Tower T11002 Digital Bread Maker, 17 Preset Functions Including Gluten Free and Sourdough Options, Delay Timer and Keep Warm Settings, Automatic Fruit and Nut Dispenser, 1 Litre, Stainless Steel
Weight: | 6.44 kg |
Dimensions: | 26 x 34.5 x 31 cm; 6.44 Kilograms |
Brand: | Tower |
Model: | T11002 |
Colour: | Stainless Steel |
Colour: | Stainless Steel |
Great compact machine that produces lovely bread. The only negative point is that there is only basic recipes in the booklet that was included with the machine. Other than that I’m very pleased with it.
Only criticism is its a little heavy for the elderly to move but put that aside my dear mother love to try different bread and cake recipes she had no idea you can make yogurt in it as well .
You don’t get much for under 50 these days, but the Tower Bread Maker has to be amongst the better buys. The only problem I had was stopping Amazon from charging me postage on a free postage item – beware!
I bought mine cheaper from Amazon, probably a return. It’s great, works perfect and you can download the manual and buy the measuring jug and spoon from Amazon.
I’ve never had a bread maker before ! I was nervous and worried about failure ! I followed the instructions and one of the recipes to a tea . It was a bit intricate trying to work it out for the first time but the results were better than my expectations!!! There was barely any cleaning to be done afterwards too which made the whole thing so much more pleasa
A budget buy but good value makes 700 gms (1.5lbs) and 1000 gms (2lbs) loaves. Recipe book ok but plenty of recipes on the internet. All loaves made so far (3) and also a fruit loaf have come out well.
Easy instructions, easy to use make a lovely loaf. Not tried cakes yet but sure it will be perfect . Easy clean. Simples
Fantastic bread maker easy to use great results every time.The bread tastes great only made the sugar free at the moment from the recipe book that comes with the bread maker.I made some low carb bread from a recipe off you tube but it tastes nasty so made sugar free and its lovely.
Does what it says on the tin. Really easy to use and produces great loafs of bread. Works well with the packet mixes.
It does what its supposed to do. Nice textured bread.
i brought this bread marker for my mum becasuse the old bread marker broken and I saw the bread marker and its vaule for money and i made bread it was very good flavour and easy to clean and i would recommond the bread marker to friends and family by Catherine McDonald
I like the bread maker machine. But I think need more information how to put all the accessories
The basin is just right for a family of two, my gripe is that the instructions are appalling, the instructions do not really give you any sort of proper guide on the programs the symbols are misleading, the finished bread is ok
We started making bread during lockdown with mixed results. Had loads of flour left where we’d given up so bought this so that it didn’t go to waste. Wish we’d bought it sooner. So easy to use and bread is perfect every time. Bought a cook book as well and are working our way through the recipes. There are recipes in the instruction booklet but haven’t tried those yet. Read instructions as it’s important to know what NOT to do. Have recommended to a friend it’s that good.
Great breadmaker. Can’t think of any faults at the moment. I’ve had it a few weeks and made half a dozen white loaves. All turned out well. Very happy.
1st timer at baking bread. 2 minutes to clean up if that. Looked at 1st recipe in book which was for white bread (theres a number of recipes) and worked perfectly 1st time and every time. Baked about 8 so far. Added onion and garlic flakes in too. Also added cheese but i need to fine tune that as it sinks a little bit on top but not much. Ready to venture into other recipes! Also, with that 1st recipe, when i switch the maker on, its on settings id want anyway so just have to press start n off it goes through the mixing process then bakes. Couldn’t smell the bread on 1st bake but now it wafts through the house
I could not wait to get this out of the box, The instruction booklet contains basic recipes for all the machines auto programs, which help make the machine very easy to use.
I have included photos of the very first loaf that I made. The recipe I found on the internet for a spiced fruit loaf, I think it turned out very well and it tasted great.
I have since made standard white loaves, and also multi grain loaves, which also turned out really well.
