BBM800XL Custom Loaf Bread Maker Machine, Brushed Stainless Steel

Let me start with short review of Breville's competitor I had an opportunity to try before buying this piece of home magic. My dear husband gave me an expensive Zojirushi as a B-day gift. I was exited to test it, but the recipie from the booklet failed immediately - bread was lumpy, tasteless and rock-hard. We've gave it another try and tried a cake recipie from the book, and it failed again, producing half baked "brick" without possibility to continue baking unless you would wait for Zo would cool down. Besides it being a lemon made in China (not in Japan, as expected), it also looks and feels like "Hello, housewives from 80-s!" with tiny dark lcd display, bulky body and colorful booklet, which looks more like a childrens book (not just because it is colored, but also by the mentoring tone some adults use with children - many repeats, minimum useful information, colorful simplified schemes and attractive pictures...). My guess, the model was not updated for the last 20-30 years, except the smooth buttons (a la 2000's) and gluten free option, which probably was an encoding for some other modern trend from the past and now was just renamed for the sake of health consciousness buyers. There is no ways to modify pre-set programs and only three options for custom recipies, where you can choose only order and number of steps, but not the time or temperature. There are no crust settings for Wheat! I guess everybody in Japan like their wheat bread made only one way... I was more than disappointed not only by bad quality, but by Zo's intend to standartize my baking and limit my creativity, the true essence if cooking. We've returned it without regrets. So, now about Breville. Compare to the traktor-like Zo, this is a top notch Rolls Roys. My first try of milk and honey bread from the booklet turned to be amaizing, tasty and exeeded mine and my family expectations (see photo). The bread was soft, spongy inside and with evenly golden artisian crust outside. The machine itself looks modern and stylish, with huge lighted display, easy to read text and icons, intuitive navigation and fancy buttons. The booklet is full of quite useful information, tips, tricks and recipies. Compare to Zo, it has only one paddle for bread, but it is collapsible and there is another paddle for the jam included. Nice feature Zo was missing, is fruts and nuts dispenser, which this machine has on the detachable cover. But most importantly, this beauty has a magic button "Modify", which can change any pre-set ptogram to your desite for the length of each step and, where applicable, for the temperature as well. There are 9 custom programs you can keep in Breville's memory for some of your favorite recipies, or your experiments. I have not tried it yet, but I believe it could be programmed to be a yogurt maker or sourdough starter. The pickaboo window is big enough to catch moments where you may want to add liquid or flour during kneeding, and there is a light inside to see how bread is breathing and rising. A few cons, which might be disturbing for some, but does not downgrade my opinion about this breadmaker: 1. the signal has a higher pitch, but you can turn it off. 2. It moves more and noizier compare to my old Toastmaster or Zojihushi. However, it has rubber pads on the legs, so I doubht it may walk away from my countertop one day. 3. Collapsible pad would require better cleaning and some practice to put it in the open position while adding ingredients (mine was collapsing, so I had to hold it with a spoon while adding liquids). 4. Stainless steel frame is a fingertip and drops magnet and would require periodic cleaning Despite these minor nuances, the result beats the minor inconveniences. I am happy to have this model as my B-day present and my husband loves it even more! P.S. Accidently found a trick to switch from light to medium crust without restarting the programm - close the dispenser before baking step.

So after making bread for 8 months every week I feel I can say this is a great bread maker. The 2 pound size is great but too tall for a sandwich, the 1 pound is great as well but doesn’t yield enough slices, so 1 1/2 pound loaf is perfect for us. It yields 16 slices. I use fleishmanns traditional active dry yeast in the 113gram bottle (purchased on Amazon). It works better than those little packets, no I don’t know why it just does. I also use Kate Naturals vital wheat gluten as well. The texture and density of the bread is so nice I’m so pleased I bought this machine. The machine is not very noisy, cleans up in minutes and pretty easy to follow instructions on how to use it. When I make the bread I add 2 ounces of everything seasoning to the flour before I put it in the machine and it gives the bread a nice little flavor. This week, pizza dough! Who needs store bought bread!!! Buy it and enjoy!

