Breadman TR2500BC Ultimate Plus 2-Pound Stainless-Steel Convection Breadmaker
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Breadman TR2500BC Ultimate Plus 2-Pound Stainless-Steel Convection Breadmaker
Customer Review: Let's hear it for BREADMAN!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
Quick review because I want to save you time!!!
(1) Done right this makes a great loaf of bread!
(2) Best to make 1.5 lb loaves, have found the other sizes don't turn out the same quality breads.
(3) Try light crust first on recipes.
(4) If you want a perfect 1.5 lb loaf of white bread then follow the recipe given, uses warm water, and instead of 2 tbs oil instead of 1.5 tbs called for. (page 36 in my manual)
(5) Great machine. Auto mix ins is a nice touch.
Super Saver makes it so this ships to your home free!!! Hopefully it will still be on Super Saver Shipping when you buy!!!
UPDATE 6/29/2010:
If you want to see how easy it is to make bread or make a fool of yourself on YouTube below is my link to my six minute video on making Sunflower and Poppy Seed Bread.
[...]
I used my Breadman and you'll notice that I mix the Sunflower and Poppy Seeds right in. over the years I have found it easiest for small hard ingredients to add right in with the flour.
=== STOP HERE IF YOU WANT SIMPLE ========= BELOW IS REALLY DETAILED =====
OKAY now time for ranting.
My history:
In the last ten years I've purchased 9 breadmachines from various manufacturers. This is the first one that I have purchased new, well my second one was new. Most of my machines I've purchased for under twenty dollars second hand. NOTE: If you do this make sure the machine goes through all the cycles, and also heats before forking over the cash.
This Machine: (HISTORY)
BREADPAN PROBLEMS:
Bought my first one second hand at a thrift store. Yes I have had the problem that people refer to with the bread pan coming loose while making bread. I have noticed this mostly with the two lb loaves. My bread pan would actually come unclipped the bread would wack up against the side so hard. (So Bill why not slam this machine because of this obvious flaw you ask.) Well since this was a used machine I could not be confident that it was not due to the prior owner. Also I FIXED the problem. There are two things you have to do (1) Follow directions... (I'm talking about the Breadman Manual, not what I'm writing here.) I have found that moisture content has a lot to do with the floppiness of the dough. (2) Slightly bending the clips in the breadmachine oven or well that hold down the bread pan help, along with making sure that the breadpan itself is not bent. All that will keep your breadpan in place for the years to come.
BREAD PADDLE PROBLEMS:
Although this machine mixes great I have found that my bread paddle gets stuck in my bread or pulls out a chunk of bread when the loaf comes out of the pan. This is easily solved by removing the bread paddle before the third rise, well actually as soon as the first rise starts. When doing box cakes the directions actually say to do this, so why not when we make bread too :) At this time you can also make sure your dough is even in the pan for its last rise before cooking.
JAM PROBLEM:
This one gave me a heart attack. From now on I'm sticking to making bread only in this bread machine. Yes this is not an industrial machine. I think that the moisture from my jam gave my machine electronics problems. Yesterday, YES just yesterday I got frisky and decided to make jam for the first time in my life. I've read that bread machines make jam, so why not make some. Long story short after making the jam I was hungry for bread. I plugged in my Breadman TR2500BC but much to my dismay the panel LCD did not show, there was no beep, and only the light went on. Weird I thought. Well I took the control panel off, investigated the electronics. Plugged and unplugged connectors. All these efforts did not make my machine work again. Thinking that my problem may be a moisture problem I decided to let the machine dry overnight. (Once shorted a calculator in college and after drying out with a blow dryer it came back to life the next day.) Early this morning I started shopping before testing my machine. The great news is that when I plugged in my machine one more time it decided to work :) The light, lcd panel, and beep all worked. Now all I have to do is make bread. (Oh by the way I used my other Breadman the one with the one hour bread feature to cook my loaf of bread yesterday... Yes the breadpan was full before I turned on the machine.) LONG STORY EH??? I am curious if anyone else has also had this JAM PROBLEM.