I would highly recommend this bread machine to anyone looking to buy one.
I have only made bread at the moment, it was great better than making it by hand.
I can’t wait to try the other functions out, hoping it is has good as the bread.
This is well designed with some nice features, like the way the bin secures into the unit, lower it in and a simple twist. I Like the seed dispenser.
The other good thing is the kneading does not cause the unit to move its way around the worktop as the previous one did.
Got it as a Christmas gift. It works like a dream! Fantastic machine. 101% recommended!
This is my first Tower product and I am so pleased . What a great price and the quality also great. Have made two loaves of bread today and they’ve turned out lovely. Easy to use machine, highly recommend
Bought this to make machine sourdough from the point of adding in the starter with ingredients to finish. Haven’t been disappointed.
I use a recipe online from Mygreekdish that doesn’t use added yeast and it always turns out fantastically.
Very pleased with the machine.
Since getting it I have made a few loaves and as long as you are precise with the weights and measures it makes a good tasty loaf
Very easy to use, but I have had one before and they can take a few tries to get the hang of them.
Don’t know much about it, I’ve tasted what my old man has cooked in it from naan breads, pizza and nice fresh bread he’s a fussy man but likes this so you should probably just buy this bread maker it’s cheap and cheerful for what it is.
Quite a big machine is the first thing you notice , nothing wrong with that. Comes with a recipe booklet and a small measuring cup and spoon.
Very easy to negotiate around the machine , be careful not to accidentally touch the delay button it stops you using the machine for about 20 minutes (you have to unplug the machine).
Making a loaf is quite satisfying the largest is 1000 grams , so you use the machine a lot if you want fresh bread all the time. I tend to use the number 1 setting for a soft bread takes just over 3 hours the mixing stage is a little noisy but that doesn’t last too long. Try to use recipes that cater for the machine trying to make a loaf that is too large doesn’t mix properly and the machine will struggle.
Made sourdough which was very nice and I haven’t used it to it’s full potential.
The lid I feel is a bit flimsy and the viewing panel fogs a bit . There is a light inside that helps you check on the progress of your bake. The control panel lets you know what stage of the bread you are on. I am very happy with this machine and use it three times a week. It comes with a nut and seed dispenser which fits in the lid.
The bread is very moist and tasty and it gives you options to expand your repitoire , my next project will be a cinnamon fruit loaf.
On the whole I think this is a good value versatile machine I am very happy with my purchase.
I am very pleased with this bread maker makes great bread easy to use and easy to clea
Brilliant, easy to use.
Just pop in the ingredients and leave it to do the rest.
Best Buy.. and would definitely recommend
So far good results and easy to use and clea
instruction booklet/recipes below standard. needs fuller explanations, better detailed recipes
I received this as a gift and have really enjoyed making fresh loaves which you can smell through the house. I am not in the kitchen much and was worried at first if i would fail but they have turned out perfect and so far haven’t had the paddle stuck in the loaf.
Looks good on the worktop too.
Look forward to experimenting more with this new gadget.
i bought this breadmaker on a whim as not being near the shops i missed the taste and freshness of newly baked bread but could not make my own due to arthritic hands, and i am so delighted that i did.
the large parcel arrived very quickly and was very well packaged at the same time that i had ordered some bread mixes and i am thrilled to bits at how easy it is to use. my married son was so impressed that he has now bought a similar Tower breadmaker, albeit a more expensive one than mine, and is just as pleased as i am with the results.
so we are all enjoying delicious home baked bread again thanks to Tower.
I’ve had a bead maker in the past so fortunately had some good recipes .
Have had consistent results so far .
However the recipes in the booklet are very poor indeed .
Put the ingredients in and press a button. It’s that easy and the bread is fine.
While this is really easy to use and makes a great loaf of bread, the first bead and the seed release are both incredibly noisy.
It is a good breadmaker but just falls short for me as it does not get the top crust hard enough as my previous breadmaker did. The top tends to crumble when being sliced.
