Product Description

- Automatically mixes; rises and bakes loaf ; - 3 loaf sizes; medium; large and extra large ; - 13 hour timer; - Pizza and French bread modes ; - Rapid bake mode ; - Crust colour control ; - Measuring cup and spoon included

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #19625 in Kitchen & Housewares
• Brand: Panasonic
• Model: SD253
• Released on: 2003-03-18

Manufacturer's Description
With the superior build quality and simplicity of design and operation, this breadmaker is an ideal addition to your home. It gives you the convenience of having fresh bread at anytime from fresh basic ingredients and can cater for particular dietry requirements e.g. gluten free, low salt, high fibre.

The SD253 has a Rasin Nut Dispenser that automatically adds additional ingredients to your recipe and can also bake gluten free loaves on the Gluten Free Program, using a wide range of gluten free bread mixes. The SD253 has a Super Rapid Option to produce a white or brown loaf in only 1 hour 55 minutes and a Sandwich Option to bake softer bread with a thinner crust - ideal for making perfect sandwiches. This model also features a Versatile Dough Option to make dough from white, brown or wholemeal flour for rolls, buns, croissants etc. and a French Dough Option for crusty French sticks. The Bake Only Option is also ideal to cook a selection of tasty cakes and teabreads.

Customer Reviews

Panasonic just gets better and better
Don't waste your money on any other make - Panasonic is the only one worth buying. The extra initial outlay is definitely worth it in the long run. This latest model makes good breadmaking even easier, with larger loaf sizes and an automatic dispenser for raisins, seeds, nuts etc. With a household of 7, we bake at least once a day and always get excellent results. We like it because we know the children are getting top quality bread in their school sandwiches. The children like it simply because the bread tastes wonderful! Our previous Panasonic breadmaker only breathed its last after getting an inadvertent soaking when a pipe burst. Otherwise it would still be going strong now. These breadmakers are built to last and spares are easy to come by and order.

Well worth the money - but beware, you'll eat more bread!
I'd been dithering about buying a breadmaker for some time now but having tried bread from other, cheaper breadmakers where the bread was tasty but not with the "fresh from the bakers" quality that I hoped for, I was unsure. Then when I'd seen the amount of additives in supermarket sliced bread which still went mouldy after a few days, I was convinced. Other people with older Panasonic models had told me that Panasonic breadmakers made the best bread, but what swung it for me was (a) Amazon's price - £20 cheaper than department stores and £30 cheaper than Panasonic's online shop, and (b) the five star reviews this model received on Amazon and three other websites. The only criticism I have is that although Amazon stated 4-6 week delivery, the breadmaker arrived 2 weeks after I placed the order - very nice but totally scuppered my account for the month!

This model has surpassed all my expectations. It's ridiculously simple to use; once you've made one loaf you can make more with your eyes shut. The recipes are simple and foolproof and fabulously tasty - try the basic white recipe, medium sized, dark crust - it's fabulous. The longest a loaf has lasted is 2 days so far - not because it's no longer fresh, but because it's too nice not to eat! The pan is non-stick and a doddle to clean - just wipe it with kitchen roll.

There are only two drawbacks with this breadmaker - no window so you can't be nosey and watch it doing it's stuff (but apparently there's a very good reason for this - no window means a more constant temperature) and the bread is so fabulously tasty that you'll be wolfing it down non-stop - although if you're worried about stuffing yourself with crusty white bread (high GI and all that), it also makes a mean granary. If you're going to buy a breadmaker, buy this one - you won't be disappointed and it's not going to become one of those gadgets that end up gathering dust on the worksurface - ours has been used every day so far. Well done Panasonic - and well done Amazon for the bargain price.

A bread machine well worth the hype
There's nothing like the taste of freshly baked bread - except maybe the smell of freshly baked bread. You won't be disappointed with either. The instruction booklet is easy to follow and tells you that the important thing is to measure out ingredients properly (it comes complete with measuring jug and spoons). All you need to provide are the ingredients and accurate weighing scales. I was pleasantly surprised by the array of breads (and cakes, but I haven't tried those yet) you can make with the machine. It has 5 big advantages in its favour :- (1) consistency - every loaf so far has come out fantastic; (2) an overnight timer: bung the ingredients in before you go to bed, and fresh bread will greet you in the morning; (3) a nut / fruit dispenser which puts in additions at the right time. I'm currently making Apricot & Walnut Bread; (4) no glass window. Ok, so it's nice to be able to see what's going on, but having a glass window (as some machines do) can mess about with the heat and give the top of the loaf an uneven bake. The fruit / nut dispenser is in place of the glass window, so you get a nice even bake; (5) Speed - the bit you do takes 5 minutes or so. That's it. The baking can take up to 5 hours though, depending on what you're baking. It's slightly more expensive than some on the market but it feels built to last and the results are worth it. All in all, a great buy. You'll love it.