Toastmaster TBR15 1-1/2-Pound Breadmaker

After using a friend's Oster/Sunbeam breadmaker for a couple of months, I got hooked on the idea of making my own bread. Since I didn't need a full-size 2lb. model, I decided to try this 1.5lb unit. What appealed to me at first was the compact footprint and the oversized viewing window.

The burn-off issue described here and elsewhere on the web is pretty accurate. My package included a correction sheet for the manual that clarifies that the pan should be in the machine when you run it dry the first time. This may explain why some people reported that the dome window was melting. Anyhow, I ran the machine outside with a bit of water in the pan and that worked out fine.

After that, it was time to try my first white bread. The machine is pretty noisy compared to the Sunbeam model I'd first used. Unless your bedroom is far enough from the kitchen, you will hear this sucker if you decide to use the delay timer for morning fresh bread.

The first loaf I made was a failure since...Read more

I got this breadmaker because it was the cheapest I could find at a Target. I have three problems with it.

First, the mixing phase requires help. What I mean is that left by itself, the ingredients will not mix properly. The corners of the loaf will be caked flour and salt that must be chipped off with a knife. I must help the mixing phase with a wooden spoon to make sure the flour in the corners of the rectangular mixing compartment are not passed by.

Second, even the lighest crust color is too dark. Further, the loaf must removed immediately when the baking phase is done to prevent the crust from becoming so dark and crusty as to require it to be cut off. Strangely, some 15 minutes or so after the baking is over another series of beeps will sound as if the bread is now cool and ready to eat. Ha!

Third, there is no way to turn the breakmaker off when it is not baking. The red numbers "0:00" are always showing unless you unplug the...Read more

I am very impressed with this machine. I wasn't expecting too much because of the low price, but there are so many things I like about it much better than my mom's model. First of all, my family doesn't need a huge amount of bread at a time, so the loaf size is perfect (comparable to the amount of bread in a loaf from the grocery store, a little more, maybe). Also, the size of the unit is great. It doesn't take up too much of my valuable counter space. Another great feature is that the viewing window is much bigger than on other models, and you can lift the top at any time to check on the bread.
I read in another review that the electric cord was too short, only a foot long. Well, I measured it and it's over 32 inches long. I had absolutely no problem with it. Perfect, in fact.
The buttons and functions are easy to read and use, and the process isn't complicated at all. It was so easy to make my first loaf... I kept checking the instructions to make sure I wasn't missing...Read more