I’m very happy with this breadmaker. The loaf is nice and evenly mixed and cooked. It’s a better result than the cheaper one we had previously. So far all the recipes work well but I haven’t tried every one
Great piece of kit. Using the automatic bread baking for loaves, and the dough making program, to make my own bread cakes. Been using Aldi’s bread flour, and made some super bread. Pays for itself.
I now begrudge buying supermarket bread, because I know what ingredients go into my own bread. Well recommended.
It suggests I should mention flavour, but surely that is down to your personal taste of ingredients.
Good design which fits neatly on my kitchen surface. Easy to use and produces consistently good loaves even for a complete novice like me. A good price too.
Great bread maker for the money, had perfect results every time
I actually purchased this for some ones birthday present…so all I can say was they was highly delighted with it.
The machine is fairly easy to use and bakes evenly and consistently. We have had an older machine in the past, which ‘died’, and this has lived up to expectations. If you are buying this as a first-time breadmaker, I would recommend a book on general breadmaking machines with recipes, as this doesn’t give much information on different recipes and ingredients. Overall we are well pleased with it’s performance.
Very good value for money. Makes lovely bread. Use the machine most days. Excelle
White bread recipes ok but multi grain came out like a brick. Even used a recipe from my old morphy Richard machine. I added a vitamin c tablet as well to no avail. I used to sell flour and attended Bristol uni for a bakery course so I like to think I know flour and baking but I will have to keep trying different levels of yeast etc to try and get a decent loaf.
Could be beginners luck but my first load turned out beautifully. Very impressed – took a bit of thinking to get the bread basket out for putting ingredients in – this could have been detailed in the instructions but was not in there – you have to twist the basket clockwise to pull out and when fitting back in counterclockwise until it fixes in its dock
But this looks great and bakes great so
I’m very happy with my purchase
Took a few go’s to get the bread to a level of looking and tasting ok. First loaf was a brick but it now gives us bread of a high standard
This is a quality, lovely looking machine and seems very well built. I’ve made a couple of loaves which worked out well. However I took the advice of others and bought a separate recipe book “Brilliant Breadmaking in your Bread Machine” available on Amazon for around 5. A winning combination!
Great maker! The bread was ‘acceptable’ for a first try but I’ll be inclined to get some recipes elsewhere as the ones in the book don’t make any sense! I measured all the ingredients out for a 1lb loaf as per the instructions then when I turned the machine on discovered there’s no 1lb setting there’s only 1.5 or 2 yet ALL of the recipes give a 1lb measurement. Also there seems to be two recipe parts but say for instance French Bread, one section says butter the other doesn’t so it’s very confusing!
I have used the tower bread-machine pr making various breads, we regularly make yogurt, as in – we don’t buy it anymore, and making different jams.
The bread function 4 (french bread) is amazing and i generally make two breads per week, but make them either 500gr or 750gr – it is a personal preference concerning mainly the shape, not the quality (see picture). Ive also tried overnight sourdough using the timer so the bread is ready first thing in the morning and the machine works like a charm. There is nothing like waking up to the smell of fresh, crunchy sourdough bread.
The yogurt program is very good! It is about 8h so if you put your milk + bacteria culture ( I buy my own culture, then once i like the yogurt, I use a spoon of that yogurt for my next batch) last thin before bedtime, the yogurt will be done by morning. If you want o have thick yogurt, make sure to buy 4%+ fresh milk and you will end up with an amazing, sour and thick yogurt.
I have also tried jam – fantastic! You can have amazing jam from whatever fruits you want within 1h.
All programs are very quick to use, a bread will take you between 3-5 mins to make.. if not less..
cleaning.. its practically clean by the time the bread is removed. Sometimes there isn’t much more than a wipe needed.
Although quite bulky, it is a Very, very useful machine that has earned its space on the kitchen top.
I had this bread maker because I wanted to make Gluten free bread, rather than pay a load of money for a small loaf. It is a very easy to use machine and the bread has turned out very well.
