Breville BBM800XL Custom Loaf Bread Maker Machine, Brushed Stainless Steel

I'd like to offer insights not already covered by other owners:Like other Breville appliances, this bread maker uses a multi-function rotary switch for navigating and changing the values of various settings. This is a faster, easier method than keypad buttons used on other machines. This machine has a high level of features and settings, so this choice of interface really shines. There's also tactile metallic buttons that perform single purposes, (Ex: Oven light), and their layout and size make them unambiguous. This layout, and the large, easy to read black-over-white LCD display are friendly to old duffers like me who don't appreciate scrambling to find our glasses to use an appliance. Also, the important buttons have an illuminating halo ring that changes color to indicate they are, or are not available for use depending on the present state of the machine's cycle. Another clever detail.A word on the folding paddle angst some owners have expressed:Complaints relate to seizing, cleaning or aesthetics of the 'hole' in the bottom of the loaf . . really?I lube the thing with olive oil prior to use. I also place a cup of hot water in the baking tin w/paddle after it cools to soften remnant dough, then use the edge of a common dish brush to clean away baking remnants. Cleaning takes seconds not minutes - far less time than complaining, and if a small hole or gash in the bread your about to digest troubles you, consider meditation or a therapist.Things to like:1. Widest range of loaf sizes of any machine I could find.2. Oven light is awesome - not critical, but a really thoughtful luxury.3. Fruit/nut dispenser a plus.4. 850watt rating - most powerful machine I could find.5. Fixed and folding paddles provide for a wide range of uses.6. Greatest number of custom program settings and memory for personal recipes.Lastly, and surprisingly important,7. The manual/recipe book is a real quality item. Thick, glossy pages, spirally bound so you can open to a recipe and it lays flat. It is made to be in a kitchen. Most other manufacturers completely cheap out at this point. The many recipes are a great starting point for spectacular personalized custom loafs.A note on price: Welcome to inflation. I had to pay $300. Who WANTS to do that? I didn't, and first I bought a KBS import special with a fancy glass top for $150. But on only the second loaf, that machine's wimpy motor started to make unhealthy sounds and got returned.On the other hand, my 6-7 year old Breville espresso machine, juicer, and countertop oven function as perfectly today as they did in 2015. Coincidence? Maybe, or it shows value for the prices paid - who's to say.In the end, performance and longevity are more important to me than low price. Once the money is spent, it's easy to forget the pain as long as the product excels year after year.O.K., time for a perfect crusty dill rye for Reuben sandwiches. It's a ripper :)P.S. If you haven't tried Bob's Red Mill Artisan Bread flour, there's a real pleasure waiting for you.

Love, love, love it! Very quiet and stable on kitchen counter. I made two beautiful loaves right out of the box! Whole Wheat and Pizza Bread. I have tried Zorushi, Cuisinart, Hamilton Beach, KBS, and none of them appealed to me like the Breville Bread Machine. Now my experience. . . in baking 1.5 loaves, I stop the machine at Rise 3, take off the paddle (while I am there) and gently resituate and shape the dough (use Pam on hands) to rise in the center of the pan. The pan accommodates up to a 2.5 lb loaf of bread, so dough gets tossed around to side during kneading process. I like the very efficient 1 paddle Breville. . . it has the power to knead the dough at over 800 watts. Breville is quality. . . whatever you buy. In beginning, you've got to layer the ingredients. . . wet on bottom, dry on top, and be careful with temp of liquids. . . If you have a problem, it could be you, the recipe, or other factors (such as the yeast you have chosen to use) that can affect the outcome of your baked product. Don't blame the well-made machine. The book that accompanies it is very informative (small type) with a few recipes. So I used ones that I already had and one off the internet. Wow! I am in love with this machine and can't wait to see what all is in store for me and my family using it!

I only bake gluten free (GF) bread. Been doing it for years. I bake 3-4 loaves a week. Recently I decided to switch to a bread machine. This machine produced an excellent GF loaf - on the first attempt! It comes with a detailed book (thick and spiral bound) that gives you everything you need to know like times and temps of each cycle, step by step directions and some recipes. You can create your own homemade bake cycle by programming your unique settings. My only small complaint: the view window is pretty small. Quality control was bad for me. The first machine I received had a piece of black rubber stuck under the glass of the screen. It obscured the read out. Returned it. The second machine wasn’t sent in a shipping box. Arrived busted up and scratched. Returned it. My bad luck. Check your machine!!

Amazing bread maker! Super easy to use and makes perfect loaves. The build quality is great, and the customizable settings are a huge plus. The only thing — I managed to make good rye (black) bread only once. Still, overall very happy with the machine and definitely recommend it!

One Star - Avoid This Disappointing Bread Maker!The Breville BBM800XL, despite its fancy features, utterly fails at its primary function: making decent bread. The mixing is atrocious! It leaves pockets of unmixed flour, resulting in a horribly inconsistent dough. You'd think with a "Custom Loaf" machine, it would handle this basic task, but no.And the results? Hideously deformed loaves! They come out misshapen and lopsided, looking nothing like the picture on the box. Even when I select the "Light Crust" setting, the bottom of every single loaf ends up burnt to a crisp while the rest remains pale and unevenly baked. What's the point of custom settings when the outcome is consistently ruined?This expensive machine is nothing but a source of frustration. Burnt bottoms, deformed loaves, and poorly mixed dough – it's a trifecta of baking failure. Save your money and buy a simpler, more reliable bread maker. This Breville is a complete letdown.

A good bread maker with an excellent user interface, which I have found in all Breville appliances.