After both my parents passed I took my mother's breadmaker she had bought way back in '98 home. Dad had been using it some since she passed (I know because he never cleaned anthing, so it was covered in old bread plus the paddle was all scraped up from him removing it from the loaves with metal utensils). This was right when the pandemic hit so I had trouble finding flour and yeast but as soon as I could I started using it. It worked great except for overbaking everything (I had to set a separate timer and pull the loaves early); and after a year I figured it would be worth buying a new machine. After a lot of research I decided on the Breville Custom Loaf. They were out of stock everywhere and it took over a month to get ahold of one but finally did. The machine is good, I like being able to choose loaf sizes and crust darknesses (which the old machine did not do) although some of the bread types do not let you choose crust darkness, like "Crusty Loaf". My main use for the machine is sourdough which should be Crusty Loaf BUT the crust is in fact so tough that it's too hard to slice the loaves for sandwiches so I now make them as Basic loaves with a dark crust instead. The old machine included a chart that showed all the times broken down by cycle for each bread type; because this one has so many variables they did not include any such charts so I stood there and scrolled through the cycles and made my own charts, and that's how I know that the Basic cycle is practically the same as the Crusty Loaf cycle with the exception of the bake temperature (which is higher of course for Crusty Loaf). This is the kind of thing that makes the charts so handy to have and it's a shame they couldn't have added five more pages with those. One thing that bothers me about this machine is that it "walks" when on the knead cycle so for heaven's sake keep it AWAY from the edge of your counter or it could stroll right off of there. Oh and a tip: the paddle can only be removed when it is in the folded position. It took me a while to figure that one out. Also, if you're having trouble getting the loaf out (maybe because your crust is too crusty), turn the pan over, and turn the rotating piece attached to the paddle clockwise to help disengage it from the bread. Sorry one more thing: so far I haven't been a fan of any of the recipes included with this machine. I use the King Arthur Flour bread machine sourdough recipe, and I photocopied my mother's machine's manual because I like all of those recipes. So far I have only made 1.5 lb loaves but they have all risen enough (with the exception some of Breville's recipes actually) to fill the pan adequately. There's only two of us so I don't know if I'll ever need the larger sizes anyways.

