Review on Pohl Schmitt 2LB Stainless Steel Bread Machine Maker - 17-in-1 with Gluten Free & Fruit Settings, Nonstick Pan, Nut Dispenser, 3 Loaf Sizes, 3 Crust Colors, Keep Warm Feature, and Recipes by Mark Walsh

Let me start by saying that this is the first time I've made bread - EVER and also the first time I've used a bread machine. I'll say it was a little intimidating, lots of buttons, lots of programs, but like a true A-student, I read the instructions cover to cover. I did everything that was asked before first use. Yes, it smelled a little strange, but they warned against it. Before writing this review I made 2 different breads. Of course, I chose 2 recipes that had typos. For those who really want to try French country bread, you'll need 4 cups of bread flour, and for those of you who want to try nut bread with apples, 1/4 cup of brown sugar, not 4 cups of brown sugar. followed the instructions, in hindsight it was very easy but I double checked everything as I was very nervous about screwing up the machine and failing the first bread bake. (Note for those blindly using the provided cup. 1 cup is on their line, not on top like most 1 cups in any kitchen. I've read a number of reviews where people have complained about their poor quality bread , and I think it's user error and/or not fresh yeast or wrong water temp, not a machine problem.) Other than that, I LOVE LOVE this machine. It has everything that others mention in their reviews: beautiful design, easy maintenance, very quiet operation, there is a reserve in case the bottom of the nut compartment falls off, a handy display of everything that happens, a small window to pique your curiosity silent in relation to what is happening. Inside. Yes, I found myself looking at him, watching the kneading process, the bread rising, the bread turning a beautiful color as it baked. Our house smells like delicious freshly baked bread, and I mean business - both French country bread and apple nut bread are absolutely delicious! Additional notes as of August 2020. We haven't bought any bread since we bought this machine. I would say that I can bake bread with my eyes closed in no time, don't worry, just add all the ingredients, press start and exit the kitchen. Don't worry, the machine will beep when it's ready :) We bake fresh bread once/twice a week. The machine works great. Our little one loves the little window to see what's going on inside. BEST BUY!