Panasonic SD-YD250 Automatic Bread Maker with Yeast Dispenser, White
- 3 choices of loaf sizes and up to 2-1/2 pounds loaf capacity, ideal bread machine for modern family
- Settings for white, whole wheat, multigrain, French, quick breads/cakes
- 13-hour delay start timer and programmable menu options make meal planning easier
- Automatically adds yeast at the optimum time to ensure perfect bread
- With non-stick inner bake pan and build-in handle, finished bread is easily removed from the unit
JimmythatCarroll
Going strong after six years / edit after SEVEN years
I always thought a breadmaker was something you bought, used for a month, and then put in a cupboard never to see the light of day again. To the contrary, once I started making my own bread, the execution is easy, and the thought of going back to store-bought horrible. I have made at least one loaf of bread every. single. week since purchase in Jan 2011. This breadmaker cost a bit more when I bought it, about $160, so on a per-use basis, it's working out to about $0.44/loaf. Pretty good. **Update 12/3/17 - my (now) seven-year old SD-YD250 committed suicide by walking off the counter. Yup, it walks from time to time. What a crash it made. I order a replacement immediately and am SO happy that Panasonic is still making them. Literally not a detail has been changed - it was delivered in the same sturdy outer plain cardboard box, with the inner color printed box with the heavy duty copper staples holding it closed, with the exact same literature. It's so shiny and new though !!! How many consumer electronics these days are still being made seven years later ???
SummerDay
Its stands the test of time
So bought mine back in March of 2008 and it performed flawlessly of whatever I demanded of it, pizza dough, whole wheat, raisin bread, you name it. That is until last month. I make a fresh loaf every 4-5 days and have never had an issue with it. Even up until the end it worked without problem, and then it walked itself off the counter. I blame myself, I knew it's quirks, it's foibles. I just did not take measures to prevent the stroll this time. It's my personal belief that it was nearing the end of it's lifespan and instead of giving up in disgrace and a half baked loaf, it decided to commit honorable seppuku. RIP breadmaker, you will be missed. Well enough of that, my new one is exactly the same as the old and works exactly the same. Here's to another decade of service.
ClaudiaSoares
Super user-friendly!
I use this machine 2x a year for cinnamon rolls. I have owned it for 4 years, and have never once had an issue with it. It makes noise. It’s a bread machine. I’ve never met one that makes less noise than this one. My favorite feature is that it heats up the ingredients to the correct temperature, and then adds the yeast from the yeast holder on the top. I don’t need to pre-heat anything that’s in it, the machine does all that for me!
KayeHughes
to make bread like the bread types you love
So far this bread machine has matched or exceeded my every expectation. I am not a baker and I have never owned a machine. Even so, the loaves it has turned out using the directions have been very passable. The loaves do not stick in the pan, nor to the kneading blade, and the hole in the bottom is just there, not gaping or torn. This machine has fewer settings than more expensive high end brands, but it is possible, with a little research and experimentation, to make bread like the bread types you love. I am turning out wonderful 100% whole wheat loaves, for example, from red wheat berries ground with my little Victorio grinder, and I have made a good "sourdough" bread using sponge starters and long cool proofing. The machine makes it easy with its dough cycles and can manage kneading whole wheat doughs. This machine is one of only a few in which dry ingredients go in first, and while it can bake cakes and and quick breads, they must be mixed by hand before pouring into the LINED breadpan. Neither can it make jams or jellies. At 5000 feet, it helps to compress and reshape the loaves before they enter into the baking cycle. Stiff doughs tend to come out mis shapen, and I have had problems with over-rising and falling whole wheat doughs that I've made with sponges. Am still learning. This machine will not disappoint you.
BethDavis
LOVE IT! Back in about 1988 I bought a ...
LOVE IT! Back in about 1988 I bought a second hand Chef Mate bread maker. I didn't use it a ton, but did use it on and off over the years. It produced a wonderful loaf of bread. Looked a lot like this Panasonic. I was going to make a fresh loaf of bread on Christmas Eve for my Mom and the dang thing broke. So no fresh bread for Christmas. I looked around on line and finally decided on this one based on reviews. I don't need a machine with a lot of bells and whistles. I ordered this one on Christmas Day and 2 days later, it was on my porch! Wow! I immediately took it out of the box, skimmed the instruction booklet and started a loaf of bread. First loaf was absolutely perfect! Hub likes the quality of this bread better than my old Chef Mate. Personally I liked the crust produced by my old Chef Mate a bit better (I like a little stiffer and crispy crust). I may try some other cycles on this machine and see if I can get the same kind of crust. It's really just a matter of personal taste,. but the machine works like a dream. I used the rapid bake mode because that was closest to what my old Chef Mate offered. This is a really nice unit. I wanted something that will last me another 20 years and I'm sure this will do the trick.
RobinGuilloryFranks
It just keeps going, and going, and going, and...
Holy smokes! They still make this machine? I'm going through some products I bought a long time ago (this one was in 2010) and offering long term reviews so people will know about lasting quality. This machine will LAST! We've been running it at least once a week for the last 8 years! We make our own gluten free bread and bought this machine to do it. We've never used the yeast dosing, so I can't comment on that, but the machine produces consistent loaves every time with minimal effort. The mixing paddle (not sure of terminology) could probably use replacing, but other than that, this product functions WELL. So, if you like to buy something of QUALITY that lasts, end your bread maker search here.
