Lakeland Compact 1lb Daily Loaf Bread Maker - White

Now that most towns and villages no longer have a local bakers or anywhere that provides a staple loaf of none industrial bread, I opted to buy another bread maker. In the past I have chosen Morphy Richard’s, for the factory was located in my town, but I now notice that supporting local industry is a thing of myth, for all the machines are made in China, anyway onto my review, Very handy size, takes up virtually no room on your worktop, probably suited to the singleton for a large loaf is not possible. Very comprehensive instruction book, with recipes for cakes, doughs and the like. Also simple digital programs that an idiot would have no trouble navigating, with or without aforementioned instruction book. I’ve not baked anything yet, I only got it today, but I am sure given the Lakeland branding, that it will deliver to me a fine loaf. So up to press I am mightily impressed with my LakeLand Breadmaker. Update, my bungalow was filled with the aroma of baking bread and the resultant loaf was sublime, I highly endorse and recommend this Lakeland Bread-maker.

After nearly 20 years of service, my trusty old Panasonic bread maker finally gave up. A few months on shop-bought bread prompted me to try a more modern variant and I settled on this Lakeland device. Very easy to use, and as a pleasant change you get a proper user guide/manual, full of detailed and useful info. The unit is very light, with a large easy-to-read display. The little window in the lid whets your appetite for the treat to come - real bread! It only takes 3 hours to make a basic white loaf, an hour faster than the old Panasonic, and the end result is utterly delicious. There is a beeper to alert you when the bread is ready (nice and loud too, so you can hear it anywhere in the house.) The machine itself is no noisier than my old one, so no problem there. I was quite interested in that the manual no only advises you on recipe ingredients but what order to add them into the mixer pail, something I’d never considered before. I think this is really only important if you use the delay timer, though. I made a basic white loaf this morning, with an estimated total ingredients cost of about 15p, so it’s going to pay for itself very quickly! I made a couple of slices of toast and it was heaven! Treat yourself to fresh healthy bread, good for your tum and you pocket!

This is my first breadmaker and have so far used to make 2 basic white loaves, both of which have been lovely. Loaf size is small but enough for one or two people for a day. Process has been easy with clear instructions. Breadmaker is compact in size and fitted nicely onto the small space left on a cluttered countertop. My only issue is the paddle ended up inside the loaf both times (inside the small hole that can be seen in the picture) despite placing firmly onto the spindle inside the pan before starting. Next challenge is a wholemeal loaf and trying out the delayed start to have fresh warm bread for breakfast. Yum! Recommended so far.

Update June 2014 - found by sprinkling 1/4 teaspoon of water over the dough ball just before the first mixing has finished somehow keeps the paddle baked firmly on the spindle; and by removing pan after baking and covering with a tea towel for 10 mins before turning out - comes out with a couple of shakes and no messing with the 'hooky-thing'. Who'd have thought I could bake bread! (well, OK, the machine does the work). I began looking for a machine after attempting a hand-crafted loaf for the first time but found the kneeding-bit too much for the older hands, and even the oven had no choice but to turn out a 'brick' instead of a 'bloomer'. Some research later, and many thanks to all the other Reviewers and especially to those who answered specific questions I asked before purchasing - here we are; it's great. It arrived in 2 days instead of the 8 expected, well packaged and testament to Amazon's excellent delivery protocols. The size is just perfect for the smaller kitchen and can be concealed in a cupboard when not in use. My partner expressed reservations about it being 'another machine' - you know, the ones bought with good intentions but then left at the back of the cupboard, but not this. I've only made 4 loaves on the basic bread/medium crust setting so far but it was great in the supermarket when my partner went to pick up his usual loaf when I could say 'no need - I'll make one'. And so I have. Every couple of days - we both love it. I agree with reviewers that it really is rather a bind to get the loaf to release from the tin - tried oiling the pan which seemed to make it easier, slightly. Yes, the paddle gets stuck but the hooky tool deals with that and, like others, I now thoroughly oil the spindle and paddle to ease this little problem. I wondered (but haven't tried it yet) whether to interrupt the cycle before baking started, removing the dough, discarding the paddle and then replacing the dough to bake - but heck! what's a small hole compared to giving up the machine's 'raison-d'etra? Was also finding that however careful I am tipping the flour in the pan that some inevitably got over the edge, but bearing in mind the precise order you have to add ingredients I was loathe to try compiling them outside of the machine to avoid that problem because I could foresee the action of inserting and locking the pan could disturb that precision-layering - solved that now by positioning some kitchen paper around the top edges to prevent any flour dust getting near the element. I agree the markings on the measuring cup are very difficult to discern - I just use my trusty, clearly-marked Pyrex jug instead; also bought a new set of measuring spoons to avoid the to-ing and fro-ing of washing up the supplied equipment inbetween additions. End result so far for the basic loaf is lovely texture and crust. I'll try the French bread next but can't help feeling I would rather just use the dough setting for that and then shape it into a baton to finish in the oven. My partner also would like some crusty-topped rolls (if anyone has a tip for these I'd be grateful). Watch this space for more. Needless to say, highly recommended; excellent value for money, and certainly wouldn't be a chore to use every day.