Great bread maker at a good affordable price, makes a decent size loaf and very easy to clean after use, it’s also so easy to use including other types of bread and obviously the smell of fresh bread can’t be beate
Not only been using the basic programs on the machine but bought a book on breadmaking in your bread machine.
Everything has worked really well and I am now working my way through the recipes.
Hubby is getting fat though!
I was happy when I unwrapped the item, it looks good. Easy to use and bread baked well with little effort.
Lovely to be able to produce fresh warm loaves of bread – great in lockdown!
Really good fryer. Much quicker than oil frying and easy to use.
Has a large capacity too
Arrived the day before expected. I made a small loaf straight away. Previously, I’ve had 3 Morphy Richards breadmakers and this compares very well.
The only slip up was with the instructions for a 1lb loaf as I did not change the loaf size setting as mentioned in the full instructions and it cooked as if it was a 2lb loaf. All was well though and it tasted delicious. The loaf came out of the tin easily so the non stick works well. The paddle came out of the loaf without a problem (with the supplied hook).
I’m very pleased and look forward to experimenting.
Exactly as seen/described… Works like a charm…so easy to use and to clean. Baked three sourdough loaves since purchased about a week ago….better each time . Very pleased… recommended.
Oh gosh! I am so very chuffed with this bread maker. My step-Dad gave me a bread maker a while ago, he gad paid over a 100 for it but it was rubbish! Now I have this new one costing less than 50 and I am thrilled with it. The bread that it makes is scrumptious. We recommend this bread maker to anyone. Great value.
I’ve always made my own bread, but because I don’t have much time now thought (with a degree of scepticism) that a bread maker MIGHT do the job. Well I’ve been won over, because the results are surprisingly good. This machine is certainly easy enough to operate, though the menus do need you to read the manual (always a problem for a bloke). One loaf made, and now energised to try the other recipes.
It’s the only Bread Machine that I’ve used, so my review dose not compare it with others.
I’ve used the mix bread packs and it does make lovely bread. The loafs are not big, so if you have a big family, you may want to consider the size of what you need, but saying that, fresh bread is nicer on the day of baking! and this machine is so easy that you could make a fresh loaf every day!
I’m happy with my purchase.
I lost the instructions for the machine and the suppliers were extremely friendly and helpful! I’m so happy that I bought this bread machine!
Wonderful product. Baking my own bread every day now, which saves me the risk of going to shops (Covid) which is why I bought it. Although I tried baking a premixed chocolate cake yesterday which didn’t turn out too well as it is difficult to know what setting to choose. Even though there is a ‘cake’ setting, it stated 2 hours, when the package instructions said 25 mins. Anyway, got bread baking at the moment, added some bran for roughage, and the smell around the house is divine.
Wonderful product. Baking my own bread every day now, which saves me the risk of going to shops (Covid) which is why I bought it. Although I tried baking a premixed chocolate cake yesterday which didn’t turn out too well as it is difficult to know what setting to choose. Even though there is a ‘cake’ setting, it stated 2 hours, when the package instructions said 25 mins. Anyway, got bread baking at the moment, added some bran for roughage, and the smell around the house is divine.
Easy to use ok you have to go by trial and error to get the right kind of loaf you want. Make a few notes and it will all fall into place. Fruit loaves are amazing using mixed dried fruit with sultanas. Flour is the key don’t attempt it with basic flour. I tried and it ended up inside local birds! Looks like a long term friendship with this machine and no more supermarket bread!
