The Best Cheap Bread Machine For 2021

Hamilton Beach Bread Maker 29882

Bread is one of the primitive food items which is quite popular almost everywhere around the globe. Starting off with the smell of freshly baked bread might set the tone of your whole day. However, most of the bread makers can be disappointing given the fact that they are expensive, bulky, and difficult to operate.

But fortunately, we have one of the best cheap bread machines from Hamilton that can offer good quality bread-making experience with ultimate convenience.

It has been a while since the Hamilton Beach Bread Maker Machine 29882 occupied the number one bestseller position among the bread makers on amazon.

So, what’s the reason behind its success? And what does it have more to offer? Let’s find out in this article in details.

What makes Hamilton Beach Bread Maker Machine special?

Before we dive deep into the details of this machine let’s have a quick overview.

The Hamilton Beach Bread Maker is a lightweight automatic machine that lets you bake bread up to 2lbs. The non-sticky knead arms do the dough flawlessly and eliminate the necessity of folding your sleeves to mix up the ingredients.

It comes with 12 programmable cycles that include the options of making jam or jelly other than baking bread. Besides, you get the liberty to choose between the crust and loaf sizes. Interestingly, you can make pizza dough, diner rolls, cinnamon buns, and a bunch of other things using the machine.

And what’s more? You will get an additional set of paddles in case the existing one gets broken or lost!

Isn’t Hamilton offering too much within this budget? Yes, they have always been faithful to their customers with friendly policies and that’s one of the prime reasons why they are one of the best kitchen appliance manufacturers.

Now, let’s have a look at some of the key features of this effective machine.

1. Intuitive Interface

For any modern kitchen appliances, its user interface remains a major concern. The more a manufacturer introduces a digital interface in the product, the easier it gets for users to operate it. Hamilton is no exception.

This bread maker machine comes with a digital display that makes it super easy to select cycle, crust, and loaf size as well as monitor the time left until your bread is ready. On top of that, the 12 preset cycles allow users to choose between the options and eliminate recurring calculation time for baking.

The machine is basically operated by 6 buttons resting equally to either side of the digital display. The control panel is easy to use, literally anyone can figure it out without any instructions. It’s only a matter of few trials to get used to it.

2. Gluten-Free Bread Making

Out of many reasons, freedom of making bread as you want is one of the key factors why you prefer homemade bread to a bakery one. Similarly, it becomes hard for those who have dietary restrictions because not all bakeries offer an alternative.

And when it comes to a gluten-free diet, it’s the bread that people miss the most. So, having a gluten-free programmed setting in the bread maker is a blessing for those in need, given the reason that there is no easier way to make gluten-free loaves.

Hamilton Beach Bread Maker is perhaps one of the best bread-making machines that comes with a gluten-free setting. Even if you look at the closest competitors like Cuisinart or even Panasonic, the difference in price would be four times higher.

3. Quick Production

Usually, it takes about 3 hrs to make a 1.5-pound bread and 3 hrs 40 minutes for a 2-pound bread with all the common ingredients. But in case you are in a hurry, you can opt for two express settings from the program to cut the baking time. It will allow you to bake the bread within an hour.

On top of that, the quick setting lets you bake yeast-free bread faster and better than anyone else.

4. Audible Reminder

The audible reminder is another handy feature of this machine. After the kneading period is done, the machine sends off an alarm to let you add mix-ins, like dried fruits and nuts. Also, it alerts you once the baking is completed and the bread is ready to be served.

5. 13 Hour Delay Timer

When do you need to make your bread the most? It’s the morning, right? But wouldn’t it be irritating to wake up at 4 am and tossing up ingredients to the pan and heading towards the bed again only to wake up at 7 am for the fresh loaves of bread?

Well, this tragic scenario could have taken place in real life if there were no delay timer setting in the bread maker. Thanks to the Hamilton Beach Bread maker for coming up with an option to set the delay time up to 13 hours.

Now, you can put ingredients into the pan early at night and set the timer to start the machine automatically at a specific time. The machine will bake the bread without human interference and keep it warm until you open the lid and take it out.

6. See Through the Lid

Excited about the baking progress? Well, now you can see the kneading and baking process inside the machine – thanks to the transparent window at the lid of the Hamilton bread maker.

What happens to ordinary bread makers is that you become curious about the progress and open the lid. It hampers the baking process and results in uneven cooking consistency inside the dough due to the compromised temperature.

But a transparent window will let you keep track of the progress of your bread without necessarily lifting the lid of the machine and losing the heat.

7. 3 Crust Setting

The crust of bread is the part that has the highest exposure to heat when baked. The more heat it devours, the darker and harder it gets. It is good to have options to choose between the crust size because you often need alternative types of bread depending on your breakfasts.

There is a dedicated crust setting button in the Hamilton Beach Bread Maker that lets you choose from light to medium or dark crust. The digital display will also show what type of crust the machine is making to the existing bread.

8. Great for Dough Prep

Making bread might be the first and foremost duty of a bread maker, but it’s not the bread that you would like to make out of it always. Sometimes preparing dough for dinner rolls, pizza crusts or cinnamon buns make it a lot easier for the home chef.

