Customer Reviews

Progressive International Clearly Fresh Bread Keeper

5 star:		(43)
4 star:		(30)
3 star:		(21)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

Yes, it is a little messy when you open it. Not a big deal, but worth noting. On the other hand, the 2 pound loaves from my Zojirushi horizontal bread maker fit perfectly, and with room to spare. It also looks great on the counter, and is crystal clear to help highlight what is inside. The slicing guide (which is shown sideways in the Amazon.com photo), is the perfect companion to a sharp, serrated bread knife. With it, I can cut thin, uniform slices of my latest sandwich creation, and I get no complaints from the hungry mouths on the other end of the counter.

As for the acrylic construction, well, it's true! So what? It's a crystal clear, dishwasher safe, sturdy polymer. It is built to hold a loaf of bread, but is tough enough to take any expected kitchen abuse, as well as having a better humidity control arrangement than any breadbox that I was subjected to as a kid. It is by no means flimsy, and simply looks and works very well.

I paid $ for this set, and the slicer is pretty much worth it by itself. It works well.

BUT, the container is badly designed and inconvenient to use. And if nothing else, just odd:

FIRST, both container pieces only reach half the loaf. I guess this is supposed to adjust to varying loaf sizes, but why? It's cumbersome to pull the container pieces apart, messy with crumbs, and the slices fall out. Why not just have one piece the full length, and make the other piece the lid or something?

SECOND, handles would have been nice -- to pull apart the container pieces when taking out the bread!

THIRD, this set is probably designed for people who like to slice up the whole loaf all at once, because it is not at all convenient to slice as you go. While the product photo shows the slicer inside the container, it's better to store the slicer elsewhere when bread is kept in the container.

LAST, I bought this set quickly, mostly based on its positive reviews, and didn't really give much too much thought to this product's design and such. While I value the customer feedback on this site and have been helped a great deal by them with other past purchases, I don't think they helped much in the instance.

I bought this mostly because I wanted a bread slicer, not a bread box. The first time I used it, my sharp bread knife cut slivers of the plastic cutting guide off. The cutting guide should be more sturdy and of harder plastic.

However, I was able to cut nice even slices using the cutting guide. The bread box is attractive, and the airholes are useful for keeping the bread fresh. I like the bread box better than I thought I would.

I saw another cutting guide at a local store for more money. It seemed sturdier, and I wished I had purchased it instead. But it didn't include the bread box, so I suppose this item was a good deal for the price paid.

If you get through one 1 1/2 pound loaf of bread in a week, this simple and inexpensive keeper/slicer will do the job for you. I would not recommend the slicing guide if you frequently need 10 or more slices. It keeps a loaf not to moist and not to dry for about a week, travels well, doesn't take up much space, and protects the loaf from crushing. All in all, better than a zipper bag. The bread keeper is not hard to use. Set the big side down as if it were a bowl. Fit the slicing guide in. Slide your loaf in. Put the small side down on top. Now turn "right side up"(if you like) and set it on top of your cutting board. Picture perfect. Watch out for crumbs on your cutting board when you open it to cut a slice. One of the hazards of homemade bread.

. . . I bought this based on the other review. It is a good product. The slicing guide can be a little awkward to use. I just got another one at my local Sam's club for $6.98 including four batches of Sour Dough bread mix! It is exactly the same product.

Gorgeous box; the other reviews are correct in that it is hard to open & close without making a mess. Yes, it expands to hold bigger loaves, but it becomes a balancing act to put in the bread initially, and to get a slice out, until there are few enough slices to stay in one side.

Even though it isn't easy to use, we still use it, since it does look nice, and the small air holes do keep the bread in good shape.

We don't use the flimsy slicing guide for cutting.

The product works just like it supposed to. It is clear, compact and easy to use and clean. Outside of a great way of storing homemade bread, I love the included slice guide. Although I could always go out and buy a slicing guide, I liked the combination of slice guide and storage container. Whoops, I almost forgot the best part. As you collapse the unit to close it, keep your nose close to the air holes on the side for a quick blast of homemade goodness! Now that is truly the best part!

I have had this box for a while now and it works fine. It doesn't allow too much air in and it fits nicely in my cabinet, unlike most other bread boxes at which I had looked when I bought it. The slicing guide's rungs are perfectly spaced for my purposes but the guide's bottom isn't grooved so my knife slices into it to fully cut through the bread. Over time this has caused some slight shredding of the plastic and I'm starting to have to brush off little splinters from my slices before eating them. If the slicing guide is a selling point for you then I recommend looking elsewhere and make sure to either get one with either a cutting-board density wooden base or one with a grooved bottom so that you don't end up getting splinters stuck in your intestine.

I started baking bread about a year ago. Always had trouble slicing evenly and the saran wrap and/or aluminum foil enveloping the loaf looked crumby on the countertop. This progessive bread keeper allows the bread to last a little longer, but as importantly to me, I'm able to cut perfect slices and it looks great on my counter. I have placed it in the dishwasher (no heat cycle) and it looks as clean and new as the day I received it. I would recommend this item.

My mother had a different type of breadkeeper and it broke. I had always wanted one and she needed a new one, so we ordered 2. I definitely like the progressive bread keeper better because it has the slicer guide. For anyone who has ever made fresh bread in your breadmaker, you know its tough to cut thin pieces. This does a wonderful job and it keeps the bread fresh, not too dry and not too moist. This product is a must have for anyone with a breadmaker.