I bought this to replace an inexpensive but excellent bread-maker that could only make large loaves. The small loaf option on this is great and saves waste or over-consuming to avoid waste. What I really miss from my old machine is a table of times and processes for each stage of the programmes. Other than that it’s fine and I have at last made sourdough bread that was worth the effort. The sourdough program is good on its own but combined with a proprietary starter the results have been excellent as far as I am concerned. The machine is much nicer looking than my old one and the metal finish should ensure that it keeps its very attractive finish. The other main improvements over my old machine are that the program state is ‘remembered’ for 15 minutes if the power is cut off (e.g. Accidentally unplugged) and it has an internal light. On the downside, it is a bit fiddly, but still possible, to get the machine to forget its current state if you deliberately cut the power to start a new program. Also the internal light activation is no intuitive (a two-key operation). One problem I found is that the program keys can be accidentally pressed too easily while operating when cleaning a spill from the top. I’ve had to restart a program as a result but now having to be more vigilant.
Excellent with bread mixes. I’m now experimenting with recipes for cakes as well, planning to try the yogurt programme soon. It’s not too noisy, mixes well and so far the little paddle thingy hasn’t got stuck in the mix – the instruction it to leave the finished product to cool for 10 minutes before tipping it out.
Happy Christmas to me from me.
PS January 2021. The breadmaker continues to perform well and I realised that this machine has been a great comfort during the pandemic and lockdown(s). The smell of baking bread and cakes is heart-warming and as time progresses I have risked the odd experiment with recipes. The non-stick surface on the paddle started to wear off after a few months and Customer Services were very helpful at sending a replacement part. I am kicking myself for not taking advantage of the extra guarantee I could have had if I’d registered the product as soon as I bought it. if you’re going to buy it, make sure to boost the guarantee – a year goes by really quickly! Happy baking, everyone.
Excellent machine, easy to use, easy to clean… with an exceptional range of options. Although it doesn’t bother me I could imagine that the working noise might bother some people. As another review mentioned, the booklet accompanying the machine is too basic. The design problem I find with all bread makers is the indent in the finished loaf left by the as yet non-retractable mixing paddle.
What I had been looking for was a proper loaf shaped tin , as my last one was square and we seemed to waste a lot of the loaf as it isn’t the right shape to slice. So I was only using it to make the dough and still having to get the oven going as I would make rolls etc. Having spent most of one Saturday making bread and a great deal of mess I decided it was time for a new bread maker.
I do do like the different options as I make nearly all our bread , mostly I use the leaven dough program , then the bake program as this is most reliable combination .
With the best will in the world it is difficult to have bread be consistent.
The picture is of Tesco Sourdough Bread mix , I used the leaven dough first , then an extra ferment , baked it for 45 mins . I must admit I am picky and had taken the dough out before the extra ferment sprayed the pan with oil and coated it with maize meal .
It does have a lovely golden top , unlike my first bread maker could manage many years ago.
Makes very tasty bread
Easy to use
Included recipes seem to big for unit 1st couple of loaves up to lid.
Reduced some ingredients as. Per fault list worked fine the
Decent bread maker. Easy to use. Only downside is the included recipes aren’t all that informative but there are plenty available online. The paddle does tend to get stuck to the driveshaft part and needs a good yank to get it off for cleaning. Everything else is pretty easy to clean though. I leave it to soak in some hot water for a bit and it comes off a bit easier.
This is the best thing that’s happened to me in years
There is no single thing to say I did not like
Just add the ingredients, close the lid and some hours later you have homemade bread? What could be better? I just made my first loaf, Einkorn sourdough, and it is so good I can hardly believe it. Highly recommended.
This arrived at 2pm today and I had my very first ever attempt of making bread- I am thrilled to say my first ever loaf turned out well, really pleased. I followed the recipe for the soft loaf programme 1-all the family loved the results. A big hit, very easy to use and smells delicious
I wanted to make sourdough bread, so I bought this. I managed to successfully get a sourdough starter made (which took 4 attempts!) and had a go when this bread maker arrived.
The instructions aren’t that clear, they didn’t say how to attach the kneeding padle, but I figured it out. They also don’t make it clear how to adjust the loaf bread or colour using the menu, so I just accepted the defaults – 1.5lb loaf, which wasn’t enough, I had to finish off the bread in my oven.