NO BEEP FOR MIX INS:
If you have had another machine and want to jump in and make bread remember there is a compartment for storing your mix ins. This machine will not beep for mix ins as the compartment opens dropping the mix ins into your bread at the right time. Note if you have really small mix ins it may be better to just time the cycle and add manually, as I found a few sunflower seeds didn't make it to the breadpan. The seeds may have missed because of my overfilling the mix ins compartment. This compartment is a feature that I really like on the bread machine.
Compartment light:
I love the light that shines bright on your bread. There is a small switch to turn off the light. Don't understand why it was even put in my machine, and is only operated through a small hole in the top right of the oven compartment. (Remember I took my machine apart so that is how I know... LOL) Why mention the light. Well if your light burns out you can remove the top panel by unscrewing the three screw that hold it on and then reach in and replace the oven light. This machine is really well designed for the most part :)
Okay three problems you should know about before buying. I would buy this machine again. It makes a great loaf of bread.
So where is my other Breadman Ultimate Machine you ask... No not with me, I loved this machine so much I bought one for my mother last year. She loves it, but what do my parents like the most.... The bread knife that I bought them to go along with the machine.... Folks the R H. Forschner by Victorinox 10-1/4-Inch Curved Blade Bread Knife, Black Fibrox Handle is worth the money... Read the reviews... It does cut a great slice of bread... I no longer use a bread slicer with this knife... A homemade bread box, my Victorinox knife, and my Breadman TR2500BC breadmaker bread and I'm happy....
Have a great day and happy shopping.
c-ya....... Bill
Customer Review: Good Fortune with my Breadman 2500
Summary: 5 Stars
After reading other reviews, I took my life in my hands and ordered the Breadman 2500. Fortunately, I have had no trouble with the machine at any of the stages. Having baked bread by hand regularly for over 40 years, I was surprised to find the Breadman texture quite acceptable. Here are a couple of tips I got from the company while trying to do the basic set up: 1. When you turn on the machine to "burn off manufacturing oils", take the bread pan out and leave the top of the machine open. This was not mentioned in the booklet. 2. When you set the cycle you want for a loaf, don't expect to see words like "white bread" - you get only the amount of time it takes to run the full cycle. Keep pressing "Select" until the arrow on the right stops where you want it. Then do the same with "Crust Control" and "Loaf Size". Then you're ready to push "Start". 3. After you have completed the entire baking, push the Reset button and hold down for 4 seconds. Do this as well if the electricity goes off but you are not baking, or if you unplug the machine. This precautionary measure will keep you from finding yourself in an emergency cycle.
Some people have trouble with the dough ball not picking up all the flour during kneading. My suggestion is that your dough ball isn't quite moist enough. I am creating my own recipes, especially since I like to make some breads with cooked cereal. The important thing if there is some question as to whether you have the right balance of wet and dry ingredients is to observe your dough ball during the 2nd kneading. If there is any flour in the corners that has not picked up after a few minutes, use your rubber spatula to scrape it toward the middle. If this doesn't work, I suggest using a spritzer on the dough ball until the flour adheres. If the dough is sticking a little to the sides of the pan as it goes around, begin lightly sprinkling flour on the ball until it stops doing this. The whole wheat bread, which I made precisely according to the recipe, turned out perfect, but, as I say, if you are experimenting, this is how you can bake any bread recipe you want to and it will turn out perfectly. Your dough ball should be spongy and only slightly sticky.
I hope this is helplful information for Breadman owners. The key to all good bread is learning how to recognize the look and feel of a good lump during and after kneading.
NEARLY TWO YEARS LATER:
It is July 15, 2008, and I'm still baking away. So far I've never had a failure with this machine. I have found a few corrections to the white bread recipe (for 1 1/2 lb loaf) make a better loaf. To start with, I always use King Arthur bread Flour, which a lot of Wal-Marts carry. I use 1 cup plus 3 teaspoons water instead of 2 teaspoons, 2 teaspoons of yeast rather than 1 1/2, tho 1 1/2 works fine. That little bit of extra water helps. I also probably use couple of TBS oil, rather than 1 1/2. And I use 2 teasp. salt rather than 1/1/2. It is important to know that different flours behave different ways, and different batches of flours of the same kind can need more or less moisture. This is especially noticeable using whole wheat flour. If you let the bread sit in the machine for 10-15 minutes after baking is complete, the steam softens the sides enough to dump the loaf out but doesn't leave the loaf soggy. Before I figured that out, I used a small rubber spatula to loosen the sides. Be sure you don't scrape the pan with a metal utensil as it scratches easily. Well, happy baking!!
