeds that are lower than those that are automatically associated with each cycle (by using the 2 smaller circular controls) but you cannot select settings that are higher.
There are 3 Eco Cycles which use cold water. Surprisingly I find these very effective for cleaning lightly soiled items such as T shirts etc. These seem to come out of the wash spotlessly clean and smelling fresh despite having been washed in cold water.
Further customisation of each wash can be achieved by using the four Function buttons which can: reduce creases, deal with an extra small load, give an extra rinse or give a high-performance wash.
I find the cycles to be quite slow, on the whole, but they give effective cleaning, which is the main thing for me.
When I first purchased the washing machine it was very quiet but has got a little more noisy over the past months. However, the noise is still not excessive and it remains much quieter, in operation, than my old washing machine.
The detergent dispenser pulls out from the machine in a sort of ‘curve’ and is the shape of a quarter circle when fully opened. It has sections for liquid and powder detergent and a separate area for fabric conditioners etc.
Although 16 wash cycles are available I tend to only regularly use 4 or 5 of these. However it is good to have the choice and the means to choose from such a large selection of options. Also I apreciate the ability to customise each of the cycles if required.
This washing machine is quite straight-forward to use , despite it’s wide choice of options, and I am very pleased with it. The only problem I have is that I have not found a way to easily ‘cancel’ a load if an error has been made.
Hotpoint WML540G – Towels & Underwear on Cottons 60°
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KGV 36V64IE is among the few appliances for the storage of foods, that can boast the inclusion in the class of A + + energy efficiency, saving energy by about 40% compared to an appliance of class A. It features LED electronic control, system Allfrost, freezing intensive activated by the key “Super”.
Bosch KGV 36V64IE Main features: capacity, features, power consumption
The available capacity is divided as follows: 224 liters are used for the main refrigerator compartment, while only 87 liters are those which characterize the freezer compartment. This creates a significant imbalance between the two compartments. As regards the aspect of consumption, it can be said that Bosch KGV 36V64IE is a particularly efficient fridge-freezer. In fact, for a full year of activity, energy expenditure of only 206 kWh, remaining well below the threshold of 1 kWh per day of business. The allocation of the refrigerator is in energy efficiency class A + +. The total net capacity of the new fridge-freezer KGV 36V64IE called, produced by Bosch, amounts to 311 liters. It is a medium volume level, that still can meet the needs of a normal family fulfills so egregious features of cooling and freezing of food.
Bosch KGV 36V64IE The design: size, type, color, interior
The development of this appliance is mostly high, given that this measure reaches 185 cm. The depth of the device, however, is around 61 cm. The classification of the appliance Bosch KGV 36V64IE fits into the category of models with a combined design. The device has an outer coating and a high port with Silver Rounded. Hinges are on the right, but the doors are reversible to the user’s choice. The front legs are adjustable, the rear wheels from being moved. The width of the fridge-freezer Bosch KGV 36V64IE is very standard, and is around 60 cm to the canons. We can therefore say that this appliance is suitable for a location, free type and exterior, kitchen or any room even when there is an availability of space over the top.
Bosch KGV 36V64IE: various uses, range, other features
Excellent turns out to be the autonomy of this appliance: in the absence of electricity the correct temperature of food storage is maintained for 24 hours. Poor hand the power to freeze: only 4.5 kg per 24 hours, also in view of the small size of the freezer. Bosch KGV in the refrigerator, there is an internal fan cooling system which provides dynamic, common now to refrigerator-freezers next generation. There is the automatic defrost feature, although referring only to the refrigerator and not in the freezer. This system has Allfrost for uniform distribution of cold, three transparent drawers and a tray of ice cubes. In the refrigerator instead appear four glass shelves, a transparent tray for vegetables, the anti-bacterial coating.
Bosch KGV 36V64IE final verdict
The model in question has a consumption of only about 206 kWh per year of activity, so is part of the energy efficiency class A + +. Silver in color as the outer coating, has rounded doors and shows the classic design combined. The width of 60 cm allows installation anywhere. This refrigerator-freezer Bosch KGV 36V64IE called, can therefore be defined as the model for all. In fact belongs to a mid-range of reference than the classical parameters of the class, both in size, both for integrated technologies and available space. Shows a clear disproportion between the volume of the freezer, only 87 liters and that of the refrigerator, instead of over 200 liters. Interesting are the system Allfrost freezer compartment, for a homogeneous distribution of the cold, and autonomy, which allows you to store food in case of power failure for up to 24 hours.
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I bought this model after reading the excellent review that Which? gave. It’s an attractive model and not too big. The door opens down which is good if it is on a work surface but if mounted higher up, can be problematic to reach in and stir or remove food.
Comes with a range of accessories, such as steamer, oven tray, crisping tray, a few too many really as storage is an issue. There are no programmes as such, you just set the time according to your recipe. I didn’t think I minded this at first, but my old Panasonic calculated the time needed to cook a jacket spud, and I miss this.
The instruction booklet is a complete let down and there are no time guides or recipes. Cooking my jacket spud on the forced air combi is a complete trial and error.
Defrosting is quite good on jet defrost. You pick a catagory and food type and the time automatically appears.
Have not tried the grill, 6th sense steam or crisp function. The 6th sense reheat did not work for me, the food was still cold inside.
Heres the big problem for me: The convection oven.
I bought this mainly as a second smaller oven. Unfortunately none of the marketing pictures show the interior of the oven so the purchaser is not to know that the square oven tray is mounted a couple of inches above the revolving turntable. This can be an issue if you want to cook something in the oven which is tall like a loaf of bread which will rise.
You have to pre-heat the oven with a separate pre heat function, which is a pain. My other combi simply beeped when it got to temp then you inserted the food. It is also very noisy when on the forced air function, make a sort of chugging noise!
But the biggest problem is that the oven tray WARPS which left me with my food sitting on an uneven surface. Also the oven tray is such a tight fit that it marks the side of the oven when you try to slide it in, in particular the piece of card that covers the microwave waveguard inlet and that can’t be good.
I paid £229 from Amazon for this bit of kit. Can’t comment on how easy it is to clean as I didn’t own it long enough to get dirty! I would recommend that any potential buyer look at the Whirpool website to look at the specific features before buying as it may give more info than on the site that your purchase from.
