Sunbeam 5891 2-Pound Programmable Breadmaker, White
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Sunbeam 5891 2-Pound Programmable Breadmaker, White
Customer Review: It's a good machine, but.......
Summary: 3 Stars
This is my first ever bread machine and so far I've made in the neighborhood of around 20 to 25 loaves with it. It's a good, reasonably priced machine overall, but there are two major flaws people should know about:
1. No matter how I tweak the recipe (and I've done so til I'm blue in the face), the loaf will fall just after the bake cycle starts. I've tried more yeats, less yeast, more water, less water, more gluton, etc...but nothing seems to keep the loaf from falling. I've even tried recipes from the book "Electric Bread" and the loaves fell. It may have something to do with the shape of the loaf, which leads me to the second problem.
2. The loaf pan, instead of being tall and narrow like a store-bought loaf of bread, is rectangular and as wide as it is tall. The result is that you get a loaf that won't fit into any conventional bread containers, even when you cut it into slices. And if you make a sandwich to take in your lunch, it won't fit in a sandwich bag because the slices are too long. You end up having to cut off about one-quarter of the length of the loaf just to get it to fit in any sort of container for storage.
Other than those two problems, it's a nice, quiet, attractive bread machine for the money.
<Update> After much trial and error, I've solved the problem of the loaves falling. This white bread recipe comes out perfect every time:
1 1/4 cups warm water (approx. 110 degrees F)
2 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp bread machine yeast
Mix water, sugar and yeast in bread machine pan(don't forget the paddle)and let it proof for 10 minutes.
Add:
4 Cups bread flour
1/4 cup oil (I use olive)
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp dry milk
1 or 2 Tbsp butter (optional)
Set the color to light and loaf size to 1.5 lb.
It turns out perfect for me every time!
Customer Review: Not sure about this machine any more.
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm an old-school baker in that throughout my life I've done everything by hand. You can imagine that I approached this bread machine with great trepidation.
First, kudos to Amazon. I purchased it on a Monday -- it was on my door-step Tuesday...and I used super-saver shipping. That's a big WOW.
This machine is very easy to use. In fact, in under 15 minutes I had all the ingredients assembled and the machine was well into its first cycle. My first loaf of bread fell slightly in the middle. But it was nonetheless delicious. In fact it was so good, that after his first bite into the bread, my husband of 18 years looked at me as if I was a goddess!
The machine is quiet and the cycles work exactly as stated in the book. Since this is my first bread machine, I don't have anything to draw comparison. But I'm very satisfied with the price, it's white and goes with the rest of my kitchen, and has a host of different bread options. But what I like best is that it doesn't overheat the kitchen. Our kitchen is minuscule -- boiling a pot of water can turn the kitchen into a sweatbox. Not so with the breadmaker. I love it and think you will too!
Added 11/19/08: When I purchased this machine, everything was fine. But now 7 months later, the teflon has worn in spots from the pan and the bake cycle no longer works properly. The machine makes perfect dough -- but when I attempt to take the bread through a full cycle it doesn't raise properly and comes out half-baked. Thinking perhaps it was my ingredients, I purchased fresh bread flour and yeast and have tried several different recipes. It doesn't matter what kind of bread I attempt to make -- white, whole wheat, french, express -- they all come out half-baked. I contacted Sunbeam and their solution was to send me a new pan. I'm now reading through the Amazon product reviews to find my next maker.
Customer Review: Makes the best bread! But problem with pan...
Summary: 5 Stars
I have been making bread with a bread machine 2-3 times a weeks for the past 4 years. After the Breadman I was given broke, I bought the Sunbeam 5891 primarily because it was so inexpensive. I couldn't ask for a better machine! It isn't noisy, is packed with features and the bread it makes has a fabulous taste, texture and shape. I use recipes from "Bread Machine Magic" and primarily use the "light" setting for baking. After about 2 1/2 years, however, the bread pan failed. However, for the price, I guess I can afford to get a new pan or replace the machine altogether every couple of years. I come to this conclusion and give the Sunbeam the full 5 stars for this reason: when the pan failed, I decided to "treat" myself to the "gold standard" in bread machines: the Zojirushi BBCC-X20. How disappointing! The first one burned the bread on one end, even on the light setting. I exchanged it for another which also produced loaves which were unevenly browned with a thick, tough crust on the sides and bottom. Furthermore, the bread tasted bland!! After trying the recipes in their book, I tried using the same recipes I'd been using for years in my Sunbeam. Still bland. My husband and I can't figure it out. Anyway, I got store credit for the second Zo and ordered another Sunbeam from Amazon. It arrived today and has already produced a characteristically tasty loaf. You can download the Oster's owner's manual which has better recipes.
