Panasonic Bread Maker SD - 2500 WXC

Hello

I have recently moved from an Anthony Warrel Thompson Breville Breadmaker to the Panasonic SD - 2500 which I picked up from e-Bay at  a cost of just over £30.00.

What a difference in the loaf quality, crust, and taste.  I have tried a few of the panasonic recipes and they are very good but the recipes from 'Brilliant Breadmaking' by 'Catherine Allison' take the biscuit!

Having taken advice from fellow contributors to 'The Fresh loaf', I have tried reducing the recipe sugar levels by 50% or completely without any loss of quality and taste.

I found that overall the crusts are softer than on bread that you would purchase from the supermarket and therefore more difficult to slice.  However, I solved the problem by using an electric carving knife.  Now the loaves are sliced equally as well as the purchased standard sliced loaf.

The finished loaf baked by the Breville was always damp at the base whether you emptied it from the baking tin once the program had finished or chose to leave it in the follow-on warm cycle.  The loaves did dry out but took up to a couple of hours.

The Panasonic cycle is on average 1 hour longer than the Breville and the loaves are dry at the base and lighter when the cycle has finished.

I was wary about purchasing a second hand breadmaker but it was reputed to be only 6 months old, very clean and in very good condition.  So a win, win, experience.

Thank you for your previous advice.