Pohl Schmitt Stainless Steel Bread Machine Bread Maker, 2LB 17-in-1, 14 Settings Incl Gluten Free & Fruit, Nut Dispenser, Nonstick Pan, 3 Loaf Sizes 3 Crust Colors, Keep Warm, and Recipes

I bought this machine because it has a (a) condiments dispenser and most important, it has a (b) DIY feature where I can set the mix/knead/rest/bake cycles. Not many bread machines at this price point actually allow the user to set their own program as this machine does.After testing the pre programmed settings for various breads, I have settled with using the DIY feature for most of my bread baking. It makes making great bread easy. The machine with its non stick pan does all the mixing/resting of the dough; all I do is prep the dough for proofing and baking.The DIY feature has a few limitations. The program you set does not stay in memory; it’s gone once you unplug the machine. What I do is write down the settings on a slip of paper, and tape it to the machine. Also, some of the steps have duration limits, such as 30 minutes for mixing, and 1 hour for resting.The preset programs are a quick turn-key solution to making fresh bread, but after several years of experimenting w bread machine recipes, we prefer bread started in this machine and shaped/proofed/baked outside the machine. I make baguettes and larger loaves with two different perforated pans by Chicago Metallic. Bread turns out with crisp crusts, soft interiors and bake much faster than a solid pan. I highly recommend these pans. I place the shaped dough directly on the pan, proof in the pan, and pop them in the oven. Being able to proof the dough directly on the pan saves lots of transfer steps from banneton to board to baking tray. Here is a link to the perforated pans by Chicago metallic. Be sure to season the pans before first use. I use coconut oil because it seems to not burn and keeps the surface non stick for a good number of bakes.https://www.amazon.com/Chicago-Metallic-Commercial-Non-Stick-Perforated/dp/B003SZBSUK/https://www.amazon.com/Chicago-Metallic-Commercial-Non-Stick-Perforated/dp/B003YKGQWO/Overall, I recommend this machine for its condiments dispenser and its DIY feature.PS. Ignore the recipe booklet that comes with the 2020 model; few recipes actually work. The mixing is inadequate to develop gluten, and the extremely long rise times of 95+ minutes are not really suited for quick acting bread machine yeast. A general program that I enter in the DIY option that has worked for me, for most breads:use SAF premium quick acting yeast,https://www.amazon.com/SAF-Instant-Premium-Yeast-Single/dp/B0049WLQ30/10’ mix/ 15’ rest (before cycle begins, add flour, water, egg. also, add condiments to dispenser)10’ mix/ 20’ rest (at beginning of cycle, add salt, allow to mix, then add yeast)8’ mix/ 15’ rest35’ rise12’ rise (adjust as needed)0’ Bake0’ Keep Warm

gave as a gift........she loves it

I really wanted to like this bread machine. Being on a small fixed income I have to make sure I am going to have as few problems as I could expect to have . The first 2 times that I used this the bread came out fantastic. The 3rd time the bread didn’t seem to rise. This time was my 4th attempt with using this bread maker. When I plugged in the machine I could not get the machine to recognize that I was making a 2 pound loaf. It took me 5 tries until it registered that I was making a 2 pound bread. I was hoping that this would be my only issue but that was not the case. I kept checking the machine to see if it cooled off and I was puzzled by the machine still staying very hot. I was even more unhappy because the machine started beeping and I never touched the buttons or anything else on this machine. I am so disappointed with this bread machine and I wish I never had gotten it. I had read the reviews online that said it was a well-rated kitchen appliance and I wish I could just give it back to the manufacturer because if something happens one more time with it I am not going to be using it. Maybe my machine is defective and not the norm for the manufacturer but it is the first and very last time I ever will get anything that they make. It is a shame that I have so little to spend and mostly make very good choices but this was a terrible mistake on my part. I should have gotten a better machine.AS AN UPDATE FOR THE MACHINE:I decided that after all the problems I had with the recipes in the booklet that came with this machine I would try to find a way that the bread could be better; not just in appearance but also how much it really needed to rise while baking. Thankfully it was a simple fix of adding in an extra 1/4 liquid. As for everything else with this machine I still am not totally happy with it but my opinion has been changed enough by the quality of the bread it now makes. I am one of the people who love bread (especially oatmeal bread) and I am using the machine once a week. The one big plus that I found is that this bread maker is easily cleaned up after baking. It still will not shut off after the bread is finished and who knows what would happen if for some reason I couldn’t be in my apartment to monitor this. All I know is that for a new machine it should work better than it does. I probably have a lemon from this company and I wish I could just snap my fingers and get all the problems fixed with just by trial and error. Just with the machine not shutting off as it should I still have so many regrets that I got this machine. I always go through as many reviews as I can and for a product that is supposed to be ranked #3 it should be much better than it is. I doubt that I would ever get anything else from this manufacturer and the glaring problems I see with safety because it doesn’t shut off as it should really bother me.

Since I answered some questions about this, I think I should do a review. I got this because I wanted fresh, salt-free bread. I have never used a bread maker before and if I gave up easily I probably wouldn't ever again. The first loaf had a nice, if flimsy, crust and liquid inside. I checked everything and then discovered that the darn recipe had a miss-print! So I cleaned up everything and made two more loafs, both defective in some way, both the result of user error. The fourth one was coming along nicely when the nut adder thing opened when it was rising and put a big hole in the top. I cut off the dented end and pretended It was so good I just couldn't wait. Nobody believed that since white bread with no salt has got to be the most awful stuff on earth! But the texture was good, so I count it as a success. My friend who told me how easy it was actually told me later that it would take me awhile to get used to it and make anything useful. I may be reconsidering our friendship. I am also reconsidering no salt and may opt for low salt.The machine itself is nice and fairly easy to use. I wish there was more of a user guide, especially descriptions of how you change the crust and time and on/off/stop. These seem to be variations of how long you hold the button down, but I would be happier if I knew that 1 beep meant ON, 2 beeps meant STOP, and 3 beeps meant OFF. I can see, however, that once you learn the language it is very simple to use. Cleaning is a breeze. No problems there, UNLESS you dump your flour into the maker before you put in the baking container (yes, I did). Even then it wasn't hard to clean. Would I buy it again? YES. It does everything I want it to do, or will when I learn how.