Lakeland Compact 1lb Daily Loaf Bread Maker - White

I don’t often write reviews but I’m very pleased with this little machine.I’ve been wanting to eat bread without lots of additives for aged and now am trying to make my own.Where possible I use Doves Farm flour and have tried a few varieties. So far no absolutely inedible results, some have been a bit brick like but even they make a good cheese toastie.I’ve now tried the delay setting and that works really well.Overall an easy to use and compact unit.The birds have been doing well with crusts and crumbs and I feel better for eating healthier.Just added a couple of photos of a nice, crusty white loaf. We do like a crunchy crust so I usually set it to dark.I’ve realised that making the bread on delay works better because it allows the the temperature of all the ingredients to equalise before mixing starts. I put the liquid in the pan and leave for a bit then add the flour etc. I’m alternating white for Mum and a seeded or malted for me.

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.

Easy to use, does the job, doesn't take up too much room. However, loaves turned out smaller than expected.