I'm a bread machine junkie, having owned/tried numerous brands: Oster, WestBend, Hamilton Beach, Panasonic, Zojirushi, Breadman, Dash, DAK, Nictemaw, and now this Cuisinart. I also "need" (that is, want) three bread machines in the house so I can simultaneously make multiple loaves for guests and gatherings. I originally ordered this Cuisinart as a back-up to an aging Panasonic, but, after using it just a few times, I replaced the Panasonic with this as the workhorse in my kitchen. It's powerful, relatively quiet, reliable, and built to last. It has 15 different menu cycles, including rapid bake, gluten-free, and jam. The only missing functions are a pasta dough cycle, customized program cycles, an automatic dispenser for mix-ins, and a yeast dispenser; those features are found in higher-end brands.
I like that it bakes a horizontal loaf instead of a cylindrical or vertical one. The main differences among brands usually has to do with the timing (rising and bake) and the strength of the motor. This Cuisinart uses the correct rise and bake times to give a good crumb instead of a too-elongated or too-dense one. The motor doesn't strain, even when kneading a 2-pound dough. If the hole in the bottom of a baked loaf bothers you, you can remove the dough when it beeps a second time, take out the paddle, and put the dough back in. I'm so used to that hole, however, that I never do it. If I'm going to bake the bread inside the machine, I just select the correct menu, select the size (1 lb, 1.5 lb, or 2 lb), the crust color, and push start. My bread comes out perfect every time, although newbies should be aware that not all bread machine recipes are created equal. As long as you start with a good recipe, you will be fine. (More on this later, if you're interested.)
Because I'm comfortable baking bread, I mostly use bread machines for the dough cycle so that I can shape and control the rise of my bread. It allows me to make pizza dough, focaccia, sourdough boules, hamburger rolls, Italian bread, cinnamon rolls, and other speciality breads and shapes. I love that the dough cycle only takes 1 hour and 40 minutes from start to finish. Most recipes will require a rise time after shaping, usually 45 minutes. Panasonic and Zojirushi, both premium brands, take close to 2 hours, 30 minutes because they add a 30 minute rest time up front that you cannot change, plus a slightly longer cycle in general. (The Panasonic has a much shorter pizza dough cycle that starts mixing right away but that doesn't rise much in the pan.) If I want a sliceable, regular loaf shape, I let the machine do all the work, including baking. I find that a 1-pound loaf works best for sandwich-size bread, with the 1.5 lb size coming in second. The 2-pound loaf is just too high for my tastes, even though it bakes up beautifully.
This bread maker comes with a recipe book that's much better than most. Usually, the included recipes in a given brand are so bad that people give up and junk their bread makers. I always start with my own tried-and-true white bread recipe to make sure that the machine works properly: 1 cup + 2 T water; 3 cups bread flour (all-purpose will do); 2 T butter; 1 tsp salt, 1 T sugar, and 2 tsp bread machine yeast (one packet will do.) For softer bread, I sometimes add 2 T dried milk powder. If that recipe works well, I know the machine is a good one. Any failures after that are the fault of the recipe. All the recipes in the included booklet that I've tried have turned out well, whether baked in the pan or on the dough cycle. In general, when adapting a recipe, 2 cups of flour = 1 lb; 3 cups of flour = 1.5 lb; and 4 cups of flour = 2 lb. When I use the dough cycle, I almost always go for the 2 pound size.
The dough paddle is more difficult than most to remove/insert, with a tight fit. I always soak my pan with the paddle inside for easier removal, but this still requires a bit more wiggling than most other machines. To clean, rinse with warm water, wipe to remove all dough residue, and dry. Because of the nonstick interior, everything comes easily clean. Never submerge the pan or put in the dishwasher.
For those who are comparison shopping among the brands listed above: Panasonic is a great all-round bread machine with premium features; Zojirushi is the most expensive but also has the sturdiest build (I adore the small 1-lb model for sandwich loaves); Hamilton Beach and Oster are the best among lesser expensive models. This Cuisinart combines premium performance and good build-quality, with a lower price than some of the best models. It might not be as rugged as Panasonic and Zojirushi, but it performs just as well.
If you want bread that is indistinguishable from by-hand breads, use the dough cycle to do all the mixing, kneading, and timing for the first rise. Then shape, rise, and bake in your oven. If you want the convenience of a warm, ready-to-slice bread, use the appropriate cycle to bake inside of the machine; it's especially decadent to use the timer to have the bread finished the next day at breakfast time.
I find that this Cuisinart bread maker is among the best I've tried in this price point, even though it lacks an automatic dispenser for nuts and fruit, the only feature I truly miss since I have to be around when it beeps to add the mix-ins. It combines a good price with excellent performance.
-- Debbie Lee Wesselmann
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Color: Black
Color: Grey
Capacity: Up to 2.99 L
Capacity: 3 to 4.99 L
Slow Cooker Capacity: Under 4 Quarts
Slow Cooker Capacity: 4 Quarts
Product Grade: Commercial Grade
Power: Up to 1499 W
Power: 1500 to 1599 W
Heat Source: Gas
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Material: Cast Iron
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Fryer Material: Stainless Steel
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From the manufacturer
Cuisinart CBK-200 2-Lb Convection Bread Maker
Fresh bread doesn’t get any easier, thanks to the responsive air circulation, speed and timing to ensure a beautiful bake each and every time. Taking care of your family’s health is easy with gluten free and low carb settings among 16 preset options at the touch of a button. Entertaining is easy with 3 crust colors, 3 loaf size options and over 100 bread, dough, cake and jam combinations with minimum fuss.