Set the bread machine to the “dough” setting. The machine will mix up the ingredients, give the dough a perfect kneading, and let it rise perfectly. When the bread machine beeps, it means the dough is ready to be shaped and ready to be baked in the conventional oven.

9. Additional Cooking Programs

Don’t get swept away by the title of the machine. Because a bread maker can be more than its name. You can make jam, sweet or French toast using the gadget. And these settings are pre-programed to make it easier for anyone. All you need to do is to put the ingredients according to the complementary recipe book provided by the manufacturer, and you are good to go.

10. Dishwasher Safe Non-Sticky Pan

Cleaning any bread maker is always tricky since there could be lots of wheat all over the machine. But it gets even harder if the pan is not a non-sticky one. Fortunately, both the pan and kneading paddles of this machine are non-sticky and 100% dishwasher safe.

So, it’s easier to bring out even the full-size bread without much fuss. However, the kneading paddle rests wherever the kneading cycle ends. As a result, you might find cavities under the bread on few occasions. Nonetheless, the paddle comes relatively clean most of the time.

11. Non-Slip Feet to Ensure Firm Grip

To be frank, the 10.43 x 14.13 x 12.2 inches machine can not be referred as a small one. It requires some space to fit the 2-pound bread-making pan along with a classic control panel inside the chassis. And with everything together, the machine weighs about 13 pounds.

So, it’s really important to make sure that the machine doesn’t walk out of the table while severe kneading goes on inside. This is why it is equipped with four non-slip feet that firmly grip the surface while the machine kneads the dough.

Shortcomings of the Hamilton Beach Bread Maker

Like many other kitchen appliances, it also has few drawbacks. But if you compare it with the products of its kind, you would definitely like to conclude on a positive note since it offers way more than a product in this budget range typically would.

Now, let’s see some of the flaws of this product.

1. Noisy

The kneading paddles of this machine make noises while preparing the dough. But this might not be the only machine that comes with this flaw. Since it takes some energy to move a 2-pound dough for the perfect mix, it is oblivious to generate some noise.

But the good news is, the machine goes completely silent once the kneading process is finished.

2. It’s a Big Machine!

I’ve mentioned earlier that this machine requires some space. So it might be a little difficult to fit in a kitchen that is congested. On top of that, the size of the lid adds more to the issue when you open it.

Nevertheless, the problem is avoidable since it is subjective to your kitchen space that is manageable.

3. Dough Heat Might be an Issue

The number 8 programmed cycle is dedicated to preparing dough for pizza, rolls, or buns. The basic of this stage is to mix up ingredients and knead the dough perfectly. Then the machine heats up to start the yeast fermentation while the dough awaits rising.

In fact, the machine uses lower heat to activate the yeast in the dough. But the heating process is not compatible with different yeast compositions, as a result, you might end up with a flat dough.

If the user is not precise about the measurement of the ingredients, the dough might fail repeatedly. So, remain faithful to the textbook recipes to avoid the problem.

4. Automatic Nut and Seed Dispenser Missing

Though the machine has most of the necessary features to steer the bread-making to an expedient end, the automatic nut and seed dispenser is the thing that you would really be missing. This feature would let you add the mix-ins required by the recipe into the dough at the right moment without your presence.

Now, you have to wait for the first cycle to be completed and then add the mix-ins manually. But the good news is Hamilton Beach Bread Maker has an audible timer that alerts you about the exact timing you should be putting the mix-ins.

The Hamilton Beach 29888 might have this feature in its hold, but the price difference between the products is almost double.

Pros:

• Quality Bread Making
• Affordable Price
• Fresh bread in 3 easy steps
• Digital Monitor
• 12 Programmed Cycles
• User-Friendly Control Panel
• Audible Timer
• See-through Window
• Non-Sticky Pan
• Teflon Coated Kneading Paddles

Cons:

• Slightly Noisy
• No Automatic Fruit or Nut Dispenser
• Sensitive to ingredients ratio

FAQ

1. How do I choose a bread maker?

Ans. It depends on few factors. First, try to determine how much bread you want to make from a bread maker. If the number of your family members is high then you should choose a heavy-duty bread maker.

2. What is the shape of the bread that is made from a bread maker machine?

Ans. Well, it completely depends on the size and shape of the pan a machine has. Most bread maker machines produce a vertical loaf while some make it horizontal.

3. Do I need to oil the paddle and pan?

Ans. Absolutely not. At least not in the case of Hamilton Beach Bread Maker 29882. Because it comes with non-sticky pan and paddles to ensure neither dough nor bread gets stuck there.

4. Can I make yeast-free bread in the Hamilton Beach Bread Maker 29882?

Ans. Yes, you can make yeast-free bread in this machine. Perhaps it comes with a dedicated setting (quick) for the yeast-free bread. But I reckon the loaf won’t be soft and fluffy compared to standard bread.

Final Thoughts

Even if you look back a decade ago, it was quite unimaginable to have a bread maker within this budget. But Hamilton has turned the unthinkable into reality by offering some of the best cheap bread machines without compromising the quality of the products. The Hamilton Beach Bread Maker 29882 is such a product that comes with a bunch of features to make the bread-making process easier than ever before. So, if you want to get a budget bread maker that can make quality bread then this should be one you are looking for.