The good news: ▪ This is a really sound option for you if you're looking for a smaller bread maching due to a smaller kitchen ▪ It does the job very well, helping to make excellent bread ▪ It has lots of modes, and the timer option is especially useful ▪ Fuss free, chuck the stuff in and let it do its job. The bad news ▪ Mine broke after three months. The rotating arm stopped rotating, so it essentially stopped kneading completely, despite being looked after ▪ Here's where it goes particularly wrong, and I'd pay attention to this; the company request you return the broken machine before giving you a refund, which is fair enough - however, one word, which will likely put everyone off: EVRI. - They let me choose a date for them to pick it up...but obviously, it being EVRI, they just didn't turn up, and arbitrarily chose a different date and time to collect it - But obviously, it being EVRI - they simply didn't turn up...and then CATEGORICALLY LIED ABOUT IT - they said they'd attempted to deliver but that I wasn't in. However, I have security survelance and can proove that absolutely no attempt was made to deliver it, I was in, and they are categorically lying - The said they'd turn up again the next day...and exactly the same thing happened again. They failed to turn up and lied about it So it's a great product if it continues working, and if it doesn't, you either have to lug it yourself to the Post Office, or deal with a delivery company that has an indisputable reputation for failing to deliver/pick up and then lie about it. Whilst companies like Amazon and Lakeland continue to use EVRI, they are telling you, the customer, exactly where you stand.

I waited almost a full year to write this review as I wanted to give the bread maker a good opportunity to impress me, unfortunately it has failed to do so. I have experimented with various bread flour, yeast, milk powder and oil and the result is underwhelming every time. I assumed it was because it just makes small loaves but it should still provide an even rise and bake and this is where I take issue. On almost every occasion I get wedge shaped dense loaves out of this machine. It makes them pointless as you get maybe 2 usable slices out of a loaf. The problem is getting worse as the machine gets older and frankly as I write this review the machine is one step from the bin. I am very disappointed as Lakeland usually provide very useful, usable products. I cannot recommend this bread maker.

When I finally became a single-person household 15 years ago, I found the standard bread machine impractical; A full-sze loaf was far too much; and when used to make a small loaf, the shape was totally unsatisfactory. A search revealed just a single, 1lb loaf-maker on offer throughout Amazon; I bought it immediately, and have been using one ever since. I still have the original one, but the pan became a bit battered; and since I can't bear to be without freshly-baked bread, even for one day, I thought it wise to buy another for backup. By this time, however, the 1lb loaf-maker had disappeared from Amazon's British sellers' ranges, and I had to order one from an Italian seller. It looked different, but was the same, although it had a poorly-fitting lid. Nevertheless, it served, but recently it failed due to the pan's rotating mechanism having jammed, and although I soon fixed it, I thought it advisable to look for another new one; I found the lovely Lakeland's offering again to be the only one on offer. Buthis latest incarnation is a much improved model in several respects; so the Italian job will go into the reserve pool. What I like most about it is that the depth of the pan has been increased significantly. I like light loaves, with lots of air in them, and to achieve this, I add a little more water. I only use Wright's bread mixes, which are superb, making mixing one's own an unnecessary, and often unreliable chore. Half a 500g pack is required for this size of bread machine, and to it I add 170ml of lukewarm water - 10ml more than the recommendation. In the old machine, this produced a loaf which rose far enough to stick to the lid. In the new machine it just rises to the top of the enlarged pan, a perfect result.. Other improvements are in the controls. The "basic" programme, less 15 minutes had always produced the light crust I favour in the old machines, and does so in this Lakeland version - although it noiw has crust-control settings, for light, medium and dark. The medium setting less 15 minutes did the job for me on my first attempt. Another much-needed improvement is in the volume of the beep, which on the old machines resembled a faint mouse-squeak. My heartfelt thanks go to Lakeland for continuing to serve the needs of this elderly widower, and all other single households - or just those larger households who are addicted to totally fresh bread every single day. Thanks are also due to Wrights for their bread mixes, which make the task of bread making so swift, completely painless, and utterly reliable. I start my loaf during the four minutes it takes my coffee machine to make my 550ml morning brew, and still have time to do a bit of washing up.... I rarely find that the mixing paddle comes off with the loaf; rather it stays firmly attached to its spindle. To remove the loaf easily, therefore, I wait until it's cooled, grasp the pan firmly in my right hand, and the loaf firmly in the left, and pull hard. Whilst this squashes the loaf, it springs back to its proper shape immediately. It does tear a lump out of the base of the loaf, but I can live with that.

This little breadmaker is ideal for a single person, or possibly a couple with small appetites; it makes only a small loaf, unlike larger models which will make loaves in three sizes. It has the advantages over the larger ones of fitting under an overhead kitchen cupboard, having a small footprint, and being much cheaper. I replaced my Kenwood breadmaker with it, and find the new one preferable. The Kenwood has a much more complicated display, and the controls on mine failed after a year or so. The Lakeland one is simplicity itself to work. However, the measuring implements provided are not really adequate. The spoon needs washing between ingredients, and is a silly shape; I use a set of measuring spoons from Lakeland, which I already had, instead. The cup for measuring flour is awkward to use; I'm going to weigh the flour. But the little hook-thing for getting the paddle out of the loaf is brilliant. If I use it while the loaf is still hot, the hole almost closes up. I grease the paddle with butter and a Q-tip dipped in oil, and have had no difficulty with extracting it. Washing and cleaning everything is very simple. I have baked very successful wholemeal loaves, and find that I can increase the ratio of wholemeal flour to white, and reduce the amount of salt to one teaspoonful, which I prefer to the recipe in the book. The size is a disadvantage if you have guests or want to give loaves away, of course. But as an everyday machine for a single person, it's excellent.