Features:
- Low Carb and Gluten-Free preset menu options and recipes.
- Special menu option takes basic dough through several long, slow cool rises for chewier textures and rustic crusts.
- Unique convection feature circulates air for superior crust color, and texture.
- Classic lines, smooth brushed stainless steel, embossed logo and large, sturdy, stay-cool handles.
- Audible tone indicates time to add fruit, nuts and other 'mix-ins'. Second tone offers option of removing paddle before baking, or removing unbaked dough to shape by hand.
- 15-minute Pause, Bake-Only option
- 12-Hour-Delay Start
- Timer and Power Failure Backup
- 680 watts
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This Item  Cuisinart CBK-200 Convection Bread Maker, 12" x 16.5" x 10.25" |  |  |  |  |  | |
| Price | $169.99 | $139.99 | -13% $139.99 List: $159.99 | $199.99 | $148.99 | $134.99 |
| Delivery | — | Get it as soon as Monday, May 13 | Get it as soon as Monday, May 13 | Get it as soon as Monday, May 13 | Get it as soon as Wednesday, May 15 | Get it as soon as Monday, May 13 |
| Customer Ratings | ||||||
| Easy to clean | ||||||
| Easy to use | ||||||
| Flavor | ||||||
| Sold By | Bargain Shack USA | Amazon.com | Neretva Home | Neretva Home | YUNLING SHOP | southmanage |
| capacity | 2 pounds | 2 pounds | 2 pounds | 2 pounds | 2.2 pounds | 3.5 pounds |
| material | Stainless Steel | Stainless Steel | Stainless Steel | Stainless Steel | Stainless Steel | Plastic housing &Non-stick Metal Pan |
| number of programs | 16 | 21 | 20 | 15 | 19 | 15 |
| voltage | 120 volts | — | 110 volts | 110 volts | — | 120 volts |
| wattage | 680 watts | 550 watts | 565 watts | 850 watts | 720 watts | 850 watts |
| care instructions | Hand Wash Only | Dishwasher Safe | Hand Wash Only | Hand Wash Only | — | Dishwasher Safe |
| weight | 16 pounds | 13.51 pounds | 8.37 pounds | 8.37 pounds | — | — |
Reviews with images
so I wanted to see if the bread machine could bake a better loaf. This is the first bread machine I ...
I live at the 3000' level on top of a mountain in South Carolina and baking bread at this elevation introduces a lot of problems to the bread baker. I had been having a love/hate relationship with bread baking since we moved to this location, so I wanted to see if the bread machine could bake a better loaf. This is the first bread machine I have ever owned, so I had nothing to fall back on. I used the hundreds of reviews to help make the decision on the Cusinart CBK-200 and I was not disappointed. I've baked several loaves since receiving the CBK-200 a few day ago and wanted to let others know about my experience.The instructions in the manual are very clear and easy to follow. For the first loaf, I followed the directions to the letter for the 2lb, medium crust, White Oatmeal Bread on page 2 of the Instruction Manual. I wanted to remove the paddle before baking, so, after I pressed Start, I set the oven timer for 1:25 (elapsed time before the 3rd rise). After 15 minutes into the first rise, I pressed Pause, opened the lid and used a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the pan, then pressed Start. When the oven timer went off, the audible tone (explained on page 9) went off (not loud enough) and I pressed Pause (the manual instructs to use oven mitts to remove the pan, but I found that was not necessary, also, you have 15 minutes to remove the paddle before the machine continues), removed the pan, removed the dough ball and removed the paddle, rolled the dough back into a ball and inserted into the pan then reinserted the pan back into the machine and pressed Start. NOTE: The dough at this stage seemed too dry and too hard to me and I made a mental note to add more liquid to the next loaf. The machine continued through the 3rd rise and Bake cycles and issued the Baking Cycle Complete beeps. I pressed Stop (press and hold the Stop/Pause for 3 seconds) otherwise the machine will go into a Warming cycle.Opened the lid, and with a kitchen towel, removed the pan by the handle and placed on the counter (pan will be very hot) to cool. The top of the loaf was light brown. After 15 minutes, turned the pan upside down and shook out the loaf onto a cooling rack.The sides and bottom of the loaf were dark brown and very crusty. After cooling. I sliced the loaf (see photo's), and the crumb was a little hard, but acceptable.The taste of the bread was a little floury and not sweet enough for me.After making a few tweaks to the recipe, I tried another stab at the Oatmeal Bread, and this time the results were almost perfect. There was greater rise than the first loaf, the crust was the same as the first loaf and the crumb was soft. The taste was not floury and quite good.My tweaks were to add an extra tablespoon of Buttermilk, and an extra tablespoon of Maple Syrup.I have since made another loaf of the same bread with an additional tablespoon of sugar and it tasted absolutely wonderful.In closing, even with my brief experience, I highly recommend this bread machine. With a little experimenting, I firmly believe that anyone can produce a loaf of bread that will satisfy any palate.
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Jeroen
Excelente
Reviewed in Mexico on April 5, 2023Color: ConvectionVerified Purchase
Jeroen
Reviewed in Mexico on April 5, 2023
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Jeff
Middle of the line price with top of the line performance.
Reviewed in Canada on February 25, 2021Color: ConvectionVerified Purchase
Client d'Amazon
J'adore ce four
Reviewed in Canada on March 12, 2021Color: ConvectionVerified Purchase
gustavo sanchez
Funciona bien, necesita atención periódica, no es automatica.
Reviewed in Mexico on November 30, 2020Color: ConvectionVerified Purchase
gustavo sanchez
Reviewed in Mexico on November 30, 2020
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