Kenwood BM350 Stainless Steel Breadmaker

Product Information

The bread maker is rather noisy in operation, but I was impressed with the white loaf it produced. This was not too hard nor too squashy, so was easy to cut, and the texture was even throughout. The loaf was huge, though, so you’ll need a toaster with extra-long slots. The Kenwood BM250 is a bread maker designed to provide convenience and versatility in the kitchen. With its LCD display, users can easily navigate through the various settings and options available. The appliance also features a delayed start timer, allowing users to set a desired baking time in advance. Longer programs tend to be better: Although lots of bread makers have fast-bake programs, you're likely to get better loaves from the traditional, longer programs. There's no way to force yeast to work faster. Breadmakers are versatile in the loaf sizes and crust colours they offer, but many come with settings that extend beyond the realm of simple bread recipes. Here are a few other ways to make the most of your gadget:

Like the Kenwood BM260, the BM450 has simpler recipes, such as the standard white and wholemeal loaves, in the instruction booklet, and more complex ones in a glossy magazine. The BM450’s wholemeal recipe is far more involved; you have to mix one egg and one yolk with water, and the recipe requires lemon juice and honey, too. Compared to other bread makers I’ve seen, putting together a wholemeal loaf is a bit of a faff. I’ve seen a few bread makers with viewing windows, but this is one of the few, along with the Sage Custom Loaf, that has a light for the baking chamber. This lets you see how your loaf is getting on at each stage in the process, but the viewing window is much more restricted than on the the Sage model. We listened out for annoying whirring noises during kneading, or piercingly loud beeps that couldn't be silenced. We favoured bread makers that hummed along quietly throughout baking. We judged each bread maker on how easy the controls and program options were to understand, how easy the recipes were to follow, and how straightforward the bread was to remove from the bread pan after baking.If you have never used a breadmaker before, or are used to older models, here are a few tips for that perfect loaf. Whereas the Kenwood BM260 is compact and understated, the BM450 is flashy and huge. It’s big in every direction, so you’ll need a substantial worktop if you want the bread maker to be out all the time. Our experiences with the bread makers varied widely. While some ran quietly and couldn't be easier to use, others were very noisy and kneaded so aggressively that the bread maker moved across the kitchen counter. With decades of experience in supplying industry-leading kitchen appliances, our range of bread and waffle making machines is sure to impress. Amateur home cooks and professional chefs in Singapore will simply love the versatility of these products each time they use them. With Rapid Bake and convection fan-assisted baking, cut down the time and money required to achieve the perfect golden rise bakers truly love. Trust a top-performing brand like Kenwood to deliver nothing short of exceptional time and again with its breadmakers. Shop for bread machines & other premium kitchen appliances We rated the bread pan and kneading paddle for how easy they were to clean after each use. All were rated exactly the same for this, and all are handwash only. Energy efficiency

Measuring at 345 x 250 x 310 millimeters, the Kenwood BM250 has a compact design that can fit neatly on any kitchen countertop. It weighs approximately 6300 grams, making it relatively lightweight and portable. Build quality is seriously solid for a fairly affordable breadmaker. The love-or-loathe design is unusual, white with a retro-style handle for the lid, reminiscent of a 1950s fridge. And instead of a window for inspecting progress, the lid boasts a built-in fan to assist cooking. The BM260 is compact, the size of an A4 sheet. For more information, feel free to get in touch with us to learn how we can help. What other baking equipment can I buy from Kenwood?We chose bestselling bread makers from leading UK retailers, and baked more than 40 loaves to find out which produced the perfect loaf of bread. Cakes and pastries: From classic cakes to breakfast pastries, some breadmakers come with presets for sweet treats, too. See our most popular cake recipes for ideas. Jam and yogurt: Other non-bread functions on certain models include jams, compotes and yogurt. Try our peach & amaretto jam recipe or garlic yogurt, and read our guide on how to sterilise jars for jams and preserves. With my standard Tesco bread flour, the wholemeal loaf collapsed at the top, creating an odd horned shape. When I swapped to Allinsons Very Strong wholemeal, I saw a much better loaf (below), evenly risen and baked throughout. It was a little on the dry side, though. Features include the aforementioned “eco” program and a gluten-free program, plus programs for breads, cakes, doughs and jams. It makes loaves in three sizes, ranging from a 500g loaf made using 350g flour to a 1kg loaf using 600g flour. Baking a loaf takes 3 to 3.5 hours on a typical program.

Extra features: viewing windows, separate yeast or nut and seed dispensers are handy but not essential. The Kenwood BM260 is a quirky mid-priced breadmaker. Unusual design touches include retro-ish styling, fan-assisted cooking and even an adjustable spoon. The Kenwood’s accompanying recipe book contains a good range of recipes, some of them rather foodie. Recipes include, or example, caramelised onion bread and chocolate bread. We tested it with an 86% wholemeal recipe but even this had slightly quirky ingredients, including lemon juice (perhaps taking the place of the vitamin C powder that some recipes feature) and a combination of butter and skimmed milk powder, rather than one or the other. Unfortunately, while the BM450’s touch panel may look good, the buttons aren’t particularly easy to use; I often had to stab at a button a couple of times to make it register. The LCD display gives you all the info you need about what program and bread size you’re selecting and where you are in the baking cycle, but I found it hard to read.~ It has an “eco” program that uses less energy and time – it bakes a white loaf or bread mix in 85 minutes – and it comes with a glossy book containing a wealth of foodie recipes. The resulting loaves are impressive, making the Kenwood a good buy.

A huge, programmable breadmaker, but its controls and recipes can be fiddly

The BM450’s automatic fruit and nut dispenser slots neatly into the top of the lid. The fruit loaf I made with the dispenser came out well, with a good even spread of added ingredients throughout. With a power output of 480 watts, the Kenwood BM250 provides sufficient power to knead and bake bread effectively. Its construction is made from premium materials, ensuring reliability and durability over time. The bread maker is known for its consistent performance, allowing users to enjoy freshly baked bread on a regular basis. Yes, if you’re looking for a mid-priced breadmaker then the Kenwood won’t disappoint. But if you can afford twice as much, the very best breadmaker performance we’ve seen so far was from the Panasonic SD-ZB2502BXC. Verdict We baked several white and wholemeal loaves using each bread maker, following the exact recipes for each loaf and judging them for their evenness and texture. Pizza dough: Some breadmakers come with specific pizza dough settings that take care of kneading and rising – ideal for making classic margherita pizzas, barbecue pizza, or calzones. See our pizza dough recipes for more inspiration.