However, the rest of the process is easy, the machine just gets on with it and does everything for you. It mixes the dough, lets it rise and prove, and then automatically bakes the bread – as expected.
The baking dish is smaller than I expected, but it turned out ok. I would’ve liked different trays to make different shaped bread, but I suppose I’d have to pay a lot more for a device that had that.
All in all, for a first time bread maker, I like it. The instruction booklet has different recipes for making different doughs, you can have just dough – for making something else with the dough later, there’s a recipe for pizza dough, but you’d have to spin the dough to thin it yourself.
I’m currently on my next recipe, using this to make a dough for lardy cake. Let’s see how this turns out.
The sourdough bread I made with this, once I’d finished it off in my oven as I couldn’t work out how to set the loaf size and oven time from the menu, it was very tasty and I will be making a lot more with this.
I have been using it since I got it to bake bread and I have liked it. The other day I made pizza dough and we enjoyed a lovely pizza
Looks a bit old fasioned but works well and fits into a smaller space than it’s competitors.
I love this!!! I seriously doubted this would work (or that I would be able to make it work!) but so far I haven’t had a bad loaf! I bought a separate book for recipes and that’s been fantastic. One error I made was switching the ‘on/off’ button on before selecting the programme (you do that while the machine is just switched on at the plug), but thankfully it didn’t affect anything. They should rename it ‘Start/Stop’ but otherwise I have no complaints. Getting the bread out of the tin can be challenging… but I gather that’s a universal issue and the hole in the bottom of the loaf isn’t too bad. No idea how durable it is, but I hope it lasts as this has changed my life! So pleasing.
Since we had the breadmaker, my husband makes a loaf every weekend for his sandwiches at work. However I have struggled with the gluten free breadmaking – the bread comes out very dry and quite hard. I have learned that if you microwave it from the freezer before toasting it, then its edible. There is a discrepancy in the recipe and the machine instructions for the gluten free bread as well – the machine instructions say it has to be a 2kg loaf, but the recipe gives details for a 1kg loaf. After trial and error, you need to double up the recipe to make a 2kg loaf! The machine is quite easy to use and, other than the above, the instructions and recipes are good. It is also easy to take out the relevant parts for washing. However the small moving part which kneads and mixes the dough does make quite a hole in the bottom of the loaf. And if we ever lose this part (which would not be too difficult to do) the machine would be unusable. (Maybe replacements are available, I haven’t checked).
We have been using this bread maker for a couple months now, and have baked probably 10-12 various styles of loafs in it so far. Overall, it is such a good machine. Very very pleased with the purchase. I was surprised to read some of the negative reviews, with people struggling to get a good loaf. For us, with absolutely zero effort – this thing pops out perfect loaf after loaf. So soft and fluffy, with a strong crust. The kneader can be loud, especially if you’ve timed it to bake through the night ready for the morning … but a small price to pay. The quality of the machine is very good.
This is the third bread maker I have bought. This is just as good as the more expensive ones I have previously owned. Excellent value, especially as it was purchased from Amazon warehouse deals at almost half price, because of a damaged box!!
This was a Christmas gift for my husband. It really is the gift that keeps on giving. We’ve had numerous loaves of freshly baked bread from it and all of them have come out light and fluffy, despite my husband never having made bread before. It has lots of easy to use functions and comes with a booklet of recipes to get you going. This is really good value for money.
Having a lot of fun with this. My only ‘peeve’ is that the measurements are in US cups and the recipes provided are all for 1.5 lb loaves and I find it impossible to scale up and scale down accurately. I know I can convert the cups into metric measurements but that’s a faff – although that is what I shall have to do.
The measuring jug has ‘invisible’ markings – when you fill it with flour or liquid. That is very annoying. Solved that by buying a better quality jug.
It is very easy to use, takes no time at all to add the ingredients and nothing much to wash-up.
