Black & Decker as a company have a history dating back over 100 years, so their brand name is certainly associated with quality products. They make a variety of different appliances including several for the kitchen. They released a range of bread makers a few years ago, although it looks like they are now discontinued. One of the more popular models in this product range was the Black & Decker All In One B2250 Automatic bread maker. The name may be a mouthful, but is it still a good option today? Let’s take a closer look at it below.
Product Features:
As usual we start off by having a look at the design of this model. As far as we know this model was released in 2005, but the design does not look too dated in our opinion. The main unit is a glossy white color, while there is a silver circular trim around the center. The main control panel area is also mounted on a silver panel, and the control buttons line the bottom of this area. The buttons don’t have any text labels, but instead have pictures on them that indicate their functions. Above the buttons is the lcd screen, which gives a rundown of the current program as well as the time remaining on that particular recipe.
On the front of the machine machine is a list of all the built in recipes, which is a good point of reference. On top of the machine is the Black & Decker logo and the large viewing window so you can keep an eye on the cooking progress. There is also a carry handle built in which makes moving the machine around quite easy. The size of the machine is on the larger side, with the measurements being 18.5″ H x 12.5″ W x 14.75″ L. Aside from that there is not a whole lot more to talk about regarding the design. It is somewhat simple, but it still looks decent today compared to newer models.
Now let’s talk about some of the features you will find on this machine. The B2250 model can bake two different loaf sizes including the medium 1.5 lb and the large 2 lb. There are three different crust shades to choose from including light, medium and dark. There are 10 built in recipes on this model including Basic, Rapid Bake 1, Rapid Bake 2, Sandwich , Whole Grain, Sweet, Quick Bread, Dough, French and Preserves. The only difference between the Rapid Bake programs are that the first one is designed for 1.5 lb loaves while the second one is for 2 lb loaves.
This model has a built in delay timer, which can delay the cooking up to 13 hours. Once the bread is finished cooking the machine will start the Keep Warm cycle which will last for up to 60 minutes. Since this model is on the more affordable scale you can probably guess that it is a vertical bread maker. Therefore if you are looking for standard store bought sized loaves then you may need to look elsewhere. The baking tin has a nonstick coating, and the good news is that the manual does say that both the baking tin and the kneading paddle are dishwasher friendly. Another nice features is that this model has a cool touch exterior, which is a great safety aspect especially if you have inquisitive pets or kids.
So how well does this machine perform? To start with the cooking times are quite average, so lets look at a few examples. The Basic recipe takes exactly 3:00 for a 2lb loaf, and the Whole Grain program takes 3:40 for a 2lb loaf. The Rapid programs take 58 minutes for both size loaves, which is virtually identical to other brands. Now in terms of the finished bread product, there seems to be a lot of varying opinions out there. Some folks seem to be quite happy with the performance, saying the finished bread is said to be tasty with good texture. On the other hand many user reviews have said that this machine tends to burn the crust, and this is quite a common complaint.
Another often mentioned problem is that the machine can move around a little during the kneading phases, so keep this in mind especially if you have a very small counter. So it really does seem like this is either going to be a decent purchase or a waste of money from the many reviews we have read. With that in mind though it is quite hard to recommend this model due to the number of common complaints about it, despite the positive feedback.So that is a quick look at the Black & Decker B2250 bread maker. It does have a few nice features, and a affordable price tag of around $50 or so. However there are a number of common complaints about it, so it does seem liked a flawed model. For that reason it might be better to look at another bread maker for home. It comes standard with a measuring jug, measuring spoon and recipe book.
User Manual: You can find a copy of the B2250 user manual here.
Pros:
- 10 recipes
- Carry handle
- Dishwasher friendly
- Cool touch exterior
Cons:
- Machine shakes during kneading / mixing
- Complaints of burnt crusts
Summary:
The Black And Decker All In One bread maker has got a tempting pricetag with some nice features, but it also has a fair amount of negative feedback. It might be best to avoid this model and find a more suitable one. You can get more info on it over at the Amazon product page.
| Our Rating: |
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| 2.5 |