Update -- Feb. 2008 -- wish I could downgrade my stars rating!
Okay -- well, after only a few months, the pan in my new Sunbeam began to fail (leaking oil, squeaking, not turning smoothly). I phoned Sunbeam and they sent me an entire new machine right away. Unfortunately, the pan in that one is also leaking oil. I phoned them and they are picking up the machine and replacing it again. They claim the oil won't hurt you.
Customer Review: A great bread machine! A great price!
Summary: 5 Stars
After a great deal of consideration, this being my 3rd machine, I bought my Sunbeam at Wal-Mart for a great price and I really do use it. I make 3 to 4 two-lb loaves of bread a week and this breadmaker has certainly handled the load very well. It's easy to program, not only have I made all types of bread, including a great whole wheat, but I've also made cakes and quick breads (my kids LOVE blueberry banana bread) and they've all turned out great. I didn't try the recipes from the manual as I collect old cookbooks and just try those recipes, they're better anyway. Since I bought the Sunbeam 2 years ago I haven't spent a penny on store bread, it's just too easy to put a loaf together when I come home for lunch. As other reviewers have stated, use common sense when you're putting your ingredients in and make sure they are fresh, use bread flour and bread machine yeast for best results. I never wash the pan, I just use a soft kitchen towel and wipe it out and it still looks and feels brand new, no sticking or flaking at all. My family and I really enjoy the smell and taste of fresh bread and it's so lovely to be able to do it on a tight budget of money and time.
03/18/2009, I just wanted to let you know that I'm still using the same breadmaker and while I still use it for bread and cakes, I've also started using it for jams and jellies! They come out great and everyone in my family wants a jar of it when it's made. I love strawberry jam the best, but I've also used all kinds of fruits and everything comes out great! This is one of the best purchases I've ever made and this breadmaker stays on my countertop. I also purchased one for my mother on Mother's Day because she'd been wanting one for a very long time. She doesn't use it as much as I do but both her and my dad enjoy fresh bread as often as she can make it.
Customer Review: good little bread maker
Summary: 4 Stars
This is my first break maker. I have now used this machine three times a week for nine months. After just a couple of weeks, the off switch quit working, but I am still able to make bread with the machine. I called the company and they sent a replacement machine but did not ask for the first one back, so I now have two. The second machine is a different model and not as good a bread maker as the Sunbeam. I use both machines at the same time, making two loaves three times per week. We never buy bread and are saving a lot of money.
Compared to the other model that I have, the Sunbeam bread maker mixes the bread better and does not heat up as much during rising times. With these cheap little bread makers, you cannot adjust the rising times, so cooler is better. When the bread rises too much during the final rise, it sinks in the middle before or during baking and becomes a thick lump.
We live at high elevation, where yeast recipes rise faster than at lower elevations. Because of the elevation and maybe other reasons, my loaves in both break makers sunk for the first few weeks. I learned to avoid sunken loafs by (1) using cold water instead of warm, (2) making the loaf heavier (more flour and less water), and (3) using salt in the recipe. My husband has high blood pressure, so I tried to make the bread with no salt. But salt is necessary to prevent the loaf from rising too much. Still, I only use 1/2 teaspoon per 1 1/2 pound loaf. I also use 1 tablespoon vital wheat gluten and 1 teaspoon malted barley flour per loaf to get a good light loaf. My current mix includes 1 C barley flour, 1 1/2 C whole wheat, 1 C bread flour, and 1 C spelt flour, added to 1 1/3 C water, 1/4 C oil, and 2 tablespoons molasses. I also add 3 tablespoons flax seed to get a healthy and chewy loaf.