Overall – I love it and use it every two days and the bread tastes gorgeous!
have had this couple weeks now and after a shaky start,didnt add enough water,i am now knocking out loaves of very very tasty bread as though i am an expert.
very happy with this machine,it works very well imo,theres no banging or anything it just makes a whirring noise while it mixes dough up and then its silent until bread is done.
if a 60yr old single bloke can do it then you can too,its virtually fool proof and a right bargain compared to a lot of others.
Love it! Had amazing success every time with normal bread. Although it’s a totally different story with the gluten free recipe in the manual! I found that the flour you buy must have a rising agent in it or this recipe just will not work! I eventually used a recipe on the flour packet basically the same but which included two egg whites and one tbs of vinegar and got a far better result.
This will get a lot of use in our house!
Great bread maker for someone who has never made there own bread before!
I had often thought about it but thought it would be hard to make, even with the machine. How wrong was I!!!
Put in the ingredients, push a button and out pops home made bread, easy and simple plus a great smelling kitchen.
Excellent machine. I have tried 6 other bread makers and all have been rubbish. This one is superb. Fantastic bread made with recipe from book supplied. Arrived on time in fact early.
GREAT PRODUCT. HOWEVER, WHEN MAKING THE LARGER LOAF THE TOP RISES INTO THE VIEWING WINDOW SO HAVE REDUCED THE QUANTITIES TO AVOID THIS HAPPENING.
his is my 3rd breadmaker and by far the best yet, I’ve only used the soft bread recipe so far but it does if perfectly, the only drawback is we are eating a lot more bread than we normally would, I definitely recommend this breadmaker.
Having never used a breadmaker previously I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, however after buying this machine I have become something of a fresh bread addict, and now bake a fresh loaf every couple of days. The machine itself is light and feels a little plasticky rather than stainless steel, however this does not affect the finished product. My first loaf was completed in just over three hours using one of the recipes supplied with the instruction booklet, and I was delighted with the results – a nice soft white loaf with a lovely texture. The machine is very simple to operate – you just add the ingredients in the correct order and amounts, using the included plastic measuring cup and plastic tablespoon and teaspoon measurer, place the pan in the machine, ensuring it is securely attached to the spindle in the centre, select the desired programme from the menu displayed on the LCD screen, including the size and preferred darkness of the crust, and that’s just about it. It is possible to view the bread baking through the window on top of the machine, but the novelty wears off after the first couple of times as the process takes over three hours. The machine beeps to let you know when to add other ingredients like nuts or sultanas during the baking process, and then at the end beeps about fifteen times to indicate it has finished. The ‘keep warm’ facility then operates for an hour, until the pan is removed. The pan of course becomes very hot, so it is necessary to use oven gloves when removing. There has only been one instance of the paddle having to be removed from the loaf, and this was easily accomplished using the supplied metal hook. The paddle does leave a hole in the bottom of the loaf, but this is of course a characteristic of all bread machines. The bread has to be allowed to cool before being sliced, usually for about an hour, and I find the easiest way to do this is to put it in the oven. The loaf cools and dries at the same time and then it is ready to serve. A loaf stays reasonably fresh for about two days, then can be either frozen for later use or toasted – equally delicious. It should be stored initially in a breathable bag – specialist bread bags can be purchased from Amazon fairly cheaply. I wrap mine in an old – clean – tea towel. Cutting the loaf into fairly equal slices can be a bit problematic, and for this purpose a suitable bread slicer might come in handy. The machine is easy to clean with soap and warm water and requires very little in the way of maintenance other than a wipe clean of the exterior. Since my first loaf I have experimented with various ingredients and combinations – garlic pepper, black pepper, mixed herbs, honey instead of refined sugar, and extra-virgin olive oil rather than vegetable oil, which imparts a delicious delicate flavour to the finished article. I use a combination of Allinson’s Strong White Bread Flour and Dove’s Farm Organic Wholemeal Flour in roughly equal amounts. An additional benefit is the delicious aroma of baking bread that fills the house during the baking process. Overall the machine is simple to operate and clean, and I am very happy with this purchase and would definitely recommend it.