PUSHING FIVE YEARS
March 2011: Well, here we are, still baking away. The only adjustment has been that I have upped the baking time slightly (I use the 2# setting for a 1 1/2 lb. loaf). The old relic is still performing and making perfect loaves of bread! Hey, is this thing still on the market anyway??
Customer Review: Great machine, found a parts store for replacement pans
Summary: 4 Stars
I bought my first TR2500BC about 3 years ago and loved it. The controls for loaf size and crust color allowed me to make bread that's "squishy" enough for my kids. I even bought a second one a year later for the cabin. They jump a little on the counter, but did their work well.
Then, at some point in late 2007, one of the pans broke. The paddle shaft in the bottom stopped turning. I called Breadman (or whichever consumer product company owns the brand) and asked to buy a replacement. They said they were backordered. A few weeks later I got a paddle. I called them and explained I had plenty of paddles, I needed the pan. Again, I was told they were backordered, but that my order would be filled when they came in. Several months later I got ANOTHER paddle. So I called again, and was told that they weren't making replacement pans any more. I hunted on eBay and Craigslist and couldn't find anyone trying to sell the pan without the machine.
After trying to remember to shuttle my one good pan between home and the cabin, I gave up and bought a new machine, the Panasonic YD250. Hated it. No crust control, and it overcooked everything. And I don't know what was weird about the rise cycle, but my breads always rose too much.
I was up at the cabin and decided to bring the Breadman home and take the Panasonic up there since mostly what I do up there is dough, which the Panasonic manages not to screw up too badly. The next day, a box arrived in the mail. I didn't remember ordering anything, and didn't recognize the shipper. So imagine my astonishment when I opened the box and found -- the Breadman bread pan! Luckily I had kept the extra paddles they had sent. So now I can go back to having the Breadman each place and sell the Panasonic to someone who likes dark crust. This has to take a prize for late order fulfillment.
Anyway, I'm glad to be back with the Breadman. If I was made of more money, I'd get the Zojirushi, but I have no complaints.
Update December 2010:
Well, the replacement pan broke. Whatever it is that holds the spindle in the bottom (the one you put the paddle on) lost something so the spindle falls out everytime I wash it. Machine bakes well, but the pan was trash; it worked if I held it together just right to get it back in the machine. I saw a lot of people complaining about not being able to get new pans, but I just found a website associated with Breadman where you can order them for about $12. I've ordered two. The site is [...]. They can't fix the stupid little clips on the sides of the machine that hold the pan in, but I've always had luck bending them back into shape so the pan quits doing jumping jacks.
I was at Costco the other day and saw a machine with the Cuisinart brand on it. It seemed horribly flimsy, and cost just a few bucks less than this. I sure wouldn't have trusted it to last. I make pizza dough in this one at least once a week (using the recipe from the book) and it's the best. Also make a buttermilk bread that my kids adore, and a Swedish rye bread that takes my husband back to his childhood. Can't live without the machine, and if they finally have a parts source that works, I'm happy.
Customer Review: Great Machine -- Great Gluten Free Bread! But add the liquid first to avoid motor burnout!
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this machine at Target, mainly because I was very nervous from all the negative reviews and I wanted to be able to return it easily. I safely tucked away my receipt, and started making bread. Very worried about burning out the motor or having the machine jump off the counter in an act of manic self-destruction, I researched why this happens so I could avoid the problem. I discovered two interesting things that may help with the burn out problem and hopping machine that some of the reviews mention.
1. The manual recommends when you first run the machine to do so empty to burn off the oils from the manufacturing process. You need to keep the lid OPEN, which they do not mention; this will ensure the unit does not get overly hot.
