West Bend as a company has existed for over 100 years, so they have certainly earned a reputation for making quality appliances. They sell a variety of bread makers, and today we will be looking at the popular 41300 model. This particular model was released in 2009 so it is over 5 years old now. Can it still compare to more recent models on the market? Keep reading to find out more.
Product Features:
As usual we start off by taking a look at the design of the bread maker. This particular model certainly has a lovely modern look to it. The main base has a matt black finish, while the top area is stainless steel with a glossy black base. The main controls are in the front part of the lid, with the lcd sitting in the center. The lcd has a blue backlight, which makes it stand out nicely against the stainless steel top and black base. The control buttons are all somewhat self explanatory, while the built in recipes are listed on either side of the lcd.
On the top of the machine is a twin viewing window. We aren’t too sure why West Bend decided to go for two round holes next to each other, but it certainly does the job. This model has now been replaced by the newer 41410 model which has a singular oval window instead. However the old design is fine in our opinion, so that certainly shouldn’t be a deciding factor if you compare the two models. This machine is a little bit longer than most, and the dimensions are 10.5″W x 18″ D x 11.5″ H. Overall it is a really nice design, and the combination of black and stainless steel really helps it to stand out.
As mentioned above it is quite a long machine, and this is due to the fact that it makes horizontal loaves of bread. Most cheaper models bake bread vertically, so this one will leave you with standard store bought loaf shapes. The 41300 can make four different sizes of loaves which gives you quite a variety of choices. This includes the small 1lbs, the medium 1.5lbs, the large 2.0lbs and the larger 2.5lbs. As is to be expected, there are three crust types to pick from such as light, medium and dark. There are 11 built in recipes to pick from including Basic, Quick, French, Super Rapid, Whole Wheat, Sweet, Dough, Bake, Jam, Sandwich and Home Made. The Home Made recipe setting is quite good if you like to make your own bread, as you can customize all the aspects of the cooking process. Think the bread needs to rise longer? Simply customize this in the Home Made menu option, and then you can save it for future use.
Once the bread is finished cooking, it will revert to the Keep Warm mode which will function up to two hours. The machine will beep several times to indicate the end of the baking cycle, and it will also beep once if you are using a recipe that requires additional ingredients to be added at a specific point. Also included is a delay timer, which goes up to 12 hours and 58 minutes which is oddly specific. Most machines come with a 13 hour timer, so this isn’t too far off the norm. The loaf tin is nonstick coated, and has two kneading paddles. West Bend do advise you not to put the baking tin in the dishwasher, but rather to clean it with a damp cloth to safeguard the nonstick coating.
Now the big question is how well does it actually perform? With over 800 user reviews on Amazon alone, there is certainly no shortage of user opinions on this particular model. The vast majority seem to be very positive. The texture is said to turn out great, while the taste is also highly praised. The super rapid mode also seems to be rated well, so this is good news for anyone who likes their bread in a hurry. Aside from the majorly positive feedback there are a few complaints about this particular model. One of them is related to the smell – the machine seems to give off a plastic smell the first few times it is used. West Bend specifically state that the machine must be run on the bake cycle once before you even begin using the machine. This will supposedly burn off the remnants of any oils or leftover residue from the manufacturing process.
People have said the smell can linger for a few times after this, so keep that in mind. There has also been some reports of the paddles coming off when you remove the loaf from the tin. This is a common complaint with bread makers, and West Bend do provide a little hook which allows you to remove the paddles from the bread. However most people have reported that as long as you make sure the paddle is locked into place, this should not happen too often. Aside from that the general opinion seems to be that this is a very good choice for making bread at home.
So that is a quick look at the West Bend 41300 bread maker. It looks really nice, has a range of different recipes and reportedly works very well. It comes with a measuring cup, double sided measuring spoon and the instruction / recipe booklet. Currently you can find this machine in some places for the price of around $100, which makes it really excellent value for money. Competing horizontal bread makers can cost in the $200 + range, so you can see the value of it here. If you are looking for a good mid range bread maker, then this is definitely worth a look.
User Manual: You can find the user manual here in pdf format.
Pros:
- Lovely design
- Makes horizontal loaves
- 4 Loaf sizes
- 11 Recipes
- Keep Warm
- Delay Timer
Cons:
- Some reports of a plastic smell after the first few uses
Summary:
The West Bend 41300 is a quality horizontal bread maker, and comes with a number of features. It looks great, and makes really good bread. With a selling price of around $100, it certainly looks like a winner. It comes with a limited one year warranty, and you can get more info about it on the Amazon product page.
| Our Rating: |
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| 4.5 |