Customer Reviews

West Bend 41200 Programmable Bread Machine, Stainless

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

Purchased this West Bend model after hours of research on the internet. Was unwilling to risk problems associated with other brands/models. I was looking for something under [...], reliable, relatively quiet, easy to use, preferrably stainless (although not absolutely necessary) and of course, made a good loaf of bread. I also liked the fact that this one was a little smaller than others I considered. So far, I'm very happy with this machine, and if it continues to hold up over time, I will continue to pass on good reviews.

***Update 9/2009 I've learned the key to good bread is, of course, having a good recipe, and using yeast specifically made for bread machines. I've found two recipes I really like on [...] and am passing this on to help others avoid wasting time and money like I did! (The two I am using are the whole wheat w/cereal, and the raisin cinnamon. I don't know that the flour makes a lot of difference, but I'm also using the Gold Medal mixed with Hodgson's Mill Whole Wheat, and putting in the extra cinnamon and a bit more raisins for the other recipe.) Easy and delicious! I'm very glad I bought this machine and started making bread that is so much healthier and tastier than most of what you find at the local supermarket!

Though the shape and design has changed over the years, my West Bend is still going strong. It was given to me as a gift at least ten years ago.

Making bread has never been easier. Pour in water. Dump in flour, salt and yeast. Push button. The bread machine does everything else, including that dreadful kneading.

I've experimented many times by adding garlic, olives, cheese, pepperoni, or whatever I can think of. I lessen slightly the amount of water when tossing in wet ingredients such as black olives. It's fun and the bread is delicious.

If this West Bend ever fails I will seek another.

I'm a novice breadmaker, but the West Bend machine is just what I was hoping it would be. Easy to use and super easy to clean. And the bread is terrific, with a nice crust.

This is the first bread machine I have ever owned. Works very well. The one thing I did not know is that the machine will pause for about 20 min. after each kneeding cycle. The book does not say anything about that cycle. I thought I broke the machine. But do not worry it is suppose to pause to let the bread rest. I wish the book would have said that. But the machine works great. I would recomend getting a bread recipie book to go with your machine.

I have never had a bread machine before, and had no idea what I was looking for or what I was doing. My first loaf of bread came out wonderfully! I've made several since that first loaf, and I really am loving this machine. It's easy to use... super easy to clean... and looks great sitting on my counter. I especially love the "bread looking" loaf pan -- my loaves don't come out looking like a square blob. If I had one complaint, it would be the VERY LOUD beep that it emits when changing programs. I don't know if there's a shut-off for the audible feature, but it scared us half to death at 4:00am when I had it set to go off for morning bread. But other than that, I highly recommend this bread-maker. It's virtually error free!

The machine is easy to program and use. Its design is durable and attractive. Being able to see it at work through the top window can be rather entertaining for children! French bread comes out great. However, the machine does not quite stand up to the challenge of making a great whole wheat bread. The recipes in the accompanying book are unnecessarily complicated, at times calling for too many ingredients. Overall, this was a good purchase.

I bought this a week ago and cannot comment on longevity. However, as a bread making machine for gluten-free bread this machine produces a beautiful loaf of bread. I use the french bread setting and it has produced crusty, well-formed and perfectly cooked loaves of Gluten Free Pantry french and Bob's Red Mill wonderful bread from mixes. I have bought a cookbook and am going to start making my own but I am VERY HAPPY with these loaves as compared to those produced by my oster breadmaker.

The West Bend Bread Machine so far has been a great machine. I love how quiet it is. I plan to put it to the test with some whole grain breads. But for dinner rolls and pizza dough, and baisic breads, these items have turned out perfect. I also love the size and style. The fact that it also makes jam was a big sales factor, but the price sold me. Great work West Bend, so far so good.
02/06/09 Update from last review. The West Bend Bread Machine did a wonderful job on heavy grain breads. For the price this is a great Bread Machine.

I received my West Bend 41200 Bread Machine several weeks ago and have not been disappointed! I have produced 5 loaves from it so far - about 1 a week. All have come out perfect despite my imprecise measurements and in one case, my outright mistake for one ingredient's quantity. I bought it because I wanted standard, horizontal loaves instead of the odd-size vertical loaves my old Welbilt produced.

First, the shortcomings:
1. Skimpy manual does not have many recipes and is missing 1 pound loaf recipe (I have shared mine below).
2. Although pan stays in place well, it does not have a "positive lock" feel. Time will tell if this will become a problem.

Some things to note:
1. Alarm to add nuts or other ingredients is very loud and cannot be bypassed.
2. Done alarm is very quiet. You may need to set your own reminder alarm if you are not close by.
3. The 1 pound loaf setting produces loaves that are the closest to purchased bread size. The 1 1/2 pound loaf setting produces a taller bread slice that is fine for toast or spreads but your hotdog or burger might get a bit lost in it. I can't imagine making a 2 pound loaf.
4. Manual mentions that it has the ability to make it through short-term power interruptions (less than 5 minutes). I have not tested this myself.
5. Takes up about a 12 x 14 inch footprint on your counter.


What I like the best:
1. Perfect light, airy loaves without needing precise measurement techniques. My old Welbilt bread machine was *very* picky about the ingredient measurement and even then, would still produce poor loaves on occasion. With this one, I just scoop the flour with the measuring cup and use reasonable care with the other ingredients.
2. Much quieter than my old machine. You can actually be in the same room with it and not need to turn up the volume on the television or your voice.
3. Crust control works well. Light crust is actually very light.
4. Large viewing window - much larger than any bread machine I have ever seen. It is oval and about 6.5 x 5.5 inches.
5. Stable on the counter with absolutely no tendency to "walk" around during kneeding. Note that I have not tried the 2 pound loaf setting.

I have only tried a few of the settings that this machine possesses. I have only made 1 1/2 and 1 pound loaves on the basic bread setting. I use white flour mixed with whole wheat flour. I have tried the light and medium crust settings (both worked exactly as I expected) but not the dark setting. I have not tried the timed setting yet.

I live near Denver (mile high city) so the high altitude can cause bread to crater. I have been adding in a couple of teaspoons of vital wheat gluten to the general purpose flour I have been using and have had no trouble with cratering.

The manual has 1 1/2 pound and 2 pound recipes but no 1 pound recipe. I borrowed the recipe from my old bread machine manual and it worked perfectly. Here is is:

1 Pound Basic Bread Loaf Recipe
Water: 3/4 cup
Oil: 4 tsp
Sugar: 4 tsp
Salt: 1 tsp
Flour: 2 1/4 cup
Yeast: 1 1/2 tsp

On my second 1 pound loaf, I dumped the whole yeast package in, forgetting to measure out just 1 1/2 teaspoon. The loaf still came out perfect.

In conclusion, I'm very happy with my machine although I have only been making basic bread and have not used the timer yet. Long-term durability still has to be determined.

I bought this for my husband. He loves it and make bread several times a week.

He had the machine for less than a year when the machine started making a thumping noise, so he called cusomer service and put the phone next to the machine. They asked him to fax the receipt, then replaced the machine immediately.

Sometimes things break. No one can do anything about that, but this compny made the mistake good. Five stars for a great product and great folks in customer service. We will definately buy from them again.