2. It is critical to always, always, add the liquid first, regardless of the instructions or whether or not it is a gluten free recipe. Adding the flour first then the liquid on top will contribute to the `hopping' and burn out your motor, eventually. The reason this happens is simple, the paddle is short and when it first starts to move, if you have the flour on the bottom it moves through the flour slowly pulling in the liquid. This creates a cement like mixture initially, until all the liquid can be pulled in. Just like when you mix by hand and do not have enough liquid in the flour, it is bloody hard to mix. This results on lots of strain on the paddles (making the machine jump) and the motor (burning it out). Add the liquid first then the flour on top, when the paddle engages, you can literally hear it swooshing though the liquid, gradually pulling in the flour. The machine doesn't even shimmy in the slightest. And the bread still turns out wonderful.
I had been diagnosed with Celiac disease about 15 years ago and have tried every frozen gluten free bread on the market, toasting the life out of each slice to get something palatable. I wanted real bread again. I picked up two gluten free mixes (Annies and Bob's Red Mill). The first loaf was amazing; I almost cried when I made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with SOFT bread, I hadn't experienced that since grade school. It was great. The second loaf was just as good. I used the gluten free setting for the first loaf and the Whole Wheat Rapid setting for the second. In both cases I left the bread in the machine after the cycle was done for 15 minutes. If you do this, the machine goes into a `warm' mode, which slowly brings the temperature of the bread down and assists in ensuring the inside is cooked rather than too moist. Both came out wonderful, but different consistencies. The second loaf was a bit denser, but just as delectable. As for density and texture, I've learned that much of this can be managed with experimenting with the yeast/sugar combinations a little less of both, denser bread, a little more, lighter fluffier bread. Also experimenting with the different machine settings will result in a different texture of bread for the same bread mix.
This is a great machine, changed my family's life, we can actually enjoy real bread. And I can add fiber! Which is sorely lacking from most gluten free breads or mixes.
Customer Review: Same dough, different decade, TR2500BC vs. TR2200C
Summary: 3 Stars
I bought this to replace a predecessor model TR2200C Breadman Ultimate. The pan on that machine began to leak after many years of service and could not be replaced. BOO HISS. That machine still runs perfectly, but I cannot replace the pan.
What a difference ten years and corporate "merger" (?) has made. The TR2500BC is very noisy and very, very cheaply made compared to the TR2200C. The internal clips for the pan are flimsy and the motor sounds awful. The manual has undergone an obscurity "rewrite" which makes it nearly useless. It seems like it was translated, rewritten, then retranslated back and aranged to make it impossible to locate anything. The old machine had a video manual, an operations manual and a seperate recipe book. The manufacturer should put the old video up on the web site just for clarity. If I hadn't already known how to work this machine I could have become quite frustrated.
New features are a few extra options for "low-carb" and "gluten free" bread cycles. Otherwise the keypad is identical and operates in the same way. My old recipes work successfully which is all I really wanted. The convection feature is a nice touch, but adds even more noise. This machine is also very good for dough cycles. The pizza dough cycle is perfect, great with semolina flour for thin crust. I have also used the machine for soft pretzel, bagel and sweet roll doughs. Otherwise I mostly use the white and wheat cycles.
My machine does not have the handle on the side shown in the picture. This machine is large, but the footprint is almost the same as the previous "Breadman Ultimate". The bread pan is wide, and has it's own unique final size. It will never fit most breadkeeper's, I use a big plastic snapware container for the loaves.
I actually paid less for this machine than I paid for the TR2200C a decade ago, so perhaps I should not complain about the low quality construction. Both machines were made in China, but it looks like everything possible was downgraded to lower quality components for the mechanical and electrical parts. And then it was made to look more modern by replacing the white plastic housing with a fashionable stainless steel wrap. Pretty, but I'd rather have the plastic. It cleans up easier that stainless.
This is my 3rd machine as I had one of the original cyclindrical Welbilt's prior to the Breadman Ultimate TR2200C. My household is a heavy user due to some family allergies. I have also seem my SIL's Zorijushi. The Z is a more complex machine and is easily 2X the cost.
This series of machines always offered a good value and bakes a decent loaf of bread. It still does, but I am concerned about how long this new machine it will last. Also, the moise is just so bad. It's the loudest appliance in the house.
The Breadman machine is more successful when you use good quality flour and a litle extra water in your recipe.