The Breville BBM800XL (hereafter called "the 800") is an elegant bread maker. It has good looks for sure. Mine arrived with no cosmetic defects and was well packed to survive the journey. The brushed steel housing is a bit thin and flexes with just a little pressure. I would think for the price it could be a bit more substantial but that's just my opinion. I have other Breville appliances and this machine is a nice match. I have been baking bread the old fashioned way for at least 40 years. Although the old way is still best, a bread maker is often a better alternative for me than turning on the oven and heating the entire kitchen on a summer's day. I would like to compare the 800 to the Zojirushi BB-PAC20 (hereafter called "the Zo"). These are not the only bread machines in town, but I do have experience with both. I think people looking for a high end machine would like a comparison. This Zo is a bit heavier. It feels more solid than the 800. The Zo sits lower and is a bit wider. The 800 can wander around while it kneads. This can be a disaster if you are not prepared for it. I found that if I use a damp rag and wipe the feet clean as well as the counter top beneath it that it will stay firmly in place. Things should be clean in the kitchen anyway, right? My 800 worked fine right out of the box. My first two Zo's were duds. Briefly, there was a bad noise problem with two units. The third one works properly. Thanks to Amazon for helping with this. I suppose the main question to answer is how well do these two machines bake bread? I think the Zo is the best performer. Bread from the Zo is evenly browned and well formed. The Zo has a heavier bread pan than the 800. The 800's loaf is a bit dark on the bottom when set for "medium" crust. It turns out as medium at the top and dark, but not burned, on the bottom. The Zo's two-pound loaf is of "normal" dimensions and fits my bread slicer. The 800 is a wider loaf about 5-1/2" inches wide. The Zo is a bit short of 5 inches wide. The Zo can make a tall 2-pound loaf, though, whose slices do not really fit a normal toaster. They stick out an inch in my Breville toaster. So those are a job for a toaster oven to toast. After using the 800 a few times, I found there to be absolutely no problem with keeping the folding paddle clean. When the pan cools I fill it with warm water and a drop of detergent. A half hour later the paddle is easy to remove from the pan. (I do the same soaking routine with the Zo.) I use a brush to scrub out the paddle, rinse, and that's that. I wish the Zo had a substantial paddle like this. With care, this paddle should definitely last and not wear out around the shaft like the the Zo's paddles.I believe that if the paddle is ever put away without a thorough cleaning the dough inside the slot will harden and cause a problem. So once again, just keep it clean as you should be doing anyway. The 800 is not a quiet machine. The pan is only held down by gravity where the Zo locks into place. While kneading the 800 emits slamming sounds. Since it only has one relatively large paddle, the dough ball tends to get slammed around. It is louder than a properly working Zo. This was disappointing since so many reviews said the machine was quiet. The Zo tends to keep the dough more in place while it kneads because it has two paddles. On the other hand, one defective Zo I had was the noisiest bread maker I'd ever heard and I returned it. It is tricky to remove the hot pan from the 800. It has only a flimsy thin wire handle that flops from one side to the other when you try to grasp it with a pot holder. This handle is about as thick as coat hanger wire. It doesn't latch in a straight up position. It is really hard to get a pot holder or mitt onto it when it is lying down flat in a hot machine. I use tongs to assist in getting the handle up a bit so I can grab it. Even then, I always manage to burn myself. True, the lid could be left open for a long while and let the thing cool first. However, I like to remove the bread from the machine when it's done and not let it soak in the heat. The Zo has two substantial handles which make it supremely easy to remove the pan. Just rock it toward you so it unlatches and then pull it out of the machine. No drama at all. The 800 control panel puts the Zo to shame. It is head and shoulders above the Zo. It is easy to see the settings. It works differently from the minimalist panel on the Zo, but not in a bad way. I find it easy to operate. I think it is the best feature of the 800. The 800 has an excellent interior light. Too bad that most of the time the viewing window is obscured by condensation so that you would have to lift the lid to wipe it clear to see. That kind of limits the usefulness of the light since you've got the lid open. The Zo pauses automatically whenever the lid is lifted and restarts automatically when the lid is closed. The 800 does not care if the lid is open. I just keeps on chugging or baking away. If you want to pause the 800 you push a button. Tie score on that one, I'd say. The dispenser works but I don't use it. You will hear it noisily pop open near the end of the first knead cycle whether you are using it or not. The Zo has no dispenser. The 800 emits beeps that are inaudible to me. The frequency is too high for my old ears. The Zo has lower pitched beeps that I can hear if I am in the same room with it. The 800 has handy posts at the back to allow wrapping the power cord neatly out of the way. The Zo does not have any kind of cord management. Both machines have delay start. The feature is nicest on the Zo where you have to do no head math at all to know when the delayed start bread will be ready. The 800 lets you set the amount of delay and it is up to you to figure out at what time your bread will be ready. The 800 gets much too hot on the outside while baking. If you should touch it you will quickly pull your hand away in pain. Strangely, the lower 3 or 4 inches of the skirt stay cool so you can safely grasp the machine and take it to another place after baking. The top is still very hot so care is still needed. The Zo seems better insulated, keeping the heat inside. The Zo only feels hot if you touch the view window. (Trust me, it's hot!) The Zo comes with a colorful recipe book with large type. I like it by far over the smallish monochrome book that comes with the 800. I especially like that it describes exactly what each program (Zo calls them "courses") does and spells out the length of each cycle and its steps by using a little graph for every group of recipes. Very handy. The 800 pretty much omits this type of information. It does explain the limits of the custom programs but you don't really get to know the workings of each program. The 800 has a much wider customization range than the Zo. This feature may be very important to some. I am OK with the limited variations available on the Zo. The 800 is a nice machine but I do favor the Zo. I like the even baking of the Zo and I like the more normal size of the loaf. I like that the Zo has two paddles. I can only opine that I think it mixes better. It takes the 800 quite a while to bring the dough together while kneading. The Zo is more thorough, quiet, and faster. Overall, I see no real problem with either machine in this regard. I do think the 800 has to work a lot harder than the Zo to mix things up effectively with only one paddle and perhaps that is why it is noisier. As I've said I have other Breville appliances. I have found their customer service to be helpful and genuinely concerned when I've laid a problem at their feet. Zo, on the other hand, has a somewhat arrogant and off-putting tone in their response to questions. Zo also seems to have terrible quality control. It took me 3 tries to get a machine that works. You will not be disappointed if you buy the 800. The paddles are really not a problem if you care for them. I don't know why they are an obsessive target of condemnation in the reviews. It bakes good bread and it is very versatile. As I've said I happen to prefer the Zo by just a little bit. It mixes and bakes a more attractive loaf. I must caution, though, that in my experience the likelihood of getting a defective Zo are high. Be prepared for disappointment if you order one. However, Amazon will make it right if you want to return it. How about for gift giving? Both are good choices but consider that the Zo comes with a nice booklet and an instructional DVD. If you are giving to a novice baker, this could be helpful. On the other hand, a Zo probably needs to be checked out before you give it as a gift or you may cause disappointment. It's sad that I can't say otherwise, but I had to return two already. For the least fuss, I'd say the 800 is the best bet. It looks nice and is maybe less likely to be a lemon. As always, these are just my opinions. I don't consider myself biased either way, these opinions are borne from what I have experienced. I would rate the Zo at 3 stars. I give it only three stars because although it bakes great bread it caused me a lot of grief with poor quality. Had I not had quality problems with the Zo I would have given it a 5 star rating. Happy bread making!