WendyGali
Excellent if not the best bread maker
Panasonic SD-YD250 Automatic Bread Maker with Yeast Dispenser, White We purchased this item on 5/3/2016 and it was delivered on 5/11/2016. Since then, we have used it at least two times per week to make bread. I am not sure why some people complain about the quality of the bread made by this device. In my opinion, it hardly gives you a bad bread. The first few times we made bread without using dry milk and the results were good. Later, we bought dry milk and added it as it was mentioned in the recipe and the bread was even better. The first couple of weeks, I measured ingredients very precisely and it was time consuming. Honestly, the very first time took 45 minutes or so, but now, I just approximately measure and mix all the ingredients (except for the butter and water) for 5 to 8 breads in separate bags and every time I want to make bread I just use one bag and add butter and water and voila! This is why I say it is hard not to make a good bread with this, since precise measures and approx ones all give you good result. The only ingredient which significantly changes the look and taste of your bread is the yeast. You should use instant dry yeast and not active one. Notes: - This bread maker is of the biggest kitchen's small appliances :) We cannot open the lid when it is on the countertop and back against the wall since it will hit the cabinet above it. - It moves while making bread, do NOT leave it on the edge of the countertop while working. - It makes noise. If you have a studio and you are a sensitive person, do NOT start it at night as it will wake you up in the middle of the night. - Kneading blade is very sensitive and poor quality IMO. Sometimes, it is stuck in the bread and you should take it out very carefully. CBA (Cost–benefit analysis): The following CBA is for buying vs baking basic white bread: Assuming you buy this $100 and also you buy two loaves of bread every week from your local grocery store for $2/loaf, then considering you need to buy ingredients for making bread, it takes almost 9 months to have your money back. After 9 months, every fresh loaf costs you around $0.5 with much much better taste. If you buy more than two loaves and more expensive brands, you will get to the benefit point earlier than 9 months. I have attached 2 photos from the first bread I baked (without dry milk) and 2 with dry milk also added. Edit: You can download the Operating instruction and recipes from the Panasonic website.
RennBelladonna
I'm extremely happy with it!
After having a bread machine that made something more equivalent to building materials (bricks), I was reluctant to invest in another. But after reading reviews, I went for it. It was a gift for my husband for Christmas 2014. Since a year has passed, I thought it was high time I write up my results. Our machine gets used sporadically. We have made the white bread, sandwich bread, whole wheat, a half wheat (was on the last bits of each flour but had enough for a loaf if mixed... it was surprisingly good), milk bread, a banana nut bread. Every loaf comes out tasting great! Some crusts are a bit hard, but the bread is always great (and we don't mind the hard crust... at least you can bite and chew it unlike the first bread machine... the only thing edible from those loaves was a tiny spot in the middle the size of my fist... if you could even get to it). The machine is QUIET... I've set it to make bread to be ready when we wake. Our kitchen is not far from the bedroom and we have no problem sleeping with it running. I love how the paddle does not stay in the loaf when you remove it. It has just a little space where it slips on the shaft, allowing it to rotate just enough to grab a little lip on the shaft that keeps it locked on the shaft when you remove the bread from the pan. It's an awesome feature (now imagine me trying to fish a paddle from the bottom of the bricks my other bread maker made... carefully trying not to scrape the non-stick coating off). If we do happen to run this thing to death, I would certainly not hesitate to buy another!
MenkManiz
Better than anticipated
My first breadmaker was a DAK that my mother in law had cast away because the timer quit working. It made adequate loaves. After years, it quit working. My second machine was a Sunbeam that my mom bought for me. I never could make a decent load of bread in it. It finally "went away" and I've been making bread the old fashioned way for many years now. I decided to try a bread machine again and, after reading reviews, decided to try the Panasonic. I was a little nervous because I didn't have a scale to weigh out 16th cups of flour (which Is what the recipes in the manual call for). Even with my haphazard measurements, my first loaf was the best loaf of bread I have ever baked. I can't attest to how well the machine will hold up, but it churns out a nice slice of bread. Have ordered a digital baking scale to be more precise in the future, but I am very pleased with this product. Be advised, it is large and takes quite a bit of counter space. It is very plain looking (kind of like a big white box). Mine will be living in the pantry on top of the spare refrigerator when not in use.
FionaMullins
11 years of faithful service!
I bought this bread maker eleven years ago. Considering the fact that I've used it weekly since without a single problem I figure I owe Panasonic a review. This is the third bread machine I've owned, replacing the first two when each died in turn after a maximum of three years of use. Sorry I can't recall the makes to downgrade them in comparison. My Panasonic was, from the first, easier to use and made more dependable loafs whether whole wheat or mixed grain (I'm not a fan of white bread but the machine has a huge variety of programs available). There are cheaper machines and fancier ones, but when (if) my Panasonic should ever die, I'll replace it with an identical model, hoping one is still available, and continue the love affair.