Panasonic SD-B2510 Automatic Breadmaker, with Gluten Free Programme - White

I bought this, the basic model, the SD-B2510, so for one thing it doesn't add extra ingredients partway through the process; you have to add these manually. For brioche loaves for example the machine pauses for five minutes at the time to add the extra ingredients (more butter in this case). If you miss the five minute window the machine carries on as if you had added them. So you need to be there. That's a relatively minor issue and of course doesn't apply for standard white or wholemeal loaves. For white loaves I added 25% wholemeal (using the setting for 'white loaf' and it turned out perfectly well. Likewise, for wholemeal loaves I added 25% white flour (using the wholemeal setting). I mainly use the medium size setting, but there is also Large and Extra Large. So the proof being in the pudding (bread in this case) the loaves I've made have turned out well. Best initially to follow the instructions exactly, and then experiment later on if you wish. The brioche loaves turn out well too, browner on the sides and underneath than the top (if you use the 'light' setting). Brioche loaves do turn out notably softer, so need to be careful when removing them from the metal basket to ensure they stay in one piece. There are a few other options, e.g. French bread, Whole wheat raisin and also some gluten free options (all untried by me). It also gives instructions for making pizza bases, fruit cake, and even jam. Again, untested by me. As with all bread makers, the paddle that kneads the dough leaves a small hole in the base of the loaf but always comes out cleanly; in fact it stays firmly in the metal basket and you need to add warm water to the basket for five minutes to then easily remove it. The instruction booklet could be better arranged, you need to read it through a couple of times to get a clear understanding. As the instructions state, you can add nuts and seeds but don't add too many and chop nuts up small. The risk is that otherwise they could scratch the nonstick lining. The control panel is easy enough to understand, although the beep (to signal the end of baking time or the partway point to add extra ingredients) is not loud enough so it's easy to miss (I set the alarm on my mobile phone). I find it's better to remove the finished loaf at, or very soon after, the process has ended as the machine stays hot for some time which means the loaf will continue baking to some extent (so it can be drier than you want). All in all, Panasonic bread makers, as most reviews say, are the best of the bunch. This one does the job and takes the hard work out of doing it by hand. Just get acquainted with the instructions first.

This is a review of the Panasonic basic SD-B2510 Automatic bread maker. We bought it in January 2023 when it was priced at £100 and chose this one as it's the number 1 Which? Best Buy, although all the Panasonic bread makers Which? reviewed are Best Buys. There are more expensive manual machines with compartments for additives so they get added to the dough automatically at the right time, but as we aren't keen on bread with fruit or seeds in, this machine covers all the basics and is all we needed. We've stopped buying bread from the supermarket and now only make our own. We alternate between a white loaf (program 1); wholemeal (program 5); or a 50:50 mix also using program 5. We prefer to make a medium size loaf - medium makes a 640gm loaf (compared to a large 800gm loaf in the supermarket), as larger loaves turn out disproportionately taller so less easy to slice when the bread is new. A medium sized loaf also means we make them more frequently than if they had been larger, so we're eating fresher. We get perfect results every time following the recipe booklet. Can't understand how one reviewer suggests they find it confusing. You can download a copy of the operating manual from Panasonic's website before you buy to check if you'll be happy with it. A 640gm loaf uses 400gms of flour, so we're getting almost 4 loaves from a 1.5Kg bag of flour. The machine is easy to program and so long as you don't switch it off at the wall socket after turning the machine off, it will remember your preferences such as loaf size or how crusty for next time. It takes only a few minutes to prepare the ingredients. We use a digital scale bought from Lakeland at £29.99 that's also a Which? number 1 Best Buy that makes it very easy to weigh the ingredients, but have since discovered Dunelm has the exact same electronic scale but with their name on it instead of Lakeland's at less than half the price at £14. We've tried many different bread making flours (brands as well as supermarket own label) but have settled on Marriages Finest Strong White Bread Flour although equally pleased with their strong stoneground wholemeal too. Both are ground by Marriages from UK wheat. Great taste! You'll get better results from a strong bread making flour with a higher protein content so that the dough rises properly. The Marriages white/wholemeal flour we use contains 13.3/13.2g (per 100gms) of protein respectively. Marriages also sell a Very Strong white flour made from Canadian wheat with a higher 14.9g (per 100gms) protein content that's also very popular although a little dearer. We asked Marriages which they would recommend for a plain white loaf, and were told we would find their Finest Strong White preferrable. We buy it off the internet (from QuickVit as example) in multiples of 5x1.5Kg bags, but buy it with other shopping so as to meet the minimum spend for free delivery. A 1.5Kg bag (white or wholemeal) works out at a very reasonable £1.99 that compares very favourably with premium brands in the shops. The best before date has never been less than 9 months ahead. If we factor in 10p for electric, then a 640g loaf works out at 85p based on ingredient costs at time of writing. We wouldn't be without our Panasonic now as it gives us superior bread at half the price of artisan bread from shops. Have read some reviews where people were disappointed with the bread coming out of their machine. I'm wondering if they're using the right flour. Some of the supermarket own brand bread flours can contain as little as 11.5g protein per 100g - Aldi (£1.15). Tesco's has 11.7g (£1.30); Asda's 12.0g (£1.30) ; Allinson's 12.0g (£1.50) ; and whilst they may make an acceptable tasting loaf, the dough doesn't rise as much as flours with a higher protein content. It’s worth trying different flours to find what works best for you and your pocket. There's also a facebook group for Panasonic breadmaker owners where advice is offered to questions raised, and recipes that use custom ingredients/quantities tailored to specific Panasonic machine programs are exchanged. There are a few regular posters in the group who are always happy to help new users just starting out with answers to any queries. We're very happy with our machine and can wholeheartedly recommend it.

I use my new machine at least every other day. Friends had told me that Panasonic is the best and I now agree. Ridiculously simple to use with recipes in the instruction manual. Not had a failure in three months and am experimenting with sweet and savoury loaves and sharing recipes through a Panasonic group on facebook. The machine is large so do your kitchen counter measuring carefully and remember you will need to open the lid upwards fully to extract the bread pan. We've happily re-arranged the entire kitchen to accommodate our new 'friend'. I'm totally thrilled with it.

I’ve been without a bread maker for 10 years, before that I always bought Panasonic. This bread maker is very good for the price. Bread recipients work well and the loaf has a reasonable eating life. I’ve had Panasonic before so found the instructions easy. However it is difficult to see the screen when choosing size and crust colour, this could be helped by making the options bolder. I shine a light on them. You need to move the bread maker close to you to operate the choices. A drawback of being a flat top.I would recommend the machine..it makes excellent bread.