One Star - Avoid This Disappointing Bread Maker! The Breville BBM800XL, despite its fancy features, utterly fails at its primary function: making decent bread. The mixing is atrocious! It leaves pockets of unmixed flour, resulting in a horribly inconsistent dough. You'd think with a "Custom Loaf" machine, it would handle this basic task, but no. And the results? Hideously deformed loaves! They come out misshapen and lopsided, looking nothing like the picture on the box. Even when I select the "Light Crust" setting, the bottom of every single loaf ends up burnt to a crisp while the rest remains pale and unevenly baked. What's the point of custom settings when the outcome is consistently ruined? This expensive machine is nothing but a source of frustration. Burnt bottoms, deformed loaves, and poorly mixed dough – it's a trifecta of baking failure. Save your money and buy a simpler, more reliable bread maker. This Breville is a complete letdown.

I bought this as suggested (instructed) as a birthday present for my wife. This is a really sophisticated but easy to use appliance. You literally add the ingredients, press 'START' and walk away. Be a little patient. She had a few failures at the start. Getting the ingredients and pre-bake process right takes a little time and some trial and error. Don't give up. Your efforts will be rewarded. Fast forward. . . she tweaked a few things here and there, and it all came together. We do not buy bread from the store any more. Now she bakes our loaf bread every Sunday. Amazon even sells a bread slicing guide, plastic bags, and twist ties. Her banana nut bread is moist and fabulous. Pizza dough. . .incredible. We have a French bread baguette baking pan (who knew) and she makes the dough for it with the machine. Homemade baguettes! She texted me letting me know she's making baguettes Viennois. Haven't a clue, but I'm in. (I've gone from 2 to 3 days at the gym, but it's worth it.)

Outstanding machine that produces incredible bread. I was able to create a custom setting for 6.5 hours start to end sourdough bread... that each time comes out crispy, beautiful and delicious. Thank you!

Love, love, love it! Very quiet and stable on kitchen counter. I made two beautiful loaves right out of the box! Whole Wheat and Pizza Bread. I have tried Zorushi, Cuisinart, Hamilton Beach, KBS, and none of them appealed to me like the Breville Bread Machine. I like the very efficient 1 paddle Breville. . . it has the power to knead the dough at over 800 watts. Breville is quality. . . whatever you buy. In beginning, you've got to layer the ingredients. . . wet on bottom, dry on top, and be careful with temp of liquids. . . If you have a problem, it could be you, the recipe, or other factors (such as the yeast you have chosen to use) that can affect the outcome of your baked product. Don't blame the well-made machine. The book that accompanies it is very informative (small type) with a few recipes. So I used ones that I already had and one off the internet. Wow! I am in love with this machine! Hi! Aug 16. Perfect performance every time. I have not bought a loaf of sandwich bread since I acquired the machine. Not one! I use Bread Dad’s recipes, whole wheat and white buttermilk bread. Note: don’t open lid and rearrange dough. You don’t need to. Just let it do its thing. Perfect every time. Do yourself a favor, read guidebook thoroughly and follow bread recipes for machines weighing ingredients. Have fun!